Master of Science in Data Science TU Dortmund University

All compulsory courses and most elective courses are taught in English, allowing you to complete the entire programme in English. If you have sufficient language skills, you may also choose to take courses offered in German.

German language skills are not required for the programme. However, since everyday life in Germany is easier with some knowledge of the language, we recommend learning basic German. To support this, our department offers introductory German courses.

The two-year Master's programme in Data Science is built on the Data Science BSc programme and can be started in either the summer or winter semester. It is a joint project of the Departments of Statistics, Computer Science and Mathematics. As the tasks are always rapidly changing in this research field, the study programme provides a sound statistical and mathematical theory and teaches contemporary methods and knowledge. Hence, the students learn to be capable of doing scientific research. They develop scientific awareness and can use it responsibly. The interdisciplinary ability to communicate about methods and their applications, especially at the interface between statistics, computer science, mathematics and fields of application, is a key aspect of the study programme.

Our programme builds on our six-semester Bachelor's in Data Science (taught in German). Unlike many other MSc Data Science programmes that devote the first semester to revisiting foundational topics in mathematics, statistics, and computer science, we do not offer a dedicated review semester. This is because our students join the programme with a strong background from our Bachelor's curriculum. As a result, we expect incoming students to have solid prior knowledge. If you find gaps in your understanding, it is your responsibility to address them independently. The advantage of this approach is that we can focus more of the programme on specialised Master’s-level content. Our curriculum places particular emphasis on advanced statistics, with a strong focus on the development of underlying statistical theory.

• If you do not manage to come to campus in time (e.g. because of a missing visa), you will not be excluded from the programme. However, most courses are taught in person, and the courses will not wait for you if you join late. You have to join in person for the exams at the latest.
• We offer cross-semester admission, i.e. our admission letters are usually valid for three semesters. Please find more information here.
• The official programme duration is four semesters. However, international students should plan in at least one extra semester, since getting started in a new country and in a new programme will require some time.

For international applicants, the application periods are:

• for starting in the summer semester from approx. 18 No­vem­ber to 15 January (cut-off period)
• for starting in the winter semester from approx. 1 January to 15 June (cut-off period)

Note that the starting dates are approximate dates, due to technical reasons the online portal may open a few days later.

Applicants who completed their Bachelor's degree within Germany do not count as international applicants and, hence, other deadlines apply.

The programme offers a variety of core and elective modules, allowing students to tailor their studies to their individual interests. A broad selection of courses is available to choose from. Internships, project-based courses, and the Master's thesis provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in practice. Building on prior studies, the advanced modules cover topics such as statistical theory, statistical learning, big data, and the application of methods in selected fields (through case studies, seminars, and elective courses). Particular emphasis is placed on developing and applying efficient techniques for analysing large-scale data.

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The "Case Studies" subject from the "Project Work" module can be replaced with an external internship of at least six to eight weeks. However, this is not a must; you can finish the study programme without doing an internship.

No tuition fees

Approx. 300 EUR per semester. Approx. 175 EUR are for the public transportation ticket, approx. 125 EUR are a social contribution to different organisations within TU Dortmund University. Details are listed here.

You should budget a minimum of 861 EUR per month for your living expenses. If you need a visa to come to Germany, this is the amount you must have available to you (e.g. paid into a blocked account) for each month. Nevertheless, your actual cost of living will vary depending on your lifestyle, and so you should treat this figure as an absolute minimum.

You need a degree from our own six-semester Bachelor's programme in Data Science. Students who have completed a BSc programme in statistics, mathematics, computer science, or related fields can also be admitted for this Master's programme. You can find a detailed description of the admission criteria on this website:
https://statistik.tu-dortmund.de/en/studies/degrees/data-science-msc/admission/.

1. Your Bachelor's programme must fit: It must contain relevant basics from the three fields computer science, mathematics and statistics.
2. Your final degree must be equivalent to at least the grade 2.5 (German system).
3. You must show sufficient English skills (details below).
4. You must do our self assessment test and fill out our self disclosure document. Both of them are meant for you such that you can pre-assess whether you are a suitable candidate for our programme. We are neither interested in how good you score in the self test, nor in the details of your self disclosure (we will double-check all information ourselves).
5. You have to work on the statistic project published on our website and submit a report of 10 pages. Admission is based on the quality of the report.

Sufficient knowledge of English, which must correspond at least to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). We accept the following proofs:

• German certificate of general higher education entrance qualification (English from fifth grade or from seventh grade up to the Abitur)
• an internationally recognised language certificate
• a certificate of graduation from an English-language school or an English-language course of study
• comparable evidence

Knowledge of German is not required.

For international applicants, the application periods are:

• for starting in the summer semester from approx. 18 No­vem­ber to 15 January (cut-off period)
• for starting in the winter semester from approx. 1 January to 15 June (cut-off period)

Note that the starting dates are approximate dates, due to technical reasons the online portal may open a few days later.

Applicants who completed their Bachelor's degree within Germany do not count as international applicants and, hence, other deadlines apply.

No

Professors at the participating departments are regularly looking for research assistants. For example, open positions as tutors for students of lower semester are often available.

The participating departments periodically host events to enable their students to get in touch with companies. At job fairs, students regularly have the opportunity to meet professionals and find student jobs or internships outside of academics. As a future data scientists, it is quite easy to find a part-time employment outside of academics.

Accommodation is available through student services (http://www.stwdo.de) as well as through the International Office of TU Dortmund University or on the private market. Rent for a single room in a student residence is approx. 180 to 300 EUR. We recommend that you look for an accommodation in due time, as the housing market in Dortmund is currently very tight.

TU Dortmund university has a career service centre, which provides assistance with applications, recruiting, and starting a career. They also offer a wide range of advice and services. Please find more information here.

Every winter semester, we organise a "Getting Started" course in which we meet with all our new international students on an irregular basis. The course covers a wide range of different topics, from getting to know the campus and the library over getting to know our terms of studies up to getting to know each other and Dortmund. We cover technical aspects (e.g. how to study at TU Dortmund University), social aspects (regular meetings with coffee and cake) and cultural aspects (e.g. visiting the Christmas market).

A university with a unique profile:
Since its founding in 1968, TU Dort­mund Uni­ver­sity has developed a special profile encompassing 17 departments ranging from science and engineering to social sciences and cultural studies. The uni­ver­si­ty has around 30,000 students and more than 6,500 employees, in­clu­ding 330 professors. 5,800 of all students have an international background, which constitutes 19.5% of the total student body.

TU Dort­mund Uni­ver­sity has a strong focus on re­search. The uni­ver­si­ty’s departments – e.g. mechanical engineering (with its emphasis on production and logistics), physics, biochemical and chemical engineering, statistics and computer science, and education re­search – are well known for their outstanding re­search achievements both nationally and internationally.

Students at TU Dort­mund Uni­ver­sity can choose from classical subjects and in­no­va­ti­ve courses of study such as medical physics or degree programmes in spatial planning, statistics, and journalism. A particular focus is on teacher train­ing. TU Dort­mund Uni­ver­sity is one of only a few universities in Germany that offers professional teaching qualifications for all types of schools.

TU Dortmund University is part of the Uni­ver­sity Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr). Together with its partner universities, Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen, the UA Ruhr is one of the largest and most powerful university alliances in Germany. The alliance is strong in international research and offers students the opportunity to participate in courses offered by all three universities and earn credits with minimal bureaucratic effort.

With more than 6,500 employees, TU Dort­mund Uni­ver­sity is one of Dort­mund’s largest employers and has helped drive the transformation of the city and the Ruhr region from Europe’s largest coal mining and steel production area into a high-tech and service location as well as a cultural metropolis.

Dortmund is located in the heart of Europe. It is the largest city in the Ruhr region and is home to the Borussia Dortmund (BVB) soccer club. All of this contributes to the many advantages that will make studying in Dort­mund an unforgettable experience. Apart from destinations for football fans, there are many other places of interest to discover in Dort­mund and the Ruhr region.