Computational Science and Engineering

Type of Study: Full-time

Standard Duration of Studies: 4 Semesters

Credits: 120 ECTS

Main Locations: Garching

Start of Degree Program: Winter Semester

Language of Instruction: English

Costs: semester fee, no tuition fees

Professional Profile: Informatics

Disclaimer: The application process has been updated for the 2024/2025 winter semester. The application documents are now updated as of January 30th, 2024: Please make sure to use these updated documents for your application, as the previous versions will no longer be accepted! We apologize for any inconveniences this might cause.

The following documents have to be submitted for the application (the required documents may vary depending on the applicant):

• A personal statement (letter of motivation) explaining why you have chosen this particular Master’s program and TUM specifically. Please use this form.
• Analysis of Curriculum. Please use this form.
• Module descriptions for the courses listed in your transcript and/or analysis of curriculum. 
• Your CV/résumé (Europass and other formats are accepted)
• Bachelor's degree certificate, including a list of courses and grades OR an official transcript of records. Documents not issued in German or English must be translated and notarized by a sworn translator.
• Proof of your English language proficiency
• GRE or Gate score for applicants with a B.Sc. degree from Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, Pakistan (original scorecard or have the score transmitted directly via ETS)
• Preliminary documentation from uni-assist for all applicants with a Bachelor's degree from outside the EU/EEA
• APS certificate for applicants with a Bachelor's from China, Vietnam or India (as part of your preliminary documentation and later on for enrollment)
• A passport photo
• A copy of your passport

Optional admission documents:

The following documents are not mandatory but help us to get a better impression of the applicant:

• Up to two letters of recommendation. Please use this form.
• A statement certified by your university to confirm your ranking on your former program, e.g. 3^rd best student in a class of 50 graduates
• Certificates from professional training or additional qualifications related to the program (e.g. participation in research competitions, internships, etc.)
• Description of the grading system of your former university (appended to your transcript)
• Certified copy of university entrance qualification (appended to your additional qualifications)

International applicants:

Attention: If you did not obtain your Bachelor's degree in a country within the EU/EEA, you have to upload a preliminary documentation from uni-assist (VPD). In order to get the VPD, you must send the required documents (some as notarized copies!) to uni-assist via post! Uni-assist still needs the documents in paper. As the issuance of the VPD can take up to 4 weeks, we highly recommend sending the necessary documents to uni-assist very early. More information on Preliminary Documentation (VPD) by uni-assist.

Also, candidates from specific countries are subject to additional requirements (as indicated above). For more information, check this page.

Please do check the requirements for Notarization, especially for translations!
Special requirements for documents apply for certain countries.

The admissions office checks whether your uploaded documents are complete and correct. If this is the case, the department can view your application and forward it to the admissions committee. The admissions committee decides whether your application will be admitted, rejected, or forwarded to the second stage of the aptitude assessment.

For your convenience, a checklist of all documents which are required to apply for CSE can be found here. Please use it, and do not forget any mandatory documents, because this hinders the processing of your application (i.e., it will not be forwarded to the admission committee until complete).

We have also created a detailed application guide which should answer the most common questions. The guide can be downloaded here. Please read it carefully.

NOTE: All fields in the forms provided are digitally fillable, except for the signature fields. If the fields do not display properly or behave unexpectedly (values disappear or are duplicated), please download the file again using a different browser: Firefox is known to work, while there are problems with Chromium-based browsers.

If you have any trouble, please check our FAQs.

Preliminary documentation from uni-assist (VPD)

Applicants who have not acquired their qualification for postgraduate studies (usually Bachelor) in a country within the EU/EEA must apply for a preliminary documentation (VPD) at uni-assist, in addition to the TUM application.

Which documents have to be submitted to uni-assist?

• Completed application form for VPD (see Downloads)
• a copy of your degree certificate (if available)
• a copy of your Transcript of Records
• a translation, if the original documents are not in German or English
• if required: Certificate of the German Academic Evaluation Center (APS)

You do not have to submit an complete application for a specific program to uni-assist, you only have to apply for the general preliminary documentation (VPD).

An application for a VPD via uni-assist alone does not qualify as an application for a degree program at TUM.

GRE and GATE

Applicants with a Degree from Bangladesh, China, India, Iran or Pakistan have to submit a GRE (General) Test. We have defined required minimum scores, lower scores will not be accepted.

The required scores are:

• Verbal reasoning: (will not be taken into account anymore)
• Numerical reasoning: 164 (effective 1 September 2022)
• Analytical writing: 4.0 (effective 1 September 2022)

Institution Code: 7806, Department: 5199 ("all other departments").

For Applicants from India:

As an applicant from India, you can submit a scorecard of the Indian GATE test (in an engineering field!) as an alternative if you are not from an IIT. The minimum qualifying score for the relevant year is required. Students from an IIT can directly upload their transcript in the application portal instead of GRE or GATE.

Certificate from the German Evaluation Center (Akademischen Prüfstelle, APS)

Applicants with an undergraduate degree from China, India and Vietnam have to submit a certificate from the German Evaluation Center (APS).

The program is open to students who have earned a Bachelor's or Master's degree in one of the following disciplines:

• Engineering (e.g. mechanical, civil, electrical, etc.)
• Science (e.g. physics, biology, chemistry, etc.)
• Informatics / computer science (be aware that CSE is not Computer Science, M.Sc. Informatics)
• Applied mathematics
• an equivalent subject

If you have a degree in a computer-related or mathematical discipline, you must demonstrate sufficient knowledge in an engineering or science subject. This can be done, for example, by taking the appropriate subject as a minor.

In addition, you will need to prove you have the following skills:

Solid basic knowledge in mathematics

Solid basic knowledge in mathematics is indispensable for participation in the CSE Master's program. You should be able to demonstrate good knowledge in the topics taught in the mathematics courses of a German Bachelor in Engineering, i.e. linear algebra and integral and vector calculus, in the best case also numerics and stochastics.

Solid basic programming skills

Besides the solid basic knowledge in mathematics, skills in a modern (object-oriented) programming language (e.g., C++, Java, Python, Fortran, Julia, Rust, etc.) are needed. These need to be demonstrated by courses taken as part of your previous degree program(s). You may also point out respective experience in your CV or via additional certificates.

Solid fundamentals and subject-specific knowledge in engineering and/or natural sciences

Depending on your specific course of study, you should also have solid skills in engineering fundamentals (technical mechanics, materials science, circuit theory, etc.) and/or natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biophysics, etc.), typically within the first 4-5 semesters of your studies, as well as advanced knowledge in the specific area of specialization corresponding to your course of study (generally, courses from the latter semesters). This could, for instance, comprise: thermodynamics, heat/mass transfer, mechanical processes, hydro-mechanics, thermal processes, reaction engineering, power engineering, control systems, communications engineering, sensor technology, theoretical physics, nuclear physics, quantum physics, statistical mechanics, biotechnology, organic chemistry, etc.

Please have a look at the bachelor programs at TUM and the corresponding number of ECTS in mathematical, programming, fundamentals and course-specific subjects:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Physics
• Biochemistry

If you graduated from a different program, please compare with the program which is closest to your program in terms of competences. As a rule of thumb, you should roughly have at least 25 ECTS in mathematics, 10 ECTS in programming, 50 ECTS in fundamentals, and 30 ECTS in your specialization. In any case, make sure to list all relevant courses in the curricular analysis document!

Assessment Process

The assessment process for CSE is described in detail in the program-specific Academic and Examination Regulations (FPSO). A brief summary of this process is provided here for convenience.

Assessment runs in two stages:

Stage 1: We assess your application documents based on the following criteria:

• Academic background and relevant competencies (max. 40 points) (*):
  • Solid basic knowledge in mathematics (10 points)
  • Solid basic programming skills (10 points)
  • Solid fundamentals and subject-specific knowledge in engineering and/or natural sciences
    • Fundamentals (10 points)
    • Subject-specific knowledge (10 points)
• Grade Point Average (max. 15 points) (*)
• Motivational Letter (plus CV and additional documents) (max. 25 points)

≥55 points → Admission (✓)
40–54 points → Proceed to Stage 2
<40 points → Rejection (✗)

Stage 2: You'll be invited to an admission interview where we will ask about your motivation, background, previous experience, etc. (max. 45 points)

The scores from (*) and stage 2 are then added together:

≥60 points → Admission (✓)
<60 points → Rejection (✗)

• Computer Science, required (Section A): 10 Credits
• Scientific Computing (Section C): 31 Credits
  This includes a seminar (5 ECTS) and a practical course (10 ECTS) which can be chosen according to your interests.  

List of required modules

To complete the CSE program, you must attend 49 ECTS of elective courses. The area of elective modules is split into 4 parts:

• Computer science – electives (section A)
• Applied mathematics (section B)
• Application areas of CSE (section D). This section is further split into 6 different catalogs
• Other electives (section E)

A minimum number of ECTS must be obtained from each of the first three sections: 10 for Computer Science, 16 for Applied Mathematics, and 8 from a single catalog in section D. The remaining (up to 15) ECTS can be covered by elective modules from any section or catalog.

Thus, the above can be summarized as follows:

You must earn a total of at least 49 ECTS from elective modules, subject to the following rules.

• You must earn at least 10 ECTS from the section A electives.
• You must earn at least 16 ECTS from the section B electives.
• You must earn at least 8 ECTS from one D catalog.
• Remaining ECTS (up to 15) can be earned from any section or catalog.

Overview of the elective modules

The advanced practical course (lab) is a mandatory module in which CSE students choose a practical lab course with a topic suitable for CSE. Students then usually work in groups on a larger project. Such a lab course has 10 ECTS and provides a large amount of practical and social skills.

Registration for practical courses typically follows the matching process. Read more about this under "Course registration".

The Seminar Scientific Computing is a special type of module, different from usual lectures or lab courses: It involves studying a selected topic with the individual guide of a TUM researcher. Students are then usually asked to write a scientific report and give a talk for the rest of the seminar participants. The grade is often determined by both the report and the talk.

Registration for seminar courses typically follows the matching process. Read more about this under "Course registration"

Registration for courses is usually done via TUMOnline. There you can look up lectures, tutor/exercise groups and exams – and register. Information about TUMOnline can be found here. Please note that registering for a lecture does not automatically mean registering for the corresponding tutor group, exercise group or exam. The same applies to retakes of exams: Each process is completely independent of the others. This means that you have to register separately in order to participate in the tutor group or the exam. Especially for exam registration, a late registration is not possible!

Please note that the registration modalities for certain courses might be slightly different: Seminars and lab courses, for example, may require participation in the matching process. In addition, a mandatory kickoff session is often offered. This usually takes place at the end of the semester prior to the semester in which the course is offered. This means that if you plan to attend a seminar in the summer 24 or winter 24/25 semester, you should find out how to register for the seminar and plan your studies one month before the end of the class period of the winter 23/24 or summer semester 24 respectively. If you miss the kickoff session, it may no longer be possible to register for the course or you may already be missing important information. In any case, please contact the course organizer directly instead of us, since we play no role in the matching process.

Detailed information can be found under Examinations.

The following regulations apply to all students:

• The General Examination and Study Regulations of TUM (Allgemeine Prüfungs- und Studienordnung, APSO - latest update from Feb. 13, 2024, latest full version from Aug. 08, 2022)
• The program-specific Academic and Examination Regulations (Fachprüfungs- und Studienordnung, FPSO - latest version from Feb. 19, 2024)

The applicable version will depend on when you started:

• starting WS 2024/25: PDF
• after WS 2021/22: PDF
• after WS 2017/18: PDF
• after WS 2012/13: PDF

Please note that the German versions of each set of regulations are the official documents; only the German text is legally binding. Where available, English translations of the regulations are provided for your convenience.

For the full list of examination regulations, please check Statutes & Regulations on tum.de.

Please be aware that CSE has its own examination board and, as such, some regulations differ from other Informatics' Programs. Most importantly, registration, submission, and (when applicable) extensions are processed via the CSE Coordinators and NOT via the Servicebüro Studium (SB-S-IN).

The master's thesis should preferably be started after all other program courses have been completed, but this is not a must. However, if the number of missing credits is too high, registration can and will be declined. As a policy, a person at TUM always defines the topic officially, but you can conduct your thesis in a variety of settings and get advice from people outside TUM:

• Under the supervision of a TUM chair
  This is the most common choice for CSE students. Visit the website where TUM thesis offers are published to have a first idea of what topics exist. However, not all thesis offers are posted on this website, and not all offers on the page apply to CSE! Another option is to visit the websites of the research groups that interest you (or the lecturers/tutors of your courses) and contact them directly: It never hurts to ask!
• At another university or research institute
  Visit the university's or institute's website to search for a topic of interest.
• At a company
  Many of our students start their thesis at a company where they have worked as an intern or a Werkstudent, for example.

In the last two cases, you will have to make sure that you still find an examiner at TUM from one of the CSE-related schools (formerly, one of the 7 related departments):

• TUM School of Computation, Information, and Technology (CIT): comprising the former departments of Informatics (IN), Mathematics (MA), and Electrical and Computer Engineering (EI)
• TUM School of Engineering and Design (ED): comprising the former departments of Mechanical Engineering (MW), and Civil, Geo and Environmental Engineering (BGU), and
• TUM School of Natural Sciences (NAT): comprising the former departments of Physics (PH) and Chemistry (CH).

They will process your registration form and grade your thesis. In such a setting, often an external person acts as an assistant advisor/supervisor.

The CSE program coordinators often receive thesis offers from institutes at universities, various companies, or former CSE students. External offers for theses are usually sent by email, and/or posted at the bulletin board in front of the chair.

Each thesis must be examined by one (or two) professor(s) (with “Prof.” or “PD” in their title), at least one of whom must be a faculty member at TUM. If you wish to complete your thesis at an external company, please make sure to find suitable examiners in time. Past students have experienced that it can be difficult to find professors willing to act as examiners for the master's thesis if they did not propose the topic.

The master's thesis should be written in English. The Examination Board may accept another language (specifically, German), but a summary in English must be included in that case. The summary should not exceed one page (15–20 lines are sufficient).

Need help writing in English? The English Writing Center offers free one-on-one English writing consultation to all members of the TUM community. This is a great offer that can improve the quality of your final thesis. Take a look at their website and feel free to book an appointment!

For a general overview of all formalities regarding the master's thesis, refer to this information. In particular, note that you must be enrolled throughout the working time of the thesis, up to the moment you submit (see thesis).

The aforementioned portal also includes a collection of tips and tricks regarding theses.

Thesis Registration

Thesis registration defines the topic and the intended start date, and should be submitted as soon as the topic and schedule are decided: This helps narrow the content of the project and sets a deadline for submission. We highly recommend that you submit an abstract of the thesis before officially registratering for a topic, in order to ensure that the topic is appropriate for CSE. This is especially important if the thesis will be written at an external university, a company, or a non-CSE chair at TUM. Only topics that are related to CSE will be accepted!

As of the 15th of January 2024, theses are handled via the Koinon-School Portal to unify and digitize processes at the School of CIT, as well as ensuring that all involved parties are properly informed of any updates in the status of the thesis from registration through submission and final grading. If you've started your thesis before this date, you're still subject to the previous rules regarding submission (i.e., submission in physical form).

For consistency, we use the terms Supervisor (Betreuer in German) -- sometimes formerly referred to as advisor, and Examiner (Prüfer in German), corresponding to the evaluating Prof. or PD -- sometimes formerly referred to as supervisor.

To register for your master's thesis, your supervisor will need to enter your registration on the portal up to two weeks before the official starting date at the earliest. You will then be informed via email about the entry, which you have to confirm is correct. This includes theses examined by professors in other departments. If there are issues with this workflow, please contact us and send your thesis proposal to the Examination Board (via email or in person to the secretary of the CSE examination board) using this registration form. (If you have two TUM examiners, please use this form instead.)

Submitting your Master's Thesis

Submission Deadline

The master's thesis must be submitted no later than six months after the start date. The start date is indicated on the registration form.

Note: Please make sure in advance that the chosen topic can be handled within the required timeframe. This is especially important if you plan to write your thesis at another university or an external institution, as they may be used to having more time to complete a thesis project.

Submission Requirements

The use of a proper typesetting system like LaTeX is strongly recommended. Please refer to the thesis guidelines and rules for form and delivery while you are working on the thesis. Since these thesis guidelines hold for theses of the Depts. of CS and CE programs, make sure you adapt them for CSE. Most importantly, ensure that all relevant information appears in the title pages, and make sure to include the signed Declaration of Own Work. 

An unofficial template that fulfills all formal requirements for CSE can be found here (provided by Walter Simson). Feel free to use templates from other departments (particularly if writing a thesis with them), but make sure to adopt changes to conform to the CSE requirements!

Submission will now take place digitally via the Koinon-Portal. For theses which were not registered on the portal (i.e., started before Jan. 15, 2024), the following regulations still apply:

You must submit identical copies of your thesis:

• one official copy for the Examination Board (printed hard-copy)
• one copy for each of your examiners (can be digital if your examiner allows it)

The official copy for the Examination Board must be submitted to the CSE coordinators (in person or to our mailbox). You may give the additional copies directly to the examiner(s) or submit the copies via the coordinators, who will forward them to the examiner(s) for grading. Again, please make sure to include the Declaration of Own Work is signed.

If an in-person submission is not possible, you may also submit the thesis via postal services. In such a case, the postmark date (i.e., date on the stamp) will be the submission date. Please send your documents to the following address:

CSE Coordinators
Chair of Scientific Computing - Informatics 5
School of Computation, Information and Technology
Boltzmannstr. 3
85748 Garching

Please note: All copies must be submitted by the submission deadline.

Thesis Grading

After you submit your thesis, the coordinators will send a request for grading to the examiners. The examiners usually need a few weeks for reviewing and grading. When having more than one examiner, the thesis grade is calculated by averaging the value of the two grades given by the examiners.

Thesis Presentation

CSE regulations do not require thesis presentations, but some examiners choose to make them mandatory. If your examiner requires you to present your thesis, he/she will determine the presentation format, and you will be responsible for finding a date and room for the presentation. You are welcome to use the SCCS Colloquium for this purpose.

Please note: The submission date of your thesis is the official last date of your thesis work. Even if your presentation takes place after this date, the submission date will still be used for official purposes.

Extension of deadline

If you are unable to meet the submission deadline for any reason outside your control (i.e. access to resources/facilities, software/hardware failure, medical conditions, ...), you can request an extension on the Koinon-Portal as well. If you started your thesis before the transition, please send your extension request via the secretary of the Examination Board (per email or in person) with appropriate documentation supporting your argument. Your examiner must agree to the extension (by signing the request or, better yet, issuing a statement acknowledging the reasons for the extension).

Please note that requesting additional time to improve results or polishing the work is not a valid reason for extension!

In general, if you are ill and prevented from working on the thesis, the working period will be paused according to the received medical certification. Please refer to the following link describing what the medical note must include in order to be considered valid.

We do not have a specific format for the extension (a free-form letter is valid), but allow usage of the forms for other programs/departments. However, in this case, make sure that the request is properly addressed to us and not the other department!

Please send any extension request as soon as issues arise, and at least one week before the deadline, so that the extension can be processed in a timely manner. In addition, you should check well in advance of the submission deadline, whether any circumstances that demand an extension have occurred.