Updates on Academic Affairs 1/25

15.9.2025

What? Are there really more than one of these per year? Of course — everything is true! The second (but not the last) Updates on Academic Affairs of the year is indeed here. Enjoy!

Updates on Academic Affairs are part of the guild’s goal to increase transparency in its activities. The guild’s Head of Academic Affairs serves as a student representative in several administrative bodies within SCI. These summaries report on the topics of discussion and decisions in these meetings, as well as more generally on changes affecting computer science students — whether to individual courses or to the entire curriculum.

• CS-C3130 Information Security
  Responsible teacher changed: Tuomas Aura, Lachlan Gunn → Lachlan Gunn
• CS-E4410 Semantic Web
  Vastuuopettaja vaihtuu: Eero Hyvönen → Jouni Tuominen
• CS-E4650 Methods of Data Mining
  Responsible teacher changed: Wilhelmiina Hämäläinen → Jorma Laaksonen
• CS-E4300 Network Security D
  Responsible teacher changed: Mohit Sethi, Tuomas Aura → Jose Martin Navarro
• CS-E5875 High-Throughput Bioinformatics D
  Change in prerequisites: CS-E5860 Computational Genomics D ja MS-C1620 Statistical Inference → CS-E4715 Supervised Machine Learning D
• CS-E5011 Research Methods: Case Studies and Design Science D
  Grading scale changes: Pass/​Fail → General scale 1-5
  Assessment criteria added: Participation in teaching, Assignments, Exam

• CS-E400214 Information Geometry for Generative AI
  Period II, 5 ECTS, see course brochure in Sisu
• CS-E407525 Special Course in Machine Learning, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence: Seminar on Large Language Models
  Period II-III, 5 ECTS, see course brochure in Sisu
• TU-E5080 AI Agents and the Real World
  Period II, 3 ECTS, see course brochure in Sisu

Meetings 2/​25, 3/​25, 4/​25 and 5/​25

• University Lecturer Lachlan Gunn will be nominated as responsible teacher of Computer Science - Secure Systems study track and Security and Cloud Computing major and minor during Prof. Aura's research leave in academic year 2025-26
• Proposed changes to CS master’s courses for the Academic Committee for Science (PAK)
• • Changes approved in PAK meetings 3/​25 and 4/​25 (see Changes to Computer Science Courses)
• Proposed change to be presented to PAK:
• • for continuing MSc studies in Machine Learning, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence major: Students whose study right begins on or after 1 August 2025 can continue their MSc studies in Macadamia major if they have completed their BSc degree with a minimum GPA of 3.80
  • This prerequisite applies to SCI students, excluding computer science and data science graduates, as well as students from other Aalto schools of technology. In addition, students from other Aalto schools of technology must also have SCI3031 Computer science minor, advanced study path, 25 cr in their Bachelor's degree.
  • This proposal is based on the rapidly growing number of students in the major and the challenges faced by some students in completing the courses successfully
• Cross-institutional study network: Secure Software
• • Aalto University is preparing a Cross-institutional studies agreement with Jyväskylä, Turku, and Tampere universities on the field of Software Security
  • The idea is that courses included in the agreement are approved in elective studies for CCIS majors
  • More info on Cross-institutional studies (RIPA) https:/​/​www.aalto.fi/​en/​other-studies/​cross-institutional-studies-ripa
• Request for statement on an appeal against master’s thesis evaluation
• • It was decided that the item will be laid on the table.
  • In the appeal the student invokes the supervision process of the Master's thesis, which is not an area to be evaluated according to Evaluation Guidelines. The Committee cannot therefore take a position on the supervision process in its response statement. In addition, the initial supervisor's statement lacks an evaluation of the area "Thesis process", so the Committee asks the supervisor for a new evaluation statement on the area and asks a second evaluator for an evaluation statement on the thesis.
  • The matter will be addressed again later, once the requested documents have been provided
  • Have you experienced challenges in the supervision process of your bachelor’s or master’s thesis?
    Tell us about it here

Meetings 1/​25 and 2/​25

• Curriculum 2026–2028 for the Bachelor’s Programme in Science and Technology
• • Minor revisions to general learning outcomes, but no major content changes
  • No significant changes to the CS major
• Discussed GPA 3.80 requirement for Macadamia applicants from outside CS (see above)
• Preliminary discussion of 2026 admissions criteria — no change requests raised
• Maturity demonstration for the Bachelor's thesis Exam pilot at CS department
• • Pilot in spring: bachelor’s thesis maturity demonstration taken under supervision in EXAM system
  • Phase 1 results and student feedback presented; feedback has been positive
  • Aim: system with two evaluators (content and language) in the future
  • Pilot will continue with further feedback collection

Meetings 2/​25, 3/​25 and 4/​25

• Discussion on item "Lecturer as a Doctoral thesis supervisor"
• • The proposal was welcomed, the Dean will promote the matter for further discussion within Aalto
• Restructuring of the study option in Bioinformation Technology into a joint bachelor's programme between ELEC and SCI with ELEC as the coordinating school
• • Basic studies are planned joint and both schools would offer one major; through the choice of major, the student's home institution would change if needed
  • The new program to begin in Autumn 2026
• New Erasmus Mundus programme proposal: CYBERSURE: Cybersecurity and Assurance, to replace the Master’s Programme in Security and Cloud Computing (SECCLO)
• Approved GPA 3.80 rule for Macadamia applicants from outside CS (see above)
• New Aalto University rules of conduct, in effect from 1.9.2025 alkaen: https:/​/​www.aalto.fi/​en/​aalto-university/​aalto-university-rules-of-conduct

• SCI spring study survey results presented before summer to the SCI Education management team
• Implementation of New Course Feedback Questions for Aalto and SCI (see Aalto info)
• Changes to be made in 2026 to student file retention after expiry of right to study (see Aalto info)
• The criteria for the dean's incentive scholarship will be revised starting from academic year 2025-2026
• • For the master's programme, no incentive scholarships will be paid for fourth-year studies (when both bachelor's and master's degrees are pursued) or for first-year studies (when only the master's degree is pursued) in the future.
  • A scholarship of 500 euros will continue to be paid for completing the degree within the target time
  • • Practically, this means completing the bachelor's degree in three years and the master's degree in either five years (when both bachelor's and master's degrees are pursued) or two years (when only the master's degree is pursued)
  • This decision applies to the criteria concerning studies for the academic year 2025–2026 and onwards, until the dean decides to discontinue or change the incentive scholarship criteria.
  • The dean's scholarship for studies in the academic year 2024–2025 will be open for applications in October

Is there something wrong with a course? Annoyed by the practical arrangements of a course? Having a bad day?

Tell us about it here: https:/​/​forms.gle/​ceAk6r8C5JdrE1WPA

The form collects course experiences and helps identify recurring problems. Responses are handled confidentially. Telegram handle can be left for follow-up if desired.

Thanks for reading the second Updates on Academic Affairs of the year! Feedback is always welcome. You can reach the guild’s Head of Academic Affairs at opinto­vastaava​@tietokilta.fi or on Telegram ​@YliSamuli

Samuli Yli-Salomäki
Head of Academic Affairs '25