Visual Computing (MSc) Saarland University

The Visual Computing Master's programme is coordinated by the Department of Computer Science at Saarland University, one of the four best computer science departments in Germany (CHE ranking).

Visual imagery is the most important sensory information for humans. More and more information is represented by digital images and visual simulations. The entire field of acquiring, analysing, and synthesising visual data by means of computers is called visual computing.
Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the full spectrum of visual computing cannot be addressed adequately within a traditional, mono-disciplinary programme of study. This has prompted Saarland University to offer a novel interdisciplinary Master's programme that is entirely devoted to all aspects of visual computing. It includes classes and seminars on:

• image acquisition and geometric foundations
• image analysis (image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition)
• image synthesis (computer graphics, scientific visualisation, geometric modelling)
• related fields such as telecommunications, machine learning, artificial intelligence, signal processing, computational linguistics, medical engineering, and cognitive sciences
• useful foundations in mathematics, computer science, physics, and mechatronics

Students are free to choose courses according to their preferences, but they have to obtain credit points from certain categories. There is no fixed timetable for courses.

• Max Planck Institute for Informatics
• German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence
• Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT
• Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing

Internships are possible, but they are not compulsory.

For the winter semester:

Early deadline: Applicants who apply by 15 November for the following winter semester can expect to receive a letter of admission by mid-February.

Regular deadline: 15 May. A decision can be expected in August.

For the summer semester:

Early deadline: Applicants who apply by 15 May for the following summer semester can expect to receive a letter of admission by mid-July.

Regular deadline: 15 November. A decision can be expected in January.

Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, physics, electrical engineering, mechatronics, or a related field, with a grade of at least 75%; completed online application form plus the following mandatory requirements:

• CV
• purpose of study
• transcript of records
• two references from professors or employers
• English certificate
• GRE Test / Gate Test

Students have to pay an administrative fee of 394.30 EUR per semester. This fee includes a public transport semester ticket (which allows you to use public transport throughout Germany), payment of premiums for insurance coverage and access to university facilities. It also entitles students to eat at the university canteens at reduced prices.

More info here

There are no tuition fees, and the cost of living in this smaller city with a vibrant cultural scene is moderate.

The Welcome Center at Saarland University provides information on working and living in Saarbrücken. For more information, please visit their website: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/global/welcome-center/living-working.html.

Cost of Living: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/global/welcome-center/preparing/financing/cost-of-living.html

Jobs as tutors and research assistants are available in the department and cooperating institutes each semester. Openings are posted on bulletin boards and on our websites.

Additionally, check out the career portal of Saarland University: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/institution/career-center.html.

Also check out the welcome centre's guide for general information on working in Germany: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/global/welcome-center/living-working.

Local and national scholarship programmes are available, for example, the "Deutschlandstipendium".

You can choose between student accommodation or private housing in the city centre, for example. More information on accommodation in Saarbrücken can be found here: https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/global/welcome-center/accommodation.html.

The university is home to several top research centres that have a direct influence on the departments of informatics, engineering, and life sciences and give this medium-sized university a wide reputation as a strong, research-driven place.

Located in the south-west of Germany, very close to the French border, Saarland University is a campus university offering an extensive range of courses and internationally networked state-of-the-art research. International students receive excellent supervision and can enjoy a comprehensive range of sports, culture and leisure activities while studying at the university surrounded by forest. 

The Department of Computer Science is among the best computer science departments in Germany (CHE ranking) and part of the Saarland Informatics Campus (SIC).

At SIC, activities of all informatics facilities, co-located at Saarbrücken, converge. The renowned Max Planck Institutes for Computer Science and Software Systems as well as the German Center for Artificial Intelligence, the Center for Bioinformatics and the Cluster for Multimodal Computing and Interaction as well as Saarland University with three departments and 24 degree programmes cover the entire spectrum of computer science.

Its 900 scientists and about 2,500 students from more than 80 nations create a stimulating international research environment and make the SIC one of the leading locations for computer science in Germany and Europe. So far, seven Leibniz Prizes from the German Research Foundation, four Konrad Zuse Medals and 33 awards from the European Research Council have gone to scientists at Saarland Informatics Campus.

https://saarland-informatics-campus.de/en/

Saarland University was the first place in Germany where one can study in such an integrated Master's programme. It has an excellent research reputation both in computer science and mathematics. It has a tradition of teaching all Master's courses in English, and a significant percentage of its Master's students are from abroad. It is supported by the departments of Mathematics, Mechatronics, and Physics and Computational Linguistics as well as by the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering, the Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing, and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. This provides a unique environment for first-class studies and research in visual computing.

The state capital Saarbrücken is the regional centre of the Saarland and is situated at the heart of the Europe.
The city has approximately 180,000 inhabitants and is strongly influenced by its proximity to France and the chequered history of a French-German border town. The university, trade fair, and conference city is set amidst vast woods. It enchants visitors with its French charm, which is reflected in the narrow alleys at the foot of the castle and in the pedestrian precinct at the St. Johanner market square.

Saarbrücken has a lot to offer for tourists and businesspeople alike: the French flair, the picturesque old part of the city, an extraordinary cultural life, a high quality of life, and a diversity of culture and nature – but above all, its warm and open people.

https://www.saarbruecken.de/en
https://www.visitsaarland.co.uk/