Master of Science in Human-Technology Interaction, Computing Sciences and Electrical Engineering
Tampere, Finland
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,000 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* Application for studies starting in autumn begins December and ends January.
** per academic year for non-EU/EEA students
Key Summary
About: The Master of Science in Human-Technology Interaction at Tampere University is a specialization in the Master's Programme in Computing Sciences and Electrical Engineering. It covers interaction and interface design, UX evaluation, user psychology, usability engineering, multimodal and human-robot interaction, and user research for mobile, desktop, VR/AR, and industrial systems. You do multidisciplinary team projects and can continue to doctoral studies.
Career Outcomes: Graduates find roles as UX/service designers, user researchers, UI/front-end developers, usability and UX specialists, or product managers in software, gaming, and intelligent machinery companies, research centers; they may pursue doctoral study in interactive technology or computer sciences.
Become one of the people designing the digital products and services of the future
Digital technologies play a significant role in all areas of life. Modern societies need professionals with a thorough understanding of how to design and develop user-friendly, innovative, and sustainable products and services and engaging ways to interact with them.
Master’s degree studies in Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) offer a broad set of studies in human-computer interaction, digital service design, and user research. You will gain know-how on interaction and user interface design, user experience evaluation, user psychology, human-centered software development, usability engineering, multimodal human-computer interaction, and user research skills to study people as users of IT.
From a technological viewpoint, the studies cover user interfaces of mobile and desktop applications, virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial machinery, as well as human-robot interaction. HTI is a multidisciplinary field, meaning that you will work with professionals from different backgrounds.
In a broader sense, you will learn how technology affects people’s lives and how to design efficient, engaging, and ethical digital products and services. The degree leads you to hands-on work in various course projects, as well as provides basics for scientific thinking and writing. The studies also able you to continue with doctoral studies in the field.
Human-Technology Interaction (MSc) is one of the specializations in the Master’s Programme in Computing Sciences and Electrical Engineering.
Study contents
Technology plays an increasing role in our daily lives, and it is important to have professionals who have a deep understanding of how to develop efficient and enjoyable ways to interact with a wide variety of technological devices.
You can deepen your knowledge in course units that cover a wide range of topics from user experience, emotions, and sociality to innovative use of touch, speech, gaze, and human physiology in user interfaces. Through work in various course projects, the program provides you with competencies in scientific thinking and writing, as well as in hands-on design.
HTI master’s studies have a direct link to HTI research carried out at Tampere University. Research groups related to HTI at Tampere University explore and develop more intuitive user interfaces for the future. The aim is to match the design of new technologies with human abilities and needs - targeting the best possible user experience with technology.
Structure of studies
Master’s degree comprises 120 ECTS credits. Each ECTS credit is about 27 hours of student work. Courses are worth 90 ECTS, and the remaining 30 ECTS are awarded for successfully completing a master’s thesis. The duration of the program is two years. Students usually spend three semesters completing courses and one semester preparing for the master’s thesis. The studies start in late August, and the academic year ends in late May.
The HTI specializations are part of the Master’s Programme in Computing Sciences, which consists of altogether seven specializations, leading either to a Master of Science degree or a Master of Science in Technology degree:
- Data Science (MSc)
- Human-Technology Interaction (MSc)
- Human-Technology Interaction (MSc Tech)
- Signal Processing and Machine Learning (MSc Tech)
- Software, Web & Cloud (MSc)
- Software, Web & Cloud (MSc Tech)
- Statistical Data Analytics (MSc)
Tampere University offers a limited number of partial scholarships as well as an early bird discount to support fee-paying students.
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships
The Tampere University tuition fee scholarship is an exclusive opportunity awarded to a select number of the best-performing applicants. It is a highly selective scholarship; in total, only individual Tampere University scholarships are awarded to exceptionally qualified applicants. Scholarships are not awarded in all programmes.
Tampere University tuition fee scholarships awarded at admission cover 50% of the tuition fees for the programme duration.
Early bird offer
The early bird offer is available to all fee-paying students who have not been awarded a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship upon admission. The early bird offer gives a €2,000 reduction on the programme 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 the reduced first-year tuition fee within two weeks after receiving information on admission.
This offer is valid only for the first year of studies.
In addition to these offers available at admission, students who complete a Bachelor's degree at Tampere University will be eligible to receive a €2,000 reduction on their tuition fee for the first year of Master's degree studies at Tampere University, provided they graduate from their Bachelor's programme within three academic years.
How to apply for scholarships?
To be considered for Tampere University Scholarships, you must apply for the scholarship as part of your application for admission during the application period for admission. You will apply for Tampere University Scholarships with the same online application you use to apply for admission at Studyinfo.fi.
All application information you submit in your application for admission at Studyinfo.fi, including your educational documents, is available for the admissions committee evaluating your scholarship application. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of overall academic assessment, in which all application information and educational documents, as well as the scholarship application letter (if applicable), are taken into consideration and can be decisive. The decision on the scholarship will be communicated to you together with information on admission.
The early bird offer is available without a separate application to all fee-paying students who have not been awarded a Tampere University tuition fee scholarship.
There are many job opportunities to choose from after graduation. The career prospects are excellent, and human-technology interaction specialists are highly appreciated by the industry.
Some of the possible future careers include, for example:
- A designer who envisions, shapes, and creates sustainable design solutions for user interfaces and information systems in general – typical job titles include service designer, UX designer, interaction designer, and UI designer
- User researcher who studies people and their use of technology in various environments and contexts of use, informing the design and development of new technological solutions as well as academic research in the field of human-computer interaction
- User interface developer who has the skills to implement advanced front-end software solutions
- Usability and user experience specialist who makes sure that the designs are easy to use and fit human purposes and requirements
- Product manager with emphasis on user needs and user experience.
Following the successful completion of the program, HTI graduates are also eligible to apply for entrance to doctoral programs in Finland and abroad.
Co-operation with other parties
In addition to studies in your own Master's Programme, you may take advantage of the teaching offered by the Tampere higher education community in various fields. Tampere is a vibrant industrial hub for various types of companies with needs for HTI experts, including service design, software development, game companies, and the intelligent machinery industry. Tampere University research teams collaborate with a broad range of these companies.
Further study opportunities
The master's degree provides the required background to pursue doctoral studies in Interactive Technology or Computer Sciences, for example in the Doctoral Programme of Humans and Technologies, available at Tampere University.