Study Computer Science

Master's degree program Informatik

The Master's program Informatik at TU Darmstadt gives students maximum freedom of choice in the thematic orientation of their studies. Only achievements in the basic elective areas are specified in order to guarantee the essential foundations for the individual specializations. For individual specialisation, students can choose from the entire catalogue of courses offered by the department. On the one hand, this makes the degree program very suitable for students who have a precise idea of their desired study content. On the other hand, the open structure also enables students with a wide range of interests to develop their own profile during their studies.

Overview

  • Teaching language: German. Individual modules / courses may be offered in English.
  • Scope: 120 credit points over four semesters (regular course duration)
  • Start: Winter semester recommended. Summer semester possible.
  • Application: Summer semester: 01.12.- end of February. | winter semester: 01.06.-31.08. | Current deadline dates | Early application recommended!
  • Individual focus through self-compiled specialization area
  • Double degree programs in cooperation with partner universities

The Master's program differs from the preceding Bachelor's program primarily in that it prepares students to solve complex problems with incomplete information. This requires a greater capacity for abstraction and thinking in systems contexts.

In addition, students learn to deal with current research literature, scientific work in a self-chosen specialisation as well as the independent solution of current problems in practice.

Various types of courses are offered to ensure a balanced distribution between theory and practical application. The study program enables students to prepare and present scientific facts and to participate in the scientific development of computer science.

The program is divided into:

  • Individual Specialization with electives from the main research areas of the department of computer science (Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Privacy and Complex Networked Systems) as well as Core courses on Soft- & Hardware and Theory
  • Seminars, labs, practical training in teaching
  • General education (18-24 CP), which enables interdisciplinary knowledge from the entire range of courses offered by all departments of the TU Darmstadt
  • Master thesis (30 CP)

Below you will find the exemplary structure overview. More detailed information on study and examination plans can be found under “Regulations” .

The admission requirement for the Master's degree program Informatik (M.Sc.) is the completion of a degree program that provides competences amounting to at least 180 credit points (CP). Of these, at least 60 CP must not be significantly different from the entry-level skills acquired in the Bachelor's program in Informatik (B.Sc.) at the TU Darmstadt (comparable program, see section “Formal prerequisites”).

Formal Entrance Examination

The entry-level skills are proven by the certificate of the first degree and the Diploma Supplement or comparable documents submitted with the application.

Material Entrance Examination

If the entry-level skills could not be clearly clarified in this way, a written examination will be conducted.

Admission with remedial coursework

If, after the entrance examination, it is found that the applicant lacks entry-level skills that can be compensated for by making up achievements in the amount of no more than 30 CP, admission can be made subject to remedial coursework. This must be completed within the first two semesters.

Which modules or subject examinations are chosen as remedial coursework and by when they must be completed will be listed in the admission notification.

The entry competencies described below are essential for the successful completion of the M.Sc. Informatik. They are a selection of the most important competencies taught in the reference degree program B.Sc. Informatik at TU Darmstadt and thus also provide the essential prerequisites for the successful continuation of studies in a master's degree program that builds on it.

Within the minimum of 180 credit points (CP) from their previous degree, applicants for admission to the M.Sc. Informatik must provide evidence of entry-level skills from the reference degree program or equivalent competences totalling 60 CP.

Specific requirements

The following describes in detail the expected professional entry competencies for the M.Sc. Informatik:

Applicants should be able to use mathematical notations and methods to ground computer science concepts, especially for formal modeling and verification of software and hardware systems.

Courses in which these entry-level skills are taught in the reference program at TU Darmstadt are propositional and predicate logic; automata, formal languages and decidability; modeling, specification and semantics.

Applicants should be able to

  • to select independently from a problem description the standard algorithms and data structures necessary for the solution according to the functional and non-functional requirements and/or to construct and estimate new algorithms and data structures for the problem solution on the basis of known strategies, if necessary with consideration of parallelism.
  • to combine the individual components of a programming language independently and without analogous example in the context of a programming task to an overall solution.
  • to solve programming tasks in different, also parallel, programming languages, which follow different paradigms, have different application areas and are located on the whole range of abstraction levels.
  • ensure the quality of the created implementations through formalized testing procedures and design methods.
  • to apply the aforementioned knowledge in practically relevant areas of computer science themselves. In doing so, non-functional aspects, in particular the security of the IT systems created, should also be taken into account.

The competencies in practically relevant areas of computer science are acquired in the Bachelor's program in Informatik at the TU Darmstadt in the courses: Algorithms and Data Structures; Bachelor Poject; Computer Networks and Distributed Systems; Computer System Security; Introduction to Artificial Intelligence; Functional and Object-Oriented Programming Concepts; Information Management; Software Engineering; System-Oriented and Parallel Programming.

Candidates should have the ability to

  • independently combine the individual design principles and basic elements of digital circuits, as introduced separately one after the other in the lectures, into an overall solution within the framework of a hardware design task without using an analogue example.
  • solve design tasks at different levels of abstraction and from different application areas by means of structured design methods in different description languages and using a spectrum of design tools and evaluate them with regard to suitable quality measures, understand the interaction of computer, processor and microarchitectures and make appropriate implementation decisions from this for the system and application software level.

Courses in which these entry-level skills are taught in the reference degree program at TU Darmstadt are digital technology and computer organisation.

All of the competencies described above are essential for successful completion of the Master of Science degree program in Informatik. In particular, it is essential that these experiences be gained in the context of the content of the foundational courses, especially in the core computer science courses (divided into required courses and the in-depth elective courses listed below) on which the chosen Master of Science program is based.

The following defines in detail the requirements that are unconditionally necessary to successfully complete the Master of Science degree program in Informatik:

  • 1. the experience defined above for the core computer science courses must have been demonstrated. Specifically, content from the following courses totaling at least 60 CP must be covered:
    • Content from the basic required courses: Algorithms and Data Structures; Propositional and Predicate Logic; Automata, Formal Languages, and Decidability; Computer Networks and Distributed Systems; Computation for Stochastics, Statistics, and Information Theory; Computer Systems Security; Digital Technology; Introduction to Artificial Intelligence; Functional and Object-Oriented Programming Concepts; Information Management; Modeling, Specification, and Semantics; Computer Organization; Systems and Parallel Programming.
    • Contents of in-depth compulsory elective courses: Operating Systems; Introduction to Compiler Construction; Introduction to Scientific Computing; Formal Methods in Software Design; Visual Computing.and Parallel Programming.

2. under the condition of point 1: if the bachelor studies of the applicant generally impart competences in the form described above, but do not cover the core subjects of computer science essential for the Master of Science degree program to a sufficient extent, the successful completion of the examinations in the core subjects not covered in the first year of study can be made a condition for the final admission.

In this research-oriented Master of Science program in Informatik, students expand their subject-specific and interdisciplinary competences from a previous Bachelor's program. These competences are characteristic of the program's aspirations and an essential prerequisite for a subsequent doctorate. After completing the degree program, graduates are able to

  • independently work on complex problems and tasks from computer science using scientific methods while considering different approaches to solutions,
  • implement these competences also in new and unfamiliar situations with incomplete information and to think in system interrelationships,
  • solve tasks and problems with a high level of abstraction and an eye for complex interrelationships,
  • recognise future problems, technologies and scientific developments and to take them into account appropriately in their work,
  • communicate and present the results of their analyses or the elaborated solutions,
  • organise and carry out complex projects efficiently and work in teams in a goal-oriented manner,
  • assess the social relevance of their work and take it into account appropriately,
  • continue their professional development independently and to work scientifically to a large extent on their own.

Computer science generalists who can be deployed in as many different ways as possible are sought-after employees, especially in the German economy.

From small and medium-sized companies to large corporations based in Germany and classic German government agencies – they are all looking for classic German computer scientists.