Why choose the University of Oulu to study Computer Science and Engineering?

I can only speak for myself when it comes to why I chose the University of Oulu’s Computer Science and Engineering programme and the motivations behind that decision. I hope at least one of my motivations will align with yours and hopefully help you to narrow down your selections.

My key motivations were that I wanted a programme with a good reputation and a lot of flexibility, I wanted to live in a unique place with easy access to travel and adventure, and I wanted the tuition to be inexpensive. My programme fit all three, which is why I applied, and then I started classes and realised it fit them even better than I originally thought!

Let’s start with the last motivation first. The tuition is very inexpensive for somebody coming from North America, and once you’re here, there aren’t a huge number of hidden fees, and you don’t have to buy extremely expensive textbooks. The lack of hidden costs isn’t common in North America! In addition, you can live very comfortably within a tight budget. For example, you can walk right into the library, which is very spacious and easy to study in.

That moves us to the second motivation, adventure and travel! I live by the motto of work hard, play hard. Computer Science is full of difficult subject matter and can be stressful. It is important to have easy access to fun because you need to match the amount of stress you are experiencing with the amount of fun you are having.

Finland is a very liveable northern country, and Oulu is right in the middle of that country. Not only that Oulu has an airport. That means you can easily get to other European countries, and you can also easily travel two hours and experience arctic adventures that would usually require you to live in a much less hospitable region or travel many, many hours to get there.

Finally, the programme has a good reputation and a lot of flexibility. The reputation speaks for itself. The university emphasises mental health, you get to choose your programme progression, and the faculty are experts in their fields, making the courses very interesting. Regarding flexibility, if you want to take Artificial Intelligence courses but also love Computer Engineering, you can take courses in both. You will have to choose a specialisation between the two, but you can advance your skills in both at the same time.

Putting all of this information together, I highly recommend the Computer Science and Engineering master’s programme at the University of Oulu. It is definitely worth looking into and equally worth applying to. Here’s a secret, final tidbit: the types of people who choose the University of Oulu tend to be the types of people that are extremely fun to study and travel with. You will have no problem finding buddies to share experiences with.

Thank you for reading, and good luck with the exciting years ahead! :)