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  • English-taught
  • Winter semester intake

Software Systems Engineering (M.Sc.)

at RWTH Aachen in Aachen

At a glance

Language
English-taught
Duration
4 sem 120 ECTS
Intake
Winter semester
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.

English-taught software engineering master run by RWTH's Faculty 9, one of Germany's strongest computer science departments. The curriculum is unusually free-form - software-project management is the only compulsory module - and leans theoretical, with strong formal-methods and systems options alongside plentiful paid student-assistant roles.

Admission requirements

Prior degree
Bachelor in computer science, computer engineering, informatics or a closely related subject of at least 3.5 years; a strong CS and mathematics background is expected, otherwise a bridging course applies
Minimum grade
Open admission (no NC); above-average undergraduate performance is expected
English
TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0 (per the DAAD listing); the RWTH Language Center placement test at B2 (MK 7) is accepted.
German
not required for admission — the programme is English-taught, though a basic German course is a mandatory integration element
Prerequisite credits
  • Substantial computer science and mathematics background 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. Winter-only intake.
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. Winter-only intake.

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.

4.1 /5

A small sample (4 StudyCheck reviews, 4.1/5, 75% would recommend - treat as provisional). Reviewers value the wide course selection - only software-project management is compulsory - and professors who are recognised experts in their fields, plus plentiful paid student-assistant roles at RWTH. The main criticism: the curriculum leans heavily theoretical, and some students wanted more directly job-relevant, applied content. Digital tooling is rated as strong.

Liked

  • Wide course selection; software-project management is the only compulsory module
  • Professors are recognised experts in their fields
  • Plentiful paid student-assistant roles at RWTH
  • Strong digital tooling

Criticised

  • Curriculum leans heavily theoretical
  • Some students wanted more directly job-relevant, applied content
  • Only 4 reviews - a small, provisional sample

Where graduates go

No alumni outcome data found yet.

External resources

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