Structure, content and courses

The Master’s programme comprises 120 credits, which can be completed in two years, in accordance with an approved personal study plan. The degree includes:

• 80 credits of advanced courses, including
  • Shared courses within the programme
  • Courses within the programme which support the thesis topic
  • Master’s thesis, 30 credits
• 40 credits of other courses from your own or other programmes
  • The other courses can include a work-orientation period

You can find a on the Instructions for students website. The on the same website helps in planning your own study schedule. Make sure that you have selected the correct programme in the drop-down menu.

The whole degree structure including all courses is in Sisu, the online planning system for students at the University of Helsinki. Courses and seminars organised in the on-going academic year can be found in the .

• Maturity test in MSc
• Master's Thesis Seminar

Core courses are master’s level introductory courses that cover relatively broad topics. They are suitable for all computer science master’s students, subject to possible course-specific prerequisites in mathematics. Core courses are lectured every year.

• Design and Analysis of Algorithms
• Distributed Systems
• Machine Learning 1
• Networking Technologies
• Software Architectures

Specialisation courses are more focused and go deeper in selected topics. They may require good skills acquired in appropriate core courses, and for some courses, strong mathematical skills. Specialisation courses with larger class sizes are lectured every year, while courses with smaller classes are lectured biennially.

Specialisation courses include courses on Algorithms, Machine Learning, Sensing and Communication, Software Engineering and Data Management.

Elective courses further extend the scope of the degree, not only by computer science courses, but also by courses in data science, mathematics, and life science informatics. While the listed courses are planned to be in the teaching programme on a regular basis (yearly or biennially), the teaching schedule can depend on the available teaching resources and be less predictable.

In addition to the above courses, you can include other courses in your degree as well, for up to 40 credits.

• The University of Helsinki offers an extensive range of courses across its eleven faculties. The Computer Science MSc programme accepts any of these courses. 
• Useful method courses are also offered by other programmes, for instance, in , ,, , ,  and .
• For Algorithms study track it is recommended to include courses in mathematics to other studies. Check the prerequisites of algorithm courses for further information on which mathematics topics support best your choice of study path. 
• An internship in a company or a research group can give you insight into the practice or science of computer science. Work experience in computer science can also earn you credits towards your degree.
• Especially recommended are the tailored scientific writing courses for MSc students:
  • (2 op)
  • (2 op)
• Also check the .