Much of the built environment does not sound the way it does by chance, but because someone designed it so. Acoustic engineering is an exciting future-proof field that shapes how the world sounds; it can, for example, help mitigate noise pollution to make better living conditions. The major in Acoustics and Audio Technology prepares students for outstandingly diverse career prospects and equips them with a fundamental understanding of human hearing, audio perception, audio signal processing, virtual acoustics, and physics of sound. This is a one-of-a-kind Master's programme, with internationally renowned and award-winning professors as well as world-class research facilities, the Aalto Acoustics Lab.
Upon graduating from the Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Acoustics and Audio Technology, graduates will have:
In this webinar, the programme representatives introduce Aalto University, give a programme overview, explain the programme structure and content, discuss career opportunities, and answer questions...
In the Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences – Acoustics and Audio Technology, the language of instruction is English.
The tuition fee for this programme is 17 000 euros per academic year. Citizens of European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland do not pay tuition fees. Citizens of other countries must pay tuition fees.
Aalto University offers a small number of scholarships in the form of tuition fee waivers to fee-paying students. Scholarships can be awarded to the highest-achieving applicants based on the programme's evaluation criteria. Applicants are ranked according to the criteria outlined on the programme's webpage.
More information on tuition fees and scholarships at Aalto University is available at the Scholarships and Tuition Fees webpage.
The Master's Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences - Acoustics and Audio Technology is organised by the School of Electrical Engineering and comprises a total of 120 ECTS credits. The two-year programme consists of:
More information on the programme content and curriculum can be found in the Student guide.
The programme is characterised by cutting-edge research, which is also strongly incorporated in the teaching. Students benefit from access to world-class acoustic laboratories, including three anechoic chambers, a standardised multichannel listening room, a variable acoustics room, sound-proof listening booths, and immersive audiovisual environments.
Practical experiments and exercises are an essential part of the learning methods. Students have practical assignments, get involved in building prototypes, and keep learning diaries. Our personnel favors assessment through submission of coursework and projects rather than exam-based assessments. The programme is also known for its excellent links with the audio industry, which further strengthens the invaluable hands-on and real-life learning experiences.
Students are required to complete a Master’s thesis, which is a research assignment with a workload corresponding to 30 ECTS credits. The topic of the thesis is agreed upon by the student and the supervising professor. Master’s theses are typically written for one of the research projects of the department(s) in question or related industry.
According to Janne Pietilä, the employment prospects in acoustics and audio technology are good, as experts are needed in virtual reality production as well as in construction
International community, human-centred topics and connections to the industry made the Acoustics and Audio Technology major a great choice for Lauros Pajunen.
The programme provides students with vast knowledge, expertise, and experience for them to improve and transform the way we hear the world. Results from recent research in acoustics and audio engineering are integrated in the courses. Sustainability is deeply integrated into the studies, both in terms of resource-efficient learning methods and topics that contribute to healthier environments. To give an example of future-facing content, one growing field is audio engineering for telepresence and 3D virtual reality technologies.
All the major courses of Acoustics and Audio Technology are intended to be studied during the first year of Master’s studies, except for the project course, which is scheduled to the second year. Thereafter, students can choose from a range of optional courses and specialise in an area of their choice such as audio processing, building acoustics, noise control, or speech technology. The spring term of the second year is dedicated to the Master's thesis.
All topics covered are targeted to enable students to excel in engineering for human experience – there is always a human listener at the end of the acoustic communication channel. A central subject area is technical psychoacoustics, which covers acoustic and audio technologies based on the understanding of human hearing mechanisms. In the programme, students can delve deeper in their areas of interests, that are listed, but not limited to:
The degree programme's curriculum can be found here.
The Master's Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences - Acoustics and Audio Technology brings together a highly multicultural group of students – over half of them come from outside Finland. There are multiple opportunities to develop one’s global competence, such as spending a semester or taking a summer course at one of Aalto University’s partner universities around the globe. Some students carry out their practical training or even Master’s thesis research abroad.
Aalto University is international by nature, welcoming thousands of degree and exchange students from abroad every year. These students join the diverse Aalto community through their studies and multiple free-time events, celebrations, and extracurricular activities around the campus. Active tutoring programs and support services work hard to help international students integrate to the Nordic culture and feel at home in Finland.
The degree programme provides eligibility for scientific postgraduate studies in Finland. The skills learned in the programme create an excellent basis for doctoral studies at Aalto University, another Finnish university or top international universities. Doctoral graduates from Aalto University continue to researcher or other academic career or high-level business positions, among other things. Read more about applying for doctoral studies at Aalto University: https://www.aalto.fi/en/doctoral-education/how-to-apply-for-doctoral-studies
Doctoral education will prepare you for the most demanding expert positions in your field in the academia, companies and public administration. Start here if you’re interested in doctoral studies!
'Now I’m less fearful of failing. I know how to put things into perspective. It was a good lesson to learn that failing is part of the process of succeeding.'
Graduates from the Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences - Acoustics and Audio Technology have an acknowledged advantage in the employment market and are set for a vast number of career opportunities in both vocational and academic fields. Since the topics taught are universal by nature, graduates can take their skills to any country in the world. Many of the students begin their career in R&D positions and later may move to sales and management positions. Some of our alumni have embarked on entrepreneurial journeys or pursued doctoral studies.
Examples of career paths our graduates have taken include:
Aalto University has well-established career services to support students’ employment in Finland and abroad. Thanks to the flexible curriculum, many Aalto students work already during their studies and guarantee themselves entry positions before graduation. There is also a very active entrepreneurship community at Aalto, working as a springboard for founding a company.
'Finland is a unique place, and great for student life,' says Gabriele Del Brenna. In this interview, he talks about his experiences in acoustics and audio technology studies and gives his tips for international experts to find employment after graduation.
Because Craig Rollo wanted a job related to music, studying Acoustics and Audio Technology was the perfect choice for him
Acoustics and Audio Technology major gave Laura McLeod the opportunity to combine her two fields of passion: music and physics
The cellulose-based material, which provides an alternative to traditional acoustic panels, was successfully tested in a protected building owned by Aalto University.
Technology is art for the managing director of Genelec. He’s fascinated by the idea that music played on the company's speakers is based on the laws of physics.
The Department of Information and Communications Engineering combines competence in different areas of research fields varying from ICT technology to core electrical engineering and its basic phenomena. We have deep industry-academia relationships both in research and teaching. With these companies, we boost practical applications that create societal impact.
How could you listen to only one sound in a noisy room? How does your voice change when you shout into the wind? Michael McCrea and Rapolas Daugintis, the summer workers at the Acoustics Lab, are looking for answers to these questions
Besides the wide selection of courses available at Aalto University, students can include courses in their curriculum from other universities – even internationally. The major also regularly welcomes visiting students from other universities. The CCIS (Computer, Communication and Information Sciences) programme is multidisciplinary, encouraging collaboration across disciplines.
| What is evaluated? | Grades of the previous degree(s) and pace of studies |
| What we look for in an applicant |
The CCIS programme is looking for applicants with excellent academic performance in their previous studies. In study options where the number and quality of applications is high, this means that the applicant has achieved consistently excellent grades throughout the degree studies (very high weighted average grade or GPA). The applicant’s prior academic performance will be evaluated based on the grade point average (GPA) and grades in key courses. The time spent on the previous studies will also be considered. All the applicant’s previous university studies, including incomplete degrees and non‐degree studies, will be taken into consideration when evaluating academic performance. Applicants from Finnish universities of applied sciences (AMK) |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s) |
| What is evaluated? | Contents and scope of previous studies |
| What we look for in an applicant |
Applicants are expected to have a high-quality Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, communications engineering, audio engineering, media technology or related field in which studies consist of the required university level studies defined below. The required university-level studies, as well as subjects that are considered an advantage, are defined below for major Acoustics and Audio Technology: Required university-level studies:
Knowledge of at least some of the following areas is considered an advantage:
The contents of the applicant’s previous degree(s) are evaluated based on the courses on the official transcript of records. Relevant work experience, professional certificates and online courses can also be taken into account in the evaluation, but they do not in general compensate for the absence of university-level studies covering the theoretical foundations of the knowledge areas. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Transcript(s) of records, course descriptions |
| What is evaluated? | Recognition and quality of the applicant's previous institution |
| What we look for in an applicant | We expect applicants to have completed their previous degree in a high-quality university and programme. The recognition of the applicant’s home university also affects the interpretation of the grades when evaluating the academic performance. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | International and national rankings of higher education institutions |
| What is evaluated? | Applicant’s suitability to the study option, motivation, commitment to the studies, and written communication skills |
| What we look for in an applicant |
The applicant should be motivated to study the chosen subject and committed to full‐time studies with a plan to complete the Master’s degree in two years. We are looking for applicants who can express clearly the reasons for applying to the study option and describe why they would be excellent candidates for it. Studies in the Master’s programme should provide genuinely new knowledge for the applicant. If the applicant already has a Master’s or a higher degree or is studying towards one, the motivation letter should clearly indicate why another one is necessary. In most cases, non-degree studies are recommended instead. |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Application as a whole including motivation letter |
| What is evaluated? | Work experience, other qualifications and achievements |
| What we look for in an applicant |
Beyond their academic record, applicants may have other experience, knowledge and qualifications that prepare them for the Master’s studies and distinguish them among their peers. We particularly value demanding work experience related to the planned studies, participation in scientific research leading to publications, entrepreneurship, and special achievements such as success in competitions (e.g. Junction Hackathon). |
| Method of demonstrating competence | Curriculum vitae, recommendation letters, proofs of employment, publications, other certificates, GRE or GMAT results (if available). |
The applicants are first evaluated based on Aalto’s general eligibility requirements found on https://www.aalto.fi/en/study-at-aalto/applying-to-masters-programmes. Applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for master's studies are evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria decided in advance for each study option.
The selection process for those who meet the general eligibility criteria is described next. Firstly, the applications are evaluated based on the following (critical) criteria.
Only the applications that fulfil the requirements for these criteria will be evaluated against the full set of the evaluation criteria.
After the evaluation of the remaining criteria below, the best applicants will be selected based on the joint evaluation of all criteria.
The programme does not have a minimum quota to be filled, and not all eligible applicants will necessarily be admitted.
This study option (master’s programme) requires two sets of documents from their applicants:
Applicants may also provide additional documents, which can add value to their application, specified below.
The lack of this document will cause rejection.
Aalto University Admission Services
If you have any questions regarding the application process, application documents or language tests, please contact Aalto University Admission Services
admissions@aalto.fi
School of Electrical Engineering
For enquiries regarding the content of programme, the studies at the School of Electrical Engineering and the study-option specific application documents please contact
masters-elec@aalto.fi
