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 reduce noise pollution to make way for more harmonic environments and coherent sound experiences. 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, 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 study 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 from the audience.
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 24/7 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 sound 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 the 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 the seminar which is scheduled to 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 the 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 acoustical and audio technologies based on understanding 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 programme qualifies for doctoral studies (Doctor of Science in the applicable field).
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.
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.
'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.
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 in itself multidisciplinary, encouraging collaboration across disciplines.
Aalto University is well-known for bridging disciplines of business, arts, technology and science. The lively campus and freedom of choosing elective courses across the university bring students from different fields under one roof. This spontaneous multidisciplinary environment sparks new ideas, gathers enthusiasts around them and gives birth to friendships, networks, and every so often, startups.
Applicants to the programme must meet the general eligibility and language requirements that are common to all Master's programmes in Aalto University.
Applicants meeting Aalto’s general eligibility criteria for master's studies are evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria decided in advance for each study option. The applications to major Acoustics and Audio Technology, Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (CCIS) are evaluated based on the following criteria.
This English-version is the master version of the CCIS programme-specific evaluation criteria, and its Finnish and Swedish versions are its translations.
| 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 computer science, software engineering, communications engineering, or electrical engineering. Excellent candidates with degrees in other fields including but not limited to information systems, engineering, natural sciences, mathematics, or physics will be considered if they have sufficient studies in the required areas. 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 studies are evaluated based on the courses on the official transcript of records. |
| 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 evaluation process is described under Applicant evaluation process. In addition to obligatory application documents, this study option asks the applicants to submit also the documents listed under Requested documents.
During the evaluation of eligible applicants, applications are first evaluated based on the following criteria:
Only the applications who fulfil the requirements for these criteria will be evaluated against the full set of evaluation criteria. It is not possible to compensate for these criteria with other criteria.
After the evaluation of the remaining criteria below, the best applicants will be selected based on the joint evaluation of all criteria.
The admission process is very competitive and only the best applicants are selected yearly. Not all applicants fulfilling the requirements can be admitted.
The documents requested from all applicants are listed here (https://www.aalto.fi/en/study-at-aalto/applying-to-masters-programmes). In addition, applicants to this study-option are requested to provide the following study-option-specific documents:
*) The lack of this document will cause rejection.
In addition, these additional documents add value to your application:
All additional application documents described above should preferably be submitted in English. If some other language than English, Finnish or Swedish is used in them, the applicant must provide precise, word-for-word translations of them.
Upload the documents to your online application form in pdf-format. Name the file(s) according to format: Name of the document-Lastname-Firstname (e.g. CV-Lastname-Firstname.pdf). Maximum file size is 1.0 GB.
The study-option-specific documents must be uploaded for each study option separately, even if you use the same document (e.g. CV). Please check carefully the study-option-specific document requirements for each study option you apply to.
The deadline for the study-option-specific application documents to be uploaded to your application form is the same as for the general application documents.
Take a look at videos produced by research groups in the Acoustics lab of Aalto University.
The department of Information and Communications Engineering has a strong focus in the ICT area varying from ICT technology to core electrical engineering and its basic phenomena.
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Finland’s excellent reputation in education, combined with a wide range of courses offered in English, makes Finland and Aalto University an attractive study destination for international students.
Aalto University Admission Services
If you have any questions regarding the application process, application documents or language tests, please contact Aalto University Admission Services
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