CoDaS - International M.Sc. Program

Communications Engineering and Data Science (CoDaS)

CoDaS is a joint M.Sc. program offered by three European universities: Aalto University, Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP), and Técnico Lisboa (University Lisboa). Each Partner University will recruit students for the 1st year of the program according to their quota, following their usual admission processes. Then, the students will go for the 2nd year of the program to another Partner University. For instance, the student that enrols in Aalto U. for M1, will go either to Grenoble INP or Técnico Lisboa for M2.

Setting up CoDaS is an initiative of UNITE!, University Network for Innovation, Technology and Engineering aiming at developing a European University by sharing resources and services in education, research and management, by removing structural barriers and by generating new frameworks for a European degree. CoDaS will tend to become a European degree in the near future. To start the Program this year, the Partner Universities have signed the agreements of double diplomas, which means that the students will obtain two diplomas after M2 – the first one from the university of the enrolment and the second one from the university they attended during M2: each Partner University will award graduated students with a Diploma from the M.Sc. recognized by the Double Degree agreements, together with the corresponding Certificate. In addition, each student will be also awarded a Supplement Certificate, signed by all Partners, establishing the Joint UNITE! CoDaS Programme as the “European umbrella” for the degree.
 

The objectives of the joint CoDaS M.Sc. are the following:

• to strengthen student education in the key area of Communications Engineering and Data Science with foreseen major future impact,
• to contribute to the graduation of engineers in the already much needed area of the degree, putting together the competences of telecommunications and data analysis,
• to offer a variety of courses on complementary specializations at the Partners: 5G and Automation at Aalto U., Data Science and 5G at Técnico Lisboa, and CyberSecurity at Grenoble INP,
• to address current and future challenges related to Information and Communication Technologies and sustainable development,
• to contribute to the goals of the European Union Digital Strategy.

 

This Programme covers a range of timely industry topics relevant to modern fields of engineering consisting of competences from electrical engineering, automation, programming, communications, data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, network security, and Internet of Things.

Students will acquire expertise in a range of techniques covering the broad areas of mathematics, modelling and analysis of signals and systems, data science, artificial intelligence, security, networks and distributed systems.

During their studies, students will also acquire expertise in other areas, such as project planning and management, teamwork and coordination, entrepreneurship, critical thinking and sustainability. The Program will empower students to solve industry-relevant problems employing cutting-edge tools of artificial intelligence, automation and control theory, data analytics, network security, wireless systems, distributed systems and signal processing. Students will be trained in the design and analysis of machine learning models and communication systems, advance their knowledge in the broad field of computer networks and cybersecurity, and gain professional experience through tailored industry-relevant projects and entrepreneurship trainings.

The expertise gained through the Program features diverse programming skills, good mathematical background, goal-oriented problem solving, as well as efficient project planning and management. In particular, students will boast competences in:

• emerging communication technologies: students will learn from experts in the domain of communication and networking;
• cutting-edge automation competences: the Program boasts theoretical skills and practical expertise at the crossroads of communications and data science;
• emerging information technologies: students will learn from experts in evolving information technologies that define the future in industry and society;
• network security: security is the weak spot in many contemporary technologies, so students will learn to lead the transition of the industry towards security and privacy by design and by default in all types of networks, and more specifically in IoT;
• distributed computer networks: distributed systems have become the norm and are ubiquitously deployed through IoT, so students will learn to command the tools to manage future distributed networks of an unprecedented scale;
• artificial intelligence in networking: data science has found its place in many areas of engineering in recent years and is increasingly dominating also networking domains, students being trained to possess a broad range of tools to structure and analyse huge data sets and to extract meaning from patterns, as well as to appreciate the value created by collecting, communicating, coordinating and leveraging the data from connected devices;
• programming skills: students will gather practical programming expertise in a range of industry-relevant languages;
• project and team working: students will collect practical experience through projects in relation with industry.

 

The CoDaS M.Sc. program comprises 2 years:

• Year 1 – M1: basic studies common to all Partner Universities
  • Languages, International Culture, Soft skills
  • Mathematics/Programming/Security
  • Communications
  • Data Science, Artificial Intelligence
• Year 2 – M2: specialization studies, specific to all Partners, Project, and Thesis
  • Communications, Automation, and Machine Learning (Aalto U.)
  • Communications, Data Science, and CyberSecurity (Grenoble INP - UGA)
  • Communications and Data Science (Técnico Lisboa)

Download the detailed program content (pdf)

 

The program targets international students, not only within Europe, but also from other regions, such as from Asia, Africa, North America and Latin America, besides the national ones from the participating Universities’ countries. Students should have a B.Sc. in a technical area in computer science, computer engineering, or electrical and computer engineering. Good mathematical background is required as many course in Data Science and AI rely on mathematics.

 

The initial target is 10 students / year / University.
This number will be revised each year, by common agreement among the Partner Universities.
More information about the admission process at Grenoble INP - Ensimag can be found on the site of the International Relations at Ensimag.


 

The Partner Universities launching the Program are the following:
 

Grenoble INP - UGA, France	Aalto U., Finland	Técnico Lisboa (U. Lisboa), Portugal

We plan to open the Program to other universities within UNITE! in the future.

 

The CoDaS M.Sc. degree follows the Bologna Agreement recommendations, namely:

• 2 year duration;
• 120 ECTS credits in total, with 60 ECTS/year;
• M.Sc. Thesis with 30 ECTS;
• common scientific areas in the degree structure during each year of the Program.

 

As mentioned above, students will take M1 courses at the Partner at which they have enrolled, and they go to another Partner for the M2 specialization.
The distribution of students between Partners in the transition will be uniform, i.e., the students leaving from a Partner’s Year 1 will be equally split between the other Partners for Year 2 (currently, given the intake of 10 students, each Partner will get 5 students from each of the other universities).
Students will apply for Year 2 and they will be ranked according to the grades of the courses taken in Year 1.  The acceptance of students for Year 2 will be based on this ranking.

 

A Summer School will be organized to gather all students in transition from Year 1 to Year 2 as well as faculty. This Summer School will be held in July, in rotation among Partners, with a duration of 2 weeks: 1 week for lectures and 1 week for team work on chosen projects. ECTS credits may be awarded to students.

 

The Tuition Fees at each Partner are defined by the Partner.
The students will pay the fees at the Partner in which they register for Year 1.

 

The Program will start in September 2021.
Recruitment starts in February and ends in April/May 2021. More information about the admission process at Grenoble INP - Ensimag can be found on the site of the International Relations at Ensimag.