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The Master's Programme in Life Science Technologies offers a multidisciplinary curriculum focusing on important aspects of current and emerging technologies for life sciences, with an emphasis on the fields of data analysis and modelling, bioinformatics, bioelectronics and biosensing, biomedical engineering, human neuroscience and neurotechnology. 

The studies in the programme integrate both fundamental and applied knowledge and are closely connected to the world-class research conducted at the participating schools and departments.
To prepare the graduates for rewarding careers in either industry or academia, the programme provides skills necessary for solving multifaceted and ill-defined problems similar to those encountered in professional life.

The programme also equips students with a solid foundation for pursuing doctoral studies.

After graduation students of Life Science Technologies programme

1. will have relevant fundamental and applied knowledge and competencies within the specialization area as well as a good overview of current and emerging technologies and methodologies in the field of life sciences.
2. will have the necessary skills to develop innovative scientific and engineering solutions for health and wellbeing sectors, acknowledging the importance of responsible use of technology.
3. will be able to plan and execute research in life science, analyze data and report the outcomes both orally and in writing to different stakeholders
4. will have a solid foundation for further learning of professional skills by acquiring, evaluating, and processing scientific, technical and professional information.
5. will be able to work individually or as a member of a multidisciplinary expert team.

Five majors with different focus are offered in the Master's Programme in Life Science Technologies:

Bioinformatics and Digital Health

The Bioinformatics and Digital Health major in the Life Science Technologies programme is designed to give a strong competence in bioinformatics as well as in biomedical and health data analysis methods. The major offers a solid background in probabilistic modeling, machine learning, artificial intelligence and data science to understand the methodological basis of bioinformatics and health data analysis methods. The major also gives skills and tools to develop new computational methods and models and to apply them to real world biomolecular and health data. 

Computer practicals are part of most courses ensuring understanding of both theory and practice of the methods. State-of-the-art methods for analyzing various 'omics data as well as biological networks are part of the curriculum. Examples of research questions studied include predicting drug-target interactions, reconstructing biological networks, identifying disease biomarkers from biomedical and health data, and modelling dynamical behavior of complex biological systems.

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering builds on physics, data science, and technology to observe and influence biological systems. This major introduces the student to key constructs in biological systems, physiological and physical signal generation therein, and the measurement and analysis of these signals. In addition, the major provides knowledge and skills for developing novel engineering solutions for diagnostic and treatment needs in health care. 

Biomedical Engineering major offers excellent foundations for pursuing a career in life science and medical technology industries as well as in academia.

Biosensing and Bioelectronics

The major provides a scientific and engineering foundation for understanding what information can be measured from living systems and how such measurements can be used to assess physiological state and function. It covers physical, electrical, and especially chemical signals, with emphasis on biologically relevant analytes, biomarkers, and biomolecules.

Central to the major is the integration of physical chemistry, particularly electroanalytical chemistry, with surface physics, materials science, and biomaterials engineering. Students learn how biological and bioelectrical signals originate, how they are transduced at electrified and material interfaces, and how biomaterials and surface engineering govern biocompatibility, reliability, and performance in biosensors and implantable medical devices.

The curriculum introduces key biosensing technologies, bioelectronic and diagnostic instrumentation, biosignal analysis, and wireless communication with implantable devices, alongside physical insight into biological systems gained through spectroscopy, advanced microscopy, and computational modeling. Together, these elements equip students to design and analyze biocompatible sensing systems that extract meaningful information from living systems.

Complex Systems

The Complex Systems major gives a strong computational and theoretical background for understanding complex systems, from the human brain to a diversity of biological and social systems. The major offers three focus areas that students can choose from and build a major that contains fundamentals of complex systems and number of neuroscience courses, or a combination of network science and machine learning, or a more mathematical networks track including courses from the department of mathematics.

Human Neuroscience and Technology

This major gives the students a strong background for understanding the structure and function of the human brain, human cognition, as well as theoretical and practical knowledge of brain research methods and other neurotechnologies. After completing their studies, the students have an excellent background for a career in science and for applying their expertise in more applied fields such as medical technology, health and wellbeing, and game industry.

Courses within the programme are mainly offered in English. However, you can choose to complete some of the courses included in the major Complex Systems in Finnish/Swedish languages.
In addition, you can include a minor and/or elective studies offered in Finnish/Swedish in your degree.
The master’s thesis can be written in English, Finnish or Swedish. The language of the master’s thesis determines the language of the degree.

The languages used in teaching and studying
The language of instruction is the language in which the teaching is provided. The supplementary language of instruction is a language used alongside the language of instruction. The teaching offered in the supplementary language of instruction depends on the course: for a detailed description of the languages used in a given course, see the course’s MyCourses page.

You can complete study attainments, such as examinations or course assignments, using either the language of instruction or the supplementary language of instruction. In some courses, the language of study attainments may also be a language that is not used in teaching. The languages of study attainments offered are specified in Sisu under each study unit implementation.

In the Teaching column of the table, the language of instruction for the course is indicated. Any supplementary language of instruction is provided in parentheses.

In Master’s Programme in Life Science Technologies, the following courses can be completed in Finnish (language of study attainment is Finnish). The major that the course can be included in is in parentheses.

• CS-E5700 Hands-on Network Analysis (Complex Systems)
• CS-E5780 Special Assignment in Complex Systems (Complex Systems)
• NBE-E4210 Structure and Operation of the Human Brain (Complex Systems: Theme 5 Courses from other Life Science Technologies majors; Biomedical Engineering; Human Neuroscience and Technology)
• NBE-E4600 Special Assigment (Complex Systems: Theme 5 Courses from other Life Science Technologies majors; Biomedical Engineering; Human Neuroscience and Technology)
• ELEC-E8729 Biomaterial Interfaces (Complex Systems: Theme 5 Courses from other Life Science Technologies majors; Biosensing and Biomaterials Engineering)

Name of the major in Finnish: Bioinformatiikka ja digitaalinen terveys
Name of the major in Swedish: Bioinformatik och digital hälsa

Code: SCI3092

Extent : 62 ECTS

Abbreviation: BIOINFO

Professor in charge: Harri Lähdesmäki

Intended learning outcomes

After graduating from Bioinformatics and Digital Health major students

• Will have a strong methodological understanding of probabilistic and machine learning techniques that are commonly used to analyze biomedical and health data 
• Will be able to apply existing computational methods in challenging real problems
• Will have the knowledge to develop new computational methods for new applications
• Will be able to communicate the methods and findings to both computational and non-computational experts

In the Teaching column of the table, the language of instruction for the course is indicated. Any supplementary language of instruction is provided in parentheses. In the Teaching column of the table, also recommended year of completion of the course is indicated.

Name of the major in Finnish: Lääketieteellinen tekniikka
Name of the major in Swedish: Medicinsk teknik

Code: SCI3059

Scope: 62 ECTS

Abbreviation: BME

Professor in charge: Matias Palva

Intended learning outcomes

After completing the Biomedical Engineering major, the students should be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the biology-, physiology-, and physics-based foundations of systems relevant for biomedical engineering,
• Exhibit understanding of the generative mechanisms and measurement methods of biological signals and approaches for manipulation of biological systems,
• Apply data pre-processing and analysis methods on empirical biomedical data with understanding of how they operationalize the underlying constructs,
• Apply or understand computational modeling methods for simulating the biomedical systems of interest,
• Understand the prospects and limitations of informatics and machine learning methods to biomedical data as a foundation for medical devices and applications,
• Create, evaluate, or analyze biomedical applications in their clinical and regulatory context.

In the Teaching column of the table, the language of instruction for the course is indicated. Any supplementary language of instruction is provided in parentheses. In the Teaching column of the table, also recommended year of completion of the course is indicated.

^{* The Special Assigment should be done before starting writing the master's thesis.}

^{**The course is organized occasionally, not necessarily each year.} 

Name of the major in Finnish: Bioanturit ja bioeletroniikka
Name of the majoar in Swedish: Biosensorer och bioelektronik

Code: ELEC3045

Scope: 62 ECTS

Professori in charge: Tomi Laurila

Intended learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the major, the student is able to:

1. Describe and explain the physiological, physical, and chemical principles underlying bioelectrical and biochemical signals in living systems, including the roles of biomarkers, biomolecules, and material interfaces in conveying information about biological state.
2. Analyze and model biosignals and bioelectrical phenomena using appropriate computational and analytical methods, taking into account physicochemical transduction mechanisms, interfacial effects, sources of interference, and constraints related to biocompatibility and implantable device operation.
3. Design and evaluate biosensing and bioelectronic systems by selecting suitable biomaterials, surface engineering approaches, and electroanalytical measurement principles to achieve selective, reliable, and biocompatible interrogation of living systems.

In the Teaching column of the table, the language of instruction for the course is indicated. Any supplementary language of instruction is provided in parentheses. In the Teaching column of the table, also recommended year of completion of the course is indicated.

Name of the major in Finnish: Kompleksiset systeemit
Name of the major in Swedish: Komplexa system

Code: SCI3060

Scope: 62 credits

Abbreviation: CS

Professor in charge: Professor Mikko Kivelä
 

Intended learning outcomes

After completing the studies in this major the student understands complex systems from the human brain to a diversity of biological and social systems. Further, students will be able to apply computational and theoretical tools specific to the field of complex systems to analyze and solve problems. Upon completion, the students have the necessary skills for interdisciplinary scientific careers, or, e.g. for data scientist positions in the industry.

In the Teaching column of the table, the language of instruction for the course is indicated. Any supplementary language of instruction is provided in parentheses. In the Teaching column of the table, also recommended year of completion of the course is indicated.

*On request

** The course is organised occassionally, not necessarily each year

Name of the major in Finnish: Neurotiede ja neuroteknologia
Name of the major in Swedish: Neurovetenskap och neuroteknologi

Code: SCI3061

Scope: 62 credits

Abbreviation: NEURO

Professor in charge: Lauri Parkkonen
 

Intended learning outcomes

After graduating from the Human Neuroscience and Technology major, the students

• will have solid foundational knowledge on the human brain, both on its structure and function
• will be able to describe the core components of human cognition
• will be able to perform brain-imaging experiments with selected methods
• will be able to analyze various brain measurements
• will be able to apply neuroscientific knowledge and methods in neurotechnology
• will possess skills to work with complex, multidimensional and noisy data and to extract relevant information from them

In the Teaching column of the table, the language of instruction for the course is indicated. Any supplementary language of instruction is provided in parentheses. In the Teaching column of the table, also recommended year of completion of the course is indicated.

^{* The Special Assigment should be done before starting writing the master's thesis.
** The course is organised by University of Helsinki. Check the availability in Sisu.}

Students are required to write a master's thesis, which is an individual research project with a workload of 30 credits. The topic of the thesis is usually related to the student’s major, or in some special cases to a minor. The thesis work must have one supervisor and may have one or two advisors. The supervisor is a professor at Aalto University who ensures that the thesis meets all aims and requirements set by the schools responsible for the programme. The advisor is usually from an organization for which the thesis is written. The thesis advisor shall hold at least a master’s degree. The advisor is an expert in the field of the thesis, who can give advice on content and writing of a thesis. The duties of the advisor are agreed on by the student, supervisor, and advisor.

Master’s thesis work also includes a maturity essay, and a seminar presentation or an equivalent presentation.

The master’s thesis is a public document and cannot be concealed. The approved thesis shall be kept available in electronic form at the university.

Read more about master's thesis under Thesis.

Students choose 28 credits of elective studies. As elective studies, students can

• select individual courses from their major or other majors of the programme
• select individual courses from other programmes at Aalto University
• select language and communication courses
• select a minor
• select individual courses form other Finnish Universities through cross-institutional studies (RIPA) agreement
• participate in an international student exchange programme
• include 1-10 ECTS of work experience completed in Finland or abroad.
  o Note: students that have completed course JOIN-A0003 Contributing in Community (3 ECTS) can include up to 7 credits of work experience in the degree.

In general, elective studies must be university or university of applied sciences level studies that fulfill the degree requirements and, in general, studies that are offered as degree studies at the university in question. The suitability of these studies is evaluated taking into consideration the learning outcomes of the programme and the aims of the master of science (technology) degree.

Elective studies require separate approval through the Personal Study Plan (HOPS).

Read more about elective studies under Planning your studies.

Recommendations of majors on elective studies

Bioinformatics and Digital Health

For the elective studies to accompany the Bioinformatics and Digital Health major, it is recommended to take a minor subject or an international mobility period or an internship. The autumn period of second year is the recommended time period for elective studies.

Life Science Technologies programme minors:

• Biomedical engineering
• Biosensing and Biolectronics
• Complex systems
• Human Neuroscience and Technology

Computer, Communications, and Information Science programme minors:

• Machine Learning, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

An international mobility period of approximately one semester is recommended. The suitable timing for mobility is Autumn period of the second study year.

Biomedical Engineering

For the elective studies to accompany the biomedical engineering major, we recommend to take a minor subject, an international mobility period or an internship. The autumn term of second year is the recommended time for international mobility. For students interested in health technology innovation and industry, we recommend applying to HealthTech Linkage program offered by Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.

Life Science Technologies programme minors:

• Bioinformatics and Digital Health
• Biosensing and Bioelectronics
• Biosystems and Biomaterials Engineering
• Complex Systems
• Human Neuroscience and Technology

Other majors:

• Engineering Physics
• Mathematics

An international mobility period of approximately one term is recommended. The suitable timing for mobility is the autumn term of the second study year.

Complex Systems

In their elective studies, the students are encouraged to take courses from other majors of the LifeTech programme, according to their interests. Courses in the field of information and computer science are also recommended. Internship and exchange are also recommended in elective studies.

Human Neuroscience and Engineering

Students are encouraged to take courses from other Majors of the Life Sciences Technologies programme, depending on own interests. Those who are especially interested in neurotechnologies, can extend their knowledge profile by taking courses from Biomedical Engineering major and Biosensing and Bioelectronics major.

If you have completed your bachelor's degree in Finland (in Aalto or in another higher education institute), you have fulfilled the compulsory language requirements in the respective degree or received the exemption. You do not need to complete language studies in the master's degree.

If your language of education is Finnish or Swedish and you have completed your bachelor’s degree outside of Finland, you must 

• demonstrate proficiency in national languages by writing the maturity test in your language of education (Finnish or Swedish) and complete the language proficiency tests (2 ECTS) in the other national language. Read more about the language of education here. You may also apply for an exemption of demonstrating proficiency in national languages.
• complete 3 ECTS in one foreign language (including both oral (o) and written (w) proficiency).

If you have completed your bachelor’s degree outside of Finland, you are required to complete only 3 ECTS in one foreign language (including both oral (o) and written (w) proficiency). Students, whose language of education is not Finnish or Swedish, may alternatively complete an elementary course in Finnish or in Swedish. The courses in national languages can be at any level on CEFR scale.

Language studies are included in students’ elective studies and are agreed in the personal study plan (HOPS). Language center offers the language studies.