Embedded Computing Systems (ESY) RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau

The core programme is taught in English only. Elective courses and the thesis can be in English or German.

Embedded Computing Systems (ESY) is a four-semester Master's programme. A total of 120 ECTS must be acquired.

In general, developing embedded systems requires competences in several areas:

• System architectures: hardware and software
• Design methodologies: system-level modelling, design techniques, testing, and verification
• Embedded systems application areas: knowledge on application areas is needed for optimised embedded systems solutions

The curriculum consists of a core programme, an elective programme, and a Master's thesis. The core programme covers the fundamentals of embedded computing systems and offers education in all three teaching areas. The elective programme allows you to sharpen your personal profile by selecting specific courses from RPTU and its associated research institutes.

Core Programme (35-55 CPs)
The core programme contains the mandatory courses that will teach you the fundamentals of embedded systems design.

In order to understand how an embedded system works, you will study processor architectures and practice their design in Architecture of Digital Systems I and the Embedded Processor Lab. These courses give you an introduction into modern RISC processors and other important processor architectures as they are widely used in today's embedded systems. The courses Architecture of Digital Systems II and the Embedded Systems Laboratory enhance the focus from processors to systems that contain further components and communication structures.

Embedded system engineering is more than just hardware design. As we move from the components of the system to understanding the system as a whole, we are also confronted with various aspects of software design. In the courses Real-Time Systems I and Operating Systems, you will learn how the software distributes tasks and organises correct communication between all components in a system.

It is daily practice for SoC designers to work with Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. Therefore, it is important to understand how these tools work internally and how they map to microelectronic circuits and components. You will study those aspects in the courses Synthesis and Optimisation of Microelectronic Systems I and Microelectronic Circuit and System Design I. The course Verification of Digital Systems (with lab) introduces the fundamentals of Electronic Design Automation and their application to formal design verification.

Elective Programme (35-55 CPs)
The elective programme allows you to build your own personal profile and to gain additional competences in fields that are most interesting to you. You can select from a wide range of modules available at RPTU. An individual study plan is created and mutually agreed on between the student and the ESY programme adviser.

Master's Thesis (30 CPs)
The last part of the curriculum is the Master's thesis. In general, the Master's thesis is embedded into larger research projects conducted at RPTU, at local research institutes, or in industry. The topic of your Master's thesis is determined during your second or third semester of studies.

• Summer semester: 31 October
• Winter semester: 30 April

Internships are not an integral part of the curriculum, but they can be carried out on a voluntary basis.

No tuition fees

Social fee: 314 EUR per semester
(including public transport ["Deutschland-Semesterticket"], free university sports courses, free printouts, reductions in RPTU canteen, etc.)

Assessment fee: 60 EUR (RPTU Kaiserslautern), 75 EUR (RPTU Landau)
(single payment for verification of foreign certificates)

Recommended: German Language & Orientation Course for International Students: 800 EUR

Monthly cost of living:
approx. 850 EUR (RPTU Kaiserslautern), approx. 950 EUR (RPTU Landau)
(including accommodation, health insurance, food, internet, phone, etc.)

For more information: 
https://rptu.de/international/master/prospective-students/why-kaiserslautern/fees-living-expenses

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or an equivalent foreign degree in a related field
• CGPA (cumulative grade point average): Your Bachelor's degree should be completed with a minimum CGPA of 3.5  out of 4 or equivalent.
• GRE recommended
• TOEFL or IELTS English certificate (details below)

A good knowledge of English is required for the admission to this programme of study. You need to prove your English language skills for this Master's programme with minimum scores of:

TOEFL test:

• 550 points (on the paper-based test)
• 213 points (on the computer-based test)
• 79/80 points (on the Internet-based test)

and/or
IELTS: 6.0 points

• Summer semester: 31 October
• Winter semester: 30 April

No

Student assistant jobs are available on a competitive basis at the university & its departments, at the affiliated research institutes of the Science & Innovation Alliance Kaiserslautern (including DFKI, Max Planck, Fraunhofer, etc.), or at nearby companies (John Deere, Daimler, BASF, etc.).

Excellent students have good chances of finding jobs in research projects, but these are not usually granted in advance.

International Affairs RPTU supports international students in finding student jobs and in strengthening their professional network, e.g. by organising networking dialogues with executives from science and industry.

RPTU Kaiserslautern

The majority of our students live in residence halls located on or close to campus. The "Studierendenwerk" operates several large halls of residence in Kaiserslautern. Students submit housing applications directly to the Studierendenwerk. For international Master's or PhD students, International Affairs RPTU aims to arrange accommodation in these residence halls or in private accommodation as part of the pre-arrival service. The halls of residence have modern single, double or shared apartments with kitchenette, bathroom/WC, and modern facilities as well as internet access. 

• Fully-furnished: kitchenette (no plates & pots, etc.), bed & mattress (no blankets & pillows), wardrobe, shelf, table, chair (no computer) – rent: approx. 250 to 350 EUR

Since accommodation is not automatically guaranteed with admission, a request for accommodation to ISGS is advisable.

Optional: To help international students get started in Kaiserslautern, the Studierendenwerk offers a starter package. This package can be purchased for 95 EUR: https://www.studierendenwerk-kaiserslautern.de/en/housing/international.

More information: 
https://rptu.de/international/master/prospective-students/travel-accommodation/accommodation

RPTU Landau

Accommodation is available in student residences or on the private housing market. A certain number of rooms in student residences are reserved for incoming international Master's students who enrol at RPTU Landau. Students can contact the Welcome Center for further information with regard to the application process or a search for private housing. E-mail: international@uni-landau.de

More information: https://rptu.de/international/master/prospective-students-landau/travel-accommodation/accommodation 

International Affairs RPTU sets up interdisciplinary workshops, seminars and info sessions focusing on skills & competences needed to establish a career in the German (business) culture.

More information: https://rptu.de/international/master/current-students/enhance-your-degree

International Affairs RPTU supports international students during every phase of their stay!

Before your arrival: Effective pre-arrival communication helps you handle application, visa, residence permit, and housing affairs.

Once you are here: As a warm-up to your studies, we offer an orientation course which combines German language training with administrative support (finding accommodation, registration process, visa, health insurance, rental contracts, etc.) & a cultural & social component including individual guidance in the first days, a campus & city tour, excursions, info sessions, social events, a welcome party, etc.

During your stay: We provide you with continuing support and accompany you on your way until graduation and entry into the German job market.

More information: https://rptu.de/en/international/home 

RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau is a top-ranked German research-oriented university (first place among 146 international universities in nine categories, such as Learning, Living, Support Services, and Cost in the International Student Barometer 2022). Our university offers high-quality graduate education and (post)doctoral research training in innovative high-tech fields, many of them taught in English.
Our features:

• International study environment highly connected with industry & research
• “Science & Innovation Alliance” of high-profile research institutes nearby campus, offering (student assistant) job opportunities
• Zero tuition fees & low cost of living
• “University of Teaching Excellence" award for outstanding student-teacher ratio & efficient support structure for international students, including visa support
• Safe, modern & healthy study environment surrounded by beautiful nature
• 25 international graduate programmes (with more than 40 specialisations)

RPTU University of Kaiserslautern-Landau offers over 150 study courses in the following 16 departments:

• Architecture
• Biology
• Business Studies & Economics
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Science
• Cultural & Social Sciences (Landau)
• Educational Sciences (Landau)
• Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical & Process Engineering
• Natural & Environmental Sciences (Landau)
• Physics
• Psychology (Landau)
• Spatial & Environmental Planning
• Social Sciences

By virtue of its internationally renowned faculties and their top-ranked international study programmes, RPTU attracts students from all over the world. Our extraordinarily high ratio of postgraduate and doctoral students underlines the university's focus on research, Master's studies, and doctoral research training.

With a current enrolment of approx. 17,000 students, amongst them 18.5% international students (and 27.9% international students at RPTU in Kaiserslautern), the university has a manageable size and therefore ensures excellent guidance and close contact with professors. Thus, the university offers an outstanding support ratio of students per lecturer, e.g. three students per lecturer in the Department of Physics (national average: 12).

International Affairs RPTU has profound experience with international students and supports them in every phase of their studies or research. Besides effective pre-arrival communication, administrative support, and social services, International Affairs RPTU offers professional training for PhD students and postgraduates as well as qualified career counselling. Helping international students feel at home in a new (academic) culture at RPTU is of major importance within our service portfolio for incoming international students.

More information on why to choose RPTU:
https://rptu.de/fileadmin/isgs/pdf/07_Flyer_und_Broschueren/Why_RPTU.pdf
https://rptu.de/en/international/master/prospective-students
https://rptu.de/en/international/master/prospective-students-landau

Kaiserslautern – proud history and bright future

Already Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa was convinced of the advantages of the Kaiserslautern region when he chose to build his imperial palace in the 12th century. Based on those historical roots, the city has developed into a cosmopolitan cluster of science and technology. K-Town is considered a prime location by many national and international companies (including Accenture and John Deere, etc.). The Science & Innovation Alliance Kaiserslautern, a network of high-profile research institutes (including the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics, or Max Planck Institute for Software Systems), provides innovative solutions based on the latest technologies to students, scientists, and partners from industry. The topographic convergence of technology and nature makes the city both a vibrant urban centre and a natural oasis. Getting in touch with nature is particularly easy in Kaiserslautern, where Germany's largest interlinked woodlands are right at your doorstep. The forest of Rhineland-Palatinate is criss-crossed by a network of about 7,500 miles of well-marked hiking trails and mountain bike park. UNESCO has recognised the exceptional value of the nature reserve as one of the 15 German biosphere reserves.

Kaiserslautern is home to people from over 140 nations who contribute to a diverse and vibrant city life. Most of the 100,000 inhabitants speak English, making it easy to quickly feel at ease. K-Town has a very good public transport service including high speed intercity trains that offer quick and comfortable connections to Europe's biggest cities (Brussels, Paris, Berlin, etc), airports (FFM), and business centres. Last but not least, K-Town is home to the soccer team "1. FCK" and loves to cheer them on in the well-known Betzenberg-Stadium.

Landau – Mediterranean flair

More than 46,000 people plus around 9,000 students live in the southern Palatine city between the Rhine River plains and the Palatinate Forest. The region, shaped by viticulture, is also called the "German Tuscany" because of its mild climate with 1,800 hours of sunshine per year.

The Palatinate Forest, the largest forest in Central Europe and part of a transborder biosphere reserve with France, provides excellent possibilities for outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing or mountain biking. It is a paradise for nature lovers. Larger cities like Heidelberg or Frankfurt are within easy reach, and France is only 20 km away.