Faculty of Computer Science and Data Science

FIDS offers a broad portfolio of IT-adjacent degree programmes spanning the central future topics of the field:

• Big Data and data engineering
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Human-Computer Interaction (Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion)
• Business Informatics (Wirtschaftsinformatik)
• Bioinformatics

Programmes are taught primarily in German, and are available at Bachelor's and Master's levels. The faculty's five departments — Allgemeine Informatik, Wirtschaftsinformatik, Bioinformatik, Maschinelles Lernen und Data Science, and Menschzentrierte Informatik — each contribute distinct academic emphases, ensuring both depth and breadth across the curriculum.

FIDS is one of the few faculties in Bavaria that integrates Computer Science, Data Science, and AI under one roof, giving students access to genuinely cross-disciplinary training rather than siloed degree tracks.

• Five specialised departments mean you can focus on anything from Bioinformatics to Human-Centred AI within a single faculty structure
• Interdisciplinary research environment: direct collaboration with Regensburg's natural science, medical, and psychology faculties
• Future-focused curriculum covering Big Data, Explainable AI, Post-Quantum Cryptography, and Reinforcement Learning — not just classical CS fundamentals
• Located in Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage city with a thriving tech and life-sciences industry ecosystem in the heart of Bavaria

FIDS concentrates its cross-departmental research into four flagship areas:

• Information Security: machine learning for IT forensics, AI robustness against adversarial attacks, Cyber Threat Intelligence exchange, Cyber Ranges and attack simulation, Post-Quantum Cryptography, and privacy-enhancing anonymisation/pseudonymisation methods
• Explainable AI (XAI): symbolic methods for formal AI interpretability, Differential Privacy, and XAI applications in immunology, oncology, image processing, and business value creation — spanning all five FIDS departments
• Computational Methods in the Natural Sciences: statistical and ML methods for high-throughput sequencing, mass spectrometry, and high-resolution microscopy data; simulation algorithms integrating ML for quantum-mechanical and genetic interaction modelling; Reinforcement Learning for experimental design and control
• Human-Centered AI: "Human in the Loop" AI systems, human-robot interaction, Fake News detection, medical decision-support and recommender systems, smart environments, and the ethical/legal dimensions of AI in information processes

All four areas contribute directly to Universität Regensburg's strategic research priorities Digital Transformations and Integrated Sciences in Life, Health, and Disease.

Programmes at FIDS are delivered primarily in German, so prospective international students should have solid German language proficiency (typically TestDaF or DSH level) before applying. Students with a strong background in mathematics and programming will find the quantitative emphasis of the Data Science and ML programmes accessible once language requirements are met.

Because FIDS sits within Universität Regensburg — a full comprehensive university — international applicants benefit from the university's central international office infrastructure and Erasmus+ exchange network. Specific faculty-level scholarship programmes and faculty Erasmus partner lists are best confirmed directly via the FIDS study office.

FIDS is located on the main campus of Universität Regensburg in the city of Regensburg, Bavaria — a compact, self-contained campus setting that places labs, libraries, and lecture halls within easy walking distance of each other. Regensburg is well connected: the city sits approximately 90 minutes by train from Munich, which has one of Germany's largest international airports (Munich Airport, MUC). The campus environment supports interdisciplinary work, with FIDS researchers regularly collaborating with colleagues in the neighbouring medical and natural science buildings.

Graduates of FIDS programmes are prepared for high-demand roles across a wide range of industries:

• Cybersecurity and IT forensics: security analyst, penetration tester, threat intelligence engineer — particularly relevant given Bavaria's concentration of automotive and industrial companies
• Data Science and Machine Learning: data engineer, ML engineer, AI researcher in sectors such as life sciences, pharmaceutical R&D, fintech, and manufacturing
• Business Informatics and digital transformation: IT consultant, ERP/process specialist, IoT systems architect in industry 4.0 and e-commerce
• Bioinformatics and computational biology: researcher or data scientist at hospitals, biotech firms, and university research institutes
• Human-Computer Interaction and UX: interaction designer, UX researcher, product manager at software companies and tech start-ups

Regensburg's proximity to major Bavarian employers — including the BMW Group, Siemens, and a dense cluster of Mittelstand tech companies — creates direct regional recruitment pipelines for FIDS graduates.