Master of Science (Technology) in System-on-Chip Design, Computing Sciences and Electrical Engineering
Tampere, Finland
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2024
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* per academic year for non-EU/EEA students
Introduction
System-on-Chips run the world!
System-on-Chips run the world everywhere as the heart of phones, computers, data centers, buildings, factories, and anywhere data is processed. Tampere region has a very strong industrial cluster in intelligent machines, embedded systems, and telecommunications demanding state-of-the-art chips, and the need for experts in the field of SoC is great.
The most advanced design key to success
Nokia designs the most advanced chips in Europe for 5G on the latest IC technology nodes in Finland. SoC Hub collected Tampere University and companies to create very large SoCs, for example, the Headsail SoC with 330M transistors in 2023. The success is based on a three-decade expertise in FPGA and DSP-based multiprocessor system designs in Tampere.
System-on-Chip Design is a special program to make professional engineers create the most demanding SoCs in the world. The education is organized in collaboration with the companies that offer trainee positions, career and skills mentoring, open-door visits, student events throughout the studies, and positions for the Master Thesis work. Tampere University offers the most current design tools and courses bringing the latest research results and hot industrial topics to the students.
Previous knowledge and way of expertise
As a student, we expect you to know the basics of electronics, digital logic, processors, computer architecture, and programming. Having prior learning in computer networks, wireless communications, or signal processing is recommended.
After completing the program, you will be qualified to pursue a wide range of career opportunities in different fields of System-on-Chip design. You will have the knowledge and skills to pursue a career in industry or continue your studies towards a doctorate.
Check out in Computing Sciences blog on how to become a System-on-Chip design expert. This degree program opens the door to world-class chip-making expertise! Please see information on research conducted in the field of embedded systems at Tampere University.
System-on-Chip Design (MSc Tech) is one of the engineering specializations in the Master’s Programme in Computing Sciences and Electrical Engineering.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships awarded at admission cover 100% of the tuition fees for the program duration. The program duration is
- three years for Bachelor’s degrees
- two years for Master’s degrees
- five years if the study right is granted for both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree.
Finland Scholarship
Finland scholarships awarded by Tampere University are part of the national Finland Scholarship program. Applicants to Master's programs are eligible to apply. Finland scholarships are awarded at Tampere University to the most merited applicant in each Master's program.
Finland scholarships cover the program tuition fee for the first year of studies and include a 5000 € relocation grant, paid to the student's Finnish bank account after the student has arrived in Tampere and started studies at Tampere University.
In addition, Tampere University awards a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship for the second year of studies to all recipients of the Finland scholarship. The scholarship covers 100 % of tuition fees in the second year of studies.
Early bird offer
In addition to scholarships, an early bird offer is available at admission to all fee-paying students, excluding students who have been awarded a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship or a Finland scholarship at admission. The early bird offer gives a 50 % reduction on the program tuition fee during the first year of studies.
Students may take advantage of the early bird offer by accepting the offered study place and paying 50% of the first-year tuition fee within two weeks after receiving information on admission.
This offer is valid only for the first year of studies. During consecutive years of study, all fee-paying students are eligible to apply for Tampere University Scholarships awarded during studies.
Curriculum
Study contents
During the studies, we view embedded systems from a very practical standpoint. The embedded systems studies combine hardware and software design by using modern methods and tools. Our research groups cooperate with businesses and work with real-life cases to develop new methods and solutions. Close collaboration with businesses also gives us an excellent opportunity to delve into trends, state-of-the-art applications, and future winners in the field.
The main target hardware platforms are System-on-Chip, FPGA, GPU, and embedded multiprocessor platforms. Model-based design and High-Level Synthesis are the main approaches in digital design. Software design includes topics on Linux-based SW stacks, HW-dependent SW, real-time operating systems, distributed and fog computing, as well as IoT protocols, middleware, and applications from a programmer’s point of view. Domain-crossing topics are verification, testing, and embedded systems development processes.
The study content is up-to-date and responds to the needs of the industry. We use only the latest technologies and bring our research results quickly to teaching. We also invite several guest lecturers from companies and organize student visits to companies.
Tampere University offers its students an 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. Each degree is a unique combination of studies that an individual student has found most interesting.
Structure of studies
The program is comprised of 120 ECTS. Courses are worth 90 ECTS and the remaining 30 ECTS are awarded for 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 program 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.
Program Outcome
Embedded systems form the basis of our modern life, even though we may not always be aware of it. We used to have only PCs – now we may have dozens of personal digital gadgets making our life easier, and thousands of embedded systems in nearby cars, buildings, factories, and roads making our world smart.
A Master's Program in Embedded Systems makes you master the requirements management and development processes of embedded systems. You will have skills to design products that include analog and digital parts, microcontrollers, FPGA logic, interconnections and buses, peripherals, and user interfaces. Studies in this degree program gives you the knowledge to design real-time, concurrent, parallel, and resource-constraint software and manage the embedded product variations, versions, and configurations.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Tampere University educates most embedded system experts in Finland. As an expert in embedded systems, you will have a variety of career opportunities. There are numerous fascinating applications and interesting companies in the market. The global embedded systems market is worth over 200 billion USD and growing rapidly. There is a high demand for experts both in SW and HW design areas. In practice, many students have been recruited as part-time trainees by companies during their studies. This is a long tradition in Finland and makes students move from university to company very smoothly.
After completing the program, you will have the knowledge and skills to pursue a career in industry or continue your studies towards a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Finland or abroad.
Co-operation with other parties
Tampere University is a well-known institute among the companies in the Tampere area, Finland, and abroad. The university has a good reputation and has had a lot of co-operation with the companies during the years. This certainly helps the students to find valuable thesis-work opportunities in the companies, and most often, those students are employed by these companies once graduate.
In addition to studies in one’s program, students may take full advantage of the teaching offered by the Tampere higher education community ranging from technical to vocational studies in various fields.