Welcome letter Master’s Programme in Computer Science – Autumn-23
Congratulations on your admission!
Welcome to the Master’s Programme in Computer Science
at Blekinge Institute of Technology!
The programme runs full-time from 28 August 2023 to 8 June 2025. Please note, to keep your place on the programme, you must fulfil the steps in the section below: “Procedure to join the programme”. The mandatory course registration online will open 28 July and close 9 August.
We expect you to be present at campus Karlskrona on the first day 28 August and participate in the programme introduction at 13.00 CET in room J1610.
We strongly suggest that you participate in the introduction week, beginning 21 August, including introductory- and social activities. Make sure to visit the Student portal for a detailed programme.
Please visit the page for newly admitted students where you will find useful and practical information, including support and help with your next steps.
Computer Science is in many current topics, for instance, Big data, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Distributed Computing, Cyber Security, Visual and Interactive technologies, etc. We find mathematics, programming, operating systems, databases, etc in their cores. Hence, please refresh these skills before the programme starts. I recommend refreshing your English understanding, reading, and writing. Most of the material (lectures, books, assignments) is in English and you must write several academic reports during your studies here.
Procedure to join the programme
1. Tuition fee (deadline 15 May)
Non-EU/EEA students are required to pay tuition fee. Visit the tuition fee page for information and access your BTH tuition fee account. If the payment is not received by BTH by the deadline, you will lose your place on the programme.
2. Apply for a residence permit (as soon as possible)
Non-EU/EEA students admitted to on-campus programmes must apply for a residence permit to study in Sweden. The tuition fee must be paid before submitting the residence permit application. Visit the Migration agency home page for more information.
3. Activate student account (from 2 April)
You can activate student account when you receive an e-mail from BTH regarding your student account. More information and a link to activation are available on Student Portal – Get started. If you have not received an e-mail regarding student account one week before the registration period closes, please contact the IT Helpdesk.
4. Register for the courses (28 July to 9 August)
You must register for the courses to keep your place on the programme. Register in Ladok for students, instructions are on Student portal – Get started. You can find the registration periods here. If you cannot carry out the registration yourself, contact studentreception@bth.se.
5. Programme introduction (28 August)
If you cannot participate in the programme introduction, report this by email to the programme manager.
Equipment and digital tools
BTH requires students to use their own computers for studies. Your programme might have specific hardware or software requirements, make sure to check here if your program is listed and find out what you need. Additionally, for online education, ensure you have a camera, a headset with a microphone, and an internet connection.
All programs and courses use the online learning management system Canvas. Once you activate your student account and register for a course, you can access your Canvas course page. You can find more information about Canvas, Zoom, and other digital tools you have access to here.
As we are working quite a lot with Linux, Virtual machines, and containers. You should prepare yourself to be comfortable working with Linux and different tools for Virtualization. For Linux, you must know how to install and update packages, work with scripts and terminals, build software from source code, work with Git, and use basic SSH. For Virtualization, we use different systems and tools. It is good if your computer has VirtualBox installed and you are comfortable operating with it, i.e., creating VMs and networks, importing and exporting appliances, and understanding how the host and the VM can interact (both via network and shared folders). You need more knowledge if your daily driver is a Mac (especially an M1 or M2-based device). Usually, our VMs are x86/AMD64 based.
Programme and courses
Courses during the initial semester:
Applied Artificial Intelligence , 7,5 hp Period: 2023-August-28 until 2023-October-29 Kurskod: DV2618
Programming in UNIX Environment , 7,5 hp Period: 2023-August-28 until 2023-October-29 Kurskod: DV1457
Introduction to Cloud Computing , 7,5 hp Period: 2023-October-30 until 2024-January-14 Kurskod: DV1566
Machine Learning , 7,5 hp Period: 2023-October-30 until 2024-January-14 Kurskod: DV2626
For the first two classes, Programming in UNIX Environment and Applied Artificial Intelligence, I recommend reading the prerequisites for both classes. If you have not been programming for a while, refresh your bash, Python, C, and C++ knowledge. Also, you should review the prerequisites for the next two classes, Machine Learning and Introduction to Cloud Computing, so that you can already start preparing for them.
Further questions?
If you still have questions after reading this welcome letter and visiting
International student guide, please contact studentreception@bth.se.