Software Engineering

A research-oriented master's program that combines a rigorous software engineering core with deep elective specialisations ranging from machine learning and NLP to interactive application engineering — all embedded within two active research groups at Universität Hildesheim.

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The Master's in Software Engineering at Universität Hildesheim is designed for graduates who want to move beyond routine development practice into the principled, research-aware engineering of complex software systems. The program is delivered entirely in English and integrates two active research groups — the Software Systems Engineering (SSE) group and the Machine Learning / ISMLL group — giving students access to current research from day one. The curriculum is built around a compulsory core covering model-based software engineering, requirements engineering, software architectures, advanced web development, and programming languages. Alongside these technical foundations, students complete a research methods module and progress through a structured research pathway: an integrated research project, a seminar, and a group development project. This staged sequence prepares students for independent scientific work before they reach the master's thesis. Beyond the core, a substantial elective area allows students to build a coherent application profile. Methodological electives address software product lines, software quality, verification, analysis of software systems, generative AI-assisted tooling, sustainable software engineering, and human-computer interaction. Application-area electives are organised into thematic clusters — machine learning and data analytics, business administration and information systems, information retrieval, natural language processing, environmental sciences with GIS, cognitive psychology, and engineering of interactive applications including mobile, extended reality (XR), and AI/API composition. This flexibility means each student can construct a profile closely aligned with their thesis research direction. Practical skill-building is explicitly embedded: the SE Tools Lab and the Group Development Project involve hands-on collaborative work. Soft skills modules in English and German are also available. The master's thesis, worth 30 credit points, forms the capstone of the program and is supervised within one of the program's research groups.