Admission to the CyberMACS program is granted on a competitive basis, and the applicants are assessed based on their previous academic record. The selection is document based. The final evaluation of the eligible applications and the ranking of qualified students is made based on the following criteria:

1. Relevance of Previous Studies

Successful applicants are expected to have a high-quality Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical and/or electronics engineering, information technology, management information systems, physics, or mathematics, or close fields to those. Excellent candidates with degrees in other fields will be considered if they have sufficient studies in the required subject areas (see below). Required background consists of sufficient studies in:
  • mathematics (linear algebra, calculus, probability theory, statistics, and discrete mathematics)
  • programming skills
  • algorithms and data structures
  • databases
  • theory of computation
The contents of the applicant’s previous degree(s) are evaluated based on the courses on the official transcript of records. Relevant work experience, professional certificates and online courses can also be taken into account in the evaluation, but they do not in general compensate for the absence of university-level studies covering the theoretical foundations of the required subjects.

2. Academic Performance

The applicant’s academic performance will be evaluated based on the grade point average (GPA) and grades in key courses. The time spent on the previous studies will also be considered. The program is looking for applicants with excellent academic performance in their previous studies. This means that the applicant has achieved consistently excellent grades throughout the degree studies (very high weighted average grade or GPA). During the evaluation process, we assess relevance of previous studies and academic performance first. Only applications that meet the requirements for these two criteria will be evaluated further.

3. Recognition and Quality of Institution

We expect applicants to have completed their previous degree in a high-quality university and program. The recognition of the applicant’s home university also affects the interpretation of the grades when evaluating the academic performance.

4. Motivation and Commitment to CyberMACS Studies

The applicant should tell us about their expectations for the CyberMACS program, career aspirations, relevant experience, and achievements. They should be motivated to study in any of the program universities and be committed to full‐time studies with a plan to complete the master’s degree in two years. We are looking for applicants who can express clearly their reasons for applying to CyberMACS and describe why they would be excellent candidates for the program. Studies in the CyberMACS program should provide genuinely new knowledge for the applicant. If the applicant already has a master’s degree, the motivation letter should clearly indicate why another Master’s degree is necessary.

5. Other Relevant Achievements

Beyond their academic record, applicants may have other experience, knowledge and qualifications that prepare them for the master’s studies and distinguish them among their peers. We particularly value relevant work experience in the program, participation in scientific research leading to publications, entrepreneurship, and special achievements such as success in competitions.

6. English Language Proficiency

A good English language test result adds value to the application. All three CyberMACS consortium universities participate in the evaluation of applications and in the joint selection meeting. The allocation of scholarships is based on the same criteria as the student selection decisions and the best selected students will be offered scholarships. The scholarship decisions are given together with the selection decisions.