Computer Science (MSc)

The future professional fields cover many areas and thus offer a broad field of activity in research, teaching, development and management of IT projects, IT consulting and quality management of IT systems. Potential areas of work include, for example, data analysis (e.g. for mobile applications or online applications), autonomous machine control and process management for the automotive industry, mechanical engineering and the healthcare sector as well as software development for production and energy optimisation, planning and simulation of systems and production processes.

There is currently an increasing demand for qualified computer scientists in all areas of application.

With a Master's degree in Computer Science, you will therefore have excellent prospects on the labour market - also internationally. As a Master of Science, you will have a wide range of career opportunities with responsible and managerial positions.

Last but not least, a Master's degree will pave your way into management positions and secure you an appropriate starting salary.

The prerequisite for admission to the Master's degree programme in Computer Science is a qualified degree from a Bachelor's degree programme in Computer Science or a comparable degree programme. The Examination Board will determine whether the subject is comparable.

As a special admission requirement, sufficient knowledge and skills in the following subject areas must have been acquired in the undergraduate degree programme:

• programming in Java and C, Mathematics to the extent of at least 12 credit points,
• algorithms, data structures, databases,
• software engineering,
• theoretical computer science and
• web technologies.

This is generally assumed for computer science graduates. For graduates of other degree programmes, the fulfilment of these special admission requirements is determined by the examination board.

The examination board will determine whether and which achievements these applicants may have to make up.

Proof of missing achievements must be provided by the time of registration for the Master's thesis.

The degree programme must have been completed with an overall grade of 2.5 (up to 2.59) or better. The examination board determines the comparability of "related degree programmes".

Applicants with qualifications obtained abroad may be admitted on application, provided that proof of equivalence can be provided.

The required overall grade is not an NC, but an admission requirement that must be met in order to participate in the application process.

This means that an application (overall grade lower than 2.59) is not considered / cannot be taken into account in the award procedure.

As an international applicant, please note the German language skills required for this degree programme.

You will attend courses on the following topics:

Summer term: 

• Web Engineering
• Software quality in component-based development
• Computer Engineering
• Discrete Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
• Compulsory elective subject 1

Winter term:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Big Data
• Advanced content of IT security
• Compiler construction
• Compulsory elective subject 2

You can choose from a wide range of elective subjects. You can take computer science subjects at the BO at the Bochum campus (software development for the design and construction of electric test vehicles, parallel algorithms as well as software engineering and system software), subjects from the Master's degree programme "Mechatronics and Information Technology" (Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Velbert/Heiligenhaus campus), the Master's degree programme "Sustainable Development" (Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Bochum campus) and, as part of the Ruhr Master School, courses from the compulsory elective catalogues of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences Gelsenkirchen. An overview of the elective modules from the Ruhr Master's School can be found at:

Ruhr Master School

Three "overarching future topic networks", in the form of topic clusters, are particularly emphasised in the curriculum as a structure for the modules and as core subjects:

• Intelligent algorithms (artificial intelligence, big data, discrete and applied mathematics, electives: e.g. parallel algorithms, numerical mathematics and simulation, pattern recognition)
• Embedded systems (computer engineering, compiler construction, discrete and applied mathematics, advanced content of IT security, electives: including robotics, driver development, real-time and operating systems)
• Software development (web engineering, software quality in component-based development, advanced content in IT security, electives including software engineering and system software, specialisation in software development in C++)

Final semester:

• You complete your degree programme with the Master's thesis (3 - 5 months) and the subsequent colloquium.

The Master's degree programme in Computer Science lasts 3 semesters and is therefore based on a 7-semester Bachelor's degree programme leading to a degree with 210 ECTS credits.

However, even if you have a Bachelor's degree with only 180 ECTS credits, you can easily enrol on a Master's degree programme with us. You can achieve the missing 30 ECTS points by completing credits that do not necessarily have to be completed before the Master's programme!

The elective modules must not have been taken in the previous Bachelor's degree programme.

You can decide for yourself whether you would like to work on the credits first and then take the Master's courses or whether you would like to take credits parallel to the regular Master's courses. The only condition: Before registering for the Master's thesis, you must have completed all of the alignment work.