Computer Science (Master of Science)
Please note:
Information on the new exam regulations PO 2020 and information on transferring can be found in the Curriculum section!
The technological developments of the past 20 years have changed our daily lives. Smartphones, navigation devices, search engines or data streaming have become indispensable in our everyday lives. Self-directed robots, autonomous vehicles, computers that learn to understand images or mind-controlled prostheses are our future.
We teach you the practical and theoretical skills you need to work on these and other innovations. The international master’s degree program in computer science is aimed at foreign and German students with a bachelor's degree in computer science or a similar subject. The curriculum is very flexible and offers many choices so that you can develop yourself individually and prepare for a career in science or business.
Computer science in Freiburg offers the opportunity either to choose a wide range of lectures from different topics to create your own individual skills profile, or to specialize in one of the following areas:
- Artificial Intelligence:
e.g. Robotics and autonomous intelligent systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, image processing and computer graphics
- Cyber-physical systems:
e.g. Verification and analysis of hardware and software systems, software development and programming languages, embedded systems
Prerequisites
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, or in a closely related field. Very good command of mathematics and theoretical computer science (e.g. differential equations, linear algebra, analysis, formal languages, formal grammars, Turing machines, decidability, complexity theory, logic, automata, algorithms and data structures, operation systems, computer networks, computer architecture).
- English language proficiency level C1* (e.g. IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 94).
Facts and Figures
| Scope: | 120 ECTS credit points |
| Standard program duration: | 4 semesters = 2 years |
| Language of instruction: | English |
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Intakes: |
winter semester (October) or summer semester (April) |
Fees and Cost
German and EU nationals
Altogether 155 € per semester to be paid to the university. |
Non-EU nationals
Altogether 1655 € per semester to be paid to the university. |
| The living cost in Freiburg amounts to approximately 800 - 900 € per month. | |
Application
| Application: |
Applications for the winter semester are generally open from April 1st. Applications will be done electronically. These are the documents needed:
Undergraduate diploma and transcript of records: If you have completed your studies, but not yet received the bachelors diploma, the transcript of records has to show the total number of credit points, final grade and the remark "degree conferred" or "degree awarded". If not, please submit an additional confirmation letter from the university stating the total number of credit points, the final grade and that the degree has been conferred. English proficiency test and score reporting: Please note: Incomplete applications will not be considered. Certificates issued in a language other than German or English must be accompanied with a translation by an authorized translator. Application documents will not be returned to you (regardless of whether you are admitted or not). Due to the fact that applications of various programs are administered through the HISinOne online application portal, it does not always indicate the specifics of the application for for this specific program. Therefore, if you are unsure you can follow the instructions for the online application. |
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Admissions:
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The admissions committee will verify whether you fulfill the special prerequisites specified in the admissions regulations. For further information please contact the program coordinator (see contact persons). |
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Application deadlines: |
May 31 (non-EU nationals), July 15 (EU nationals) for the winter semester. |
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| Faculty affiliation: | Faculty of Engineering |
Curriculum
The Master's degree program in Computer Science has a very flexible curriculum. Students acquire in-depth knowledge in various self-chosen IT areas by participating in different courses: Lectures, seminars, a lab course, a study project and the Master's thesis form a personal competency profile in the field of computer science. In the meantime, the personal profile ("Individuelle Studiengestaltung") allows a look outside the box by taking some courses in subjects other than Computer Science.
In the last semester, students work on their master’s thesis. They are expected to tackle an actual research question in close cooperation with a professor and his/her staff.
This study plan/curriculum for M.Sc. Informatik/Computer Science PO 2020 (PDF) offers more detailed information about the program structure.
Students can choose to focus in one of the following specialization areas:
Organizational note for students of the previous exam regulations (PO 2012):
You have to decide by the end of March 2020 whether you want to continue / finish your studies after the previous PO (this expires on March 31st, 2023, after which you automatically would fall into PO 2020). In this case, you must notify the Examination Office in writing that you object to a transfer to the new exam regulation version PO 2020 (using the appropriate form).
All those who do not object will automatically be transferred to the new PO 2020 exam regulations in the summer semester 2020.
An overview of the changes can be found in this comparison of POs 2012 and 2020.
When deciding whether it would be more advantageous for you personally to stay in the old exam regulations or to switch to the new version, you should consider what the changes mean for you. For example: Does the removal of the application area from the overall grade lead to a change in your grade point average in your advantage or disadvantage? How does the change of category for the machine learning lecture from a specialization course to an advanced lecture (formerly: key course) affect you?
If you have any questions, please contact the academic adviser or the examination office.
The model study plan / curriculum for the PO 2012 exam regulations can be found on the overview page Module Handbooks and Exam Regulations.
Possible occupational fields
Computer science is one of the most versatile study fields. There are hardly any life areas left, that do not involve any computing. Computer scientists can work for example in
- Software development
- Energy supply
- Media / entertainment industry
- Medicine or biotechnology
- Education
- Automotive industry
- Logistics
- Police
- Banking and finance
Syllabus and Examination Regulations
Please note: Only the latest version is listed here. Older versions can be found in Module Handbooks and Exam Regulations under Studies and Teaching.
- Online syllabus in HISinOne (Please note, loading might take some time)
- Exam and admission regulations (in German)
- Exam regulations (unofficial version in English - not legally binding)
Contact Persons
Do you have any questions concerning the application and admission procedure? Please contact the program coordinator:
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Georges-Köhler-Allee 101 |
| Ms. Svenja Andresen |
For questions pertaining to the curriculum, please contact the academic advisor:
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Georges-Köhler-Allee 101 |
| Ms. Martina Nopper |
Testimonial
"When I searched for options to study my Master’s in computer science, I found the University of Freiburg, which in this field is one of the most prestigious universities in Germany. Freiburg’s Department of Computer Science is renowned for winning several international robotic competitions, and yes, the same researchers who have won these competitions are the ones that teach the students in Freiburg."
Christian Herrera Salazar
Particularities about this study program
Flexible Curriculum
The master’s degree program in computer science has a very flexible curriculum. There is not a single course in the curriculum that the students have to take. Instead, students are always provided with several options from which they can freely choose. In this way, each student can build their study plan according to their individual interest.
Lecture Recordings
Many lectures are recorded and made available to students online so they can revisit and listen to the lecture once they have missed a class or when they are preparing for the exam..
Smart, Micro, Green – Engineering in Freiburg
Smart – stands for robots that act independently, for computers that learn to interpret images or algorithms that become faster and smarter. Simply put, smart stands for computer science.
Micro – is meant literally here. The tiniest technical systems emerge that inconspicuously take on complex tasks in everyday life, medicine and industry. Without even knowing it, you are constantly dealing with microsystems. They make our lives healthier, safer, more comfortable, more versatile and, to say the least, easier.
Green – Freiburg is known worldwide for being the Green City. Since 2015, the Faculty of Engineering has been active from an engineering perspective with its own department for sustainability research. How can renewable energy be generated, fed into the grid and stored? How do we develop materials and systems that are produced and used in an energy- and resource-efficient way and that can adapt optimally to difficult environmental conditions or disasters?
Studying engineering in Freiburg always means that you benefit from all three areas of research, no matter which area you choose. Smart, micro and green technologies are becoming more and more in demand - acquire the necessary competencies to solve the social and technical questions of the future as engineers and computer scientists!
