Are you ready to take your next step towards a career in IT? The Master's Degree Programme in Information Technology (IMPIT) offers an international Master's degree in IT at European standards in two years.
We co-operate actively with local IT companies and local business incubator. The aim is that most students are employed by a Finnish ICT company when they graduate. Some of these companies offer internships and thesis placements and many of our students find a job even before the graduation.
It is also possible to concentrate on research, and students have good possibilities to continue in our PhD program, since students can join our research groups already during their MSc studies.
You can also have lots of interesting experiences through the social activities during your IMPIT studies. There are summer school courses organized by University of Eastern Finland, company seminars, and trips organized by Joensuu's exchange and international students organization. During 2024 destinations of these trips are Lapland, Stockholm, Iceland and Lofoten (Norway). There are also various other events organized by student union and erasmus student network.
For instructions on how to apply and a direct link to the application form on Studyinfo, please scroll down. The application period is open during 3-17 January 2024.
Key information
- Level of degree: Master's degree
- Programme duration: 2 years / 120 ECTS credits
- Language of instruction: English
- Application period: 3.1.2024 - 17.1.2024
- Programme start: September 2024
- Tuition fee: EU/EEA nationals no tuition fee; non-EU/EEA nationals 8,000 €/academic year
- 50% tuition waivers available
- Study campus: Joensuu
Why study with us?
- High-quality education, internationally accepted diploma
- State-of-the-art learning and research environment
- Easy living in a safe but international environment
- Generous tuition fee waivers available
- Possibilities for exchange studies and internships at companies
- Very good employment perspectives
Studies
Impit curriculum allows students to graduate in two years. Students have to collect about 60 credits from direct teaching at the School of Computing during their first IMPIT year.
The second year of the programme is dedicated mostly to Master's project (10-20 ECTS) and thesis (30 ECTS). Students can also take some exchange studies and find trainee positions in IT companies or departments' research groups.
The curriculum for IMPIT students (120 ECTS) is designed personally for each student according to general requirements and courses available. The teaching is given in four periods and the courses are measured as European ECTS credit points (ECTS=European Credit Transfer System). In grading, we use the European 6-grade system.
Degree structure
- Personal Study Plan 1 ECTS
- University Study Skills 1 ECTS
- Finnish 1, 4 ECTS
ADVANCED LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDIES, minimum of 94 ECTS
- IMPIT seminar 2 ECTS
- At least 12 ECTS out of the following courses
- Artificial Intelligence 6 ECTS
- Design and Analysis of Algorithms 6 ECTS
- Pattern Recognition 6 ECTS
- Research Methods in Computer Science 6 ECTS
- Software Engineering 6 ECTS
- Master's project in Computer Science or Practical Training in MSc (Computer Science) 10-20 ECTS
- Master Thesis and maturity exam, 30 ECTS
- Other advanced level courses in computer science to fulfill the minimum of 94 ECTS
OPTIONAL STUDIES 0-20 ECTS
- Optional studies can also include advanced level computer science courses
Total 120 ECTS
More info about courses in computer science in Peppi.
Our graduates have excellent opportunities to continue postgraduate studies in one of our research groups.
Artificial intelligence
- Computational Intelligence
- Computational Spectral Imaging
- Computational Speech Group
- Machine Learning
Data Science
Technologies for learning and development
Representatives of companies visit our IMPIT seminar every year giving students an excellent possibility to pitch themselves to the companies.
Occupational titles of IMPIT graduates are for an example:
- Senior Software Engineer
- Quality Assurance Manager
- Senior Specialist
- Senior Software Consultant
- Business Analyst
- Senior Designer
- Chief Technical Officer
- IT developer
How to apply?
Our admission process aims at fair selection of high-quality applicants. Anybody satisfying the admission requirements is eligible to apply.
Each applicant must meet the following criteria
1. B.Sc. degree in Computer Science or Information Technology or equivalent degree in closely related field corresponding at least three years of full-time higher education academic studies.
- The degree should include enough studies in computer science completed at excellent levels. The basic prerequisites are: programming skills and knowledge about the theoretical foundations of computer science, data structures and algorithms, databases, and data management. Applicants lacking background in one or more of the mentioned skills can be selected as students only in exceptional cases. The degree must be awarded by an internationally recognized university, university of applied sciences or polytechnic.
- Applicants with a Finnish Polytechnic Bachelor’s Degree (AMK) in the related field are also eligible, but they may have to take complementary studies if they are admitted. These studies are not included in the Master’s degree, but are an addition to it.
- Conditional acceptance with pending degree is possible if the applicant is able to send final degree certificate to IMPIT Coordinator by August 9, 2024. Provisional B.Sc certificate is accepted if issuing of the final B.Sc certificate is delayed due to administrational reasons. Please remember to check the required documents (below) carefully before applying.
2. English language proficiency proved by a generally recognized test or by previous degree conducted in English language
Applicants must either (1) meet the language proficiency criteria (see below), or (2) reach the minimum required language test results to be considered eligible to the University of Eastern Finland. No exceptions will be made and no waivers to the language proficiency requirements are given.
(1) Applicants who hold one of the following do not have to take an English language test
- Previous education or higher education has been completed in English in EU/EEA -countries, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand or in Switzerland.
- Previous completed exchange studies at University of Eastern Finland (UEF transcript must be included in application).
Note! Online studies or studies completed on offshore campuses outside the accepted countries/area cannot be used to indicate language skills, even if the degree-awarding institution is in one of the accepted countries.
(2) All other applicants have to take one of the following language tests
- IELTS (academic) overall score 6.5, min. 6.0 in writing
- TOEFL iBT, overall score 92, min. 22 in writing
- PTE (academic), overall score 62, min 54 in writing
- C1 Advanced overall score C or 180, with min. 162 in writing
- C2 Proficiency overall score level C1 or 180, with min. 162 in writing
- National Certificate of Language Proficiency YKI-test: level 5 in all different subtests (reading comprehension, writing and speaking). It is possible to combine different examinations.
No other degrees or statements of language proficiency will be accepted.
TOEFL, IELTS and PTE certificates are valid for two years from the day they are issued, i.e. the language test have to be in effect during the application period.
Required documents
1. Application form filled in Studyinfo.fi
2. Official transcript of university records from the home university in English, or an officially certified translation of it.
3. Copy of BSc. diploma or equivalent (OR a statement of expected graduation, if the BSc degree has not been completed yet, OR a provisional BSc certificate)
4. Motivation letter*. max 1 A4 page.
5. An introduction video* of the applicant, max. duration 2 minutes, including introduction, educational background, and merits if applicable. A video must be uploaded into a videostreaming service such as youtube/vimeo/tudou and link (URL) to the video must be included into the application form. The video must be reachable for evaluators during the whole period of evaluation, January 17 – April 12, 2024.
6. Generally recognized English language certificate that can be verified from the test administrator OR a certificate stating language skills, if one of the above mentioned conditions for language skills is fulfilled
7. Recommendation letter (maximum length 1 A4 page) from teacher who has directly supervised the candidate on some project/work.
8. Passport copy/other document of identification
*Both motivation letter and video must start by mentioning the identity of the applicant, the program and university applied to, and the date when the letter was written/video recorded.
The eligibility and authenticity of the educational certificates of all applicants is evaluated. This includes e.g. contacting the previous educational institutions and language test providers. Any malpractice will be reported to the universities and proper authorities.
All translations must be officially certified and accompanied by copies of the original documents. Each page of an official translation must bear the translator's stamp and/or signature. Official translations must be exact translations of the original documents.
Applications will not be considered unless the documents requested are in English. Incomplete applications will not be processed. The application is considered incomplete if it does not include all the necessary documents delivered by the application deadline.
The application round is open January 3, 2024 - January 17, 2024 at 15:00 (EEST). Results will be published at latest on April 12, 2024.
Application process
- Make sure that you fulfill the admission requirements and have all the required documents (see accordion content above).
- Fill out the application form in Studyinfo system (link below) and scan the required documents to your application. Please note that the application form is accessible only during January 3 - January 17 at 15:00 (EEST).
- Submit your application in time. The online admission system will be closed on January 17 at 15:00 (EEST).
Paper documents are not required during the application period but admitted applicants must submit their original degree certificates for verification upon arrival in Finland.
Once you have filled out the online application, required enclosures must be uploaded electronically to the application (recommended file types pdf and jpeg, max. file size 10 MB) by January 17 at 15:00 (EEST). If you cannot upload your attachments online please contact the admissions office for further instructions, admissions@uef.fi. Read more about submitting documents and verification of documents.
There are also country-specific requirements. These requirements are applied on the admitted applicants' only, so during the application period we only require scanned copies of the original documents.
The admission processes in the Master's Degree Programme in Information Technology aims at fair selection of high-quality applicants. Student selection is based on the application documents and evaluation how the applicant’s skills and competences gained by the previous academic studies correspond to the Master's studies applied for. Meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee acceptance to the programme.
Applicants will be ranked according to the selection criteria. The 35 applicants with highest points are accepted to the program and the rest of the applicants are rejected. The programme may accept more applicants by discretion to fulfill the available study places in the programme. Applicants are not placed on the waiting list. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.
Evaluation process is based on two rounds.
Round 1:
1. Relevant studies and other background, 0-10 points (0=poor, 10=excellent). Points will be given based on how well the applicant’s Bachelor's degree covers Computer Science core subjects. Both the extend and the grades are considered. At minimum, the applicant has to have a solid background on:
- Programming
- Data structures and algorithms
- Theoretical foundations of computer science
- Databases and data management
Applicants who have received at least 5 points in this round will continue to round 2 and further evaluation.
Round 2:
1. Academic grades of Computer Science or other relevant courses, 0-10 points (0=poor, 10 excellent)
2. Prestige and level of the home university, 0-10 points (0=poor, 10 excellent)
3. Applicant's own explanations about their motivation to apply for studies into this exact programme (motivation letter + introductory video) , 0-10 points (0=poor, 10 excellent)
4. Recommendation letter maximum length 1 A4 page) from teacher who has directly supervised the candidate on some project/work, 0-5 points (0=poor, 5=excellent)
Criteria 4 is used in order to get a better insight on background of each applicant. The final number of points is the total number of points received from round 1 and round 2.
Students who have been accepted will receive the certificate of admission as a pdf copy by email, as soon as the results are public, however at latest on April 12, 2024. Studies will begin in the beginning of September 2024, with orientation programme. Rejected applicants will be informed by email. Please note that we won't be able to answer any queries related to your application status before we have the official decision, so please be patient, you will definitely hear from us in due course of time.
Students who are not citizens of EU/EEA countries are required to pay tuition. Annual tuition fee is 8000 EUR. All accepted students who are required to pay tuition fee, will receive 50% tuition fee waiver.
Please note that there will be no living cost allowance available for IMPIT students.
Student stories
Learn more about studying at the UEF, our university and its campuses, and life in Finland!
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