Degree: Master of Engineering

•  Study type: Blended learning
•  Duration: 60 credits, 1 year
•  Campus: Talonpojankatu 2, Kokkola
•  Tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens: 10000 €
•  Places: 20
•  Application period opens: 01.02.2024 at 08:00
•  Application period closes: 29.02.2024 at 15:00
•  Studies start in autumn 2024
•  Curriculum
•  Link to Studyinfo
•  Teaching language: English

The Master of Engineering, Information Technology, Cloud-Based Software Engineering at Centria UAS is a brand-new degree programme, and it is aimed at you who wish to broaden your expertise and possibilities in working life. If you want to take the next step towards new opportunities and get a Master’s degree, this is your chance to do so. Studies give you much needed knowledge about modern cloud services, how to design and use them. Studies are held in English and they contain both online and at campus studies. 

Programme description

The Master of Engineering degree programme gives you skills to master cloud development and architecting in the context of intelligent industrial applications. The studies will give you advanced knowledge, especially in cloud architecting and how to leverage the cloud as a software platform. You will also study management and research & development methods and tools. With these studies, you are ready to take more responsibility in the field of digitalisation. The Master’s thesis is a large part of the degree, and you will get a chance to start planning it from the early stage of your studies. After completing the programme, you can lead companies’ cloud development to support their business growth. 

In the annual national survey, our master’s level students have ranked Centria as the best university of applied sciences in Finland for two years in a row now. The degree programme has been developed to fulfil the needs of working life. 

More information on the programme

Content of studies

You can find the curriculum here.

The scope of the studies is 60 ECTS, and the planned duration of the studies is 1 year. The studies consist of core studies, profiling studies, optional studies and the Master’s thesis. The Master’s thesis is a large part of the degree, and you will get a chance to start planning it from the early stage of your studies. 

The studies are conducted in English and are organised as blended learning. Multimodal learning methods are used. The learning process consists of lectures, independent work, distance learning assignments and development projects. Furthermore, independent distance studies on the student’s own time are required.

Teaching

The start date of studies is in mid-September, studies start with orientation which requires on-campus attendance. Studies are organized together by Centria University of Applied Sciences and Vaasa University of Applied Sciences. Participation in the teaching takes place either on the campus of the organization organizing the specific course (Kokkola or Vaasa) or in a virtual class on another campus (Kokkola or Vaasa). Teaching cannot be participated in online from home or from your own computer, without a justified and approved reason. Elective studies can be taken entirely online if a student chooses such courses. Teaching takes place between 10 am – 4 pm, 2–3 times a month.

Internationalisation

The study environment in Centria is very international, and this will give you many possibilities to practice and improve your language skills and learn about new cultures and habits. We also provide you with the opportunity to go on a Master’s level exchange to one of our partner universities abroad. Centria offers Master’s studies in the fields of technology, business and social & health care. The studies are conducted either in Finnish or English, and you can also choose optional studies from the supply of other Master’s programmes. 

Thesis

The thesis is a development project, and it is an essential part of the studies. The thesis project aims to develop your ability to find new research information and apply it in your thesis work. The thesis project helps you gain the expertise that you need in challenging expert and managerial positions. The thesis project is a combination of theory and practice. 

The scope of the thesis is 30 ECTS. 

You can find Master’s theses written by our students on www.theseus.fi. 

Career possibilities

Most of our students work full-time during their studies. By completing the Master’s Degree programme, you have the possibility to proceed towards more demanding tasks. Our graduates work in different positions, e.g. project managers or directors or in other managerial positions in the field of IT. After graduation, you can also apply for PhD studies in Finland or abroad. 

Tuition fees

Please notice that some applicants are obligated to pay tuition fees. If you are not an EU/EEA citizen or if you do not have a document that exempts you from paying the tuition fees, you are obliged to pay them.

More information including the tuition fees and who is obligated to pay them can be found here.

Student selection

Eligibility criteria

You are eligible to apply for the programme if you have

• a higher education degree in computer science or similar subject completed in one of the universities or universities of applied sciences in Finland
• a higher education degree in computer science or similar subject completed in one of the European Union or the European Economic Area countries.
• a higher education degree in computer science or similar subject completed outside the EU/EEA-area countries.

Applicants are obliged to have at least two years of relevant work experience, gained after obtaining the Bachelor´s degree (applicants can accumulate work experience until the end of July 2024).

Applicants are also required to submit a proof of English language proficiency since the Master’s studies are conducted in English.

Language requirements

English language skills can be proved by the following documents:

1. Language test results

• IELTS Academic: a minimum total score of 6.0
• TOEFL Academic (iBT): a minimum total score of 60
• PTE Academic: a minimum total score of 55
• Cambridge C1 Advanced: a minimum total score of 169
• Cambridge C2 Proficiency: a minimum total score of 169

2. National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) English: Proficiency level 4 on all the subtests (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

3. Higher education degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States

4. Upper secondary degree completed in English in an EU/EEA country, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom, or the United States

5. One of the following grade cases in Finnish Matriculation Examination, European Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate or Reifeprüfung/DIA

• Finnish Matriculation Examination: English on advanced Level with a minimum grade of M
• International Baccalaureate completed in English
• International Baccalaureate diploma: grade 4 in higher level English
• European Baccalaureate: at least grade 6.00 in L2-level English
• Reifeprüfung/DIA completed diploma: at least grade 7 in advanced English

6. Certificate of higher education degree completed in Finland

Required attachments

To demonstrate his/her eligibility, the applicant must include the following attachments to the application form:

• Copy oforiginal Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate
• Authorized translation of the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree certificate if the originals are not issued in Finnish, Swedish or English. The translation must have the translator’s signature and stamp.
• Copies of testimonials: testimonials of the work experience entered on the application form. The testimonials need to be in English, Swedish or Finnish. Only work experience that is documented by the employer’s testimonial can be accepted. The testimonials/work certificates should show starting and closing dates as well as a description of work tasks. If you have worked part-time, the work certificates should indicate the number of work hours per month. 150 work hours or 20 working days (the minimum length of one full working day is 7 hours) compares with one month of work experience. Work experience gained as an entrepreneur, in one’s own or family business, can be documented by a certificate from an unchallengeable third party, such as a bookkeeper.
• A proof of English language proficiency
• Copy of passport or EU/EEA ID card:All applicants must upload a copy of passport/official identification card to their application form to confirm the identity in the online entrance examination / interview. Please note that, if you receive an approved result in the first phase but you have not submitted a valid identification document by the given date, you will be rejected from the second phase. Only the following documents are accepted as proof of identity:
  • passport
  • Finnish identity card with a photo, issued by police
  • Finnish driver’s licence
  • another EU/EEA country identity card with a photo
  • Also, an expired passport or identity card is accepted if its validity has expired on 28 February 2023 or later.

The deadline for submitting the documents is 7th March 2024.

Entrance exam

Students are selected based on a comprehensive multi-step evaluation process. This process encompasses an online entrance examination, submission of a Statement of Purpose (SoP), a draft proposal, an introductory video, and culminates in a final interview.

Pre-requisites for Application:

Applicants must complete and submit (for examination) the following tasks when filling out the application form:

1. Upload a one-page Statement of Purpose (SoP) detailing their interest and qualifications for the program.
2. Submit a maximum of a two-page draft proposal outlining the brainstorming process for a potential research or software engineering project.
3. Include a video introduction lasting between 2 to 4 minutes. In this video, applicants should introduce themselves and explain their motivation for choosing this program.

The deadline for submitting the documents is 7th March 2024.

It’s important for applicants to verify that the email address provided in the application is functional, as important updates and guidelines will be sent via email.

Entrance Interview Evaluation:

• The interview

The examination will also include an evaluation of the applicant’s English language proficiency.

Note: A functional computer with a stable internet connection is obligatory for participation in the online examination.

The concluding stage of the selection process is a final interview, to be held at the end of April and/or the beginning of May. In this interview, the Statement of Purpose and draft proposal will likely be discussed to gain deeper insights into the applicant’s capabilities and aspirations.