Computer Science MSc

The main goal of the Master's degree programme in Computer Science is to offer students an in-depth and specialised education in the field of computer science in order to meet the growing demand for academic specialists and innovative IT experts. Currently, students can deepen their knowledge in five highly topical specialisation areas: Design, Implementation, and Analysis of Computer Systems Algorithms, Complexity, Data Computer Security Software Engineering and Programming Languages Artificial Intelligence In addition to the subject-specific training, the Master's degree programme emphasises training students in scientific work (through seminars, practical courses, project work and Master's thesis) in order to optimally prepare them for research and academic careers. The study programme consists of modules with a total of 120 CP and is divided into the following areas: Basic/Foundation: Students select two to three modules with a minimum of 15 CP from an elective catalogue of lectures designed to provide in-depth theoretical foundations (e.g. Advanced Algorithms, Cryptography, Theory of Machine Learning). Specialisation Area: The specialisation modules (five to seven modules, min. 35 CP), together with the seminar (3 CP) and a practical course (3 to 5 CP), form the specialisation area. This area consists of a variety of cutting-edge courses (e.g. Quantum Information and Computation; Energy Aware Computing Systems, Blockchain Security and Privacy) that allow students to focus on one of our five current specialisations or to receive a broad education. Project: The aims of the project (10 CP) are the practical application of the acquired knowledge and the acquisition of additional expertise in accordance with the respective project-specific task. The focus of the Master's project is research-orientated. Many Master's projects are closely linked to research projects in the individual research groups. This means that students also work together with academic staff and gain an insight into current research areas. Free Elective Area: In the free elective area (20 CP), two to four modules can be chosen from the entire offer of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the University Alliance Ruhr and the European University Alliance UNIC. In particular, modules to deepen the so-called soft skills (foreign languages, teamwork, presentation techniques, writing workshop, intercultural competences, ethics, sustainability, etc.) are recommended. Master's thesis: The Master's thesis (30 CP) is problem-orientated and therefore contains innovative approaches and solutions. Students should demonstrate that they are able to work independently on a challenging computer science problem using scientific methods within a limited period of six months. In addition to the technical results, interdisciplinary skills must also be applied as part of the Master's thesis. Students carry out the project organisation independently and the results must be documented in written form, including a classification of the results in the literature. The most important results must be presented to a specialist audience in a colloquium lecture. This way, students demonstrate their presentation and argumentation skills.