Software Technology, M.Sc.
Master's in Software Technology (M.Sc.) at Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart, Germany — a practice-oriented, English-taught program covering advanced software engineering, distributed systems, software architecture, verification, and programming language theory, with a substantial collaborative project at its core. Elective tracks in Computational Intelligence, IT Security, and Business Process Technology allow students to specialize, while an intercultural training component reflects the program's international orientation. English instruction is notable for a technical master's at a German Hochschule.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Science (M.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 semesters, 90 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Required English | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time, Part-Time |
| Start | Summer semester, winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 02.05, summer semester until 22.10 |
| Admission | Aptitude assessment: the university evaluates how well your previous education fits the programme |
| Tuition fee | €1,500 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €181.40 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Admission goes through an aptitude assessment: the university checks how well the subjects, credits and grades of your previous education fit the programme. There is no fixed cut-off — the assessment is comparative.
- ✓Those with a strong computer science or closely related undergraduate background who want to deepen their technical expertise rather than broaden into adjacent management disciplines
- ✓Those drawn to the engineering side of software — architecture, distributed systems, verification — rather than pure research or data science
- ✓Those who want to combine a demanding technical curriculum with practical project work in a team setting
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- ✓Those interested in working internationally and who see an English-language degree as a deliberate career investment
- ✓Those who want to specialise further in areas like IT security, computational intelligence, or business intelligence, and value the flexibility to shape that focus through electives
- ✓Those comfortable studying in a smaller, applied-science university environment with close faculty interaction rather than a large research university
- —The program admits applicants for both the winter and summer semester, but note that the summer semester application window opens in August of the preceding year — planning well ahead is essential
- —The program is fully taught in English, so all coursework, projects, and thesis work demand strong academic English; non-native speakers without substantial English-medium academic experience may find the language intensity a significant adjustment
- —As an applied sciences institution, HFT Stuttgart's research profile differs from that of technical universities; students seeking a heavily research-oriented environment or a pathway into an academic research career should weigh this carefully
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- —Stuttgart is one of Germany's more expensive cities in terms of housing and cost of living relative to the national average, which is relevant for budget planning
- —Applicants from India are required to provide an APS certificate if one is available, adding an additional administrative step to the application process
- —The three-semester full-time structure is compact; the pace of study is intensive, particularly given the combined demands of coursework, the collaborative software project, and thesis preparation
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
The Master Software Technology at Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart is a practice-oriented, English-taught program designed to deepen expertise in modern software engineering at an advanced level. The program is structured to build on solid undergraduate foundations in computer science and extend them into professional, research-informed competencies relevant to the global software industry.
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The curriculum combines rigorous theoretical grounding with applied project work. Core topics include advanced database systems, software architecture and system design, modern distributed systems and middleware technology, software verification and validation, and the conceptual foundations of programming languages — spanning procedural, functional, object-oriented, and logic paradigms. Software project management and engineering processes are treated not just in theory but through a substantial collaborative software project that runs across the middle semester.
Students also develop cross-disciplinary skills through Intercultural Training, reflecting the program's international character and preparing graduates for multicultural professional environments.
Elective modules allow students to tailor their studies toward areas such as Computational Intelligence, IT Security, Business Process Technology, or Business Intelligence, making it possible to develop a secondary specialisation alongside the core engineering curriculum.
The program concludes with a master's thesis in the final semester, enabling students to work on an original research or development topic under academic supervision. Both full-time and part-time study paths are available, giving flexibility to students with professional obligations.
What you study
Semester 1
- Concepts of Programming Languages: Comparative study of language paradigms — procedural, functional, object-oriented, and logic programming — exploring how language design decisions affect software development practice.
- Database Systems II: Advanced treatment of database management systems, covering transaction management, concurrency control, and performance optimisation beyond introductory level.
- Software Engineering II: Deepening of software engineering principles, methods, and process models at a professional level.
- Software Project Management II: Advanced project management techniques for software development contexts, including planning, risk management, and team coordination.
- Intercultural Training (running across Semesters 1 and 2): Structured preparation for working in multicultural professional environments, covering communication styles, collaboration patterns, and cultural self-awareness.
- Elective Module 1 (options: Computational Intelligence, IT-Security, or an additional elective): Students select one thematic focus area to develop a secondary specialisation.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
Graduates are well positioned for senior software engineering, systems architecture, and technical project management roles in international technology companies, consulting firms, and R&D departments. The combination of advanced technical skills and intercultural competencies is particularly valued by employers seeking engineers capable of working across national and organisational boundaries. The elective tracks open additional pathways into IT security, intelligent systems, and enterprise software domains. Stuttgart's dense industrial and technology ecosystem — including major automotive, engineering, and software companies — provides a strong local labour market context.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Baden-Württemberg), international students | €1,500 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €181.40 |
Non-EU students pay a program tuition fee of 1,500 EUR per semester. EU students are not subject to this tuition fee.
Requirements and application
| Previous education | Applicants must hold an above-average degree from a higher education institution in computer science or a closely related field, awarded after a program of at least seven semesters and covering at least 210 ECTS credits. |
|---|---|
| Language | English C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 02.05, summer semester until 22.10 |
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 22.10Send 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 22.10.2026 (8 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.