The CBU master's degree programme in Information and communication technology (ICT) is one of the joint Master's degree programmes offered by  Finnish-Russian Cross-Border University.  CBU is a joint project of nine Finnish and Russian universities with the goal to offer joint Master's degree programmes in selected study fields. Six universities participate in the International CBU Master's Degree Programme in Information and Communication Technology Information Technology, CBU ICT, which is also available at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki.

The studies in the CBU ICT programme contain compulsory core studies and CBU related studies. The core studies are not specific to the program, but a part of the normal computer science degree programme at the Department of Computer Science. The CBU related studies must be at least 60 credits and they include CBU summer and winter schools, courses and seminars taken in Russian universities, and co-supervised Master's thesis. Each CBU ICT student will study according to a personal study plan, where participation in CBU activities is significant. The language of education is English.

Student counselling and the personal study plan

Students of this programme must make a personal study plan (FM-HOPS) as part of their MSc degree. In particular, it is important that the CBU compulsory part is planned in advance. In order to fulfil the requirement that at least 60 credits are from CBU related studies, students must actively participate to CBU summer and winter schools and other CBU activities. They must also either consider doing part of their studies in participating Russian university or doing their thesis under joint supervision of both local and Russian professor.

The joint CBU elements, like summer and winter schools, do not follow the period structure. They are intensive and last one or two weeks. Especially the Winter schools very often overlap with the local teaching periods, and this can make the studies very demanding.

Although most advanced level Computer Science courses are taught in English, you may find that some courses you would like to take are taught only in Finnish. Some of these Finnish-taught courses still offer alternative ways to do the course. The most common alternative is to study the course material on your own and then just participate to the separate exam. Please contact the teacher at least one week before the exam to check this possibility.

Counselling for students is mainly given by Tiina Niklander.

Degrees

Students admitted to the CBU-ICT programme at the Faculty of Science will study for a Master of Science (MSc) degree in computer science consisting of 120 ECTS-compatible credits. The required CBU related studies can be both computer science and minor studies. The intended time to complete the degree is two years.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS STARTING 2010

It is required that the total of the CBU related studies will be at least 60 credits. They can be major, minor and other studies.

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE (120 CREDITS)

1. Major subject studies

Major subject studies at the department are available only in Modern Communications Technology. Compulsory courses must be taken at the Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki. Elective courses can be taken at any CBU university. The Master’s Thesis is co-supervised by one professor from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki and by one professor from another CBU university across the border.

Modern Communications Technology

INTERMEDIATE STUDIES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

58127 Programming in C, 4 cr (unless included in the B.Sc. degree)

582640 Operating Systems, 4 cr (unless included in the B.Sc degree)

ADVANCED STUDIES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (AT LEAST 80 CREDITS)

Compulsory courses for the specialization area, 12 cr

582417 Distributed Systems, 4 cr

582665 Distributed Systems Project, 4 cr

582498 Internet Protocols, 4 cr

Seminars, 6 cr

Elective courses in the specialization area as agreed in the personal study plan, 22 cr

50131 Master's thesis, 40 cr

50041 Maturity test

2. Minor subject studies

CBU compulsory part, 7–15 cr. This covers the culture related studies. It includes parts of the CBU organised summer and winter schools as well as lectures.

Studies in mathematics or method sciences, 25–30 cr (in method sciences option at least 10 cr mathematics and at least 10 cr statistics). (unless included in the B.Sc. degree)

Minor subject studies will be agreed upon in the personal study plan (FM-HOPS).

3. Other studies

582510 Personal study plan (FM-HOPS), 1-3 cr

582517 Orientation to MSc Studies, 2 cr

            English language studies, 0-4 cr

584403 Advanced internship or vocational orientation studies, at least 2 cr

Optional studies to fulfil the volume of the degree (120 cr). These studies may include a full minor subject module, or separate courses from the major subject or various minor subjects.

Obtaining the right to study

The right to study is obtained via successful application. Students for the academ. Selection protocols, criteria and the schedule will be published on the web pages of the Cross Border University (http://www.cbu.fi/).

The University of Helsinki will no longer accept new students to the CBU-ICT program. Last students of this pogram start their studies in Fall 2012.

If you want to becoma a student of CBU-ICT program, you need to apply to another participating university that sill accepts new students. See the department of Computer Science pages about other programs in computer science offered by University of Helsinki.

Study guide

The study guide for this programme is available from the faculty's pages.