Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MSc) Saarland University

The Saarland Informatics Campus (SIC) at Saarland University is one of the top European locations for studying computer science and starting a scientific career. Along with the professors in Saarland University’s Department of Computer Science and Department of Language Science and Technology, scientists from the Helmholtz Center for Information Security (CISPA), the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the Center for Bioinformatics Saar, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics and the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems teach in the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence programme. This is a unique combination in Germany!

The Master’s programme in "Data Science and Artificial Intelligence" is based on complex data analysis and automation: from mathematics and statistics to machine learning, artificial intelligence, big data, data management, modelling, simulation and data visualisation. Techniques from very different disciplines complement each other to analyse data, automate processes, and construct and process models that enable autonomous action.
During the first three semesters, students choose lectures and seminars (90 credit points). They can choose courses (core lectures, advanced lectures, and seminars) in their own fields of specialisation. During the fourth semester, every student has to write a thesis (30 credit points).

Students are free to choose courses according to their preferences.
There is no fixed timetable for courses.
Part-time studies are possible.

• Max Planck Institute for Informatics
• Max Planck Institute for Software Systems
• German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)
• CISPA – Helmholtz Center for Information Security

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.

Requirements for application:

• Bachelor's degree from a German university (at least 180 CP) or an equivalent qualification from a foreign university in computer science, informatics, or a related field
• Personal statement written by the applicant and indication of two letters of recommendation by people who know the applicant academically and can give evidence of the applicant's particular interest in the subject
• A level of knowledge and competence that corresponds to that acquired in the Bachelor's degree programme in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Saarland University. Specifically, this requires applicants to show that they have the necessary level of expertise in the following areas:
  • mathematics (discrete mathematics, real analysis and multivariable calculus, linear algebra, numerical methods, stochastics, statistics)
  • theoretical informatics (complexity theory, computability)
  • practical informatics (functional and object-oriented programming, data structures and algorithms, databases)
  • machine learning, artificial intelligence, data mining

For further information, please read the application rules.

Students only 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 in Saarland and 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.

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".

https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/institution/career-center/for-students.html

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/ueberuns-aboutus/#awards 

https://www.uni-saarland.de/en/home.html

As the state capital, Saarbrücken is the regional centre of the Saarland, and it is situated in 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/