Software Systems Engineering, M.Sc.
Master's in Software Systems Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, Germany — a programme for computer scientists aiming to become system architects and project leaders for large, complex software systems. The curriculum spans five areas: Theoretical Computer Science, Visual Computing & Interaction, AI & Data, Hardware/Software Systems, and Software Development Methods and Tools. Minimum credit requirements in Theoretical Computer Science and Software Development Methods and Tools combine formal foundations with software-engineering practice. Taught in English.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 01.03 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €375.19 per semester |
| Campus | RWTH Aachen Campus |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
- ✓Those who enjoy thinking about software at the level of whole systems: architecture, methods and tools rather than a single algorithm or application.
- ✓Those who want both formal depth and engineering practice, and who are comfortable with theoretical computer science alongside software development methods.
- ✓Those who are drawn to several areas of computer science, such as visual computing, AI and data, or hardware/software interplay, and want to choose their own emphasis.
Read moreShow less
- ✓Those who see themselves as system architects or project leads in large software efforts, or who are considering a doctorate afterwards.
- ✓Those who are comfortable in a demanding, technically oriented academic environment and who value working with a strong mathematical and theoretical base.
- —The programme expects a broad computer science background, covering practical, technical and theoretical computer science as well as mathematics. Applicants whose bachelor's was weighted towards one area should check their preparation honestly.
- —Applicants from outside the EU/EEA must submit a standardised test result in addition to their degree and English certificate. This adds preparation time before the application.
- —The curriculum requires a minimum amount of study in Theoretical Computer Science and a larger minimum in Software Development Methods and Tools. Students cannot build a profile entirely from one preferred area.
Read moreShow less
- —Admission is only possible for the winter semester, so applicants need to plan their documents and test dates well in advance.
- —The programme is taught in English and does not require German. Everyday life in Aachen, however, is easier with some German, and it is worth planning for if you intend to stay and work in Germany.
- —Because the programme is designed for strong computer science graduates and aims at architecture and leadership roles, expect a technically demanding workload.
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
Software Systems Engineering at RWTH Aachen University's Faculty of Computer Science is a master's programme for computer scientists who want to work on the engineering of large, complex software systems rather than on a single narrow topic. It is aimed at graduates who are expected to be technically innovative, to act as system architects and to lead large projects.
Read moreShow less
Curriculum approach
The programme is organised around five subject areas:
- Theoretical Computer Science
- Visual Computing & Interaction
- AI & Data
- Hardware/Software Systems
- Software Development Methods and Tools
Two areas carry minimum credit requirements. Students must earn at least 12 credits in Theoretical Computer Science and at least 24 credits in Software Development Methods and Tools. Every student therefore builds both a formal, theoretical foundation and a solid grounding in how software is engineered, whichever other areas they choose to deepen.
What students learn
The other three areas let students shape their own profile. Visual Computing & Interaction covers how people and systems interact visually. AI & Data addresses intelligent and data-driven systems. Hardware/Software Systems looks at the interplay between the underlying hardware and the software that runs on it. Together with the two core areas, this gives a view of software systems that spans from theory to implementation.
Programme character
The programme is full-time and builds directly on a bachelor's degree in computer science or a closely related field. It assumes that students already have a command of practical, technical and theoretical computer science and of mathematics, comparable to the RWTH Bachelor's in Informatik. The master's therefore does not re-teach fundamentals. It deepens and broadens them.
Because electives are grouped into thematic subject areas, students can make their choices coherent. They can combine, for example, AI & Data with Software Development Methods and Tools, or Hardware/Software Systems with theoretical foundations, depending on the type of systems they want to work on.
The programme prepares students for technical leadership in software development. It also provides the academic background needed to continue into doctoral research.
What you study
Study structure
The programme is full-time and spread over four semesters. Coursework is organised around five subject areas rather than a single fixed sequence of modules.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
Graduates are expected to be technically innovative professionals who work as system architects and lead large software projects. The skills the programme develops also open routes into management and leadership positions in technical organisations. The programme additionally qualifies graduates to pursue a doctorate. No specific employment outcome is guaranteed.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (North Rhine-Westphalia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €375.19 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | A recognised first university degree (bachelor's) in computer science or a closely related field. |
|---|---|
| Language | English C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 01.03 |
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 01.03Send 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.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
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 01.03.2027 (132 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.