IMPIT programme - IT MSc in Finland

IMPIT-ohjelma (työntajille informaatiota suomeksi)

IMPIT programme

Introduction

International Master's Programme in Information Technology (IMPIT) is the unique two years long educational program, currently running in Finland. University of Eastern-Finland with campuses in Joensuu and Kuopio, and the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) cooperate in admisison and organization of the programme.

The program was originally created for internatinal students of Computer Science, Telecommunications and related areas. Since 2000, IMPIT has been all the time enlarging and we have had already students from more than a dozen of countries, mostly from Europe, Asia and Africa.

The idea is that the selected applicants with bachelor's degree or compatible educational level from original universities can continue their advanced studies in a Finnish university and achieve an international master's degree in two years. The degree is applicable in Nordic countries, Europe, USA,  and worldwide.

The teaching process, including the graduation, is common with Finnish students. According to the current model international students have to collect about 40 credits from direct teaching in the host Finnish universities in the first IMPIT year. During this period they can be supported with monthly scholarship. There is no tuition fee at the moment (Oct 2009).

The second year of the program is dedicated mostly to master's thesis elaboration, which is awarded with 20 credits. In parallel with this activity all the program participants are expected to work in Finnish companies. Scholarship payment is strictly individual in this stage, depending on particular study results and situation in the local labor market.

Goals of the IT degree programme

• High quality international study programme, enabling mutual recognition of courses and degrees.
• Provide more experts in Computer Science and Telecommunications to Finnish industry.
• Establish wide educational, research and business contacts internatinally with the smooth knowledge and know-how transfer.
• Internationalization of Finnish ICT industry

Features

• Dealing with partner universities rather than with individual students.
• Awarding Finnish university degree to successful participants.
• Creating longtime cooperation with companies.

Study arrangements

• There is no tuition fee in Finland, the education itself and all the related activities are free of charge.
• All IMPIT teaching, official oral and written communication is in English.
• Examinations in Finnish universities are only in the written form and must be passed during the dedicated exam-time, typically one or two weeks after finishing the lectures. There are typically four well-known periods per year when students can pass an exam related to a single course.
• Offered IMPIT courses are common for international and domestic students.
• IMPIT students can enroll also for additional courses according to the individual instructions of the particular Finnish host university. Such courses will not be counted into the total number of IMPIT credits, but will be listed in their students' records.
• During the program duration foreign students must collect at least 60 credits, 40 and more for direct studies and 20 for master's thesis. Exact numbers differ based on the host Finnish university and its concrete study program.
• Applicants' background is evaluated based on the information package provided altogether with the application, then consulted with representatives of original universities and, finally, specified during the interviewing applicants. In general, IMPIT expects good overall knowledge of mathematics, physics and computer science, particularly:
  • Theoretical foundations of computer science (data structures, algorithms, compilers etc.)
  • Programming
  • Operating systems and their basic programming principles
  • Elementary data- or telecommunication principles
• Active knowledge of written and spoken English is a must and every IMPIT candidate has to declare this explicitly.
• Administrative and financial arrangements connected with the program as well as the rights and duties of the both parties are included in the separate document

Current network of universities participating IMPIT

Finnish Universities



• University of Eastern Finland
• Lappeenranta University of Technology