Autonomous Systems, M.Sc.
The English-language programme is the first Master’s degree course dealing with autonomous systems in Germany. It is run by globally recognised robotics experts, and the b-it bots RoboCup team has been successful on an international scale for several years.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | B2 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Summer semester, winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.01, summer semester until 01.07 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €367 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
The programme has an admission restriction: the average grade of your certificate, converted to the German scale, decides. The cut-off changes every year — last year's value shows the order of magnitude, not a promise.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →About the programme
Autonomy, adaptability and network integration are characteristic features of complex IT systems. Conventional control systems and architectures are no longer adequate to realize the potential of these technologies completely, nor are they sufficient to master the complexity of such systems. The solution is to design selected components as 'autonomous systems' which can act mainly on themselves without external control most of the time.
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In this context, autonomous mobile and biomimetic robots form the forefront of development. The international program 'Autonomous Systems' offers multi-faceted training in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics, spanning a whole range of issues involved in the field. The four-semester program aims to challenge talented, motivated and dedicated students, and involves course work as well as project work.
A large portion of the program, including the preparation of the master's thesis, involves research and development projects. The project work portion takes the form of a 9-month R&D project and a final thesis project. The program's affiliation with the Fraunhofer Institute, one of the leading research institutes in Germany and the largest organization for applied sciences in Europe, provides an unparalleled opportunity for students to pursue extensive practical training in projects at the cutting edge of the field. These projects may also be carried out in a number of other broader research efforts at the university. This helps to ensure a high-quality education in the field, and also offers problem-oriented training in soft skills such as project management and presentation.
Presentations by leading international guest speakers are scheduled regularly and help to further expose the students to the state of the art in a wide variety of robotics-related fields. The number of seats per semester is limited to only 25 candidates, thus ensuring the admitted students a high quality education. An extraordinary level of commitment, pro-activeness, self-discipline and the ability to work well under pressure is expected of candidates.
The program is fully accredited by ASIIN, the German accreditation agency for study programs in engineering, informatics, and natural sciences. ASIIN is a member of the Washington Accord for the international recognition of accredited degree programs and, as such, the program's accreditation is recognized worldwide. The Master's program in Autonomous Systems is offered by the Applied Sciences Institute at the Bonn-Aachen International Centre for Information Technology (B-IT) which is based on cooperation between two renowned German centers of excellence: the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS) and the Department of Computer Science of the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS).
What you study
The academic year is divided into two semesters. The program covers four semesters (two years) in which a total of 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) points are accumulated. Individual mentoring characterizes the program, where students are guided through independent scientific work and through interdisciplinary cooperation in research and development projects.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (North Rhine-Westphalia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €367 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | For admission to the programme, a professional academic degree (Bachelor or equivalent) is required in the areas of computer science, mathematics, natural sciences, or engineering. |
|---|---|
| Language | English B2 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.01, summer semester until 01.07 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 3Application directly to the university until 15.01Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 4Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
Video about the programme
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Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 15.01.2027 (93 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.