Communications and Multimedia Engineering (CME) FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg

Courses are held in English only.

Courses on German as a foreign language are an integral part of the studies for students who do not have German language proficiency.

Unlock your potential in Communications and Multimedia Engineering (CME) at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg!

Situated in the clean and green high-tech city Erlangen with its strong industry and excellent research facilities, FAU offers ideal opportunities for you to pave the way for an exciting career in the ever-evolving fields of communication and multimedia engineering.

The CME Master’s degree programme is meticulously designed to equip you with a comprehensive understanding of communication systems, advanced multimedia technologies, and digital signal processing.

Through a balanced blend of lectures, tutorials, lab courses and hands-on projects, you will delve deep into various topics related to the field.

Courses on fundamentals such as information theory and statistical signal processing will prepare you well to explore 6G communication networks, THz, optical and nano-scale communications, machine learning for communications and multimedia, XR/AR/VR and metaverse technologies, high-end video and audio coding schemes, speech, audio and music processing, and much more.

Learn from distinguished professors and industry experts who are committed to nurturing your talents and guiding you towards success in your chosen career path.

Collaborations between world-class faculty at FAU and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS), which is the home of the mp3, with their excellent expertise on audio, video and communications as well as the International Audio Laboratories (AudioLabs) hosted both by IIS and FAU offer unique opportunities to learn, research and work.

CME also provides intensive language courses in German to open the door to a local career.

Find out more about our Master’s programme and the course structure on our website.

Beginning: winter semester (starting in October)

The Welcome Week for international students takes place at the beginning of October. The exact semester dates are published on FAU’s website.

Mode of study: on site

Part-time studies are possible. The duration of part-time studies is eight semesters.

• 15 April for non-EU applicants who need a student visa
• 15 July for all other applicants

All applications need to be submitted online via FAU's application portal campo.

Questions? Join our online meetings for interested students who wish to apply for the Master’s degree programme CME and learn more.

Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cme-at-fau.

CME is a full-time two-year Master’s programme.

Part-time studies are also possible.

The programme structure complies with internationally recognised Master’s programmes and meets the requirements for subsequent doctoral studies.

The schedule comprises lectures, tutorials, seminars, lab courses, a research internship and a six-month period for the Master’s thesis. It is completed by German language courses and soft skills seminars.

The first two semesters focus on building a strong foundation in the core subjects of CME:

• Digital Communications
• Digital Signal Processing
• Information Theory and Coding
• Statistical Signal Processing
• Mobile Communications
• Image and Video Compression

From the first semester onwards, you complement your studies in the core subjects by freely choosing from a catalogue of compulsory and elective courses and labs that allow you to delve deeper into the fields of your interest and develop your own specific qualification profile.

CME generally offers two basic directions of specialisation:

• Communications (example courses: Advanced Optical Communication Systems, Machine Learning in Communications, Next Generation Mobile Communication Systems: 5G-Advanced and 6G, Molecular Communication, and much more)
• Multimedia Engineering (example courses: Advanced Topics in Perceptual Audio Coding, Machine Learning in Signal Processing, Music Processing, Virtual Vision, and much more)

Both directions may also be combined according to an individual schedule.

You can find a complete list of courses and our module handbooks with detailed descriptions on our CME website.

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The CME Master's degree programme has its own student initiative (FSI). This group of CME students serves as a peer-to-peer contact for all CME students. They organise social events and help build connections. The initiative is open to everyone.

FAU strongly encourages students to get involved. There are many opportunities to become an active part of university life and meet students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Research Internship

A mandatory research internship with a workload of 300 hours is an integral part of the CME curriculum. The research internship can be conducted at either a university chair or within the research-oriented industry. It is a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in research and grow as an independent thinker and explorer.

No tuition fees

FAU does not charge tuition fees. However, each semester students must pay a semester fee as a contribution for Student Services (e.g. winter semester 2024/25: 72 EUR).

General guidelines on the average costs that can be expected are provided by the results of the social survey undertaken by the German National Association for Student Affairs in 2021:

According to this study, students who no longer live with their parents should have an average amount of 1,106 EUR per month at their disposal. However, monthly expenditures for personal lifestyle vary a lot. For former West Germany, the study revealed the following details on average expenditure:

• Rent, including ancillary costs (in Erlangen, Nuremberg and surrounding areas): 410 EUR
• Food: 198 EUR
• Clothing: 46 EUR
• Travel costs (public transport and/or car): 89 EUR
• Study materials (depending on subject): 31 EUR
• Health insurance, doctors, medicine: 100 EUR
• Telecommunications: 31 EUR
• Leisure, culture, sports: 65 EUR

The conditions for admission depend on whether you have earned your Bachelor’s degree at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg or at another university. You can find all details on the admission requirements on the CME website.

Admission generally requires a suitable Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, e.g.:

• Electrical Engineering,
• Information and Communication Technology,
• Computational Engineering,
• Telecommunication Engineering,
• or another subject-related Bachelor's degree.

CME emphasises fundamental concepts of modern technologies in the areas of signal processing and communications.

In order to benefit from our top-notch Master’s programme, you need to prove an excellent education in these fields at the Bachelor’s level, encompassing both theoretical understanding and programming skills facilitating the involvement in practical applications.

In particular, strong foundations and working knowledge in the following fields are required:

• Engineering Mathematics: linear algebra, complex analysis, linear differential equations, Fourier transform, Laplace transform, z-transform, probability and random variables
• Signals and Systems
• Digital Communications
• Digital Signal Processing
• Skills in a programming language such as C/C++, MATLAB, and Python

Are you ready for the CME challenge? 

Check out the self-assessment test questions on our website.

Applicants must be fluent in English on level B2 according to the Common European Framework of References for languages (CEFR).

Both TOEFL (iBT 85 or equivalent) and IELTS (band 6.0) can be accepted as a proof of language proficiency. An exemption only applies to students whose undergraduate degree has been conducted entirely in English (language of instruction certificate).

All courses are taught in English and do not require prior knowledge of the German language.

In order to prepare for a career in the German labour market and to facilitate daily life in Germany, we encourage students to learn German. Students who do not have proficiency in German on level B2 or more at the beginning of their studies will take mandatory German courses as integral part of their studies in CME.

• 15 April for non-EU applicants who need a student visa
• 15 July for all other applicants

All applications need to be submitted online via FAU's application portal campo.

There is a wide range of scholarships available for outstanding students. In addition to requiring applicants to have excellent grades, most scholarship programmes have additional conditions regarding cultural, political, religious, or social involvement. If you have any questions about the application procedure or selection criteria, you can contact the Student Advice and Career Service (IBZ) or speak directly to FAU’s liaison officer for the scholarship organisation you wish to apply to.

https://www.fau.eu/study/prospective-students/financing-your-studies

Students are encouraged to work as student or research assistants at the university departments.

CME students may apply to student assistant positions offered by chairs involved in CME (and other chairs). With such positions, students can secure a basic income while already getting exposed to research and support of teaching.

Erlangen is one of the most successful cities in Germany. There are plenty of job opportunities for students. For example, one of the locations of Siemens is situated in Erlangen.

Student jobs are also announced in FAU's job portal Stellenwerk.

The cities of Erlangen, Fürth, and Nuremberg offer a very good standard of living. They are popular places to live, meaning that accommodation is in high demand but often in short supply. This is particularly the case during the period before the start of a new semester. We therefore recommend that you start looking for accommodation as soon as possible. If you are flexible and also look in the surrounding area, you will have a better chance of finding somewhere affordable to live. The region has an excellent public transport system, so you should not have any problems getting to your place of study or work.

It is worth checking the available accommodation on the Internet every day, as new accommodation becomes available on a day-to-day basis. It pays to be flexible when it comes to the price, location, and available facilities of your accommodation.

Student Services Erlangen-Nürnberg runs its own student accommodation in Erlangen and Nuremberg. You will be informed about how to apply for a room in Student Services accommodation while you are in the process of applying to be admitted to FAU.

Career Service:

• Personal consultation
• Check of application documents
• Seminars on job application, job interviews and entry of the German labour market
• Frequent career events with partner companies, during which students can get in touch with Germany's leading employers

More information on the Career Service can be found on FAU's website.

• Student Advice and Career Service
• International Office
• Student Advice Centre at Faculty of Engineering
• CME information sessions and consultation hours

Founded in 1743, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is now one of the largest research universities in Germany with 40,996 students and 276 degree programmes. The five faculties cover the entire spectrum of modern academic disciplines – from humanities, social sciences and theology to medicine, law, economics, sciences and engineering.

One of FAU’s defining features is its commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and research, which frequently go beyond the boundaries of individual subjects.

FAU’s outstanding research and teaching is reflected in top positions in both national and international rankings as well as the high amount of DFG funding that its researchers are able to secure.

FAU is based in three cities – Erlangen, Fürth and Nuremberg. Each of the FAU campuses is closely connected to the social and economic pulse of these cities. Studying and city life at FAU go hand in hand, so much so that it’s hard to tell city and campus life apart.

"Moving Knowledge" is our motto and guiding principle at FAU. Therefore, we strive to generate knowledge to shape the future responsibly and openly share knowledge with all stakeholders in society to drive prosperity and create value. We also use knowledge to improve our world for future generations.

FAU’s two main sites, the cities of Erlangen and Nuremberg, are located at the heart of the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. Both Erlangen and Nuremberg have their own unique charms. Erlangen is a city of 100,000 inhabitants, was the former home of the Huguenots, and it is a key location for Siemens. Nuremberg is a city with a metropolitan flair and a population of half a million. The opera, theatre, and museums, along with a lively pub scene and nightlife, offer plenty of opportunities to relax after a day in the lecture theatre, lab, or library. The highlights of the cultural calendar in Erlangen include the "Hörkunstfestival" (acoustic art festival), International Comic Salon, "figuren.theater.festival" (puppet theatre festival), "Poetenfest" (poetry festival), and the "ARENA… of the young arts" theatre and performance festival. A wide range of cultural institutions open their doors to visitors during the Blue Night in Nuremberg, and once every two years, the Long Night of Sciences gives the public a chance to take a look inside research institutions in Erlangen, Nuremberg, and Fürth. In summary, the mixture of academia, innovative companies, art, and culture makes the region the perfect place for creative minds. There is also plenty on offer for keen athletes and nature lovers. Fränkische Schweiz, a paradise for climbers and walkers, is located to the north of Erlangen and is at FAU’s doorstep. Water sports enthusiasts will love the Franconian lakes and the university’s water sports centre, which is located just south of Nuremberg.