Computer Science University of Stuttgart

Combining the breadth of a traditional course of study with the specialisation in one out of three highly attractive majors, the English-taught Master's degree programme in Computer Science is perfectly suited to obtain an excellent education tailored towards the needs of the working market. The majors / study profiles are:

• Autonomous Systems in Computer Science (AUT)
• Service Technology and Engineering (STE)
• Visual Computing (VC)

Moreover, the English Master's degree programme constitutes a great opportunity to qualify for a PhD programme in the case of an outstanding degree. Obligatory courses in the Master's programme in Computer Science are entirely in English. However, as there is a great variety of courses the students can choose from in the elective part of the programme, there is the possibility of attending courses in German as well.

Details of the programme contents, curricula, timetables, and further information can be found on the programme website.

The University of Stuttgart is an international well-established research university, especially in computer science and engineering. The research budget funded by national and international research foundations and by industry is the largest of all computer science faculties in Germany. Moreover, Stuttgart is located right in the heart of the leading technology region in Europe. Companies including Daimler AG, Porsche, Bosch, Celesio, Hewlett-Packard and IBM have their world or European headquarters here. In addition, research and development laboratories of international companies like Philips, IBM, Lucent Alcatel, or Agilent are located in Stuttgart. The University of Stuttgart has strong relations to these industrial partners.

Apart from these strong industrial ties, the University of Stuttgart offers several PhD programmes in computer science for Master's students. These programmes cover various scientific fields such as robotics, visual computing, computer engineering, service technology and engineering, database systems, parallel as well as distributed systems just to name a few of them. Together with its connections to industry, this structure leads to an excellent research and working environment with great job opportunities in industry and academia for talented and motivated international and national Master's and PhD students.

In the first semester, the module theoretical and methodological foundation of computer science, which is specific for each major, is compulsory. Core and extended modules can be chosen from the respective catalogues. The core modules of the major serve to get a deeper understanding and knowledge in the field of the major. The extended modules are courses to support the core modules with boarder knowledge. In the breadth catalogue, modules are complemented by a broad education in computer science. All modules of the computer science faculty, except the modules of the respective major, can be selected as breadth modules. The graded seminar is part of the second semester and imparts you the knowledge and techniques to present results in written or oral form. The third semester offers great flexibility. For example, it is possible to stay abroad. Alternatively, different modules can be selected instead, for example:

• Research project with 12 ECTS
• Modules from other Master's programmes
• Modules that were not taken in any of the catalogues
• Laboratory course

The fourth semester is reserved for the Master's thesis.

There are no obligatory internships.

The admissions requirements include:

• Bachelor's degree with a programme duration of at least six semesters in computer science, software engineering or in a closely related subject
• Examination results from the Bachelor's programme that support the qualification of the applicant for the Master's programme in computer science
• Adequate knowledge of the English language (level C1)

Approx. 200 EUR per semester

Living expenses amount to about 1,050 EUR per month. Non-EU students will have to demonstrate that they have sufficient finances to cover living expenses for 12 months. EU citizens may apply for state-guaranteed loans during the time of enrolment. 

For more information, see the links on our website.

Stuttgart is located in Baden-Württemberg, one of the economically strongest and most innovative regions in Germany and Europe. The region is home to numerous companies and offers students many opportunities to get a student job or internship.

For more detailed information, please consult our university's website: Financing your studies and working for international students.

Please check our university's website regarding scholarships and financial aid.

The university’s Career Service and the FiT-US project offer personal counselling and support as well as numerous activities on how to prepare for a career (e.g. job fairs, alumni talks, CV check, study-related German as foreign language courses):

Career Service for students | TRACES 

Prepare for the job market: Student success, career orientation and employability.

Our student associations publish job offers and organise company visits.

Both the campus in Stuttgart-Vaihingen and the campus in the centre of Stuttgart have on-site halls of residence. Dorm rooms (ranging from 320 EUR to 650 EUR per month) are furnished. Some are equipped with a sink, and all have access to a kitchen and sanitary facilities, telephone and Internet. From the campus in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, the city of Stuttgart can be reached by suburban railway within ten minutes.

Intelligent systems to benefit society

The University of Stuttgart is one of the leading technically oriented universities in Germany with global significance. It sees itself as a centre of university-based, non-university, and industrial research. Furthermore, it takes on a role as a guarantor of research-based teaching, focused on quality and holism. The university promotes the transfer of knowledge and technologies to society in all its areas of expertise and competence. The "Stuttgarter Weg" (Stuttgart Way) means an interdisciplinary integration of engineering, natural sciences, humanities, management, economics and social sciences based on the fundamentals of cutting-edge research at a disciplinary level. Our vision is “intelligent systems to benefit society”.

Excellent research and teaching

The University of Stuttgart implements innovative concepts in research and teaching in order to provide knowledge and strategies for a meaningful and sustainable development. It focuses on basic research that is both knowledge-oriented and application-related. To facilitate this research, the university is actively part of regional, national and international research networks.

The university is committed to the principle of unity between research and teaching. Students acquire knowledge, expertise and the power of judgement, in accordance with the guidelines of scientific research and awareness. The university fosters fascination for the sciences, supporting its students and junior researchers at all stages of their careers. It promotes independent thinking and provides an environment for responsible action. In doing so, it educates individuals into becoming exceptional experts who think in an integrative and global manner and act responsibly in the sciences, economics and society.

A powerful region

Founded in 1829, at the beginning of the Industrial Age, the University of Stuttgart continues to prepare the way for innovation within an economically and scientifically powerful region and contributes to the economic success and prosperity of our society. This process combines the requirements of a social and cultural change, which allows for an early and extensive input of social interests in research and design as well as teaching and further education.

Open-mindedness

The University of Stuttgart stands for open-mindedness, individuality and community spirit. It brings together students who are eager to learn, highly motivated employees, outstanding teachers, and excellent researchers, as well as visionary thinkers and inventors. By means of its culture of integration, the university creates and conveys knowledge for shaping the future of our society.

The University of Stuttgart is nestled in one of Europe’s most vibrant industrial regions. This fosters many forms of interdisciplinary collaboration — for instance, in numerous Collaborative Research Centres (also known as CRC or sometimes CRC/TRR) and in application-oriented research assignments. The University of Stuttgart sets up a close relationship and a successful transfer of knowledge and technology between its research institutions and business enterprises in the region and beyond. This very practical orientation benefits research and teaching. At the same time, economic players profit from rapid access to new scientific knowledge and contact to experts in their specialised fields. There are numerous possibilities of collaboration for businesses. Furthermore, the university also maintains a close relationship with non-university research institutions such as the Max Planck Society, the Fraunhofer Society, the German Aerospace Centre, and the German Literature Archive Marbach. Thus, the optimal prerequisites for cutting-edge research at the highest level are all to be found in Stuttgart.