Information Technology - Communication Systems and Networks
Effective communication networking makes the world go digital
Communication is not only for humans anymore: the Internet of Things and the Industrial Internet are the forerunners of a connected and programmable world where things are also able to communicate. Digitalisation will have an impact on a wide range of industries, such as energy, transportation, logistics and manufacturing.
Another prevailing trend in society and industry is robotisation. Modern inventions, such as self-driving cars and drones, strongly rely on highly efficient and reliable wireless communications.
The studies in communication systems and networks place special emphasis on Future Internet and the evolving and emerging (4G, 5G and beyond 5G) wireless broadband and multi-service communication systems. While the focus is on radio access systems and networking levels, the physical layer of digital communication techniques and system-level RF aspects also fall within the scope of this programme.
Degree earned
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Planned duration
Extent of studies
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Campus
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Tuition fee
Link to scholarship programme
Study objectives
The ongoing and all-encompassing digitalisation process, which will eventually penetrate all industries and the whole society, builds largely on efficient communications infrastructures. The associated Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet paradigms refer to the future connected and programmable world, where not only people but also all things are able to communicate. They will have a significant impact on different vertical industries, such as energy, transportation, logistics and manufacturing.
The Master's Degree Programme in Communication Systems and Networks equips students with excellent abilities to become valued experts in communication systems, both in Finland and abroad. A master's degree from this programme is highly respected, and our graduates enjoy excellent employment rates.
More about the language of instruction
The official language of the programme is English, meaning that all the courses, exams and student services are arranged in English. Consequently, proficiency in both written and spoken English is an absolute prerequisite. Students are required to submit an approved certificate of their language proficiency when applying for admission. In addition, students are required to complete a course in the Finnish language. The course provides them with an introduction into everyday Finnish and Finnish culture.
Study contents
The studies in the field of Communication Systems and Networks place special emphasis on the Future Internet and evolving and emerging (4G, 5G and beyond 5G) wireless broadband/multi-service communication systems. While the focus is on radio access system and networking levels, physical layer digital communication techniques and system-level RF aspects are also within the scope of the major.
As a student you can freely specialise in either of the following focus areas:
- Networking
- Radio Systems and Networks
The spesialisation in Networking covers various aspects of wired and wireless packet switched networks and the Future Internet. The compulsory courses explore local and wide area wireless and wired networks, providing students with in-depth knowledge of concepts such as TCP/IP protocols suite, MAC-level algorithms and methods, and networking paradigms (e.g. peer-to-peer networking). The spesialisation in Radio Systems and Networks provides students with a theoretical understanding and skills related to the practical optimisation and planning of wireless radio communication systems and networks, such as 3GPP HSPA, LTE, and LTE-Advanced as well as IEEE 802.11 type WiFi systems, based on an in-depth understanding of radio communications, radio propagation and system-level RF issues.
Major studies and MSc thesis projects are closely linked to the research activities of the Wireless Communications research group of Tampere University, which maintains close collaborations with industry.
Tampere University offers students the opportunity for a broad, cross-disciplinary education. A rich variety of minor studies and supplementary courses are available as well as the opportunity to concentrate purely on major studies.
Tuition fees
The tuition fee of the programme is 12 000 euros per academic year for non-EU/EEA students with a scholarship system for fee-paying students. For more information, please see Tuition Fees and Scholarships.
Structure of studies
The programme is comprised of 120 ECTS. Courses are worth 90 ECTS and the remaining 30 ECTS are awarded for successfully completing a master's thesis. Each ECTS is equal to an average workload of 27 hours, including lectures, exercises, assignments, independent study and an examination. The duration of the programme is two years. Students spend three semesters completing courses and one semester preparing the final project (master's thesis). They start their studies in late August, and the academic year ends in late May.
Career opportunities
Graduates are typically employed by mobile communication network operators, R&D houses, wireless device and network vendors, consulting companies, and research institutes. Following the successful completion of the programme, our graduates will also be eligible to apply for admission to doctoral programmes in Finland or abroad.
Overall, the global mobile communications industry is a massive employer with an annual volume of close to 900 billion USD. The field offers excellent career prospects worldwide. With the utilisation of the communications infrastructure penetrating into all industry sectors as a result of digitalisation, experts in communications engineering also have a broad range of career prospects, for example, in the energy, transportation and automotive industries as well as in different production and manufacturing verticals which are outside the basic ICT field.
Admission procedure
Students are selected to the programme from those applicants who fulfil the official eligibility criteria. Candidates for admission should be well qualified and capable of benefiting from the study programme in question.
The student selection is made by an admissions committee based on the academic qualifications and merits shown in the application documents. Please note that not all applicants fulfilling the requirements can be admitted.
Applicants for a second Master’s degree may be admitted only under special provision and only if they are able to show that the courses that count towards a degree at Tampere University provide the applicant with genuinely new knowledge and skills.
Students admitted to a Master’s degree programme may be required to complement their earlier degree with complementary studies. All students with a Finnish University of Applied Sciences (AMK) degree are required to complete a study package which generally includes courses in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry depending on the student's background. For more information on the complementary studies, please contact the academic coordinator of the degree programme.
Scoring
Applicants are ranked based on the admission points they receive for previous qualifications, English language skills and other relevant factors that support the application.
Admission points (maximum 100 points) are given in the following categories:
- Previous qualifications maximum 60 points
- English language skills maximum 10 points:
- 5 points: e.g. TOEFL 92 / IELTS 6,5
- 10 points: e.g. TOEFL 103 or higher / IELTS 7,5 or higher
- Other relevant factors that support the application maximum 30 points
- CV/Résumé and the motivation letter submitted with the application constitute the basis of admission points given in this category.
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility criteria in the Master's degree programmes consist of two parts: Tampere University's general eligibility criteria, and programme-specific eligibility criteria, which specify and/or add information to the general criteria. You must meet both to be considered eligible. Applicants who do not meet both the general eligibility and the programme-specific admission criteria will not be selected.
General eligibility criteria:
To be eligible to apply for a Master’s degree programme at Tampere University, you must have
- a completed university level Bachelor's degree or equivalent in the field of the desired Master's degree programme or in a closely related subject AND
- a good command of English for academic purposes. For more information, please see Language requirements.
A Bachelor’s degree completed in a university outside Finland must provide eligibility to university-level master’s degree studies in the country in question.
It is not possible to apply to a Master’s programme based on a Master’s degree. The only exceptions are the one-tier degree programmes where the first cycle degree is not compulsory and the so-called long cycle degrees.
Applicants who are in the final year of their Bachelor's degree
You are eligible to apply in the final year of your Bachelor’s degree if the degree will be completed and you are able to send an officially certified copy of the degree certificate and final transcript of records by post by the given deadline (around end of July, exact date to be given later). In this case, you can be admitted to a Master's programme conditionally. If you do not submit an officially certified copy of your degree certificate to Tampere University by the given deadline, your conditional admission will expire.
Programme-specific eligibility criteria:
Each Master's degree programme can define more detailed eligibility criteria including, for example, more specific requirements of the applicant's previous education. These criteria will be decided and published yearly for the following application round.
The previous degree should be from a field closely related to the Master's programme you are applying to. In the Master’s programme in Information Technology the previous degree has to be in one of the following (or highly related) fields: computing, information technology, computer science, electrical engineering, software engineering or other applicable field with proficiency in mathematics, physics and elementary programming skills.
For applicants who have completed their degree in a University of Applied Sciences (AMK) or a University in Finland the required minimum CGPA is the same as in the admission to the Master’s degree programmes offered in Finnish:
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Minimum GPA for bachelor's degree completed in a Finnish University of Applied Sciences (AMK) |
Minimum GPA for bachelor's degrees completed in a Finnish university (yliopisto) |
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3,0/5 |
2,7/5 |
Language skill requirements
You must submit evidence on a good command of English for academic purposes. There are two ways of indicating English language proficiency: language tests and previous studies.
English language tests
The minimum English language test result requirements:
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IELTS Academic |
TOEFL |
PTE Academic |
CAE/CPE |
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6,5 |
iBT: 92 paper-based: 580 |
62 |
C1 Advanced/CAE: C |
Previous studies
In the Tampere University Master’s programmes it is possible to be exempted from submitting a language test score if you completed your secondary education and/or have taken a higher education degree in English in Finland or other EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States. You must have resided in the country while studying.
How to apply
Application step-by-step
- Check the admission criteria
- Start preparing your application documents as early as possible!
- If required book a time for the language test
- Fill in the online application at Studyinfo.fi during the application period and upload required enclosures for the application
- Send the officially certified copies of your educational documents by post to Tampere University Admissions Office by 30 January 2019. The documents must reach the University by the given deadline.
- Wait for the admission results
- Accept the offer of admission by the given deadline
- Pay the tuition fee, if required
- Register as a student and join the Tampere University community!
Application process in detail
Select the Master's degree programme you wish to apply to. Carefully read the general eligibility criteria and programme-specific eligibility criteria and see whether you meet them. Applicants who do not meet the general and programme-specific eligibility criteria will not be selected.
Check which application documents you are required to submit and make sure to obtain them in time. Remember to check if there are any country-specific requirements for your documents. Please note that some documents may be required to be sent separately by a third party. Make sure these documents are also delivered in time.
When applying to the Master’s programmes you usually must demonstrate your proficiency in English with an internationally recognised academic language test report. We advise all 2019 applicants needing an international language test score to book for a test date well in advance, as test dates are filling up fast in the autumn and it may take several weeks for the test result to reach Tampere University.
Application documents
Online application form
The online application form will be available during the application period only at Studyinfo.fi. The application period starts 4 December 2018 at 8:00 am and ends 23 January 2019 at 3:00 pm (GMT +2).
Required enclosures
Some application enclosures are the same in all Tampere University Master’s programmes while some include programme-specific.
You will need to upload all application documents online at Studyinfo.fi. In addition to uploading the application documents on the application, you must submit the officially certified copies of your educational documents to Tampere University Admissions Office by post by 30 January 2019.
You can find the list of the required enclosures and further instructions on the Application documents webpage.
Country-specific requirements for application documents
Applicants whose degrees have been awarded in certain countries need to pay special attention to the documentation before submitting it. In addition to the standard document requirements, educational documents from certain countries must be submitted in a particular way. Note that the degree awarding country may be a different one from the country where the studies are taken. These country-specific requirements must always be followed first and foremost, prior to any regular requirements for attesting documents.
More information on the country-specific requirement for educational documents.
Admission results and appeals
Admissions results will be announced by early April 2019. All applicants will be informed of the admissions results.
Please see Tampere University's general instructions concerning rectification procedure.
Contact information
Tampere University Admissions Office
Email: admissions.tau@tuni.fi