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  • English-taught
  • Winter & summer intake

Data Science (M.Sc.)

at RWTH Aachen in Aachen

At a glance

Language
English-taught
Duration
4 sem 120 ECTS
Intake
Winter & summer
Tuition
€0 public university
Semester fee
€375.19

● Closed for this intake Non-EU applicants · Winter semester The window usually repeats next cycle; the full deadline table below shows every route and date.

RWTH's English-taught Data Science M.Sc. sits at the intersection of computer science and mathematics, covering data management, machine learning and large-scale analysis with the rigour of a top-tier German CS faculty. Around 60 ECTS of foundations plus roughly 30 ECTS of specialization and the thesis let students shape their own profile. Not to be confused with 'Data Analytics & Decision Science' at the private, fee-based RWTH Business School - this is the public, tuition-free programme.

Admission requirements

Prior degree
Bachelor in mathematics, computer science, physics or a related subject, meeting one of the defined CS, mathematics or physics profiles with specified ECTS (for example programming 8 CP, algorithms 8 CP, discrete structures 6 CP, analysis 8 CP)
Minimum grade
Open admission (no NC); eligibility is decided by the examination board through a profile and credit check
English
English at CEFR B2; the RWTH Language Center placement test at B2 (MK 7) is accepted.
German
not required
Prerequisite credits
  • Credit thresholds across applied IT, theoretical computer science and mathematics per the examination regulations
Also required
GRE General Test required for non-EU/EEA applicants: Quantitative Reasoning above the 75th percentile, Verbal Reasoning above the 15th percentile, Analytical Writing at least 3.5 (ETS institution code 8504). EU/EEA citizens and Bildungsinländer are exempt. Master's applicants — EU and non-EU alike — apply directly via RWTHonline. RWTH verifies foreign documents internally: no uni-assist, no VPD, no application fee. Applicants may apply to at most 10 Master's programmes. APS certificate required for applicants from China, India and Vietnam.

Deadlines & timeline

Deadlines differ by where your degree is from. Dates change every cycle, so always confirm on the official page before planning. Where no fixed calendar date exists or none is confirmed yet, the Details column explains each case.
Who Intake Deadline Details
Non-EU applicants Winter semester closed for this intake; next cycle usually repeats the same window Non-EU / foreign-degree applicants. Supporting-document deadline for restricted-admission subjects: 1 August.
EU / German-degree applicants Winter semester closed for this intake; next cycle usually repeats the same window EU/EEA applicants, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree.
Non-EU applicants Summer semester Non-EU / foreign-degree applicants. Supporting-document deadline for restricted-admission subjects: 1 February.
EU / German-degree applicants Summer semester EU/EEA applicants, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree.

Fees & funding

Tuition
€0 per semester
Semester contribution
€375.19
Semester ticket
included (Deutschland-Semesterticket)

€0 tuition for all students including non-EU/EEA — RWTH is an NRW public university and states it does not charge tuition to international students from non-EU countries. Semester contribution €375.19 for WS 2026/27 (Mobilitätsbeitrag €234.57 including the Deutschlandsemesterticket plus the Zuid-Limburg/NL extension, Sozialbeitrag €128.00, Studierendenschaftsbeitrag €12.62). This WS 2026/27 total is reconstructed from official components rather than published by RWTH as a single figure; the fully confirmed figure is €338.05 for WS 2025/26 (RWTH Amtliche Bekanntmachung 2025/177). Semester ticket included: the mobility component funds the Deutschlandsemesterticket plus Arriva buses and regional trains in South Limburg (NL).

Scholarships are listed per university: see RWTH Aachen scholarships.

How to apply

uni-assist
not required
Application portal
online.rwth-aachen.de
Official page
sc.informatik.rwth-aachen.de

EU applicants and holders of German degrees usually apply directly via the university's Campusportal instead of uni-assist; the deadline table above says which route applies to you.

What students say

Via StudyCheck · 2024-2026: an aggregated rating, not our own assessment, paraphrased in our own words and never quoted.

4.3 /5

Across 10 StudyCheck reviews (4.2/5, 90% would recommend), students praise how the programme blends theory with practical application and highlight an unusually large module catalogue that lets each student shape their own specialization. Digital study is a recurring positive: most modules are available online or recorded, though some practical labs require attendance. The content is demanding and clearly rewards a solid mathematical and analytical background - exams are described as hard but fair.

Liked

  • Strong blend of theory and practical application
  • Unusually large module catalogue - real freedom to shape your own specialization
  • Most modules available online or recorded; strong digital study setup
  • 90% of reviewers would recommend the programme

Criticised

  • Demanding content that assumes a solid mathematical and analytical background
  • Some practical labs require in-person attendance
  • Exams are hard (described as fair, but hard)

Where graduates go

No alumni outcome data found yet.

External resources

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