Aufbau und Ablauf – Master PO 2023 – Studiencenter Informatik

The description of the procedure is based on the currently valid examination regulations.

If you are in the old examination regulations (10/2010), there is the possibility to change. A comparison of both POs is here.

The Master's degree is the second highest academic degree in Germany and qualifies you not only for many exciting jobs, but also for a doctorate. It has the goal of preparing you for management positions in business as well as for a career in science.

Computer science is constantly changing, so that in some cases knowledge quickly becomes obsolete. Therefore, the master's program in computer science at RWTH Aachen University aims to provide you with the skills to independently familiarize yourself with new, complex issues. In the spirit of independence, you will have to organize many aspects of your master's program yourself: There are hardly any compulsory modules and no fixed study plan. This gives you the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of one or more topics, or to acquire a broad knowledge of many different subject areas.

Der Masterstudiengang Informatik besteht aus Modulen. Das Bestehen eines Moduls gibt sogenannte Credits. Das ECTS (European Credit Transfer System)-Punktesystem beschreibt die durchschnittliche Arbeitsbelastung eines Studierenden: ein ECTS-Punkt entspricht einer durchschnittlichen Arbeitsbelastung von 30 Stunden. Ist ein Modul z.B. mit 6 ECTS-Punkten bewertet, ist für dieses Modul mit einer Arbeitsbelastung von 180 Stunden im Semester zu rechnen. Alternativ zu ECTS wird auch das Kürzel CP (Credit Points) gebraucht.

The master's program has a scope of 120 CPs. The standard period of study is four semesters.

If you have already completed your Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at RWTH and have questions about the transition to the Master's degree in Computer Science at RWTH, you can find more information here.

Compulsory Electives (58 - 66 CP)

The major part of your studies consists of elective modules, which usually consist of lectures and exercises and deal with current, research-related topics in computer science. Such modules are concluded at the end of the semester with a written or oral exam.

Die Wahlpflichtmodule sind in die folgenden fünf Bereiche eingeteilt:

Theoretical Computer Science
Graphics and interaction
Hardware/software systems
AI & Data
Software-Entwicklungsmethoden und Werkzeuge

An overview of the entire elective course offerings in the Master's program in Computer Science can be found in the Module Handbook.

At the beginning of each semester, there is a a listing presenting the elective courses offered in the current semester.

You must complete at least 12 CP of modules in Theoretical Computer Science.
Zusätzlich zu der theoretischen Informatik musst du jeweils mindestens Module im Umfang von 12 CP in zwei weiteren Wahlpflichtbereichen absolvieren.

Seminar and Software Lab (4 + 7 CP)

Place assignment

Since places in (pro-)seminars and software project practicals are limited, they are allocated via a separate allocation procedure in the pre-semester. This ensures that there are no duplicate enrollments that take a place away from fellow students. In the second half of the lecture period of the pre-semester, the courses offered are allocated via

To participate in a course in the coming semester, registration and election via SuPra in the current semester is required. The timing of the process is determined individually for each semester and is aligned with, among other things, the lecture-free period (Christmas, Pentecost, end of lectures). The exact dates will be communicated by mail in due time before the start of the process. However, you can expect this to be the case in the second half of the lecture period.

Offers can be prioritized so that the distribution always tries to assign the highest priority if possible. In addition, courses can be marked to which an allocation should be made if the prioritized courses are full. The greater the flexibility, the more likely it is to get a place. Details of the process can be found in SuPra.

Seminar (4 CP)

In the course of the seminar, you will independently study the literature on a research topic and prepare it in the form of a paper and a presentation. The goal is to abstract from technical details in order to make the essential aspects of your topic understandable to your fellow students.

Software Lab

In the Software Lab you have to show that you are able to apply what you've learned during your studies. To this end, you have to realize a project that typically comprises conception, implementation, and testing of software. Since the lab is done in small groups, capacity for teamwork is required as well.

If you fail three seminars or three labs, then you have definitively failed your studies - even if they are three different seminars or labs!

Scientific Integrity

All students enrolled in the Master's program for the winter semester 20/21 or later must complete the online course "Scientific Integrity". Passing this course is a prerequisite for registering for the master's thesis. However, there are no credits for this course.

Depth-area Oral Colloquium (3 CP)

The Depth-area Oral Colloquium is an opportunity for you to show that you have become a real expert in a particular subject area: You choose three modules that have thematic links to each other and are orally examined on these topics by one or more professors. Here you can show in particular that you can look beyond the confines of individual modules and recognize cross-connections between topics that are not obvious.

In the Depth-area Oral Colloquium, you can be examined on any modules from the compulsory elective area as well as the contents of seminars or internships. It is not a prerequisite that you have previously passed the corresponding modules. However, the preparation effort is naturally greater if the modules are new to you. Modules that you have already completed during your bachelor's degree can also be part of the exam. Whether the combination of topics you have in mind is suitable for the focus colloquium or not is decided by the examiners.

The Depth-area Oral Colloquium has only 3 credits, but it contributes to your overall grade with quadruple weighting. All other modules are only weighted once. So the colloquium has a big influence on your grade!

Start thinking now about possible topics for your focus colloquium and choose your modules accordingly.
Contact your potential examiners early, because you won't get an exam date on short notice.
You should have a plan B in case you cannot take the colloquium with the examiners of your choice.
The registration of the colloquium is done by the examiners.
The colloquium contributes to your grade with quadruple weighting!

Master thesis (30 CP)

As part of your master's thesis, you have six months to work intensively and independently on a research question. For most students, it is the first - and sometimes the last - time that they deal so intensively with a topic from computer science. This is a special experience that can be very informative, especially with regard to the question of whether you want to work in research or in industry after your studies.

Supervising a thesis is a lot of work and the supervisory capacities are limited. Consequently, a chair in which you have hardly taken any modules or in which you have mostly received poor grades will, in case of doubt, not offer you a topic for a thesis. Therefore, it is very important that you set thematic priorities during your studies and recommend yourself in these areas through good performance.

In order for you to register your thesis, some requirements must be met:

You must have completed at least 60 CPs worth of modules.
If you were given requirements when you were admitted, you must have passed them.
You must have passed the "Scientific Integrity" course.

Start thinking about topic areas for your master's thesis early.
Take several modules at chairs where you would like to write your thesis.
The search for a topic and supervision can take time, so start early.
You should have a plan B in case you cannot write your master thesis at the chair of your choice.
If all these initiatives have not been successful, you can apply to the PA for assistance.

Anwendungsbereich (10 - 18 CP)

Neben dem Kernbereich müssen Module aus dem Anwendungsbereich im Umfang von 10-18 CP absolviert werden.

Im Gegensatz zur letzten Prüfungsordnung ist hier nicht mehr die Wahl eines einzigen, festen Anwendungsfachs vorgesehen. Stattdessen sind beliebige Fachkombinationen möglich. Dazu werden Module aus anderen Fachbereichen, wie im Modulhandbuch definiert, angeboten.

Exams and exam registration

In order to successfully complete a module, the associated examination must be passed in most cases. This is usually an exam that takes place during the lecture-free period following the course. Examinations for courses from the winter semester take place in February and March, examinations for courses from the summer semester take place in July to September.

Two exam dates are offered for each module, but only one exam must be passed. The first exam date tends to be at the beginning of the lecture-free period, the second at the end of the lecture-free period. Concrete exam dates can be found in RWTHOnline from the beginning of each semester.

Students can register for either exam date via RWTHOnline. The registration period for the first examination date usually ends two weeks before the end of the semester and for the second examination date one week before the respective examination date. We recommend that you register for the first exam date; if you do not pass, this gives you the opportunity to still register for the second exam date.

In some modules, admission to the written exam must first be acquired in order to be allowed to participate in this exam. This is usually the achievement of a certain number of points in the exercises that are to be worked on during the semester. For which modules an admission requirement for the written exam must be achieved is specified in the module handbook. The exact nature of this admission requirement is determined at the beginning of the semester by the lecturer of the respective module.

You have to register for each exam you want to take. Even if you are already registered for the corresponding module, there is no automatic exam registration. Even if you do not pass an exam on the first date, you still have to register explicitly for the second exam date.
There are no standard registration periods for exams. Find out in good time about the deadlines for those examinations in which you would like to participate.

Exclusion of Grades

When completing the program in the standard period of study, it is possible to exclude one module grade from the overall grade calculation. This module is then entered as "passed" on the final certificate and the grade is shown for information purposes in a separate area.

Structure and Course of Studies (PO 2023)