Department of Computer Science

Education

The Department of Computer Science at Aalto University provides a comprehensive range of computer science education at the Bachelor, Master and Doctoral levels.
Department of Computer Science photo Matti Ahlgren

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Our high-quality degree programmes offer students with solid fundamentals in computer science, a variety of options to specialize and some of the most desired skills for the future labor market. The interdisciplinary interaction between the department’s research fields and Aalto’s other science units creates a fertile environment for learning and allows students to develop their skills in several directions. 

Lecture hall T1 in Computer Science Building has capacity for over 300 people, photo: Matti Ahlgren / Aalto University

Computer science students have the opportunity to benefit from the department's extensive industry connections, and gain experience in working with organizations during their studies. Many students choose to pursue part-time employment while undertaking their studies, and there are several internship options available in the industry. In Finland, it is common practice for students to do their master's thesis in industry, which can help to increase their chances of securing a permanent job upon completion of their studies.

Educating new generations of computer science specialists at the highest level is our main focus, but the department also teaches the basics of computer science to students of other academic fields and contributes to international teaching cooperation. Providing online study modules and MOOC courses, the department promotes accessibility of high-quality life wide learning opportunities in computer science in the Finnish society.

Aalto University students have access to almost all of Aalto's course offerings, and if they wish, a student selected for Computer Science can choose courses from, for example, the School of Arts and Design or other Aalto Schools. Students can also include courses offered by other universities in their studies within the framework of university cooperation. The vibrant campus and optional courses inspire students to new ideas and friendships – and it is not unusual for new innovative companies to emerge in the interdisciplinary environment.

Bachelor’s programmes

On the Bachelor’s level, we provide education in four different majors in the Aalto Bachelor’s Programme in Science and Technology:

Computer Science (in Finnish)Data Science (in English)Engineering Psychology (in Finnish)

Information Networks (in Finnish)

Take a closer look on our Bachelor’s programmes in Finnish and how to apply.

Bachelor's programmes in English

Admission: Application period is annually at the beginning of the year. 

Read more about applying to Aalto University's bachelor's programmes taught in English.

Applying to Bachelor's Programmes

Master’s programmes

Department of Computer Science contributes to teaching in the following Aalto University’s study programmes:

Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (CCIS)

Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (CCIS) merges all the ICT related education in Aalto University under 9 majors. Programme is jointly organized by the School of Science (SCI) and the School of Electrical Engineering (ELEC). Department of Computer Science contributes to teaching in the following majors:

Computer Science 

Game Design and Development 

Human-Computer Interaction 

Machine Learning, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence 

Software and Service Engineering 

Master's Programme in Life Science Technologies

Master's Programme in Life Science Technologies offers a multidisciplinary curriculum focusing on important aspects of current biomedical research, covering fields such as biological data analysis and modeling, advanced biomaterials and bioelectronics, biomedical engineering and neuroscience.The programme is jointly organized by the School of Science, the School of Chemical Engineering, and the School of Electrical Engineering. Department of Computer Science contributes to teaching in the following majors:

Bioinformatics and Digital Health 

Complex Systems 

Master’s Programme in Information Networks

Master’s Programme in Information Networks educates cross-disciplinary thinkers and innovators with human-centric technological skills. The programme is organized by the School of Science. Department of Computer Science contributes to teaching in the following majors:

Digital Ethics, Society and Policy

Software Engineering and Architectures

User, Data and Design

International joint degree programmes

International joint degree programmes are two-year English-language master's programmes in which students study at two or more universities. The application periods and selection procedures differ from rest of Aalto's master programmes. Department of Computer Science contributes to the following international joint degree programmes:

Applying to master’s programmes

Doctoral studies

Aalto Doctoral Programme in Science

The Doctoral Programme in Science is a multidisciplinary programme with a unique combination of science, technology and business. The research done is committed to high standards of international excellence and the aim is to educate doctoral students in different research fields to tackle increasingly complex societal challenges in areas such as energy, environment, health and well-being. The doctoral programme offers a four-year doctoral programme in physics, mathematics, biomedical engineering, computer science or industrial engineering and management.

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Picture of Aalto University
A gold-plated cryostat sits half open with many cables coming out from the bottom.

Doctoral education pilot

We are hiring 178 new doctoral researchers - get your doctorate from Aalto

How to apply for doctoral studies?

Student stories

Aalto has a thriving student culture with strong traditions and plenty of possibilities to interact, learn and make an impact. Our students can contribute to academic issues and student activities through CS guilds: Computer Science GuildData Guild, and Information Networks Guild (Athene). Aallonhuiput is Aalto University Doctoral Student Association that connects and represents doctoral students in Aalto University.

If you study computer science, you may end up developing better cancer treatments by applying AI

Heli Julkunen developed a machine learning method that predicts how different drug combinations kill cancer cells. After graduation she helped advance preventive healthcare as a data scientist.

Heli Julkunen seisoo talvisessa maisemassa ja katsoo hymyillen pois kamerasta. Hänellä on päällään valkoinen talvitakki ja taustalla näkyy sumua, puita ja lumihankia.

Besides coders, computer science needs professionals interested in humans

Master student of Software and Service Engineering, Emmi Kranz wants to approach technology from a human perspective

Master's student Emmi Krantz standing outside / Aalto University School of Science, Department of Computer Science

'In our field, it would require quite a bit of effort to graduate unemployed'

Sami Nieminen graduated as a Master of Science in Technology in the summer of 2022, majoring in human-computer interaction.

Sami Nieminen

Anna Cichonska uses data science to develop better healthcare

Dr. Cichonska has received two awards for her dissertation and now she helps develop preventive medicine using data science

Anna Cichonska by the sea photo Matti Ahlgren Aalto University

‘If you study data science, you won’t limit your choice of career in the future’

Before starting her Data Science studies at Aalto, Angeline Jayanegara obtained a diploma in fashion design. In the future, she would like to work as a Data Scientist in the fashion industry.

Angeline Jayanegara istuu oranssilla nojatuolilla ja katsoo kameraan. Taustalla näkyy tuoleja ja ikkunaa.

An 'info student' can teach crowdfunding to entrepreneurs in slums and coding to secondary pupils

In her diploma work, Niina Arvila studied how awareness of crowdfunding and the skills it requires could be spread among entrepreneurs of small communities in poor countries. Alongside her studies, Arvila arranged a coding club to adolescents and worked as a UX Designer at technology event Slush.

Niina Arvila seisoo Tietotekniikan talon aulassa

Information Networks student An Cong encourages women to choose tech: 'Come to Aalto campus and see for yourself why this is a wonderful place to study'

When Cong was still in high school, she contemplated becoming a doctor or getting a business degree. During her senior year she made up her mind to study technology at Aalto University. She confirms that it was a marvellous decision.

An Cong

Towards a better world by understanding context and user

Studies in information networks helped Pietari Keskinen to realise that making the world a better place calls for understanding of context, instead of hard technology.

Pietari Keskinen

When physician and AI work together, the patient benefits

Doctoral student Iiris Sundin learned in her studies that a machine learning model could make use of a physician's silent knowledge which usually is never written down. This kind of model predicts best how a given patient will react to specific treatment.

Iiris Sundin katselee taivaalle Laajalahden lintutornilla

Salla Nicholls and Esko Evtyukov are thrilled to be the first engineering psychology students

Esko Evtyukov hopes to work in the games industry in the future and is currently working as a research assistant in Assistant Professor Robin Welsch's team, designing virtual reality experiments. Salla Nicholls, by contrast, dreams of combining data science and human-computer interaction.

Engineering psychology students Salla Nicholls and Esko Evtyukov, photo by Matti Ahlgren

Open university courses in ICT

FITech offers university courses free of charge for degree students and adult learners in Finland.

Kolme ihmistä kävelee vierekkäin alas portaita.

FITech Network University

Study courses organised by Finnish universities of technology free of charge. Courses are aimed at all Finns and permanent residents of Finland.

Study at Aalto

Open courses online

FITech 101: Johdatus ohjelmointiin

After completing this online course, you will know the basic concepts of programming, and be able to read program code and implement small-scale programs.

FITech 101: Data ja tieto

Learn basic knowledge and skills related to data and information management! Databases are present everywhere in our daily lives and the importance of customer databases and data is also constantly growing in the workplace. After completing this course, you will know what data and information are and you will understand the concepts that describe the amount of data. You will know how to manage data and know how to implement small-scale programs that use a database.

Programming Parallel Computers (external link)

These are the lecture notes of the Aalto University course Programming Parallel Computers

Algorithms and theoretical computer science, illustration Matti Ahlgren/Aalto University

Python for Scientific Computing (external link)

Open course about how Python can be utilized in scientific computing.

Machine Learning with Python picture

Hands-on scientific computing

Competence in data science and scientific computing in general requires a lot more than data science skills: there are many secondary skills needed to do practical work efficiently that are often not taught in courses. This course is more of a self-study guide to these skills and tools needed in scientific computing. Rather than a single guided course, it is more of a map to browse whenever a topic is relevant to one’s work.

Lifewide Learning

Aalto University Lifewide Learning helps you develop your skills in an ever-changing environment.

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Henkilö istuu merinäkoalan edessä kuulokkeet päässä ja selaa tablettia hymyillen
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