Data is widely available, but what is scarce is the ability to extract wisdom from it. Skilled experts with the tools to collect and interpret signals and data are more in demand than ever. The Signal Processing and Data Science major sits at the intersection of many timely challenges, from predicting the stock market to developing better medical technology. As the industry is transforming to become more sustainable, you will get to be part of new ways of doing things, e.g., by making more efficient algorithms, thus contributing to reducing the energy consumption of large-scale computations needed in AI systems.
Benefiting from world-class research and facilities, students graduating from the programme 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 – Signal Processing and Data Science, 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 major can be completed either as a long (60 ECTS) or compact (40 ECTS) major. Students taking a compact major take also a master level minor (20-25 ECTS). Students taking a long major may include an optional minor in their elective studies.
The first year lays the foundation for signals and systems modelling and data analysis with courses such as Signal Processing for Communications (5 ECTS), Statistical Signal Processing (5 ECTS) and Large Scale Data Analysis (5 ECTS). Students also familiarise themselves with machine learning and convex optimisation algorithms. As the studies proceed, students deepen their understanding on various topics and can create their own unique study tracks according to their interests.
Signal Processing and Data Science is part of the Master's Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences. Students may direct their studies to various specialisation areas through master level minor or elective courses. A student interested in, for example, biomedical engineering and AI lead health technology may select courses in those fields. There is also a possibility to learn more about financial engineering or specialise in data science.
A few examples from the wider course selection are as follows:
More information on the programme content and curriculum can be found in the Student guide.
'Strong theoretical background with plenty of practical course project experience is exactly the type of experience that many companies are looking for,' says Eeli Susan.
The study environment in the programme is strongly international – studies are conducted in multicultural groups and students are well equipped to embark on an international career. The School of Electrical Engineering offers many possibilities for student exchange and internships all over the world. Students may find themselves taking part in a research project dealing with global phenomena or taking a summer course at one of Aalto's partner institutions, such as EURECOM in Sophia Antipolis, France.
Aalto University is international by nature, welcoming thousands of degree and exchange students from abroad every year. These students join the diverse Aalto community not only through their studies, but also through 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.
Following the successful completion of the programme, graduates are eligible to apply for entrance to doctoral programmes and post-doc positions in Finland and abroad.
Graduates of the programme have an exceptionally wide range of career paths in front of them. As signals (e.g., images, speech and sound, financial time series, or measurements from diverse sensor systems) are acquired, processed and transmitted nearly in every imaginable field, graduates may be employed in the health technology, quantitative finance, ICT, or data science / AI companies. Common professions include:
Aalto University has well-established career services to support students’ employment in Finland and abroad. Thanks to the flexible curriculum, many Aalto students already work 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.
Graduates from the School of Electrical Engineering at Aalto University have very good employment prospects in positions corresponding to their education. On this page, you can find information about employment and career development five years after graduation.
Research projects are thoroughly integrated into the studies to foster students’ ability to conduct scientific work. Examples of research topics include but are not limited to the following:
To find out more about the research conducted in the Department of Information and Communications Engineering, visit their website.
Besides the wide selection of courses available at Aalto University, students have the opportunity to include courses in their curriculum from other universities – even internationally. The major Signal Processing and Data Science 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.
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.
Are you wondering what it is like to study at Aalto? Come chat with our students and alumni about all things Aalto on Unibuddy chat platform.
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 Signal Processing and Data Science, 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 Signal Processing and Data Science: Required university-level studies:
Studies in at least some of the following subjects are 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.
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