Data Science, M.A.
In light of the constant increase in data volumes and data complexity, aspects of data analysis are becoming increasingly important, such as the handling of large amounts of data, statistical modelling, visualisation, pattern recognition using machine learning, but also ethical and legal questions. Data scientists are urgently needed for many socially significant developments, e.g. in the areas of intelligent vehicles or housing, artificial intelligence or social media.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Arts (M.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | B2 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
| Admission | Admission restriction (NC): a competition of school grades |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €333.65 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 →What you study
The extraction of information from data is a genuinely interdisciplinary process: The collection of data and the communication of the results of the analyses need to be linked to the domain from which the data originate. The processing and analysis of the data requires a combination of computer algorithms and statistical methodology. With the Master‘s programme established on the initiative of the Centre for Statistics (ZeSt) and the Faculty of Technology this interaction is put into practice. The aim of the programme is to enable graduates to comprehensively supervise a data-supported decision. The English-instructed programme is supported by the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics and the Faculty of Technology. The programme is addressed to Bachelor graduates interested in statistics and information technology who would like to deepen and broaden their knowledge.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
In today‘s information society, the demand for data analytical methods is constantly growing. Terms such as Big Data, Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things are examples of the constantly growing importance of data-supported decision-making and optimization processes, especially in industry. Hal Varian, chief economist at Google Inc., said in 2009: “I keep saying the sexy job in the next ten years will be statisticians.”
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In the meantime, the focus has shifted in part from classical statistics to the more interdisciplinary area of data science. For graduates, there are a wide range of job opportunities in private, public and social organizations of all sizes.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (North Rhine-Westphalia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €333.65 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | Qualified is a degree that comprises at least six semesters of standard study time, with at least 50 ECTS in computer science, statistics and / or mathematics, with at least 10 ECTS each in the field of mathematics (linear algebra, analysis) and basics of computer science and 5 ECTS in statistics methodical and formal content is available. |
|---|---|
| Language | English B2 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
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 15.07Send 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.
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 15.07.2027 (274 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.