Tallinn University of Technology

The programme provides students with core skills in wide aspects of the security of information systems and specialised skills in the chosen specialisation. Students get a unique chance to study under high-level Cybersecurity practitioners from Estonian universities, industry, law enforcement, CERT and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.

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Admissions

The number of study places of MSc in Cybersecurity for international students is 25. The candidates are admitted based on the admission points and ranking.

The maximum score for the motivation letter, online lab, online interview and supporting information is 20 points. An applicant who receives 16 points or more is admitted automatically. The rest of the applicants are expected to get their admission results by 10th of June 2023, the latest.

Candidates who get less than 10 admission points or fail to get at least 5 points in either of the subsections, will not be accepted to the programme. 

Please find the programme specific admission requirements below

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in IT or ICT (degree in other field is accepted only if the candidate has at least 1 year work experience in IT).

In order to qualify for the studies in Tallinn University of Technology an applicant has to have at least 60% of the highest possible CGPA.

In order to apply, a candidate is required to upload a Test-taker Score Report of the GRE General Test to the DreamApply application system with the necessary threshold scores:

  • Verbal Reasoning at least 145
  • Quantitative Reasoning at least 150
  • Analytical Writing score at least 3.0

This is a prerequisite for qualifying and has to be fulfilled latest by the application deadline.

Candidates who have obtained a full Bachelor's degree in EU, EFTA or OECD member state are waived from the GRE requirement.

Please see more information about our GRE General Test requirement here, including the exact eligibility criteria for being exempted from this prerequisite and how to order the test result electronically to TalTech.

  • Please include the following:

    • Describe your professional goals. How does the degree programme you are applying for will support your professional profile?

    • Why do you apply for the chosen programme? Which of the courses offered in this programme are particularly beneficial in pursuing your professional goals?

    • Describe your previous experience and competencies related to IT — e.g. your works and projects, skills you have mastered at training courses or by yourself, online IT courses you have passed, free and open-source software projects you have participated in, list of Github, Bitbucket and other social coding repositories, etc.

    • If you do not have previous IT experience, please explain your motivation why you decided to study cybersecurity.

    • List achievements that you are very proud of. For example, this might include the development of open-source tools; published academic papers; etc.

    • Please point out 1-2 potential research questions of your interest, about which you might consider writing your final MSc thesis.

NB! It is important to properly cite and reference any sources used in your motivation letter (quotations, publications, ideas etc. that are not your own). Neglecting the rules of referencing and citation is considered plagiarism and will result in the disqualification of your application.

Motivation Letter and Online Lab grading scale: 1–10 points. Candidate must collect at least 5 points.

A good Internet connection is recommended in order to access the virtual lab. The virtual lab is cloud-based so no special hardware or software is required. More detailed information will be sent to your email after the preliminary evaluation. 

Motivation Letter and Online Lab grading scale: 1–10 points. Candidate must collect at least 5 points.

The aim of the interview is to understand your academic potential, motivation and suitability for your chosen course. For this reason, the interview will include some technical questions.

  • Questions are composed to assess your:

    • problem-solving abilities;

    • intellectual flexibility and analytical skills;

    • assimilation of new ideas and information.

Topics that are covered during interview

  • Interviews are discussion-based, mainly academic and program-related:

    • personal motivation and information provided in the written application;

    • engagement with the cyber security area;

    • algorithms and scripting/programming;

    • cryptography;

    • network security;

    • digital forensics;

    • security management & strategies;

    • legal and ethical aspects of cyber security;

    • potential project idea for thesis topic.

The length of an interview is 20-30 minutes and will be conducted by the specialists in the programme you have applied for.

Grading scale: 1–10 points. Candidate must collect at least 5 points.

Overview

The programme is taught jointly by the two largest public universities in Estonia. The Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics studies are concentrated in Tallinn, while the specialisation in Cryptography is concentrated in Tartu. Upon successful completion of the programme students will receive a joint degree signed by both universities - TalTech and the University of Tartu.

The public focus on the field of cyber security is growing around the world. Estonia is well known for its eagerness to put innovative IT solutions into everyday use. It is a pioneer in electronic identities and electronic voting and enthusiastically adopts mobile technology, online banking and electronic government services. However, with so many e-solutions and such extensive use of the internet, attention also needs to be turned to the security issue.

  • By choosing electable courses, it is possible to specialise in one of the following aspects or a suitable mix of those:

    • Organisational aspects - law, organization, psychology, standards, etc.

    • Technological aspects - networking, attack/defence technology, cryptography.

Digital forensics is a branch of forensic science encompassing the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices, often in relation to computer crime. The area is becoming critical for both data security and law enforcement and is involved in a complicated interplay between surveillance and counter-surveillance issues.

Cryptography is vital for the functioning of the modern interconnected world, since it is required to ensure privacy, data integrity, etc. Cryptography experts are required to develop new ways of keeping data secure, as well as making sure that the existing solutions are still strong enough.

CURRICULUM OUTLINE (120 ECTS)

  • General studies – provide the student with the opportunity to learn more about information technology, entrepreneurship and/or Estonian language and culture.

  • Core studiesgive the student the core cyber security knowledge on management, technology, as well as human and legal aspects.

  • Special studies – students can specialise in Cybersecurity (secure software design, network and operating systems security, cyber incident handling, strategic communications, etc.), Digital Forensics (network and system forensics, mobile forensics, network protocol design, cyber defence monitoring solutions, etc.) or Cryptography (distributed computing and blockchains, design and analysis of algorithms, coding theory, cryptology, quantum cryptography etc.).
  • Free choice courses – this module aims to let the students choose to study topics according to their interests and/or specialisation.

  • Graduation thesis – a scientific project that allows to apply theoretical knowledge to solving practical problems in the field of IT and Cybersecurity.

Future Career

The programme conveys the specialist knowledge and professional skills needed on a career path leading to high-end technical roles (e.g. security analyst, architect or research engineer; security incident handler or a digital forensic expert in a law enforcement agency) or managerial roles (e.g. project/team leader or technology officer).

The studies are also an excellent addition to a previous background in legal studies or law enforcement, leading to unique career opportunities. Great networking possibilities and collaboration with leading specialists in the field will present graduates with a range of career opportunities. The studies can also be continued at doctoral level. The direct follow-up curriculum at TalTech is Information and Communication Technology (IAQD) PhD programme.

Ask Us

TalTech international admissions office

TalTech international admissions office provides general advice to prospective Bachelor’s and Master’s degree applicants and their advisers about applying to and studying at TalTech.

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Student counsellor at School of Information Technologies

Student counsellor at School of Information Technologies can help you
with questions about the study programme.


Kristi Ainen
kristi.ainen@taltech.ee

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