EdMIUMBeing one of the biggest European economies, Germany is a great study destination for international students planning a career in the country. MS in Computer Science in Germany is a two years master’s degree offered at more than 40 universities. Costing around 288-6660 Euro for a total program duration master in computer science at German universities, the program is available for study in English, German or both. Bachelor in relevant degree is an admission mandate.
In this article, let us look at:
- Why Study MS in Computer Science in Germany?
- Top Universities
- Admission & Eligibility
- Cost of Study
- Scope
- Scholarships
1. Why Study MS in Computer Science in Germany?
- Around 5 German Universities rank within the top 100 global universities offering MS CS abroad.
- Postgraduates in MS CS are offered cushy median salaries of around 11,500 Euro/month. This is equivalent to 9,38,000 INR.
- As per salary trends, there has been a continuous 4% rise in salaries from 2016 to 2019.
- Salary comparison across various cities within Germany is given below:
| City | Average Monthly Salary (In Euro) |
| Berlin | 13100 |
| Dusseldorf | 12000 |
| Frankfurt | 12200 |
| Hamburg | 12900 |
| Hannover | 10400 |
| Bremen | 11400 |
2. Top Universities
The duration of the program in most of the German universities is 4 semesters (2 years). Tabulated below are some of the top-ranking German universities offering the program.
| University | THE Ranking/QS Ranking | International Student Percentage | Program | Program Fees (Euro) |
| Technical University Munich | 26/34 | 24% | MSc. Computational Science & Engineering | 288 |
| RWTH Aachen University | 47/51-100 | 19% | MSc. Computer Science | No tuition |
| Technical University Darmstadt | 67 | 16% | MSc Computer Science | 1200 |
| University of Freiburg | 69 | 22% | MSc Computer Science | 5772 |
| Technical University of Berlin | 70/51-100 | 22% | MSc Computer Science | No tuition |
| Heidelberg University | 101-125 | 17% | MSc Applied Computer Science | 764 |
| University of Passau | 151-175 | 11% | MSc Computer Science | 640 |
| University of Stuttgart | 151-175 | 20% | MSc Computer Science | 6660 |
| University of Goettingen | 176-200 | 12% | Msc Applied Computer Science | 1606 |
| Technical University Dresden | 151-175 | 14% | MSc Computer Science | 2464 |
| University of Konstanz | 201-250 | 12% | MSc Computer & Information Science | 6660 |
3. Admission & Eligibility
Depending on the universities guidelines there are three ways you can apply for a MS in CS in Germany:
- Directly through university portal
- Uni-assist applications
- Applying through DAAD
Studying MS in Computer Science in Germany requires international applicants to fulfill the following university specific criteria:
| University | Eligibility | ELP Test scores | German Language Test Scores | Additional Documents Required |
| Technical University Munich | GRE/GATE ScoreUG in relevant Subject | TOEFL: 88IELTS: 6.5 | Not required | 2 LOR, letter of motivate |
| RWTH Aachen University | UG in relevant subjectGRE score | TOEFL: 90IELTS: 5.5 | TestDaF (in all four sections at level 4 minimum)DSH Stage 2 | Resume |
| Technical University Darmstadt | Bsc in relevant subject | TOEFL: 88IELTS: 6.5 | DSH: 1Goethe: C1 | NA |
| University of Freiburg | UG in CS/Maths or closely related field | TOEFL: 94IELTS: 7.0 | DSH: 2Goethe: C1 | – |
| Technical University of Berlin | Previous degree with CS, IT & methodological science | TOEFL: 87IELTS: 6.5 | NA | Professional degree |
| Heidelberg University | UG in relevant Subject | TOEFL: 90IELTS: 5.5 | DSH: 2 | NA |
| University of Passau | 50-59% in relevant UG degree | TOEFL: 87IELTS: 5.5 | DSH: 1TestDaF: TDN 3 | NA |
| University of Stuttgart | Ug in relevant stream | TOEFL: 95IELTS: 7.0 | NA | – |
| University of Goettingen | BSc CS | TOEFL: 81IELTS: 5.5 | DSH: 2 | CV |
| Technical University Dresden | UG in relevant degree | TOEFL: 80IELTS: 6.5 | – | Aptitude assessment regulation |
| University of Konstanz | UG subject relevance | TOEFL: 90IELTS: 6.0 | NA | – |
Documents Required
1. Transcripts: Evaluated by uni-assist, transcripts from previous years are required along with applications of international students.
2. Test score requirements: International students are required to submit scores of tests for studying in Germany.
3. GRE: Scores of GRE are required by some of the universities.
4. GATE: Indian applicants can submit GATE scores instead of GRE scores.
5. Additional Documents Required: SOP/Letter of Motivation, letter of recommendation, CV may be required by some of the universities in Germany.
4. Cost of Study
Pre-arrival Expenses
Tabulated below are some of the pre arrival expenses:
| Type of Expense | Cost (USD) |
| Program Application Fees | 145* |
| German Student Visa Application Fees | 84 (75 Euro) |
| Health Insurance | 90-180** |
| IELTS Fees | 185-190 |
| TOEFL Fees | 160-250 |
| GMAT Fees | 250 |
| GRE Fees | 205-230 |
| Airfare | 450-1400 |
Tuition Fees
Given below is the table comparing the annual tuition fees of the top universities offering the program:
| University | Annual Tuition Fees (in Euro) |
| Technical University Munich | 144 |
| RWTH Aachen University | 0 |
| Technical University Darmstadt | 600 |
| University of Freiburg | 2886 |
| Technical University of Berlin | 0 |
| Heidelberg University | 382 |
| University of Passau | 320 |
| University of Stuttgart | 3330 |
| University of Goettingen | 803 |
| Technical University Dresden | 1232 |
| University of Konstanz | 3330 |
Cost of Living in Germany
Given below is a table detailing these costs of living which includes accommodation, food, lifestyle,etc for popular universities:
| University | Annual Cost of Living (Euro) |
| Technical University Munich | 12,000 |
| RWTH Aachen University | 12,000 |
| Technical University Darmstadt | 10,236 |
| University of Freiburg | 12,288 |
| Technical University of Berlin | 8400 |
| Heidelberg University | 12508 |
| University of Passau | 9120 |
| University of Stuttgart | 18,000 |
| University of Goettingen | 9000 |
| Technical University Dresden | 7200 |
| University of Konstanz | 9048 |
5. Scope
Germany is a country that has fully embraced digitization, making it a hub for IT/CS professionals. With a pool of opportunities in business digitization and public digital services, an MS in computer science for Germany is your way to the new digized age. Given below are some of the popular job designations which are offered to a postgraduate in computer science in Germany:
| Job Designation | Average Monthly Salary (Euro) |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | 9630 |
| Computer Networks Architect | 11300 |
| Computer Technician | 8810 |
| Javascript Developer | 10,300 |
| Application Developer | 12,300 |
| AI Developer | 11,100 |
| Programmer | 10,700 |
6. Scholarships
Some of the popular scholarships for studying at top colleges offering MS in computer science in Germany are listed below:
| University | Scholarship | Amount (Euro) | Additional Information |
| TUM | TUM Scholarship for International Students | 500-15000/semester | One-time |
| RWTH | DAAD | Varies | Government funded |
| TU Darmstadt | Thomas WeilandFoundation Scholarship | 500/month | Eight scholarships are offered yearly |
| University of Freiburg | Germany Scholarship | 300/month | Outstanding performing students are eligible |
| TU Berlin | UNESCO Scholarships | Varies | Applications are made via British Council |
Conclusion
Over the experience of 2-5 years you can expect a hike of as much as 32%. This suggests that the growth in the computer sector in Germany is great. Pursuing MS in computer science is a great choice of degree. Though there are better ranking universities for computer science in the USA, Canada, pursuing an MS in computer science from Germany is not only a cheaper option but also a lucrative one.
