MASTER IN (APPLIED) CS @KLSome useful information for new students

Prof. Dr. Stefan Deßlochdessloch@cs.uni-kl.de

Disclaimer• This presentation is for informational purposes only. It is

not a legal document (please see our examination regulations for that!)

• All regulations are suspect to change. Please consider that, if you are using a printed or electronic copy of this document.

Overview – Master CS (CS)

8 ECTS;Choices are listed in the Study Plan

16 ECTS outside CS, one of:• Biology• Chemistry• Electrical

Engineering• Mechanical

Engineering• Mathematics• Physics• Economic

Sciences• Psychology• Regional and

Environmental Planning

• Social Sciences

Your core area of interest! 46 ECTS• Algorithmics• Computer

Graphics and Visualization

• Development of Embedded Systems

• Information and Communication Systems

• Intelligent Systems

• Robotics• Software

Engineering• Verification Broaden your CS knowledge!

20 ECTS Any Master-level CS courses outside your specialization

Overview – Master Applied CS (ACS)

• Specialization• Focusses on a specific application area• CS specialization, Interdisciplinary studies, application field, and modelling

and simulation block are all tailored to the specialization

• Choices:Ambient Systems, Embedded Systems, Automotive Systems, Computer Science in Life Sciences, Information Management, Communication Systems, Mathematical Modelling, Production and Construction

Overview – Erasmus Mundus in Software Engineering (EMSE)• Not provided here – given by your local EMSE coordinator

First Steps• Pick a specialization (CS, ACS)

• Does the specialization profile match your interests?• Any restrictions in your admission letter?• Do you have the prerequisites?

• Check the descriptions in the study plan and module handbook for details!

• You have to make a choice within your 1st semester

• Ask for mentor assignment (CS, ACS)• Your mentor is your primary contact for planning your studies

• Professor of CS department active in your field of specilization

• Let me know your choice of specialization• You may also suggest a mentor

• Register at the examination office (CS, ACS, EMSE)• For general master examination (one-time registration)• Deadline is half way through the lecture period (May, November)

• http://www.uni-kl.de/index.php?id=77&L=1&S=0 – see "important dates" and "Informatik – Master – Erstanmelder"

Plan your studies• First semester

• Check which courses are offered and pick those interesting for you• Which courses are offered? KIS system

http://www.kis.uni-kl.de/campus/all/subfields.asp?field=Informatik then click on "Informatik" to see the list of all courses

• Give preference to your specialization

• Try to look ahead• Most courses are offered either every two or every four semester, some only

sporadically (see module handbook for details)• CS Course/lecture plans for current and 2 subsequent semesters at

http://www.informatik.uni-kl.de/en/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/

• Choice of minor subject• Make sure you have the prerequistes from previous studies• Courses are mostly at the master studies level!

• Bachelor-level courses can be picked on an exceptional basis, to a limited extent. But they usually are in german.

• If in doubt, ask your mentor!

Additional Prerequisite Courses• Goal: make up for bachelor courses you need in your master

studies but were not covered in your bachelor• Were assigned by the admission committee and listed in your admission

letter

• Course preparation• Courses are in german (bachelor-level)• Our goal: provide literature, excercise sessions and examination questions

in english• Please contact the professor giving the course early on to clarify details and

obtain information

• Deadlines• You need to pass exams for all courses within the first two semesters of

your master studies (unless specified otherwise)• option 1: regular CS Bachelor exams

• Make sure you register for the exams in time, usually these are written exams

• option 2: "equivalence test" – oral test arranged with the professor

Examinations• Written exams

• Examination dates are published at the beginning of the semester• See KIS: Informatik -> Prüfungen

• There‘s a registration deadline!• See the "important dates" document referenced earlier

• Make sure you register for the correct date!• There may be two exams offered in the same examination period

• Oral exams• Obtain examination date from the professor holding the exam• Register with the examination office 2 weeks before the examination date

(or earlier)

• Cancelling an exam• Up to 1 week before the exam, no questions asked• Up to the day of the exam due to illness or other important reasons

• Contact examination office no later than the day of the exam• Provide documentation (e.g., statement by medical doctor)

Failing an exam• You have a maximum of 3 attempts to pass an exam• If you fail, you need to retake the exam

• For written exams: the remaining two exams need to be placed within the next three dates offered• Means: you can skip the next date and repeat the (yearly) lecture before

retaking the exam

• For oral exams: not earlier than 1 month, but not later than 6 months after the previous attempt

• Make sure to register!

Examination Plan• Document that lists all the courses you‘d like to get

examined in and the block you‘d like to place them in (specialization, supplementary, ...)• Please include all required course details (course identifier and

title, # of ECTS)!

• Your aid for structured planning of your studies• Can be completed/modified step-by-step• Any change needs to be approved/signed by your mentor

• Formal document for the examination office to coordinate your exams• Approved plan has to be submitted to the examination office before

you can register for any individual exams

Examination Plan - Modifications• Possible modifications

• Add new courses• Reassign to different block• Remove course, if no examination has taken place yet• Replace course, if you have already failed an exam (exceptional

case)• Only for optional courses, needs to be replaced by course with the same

# of ECTS!• Failed attempts (including deadlines) are carried over!!

• Not possible to remove a course, once you‘ve passed the exam!

Study Progress• Standard period of study is 4 semesters• Maximum study period and progress deadlines

• You need to register all exams for the theory block (for CS students) or for the simulation and modelling block (for ACS students) no later than at the end of your third semester

• You need to register the start of your master thesis no later than at the end of your fifth semester • You need at least 60 ECTS from courses to register!

• You have to pass all exams and obtain all required certifications for seminar and project no later than at the end of the sixth semester

• You need to complete and submit your master thesis not later than at the end of the seventh semester

• You may request to adjust this timeline, if you had a significant amount of additional prerequisite courses to pass

German Language Test - DSI• DSI test is a general requirement for all foreign master

students (as defined by the university), if you don't hold an equivalent certificate!• Please don't take this requirement lightly!

• The first exam needs to be taken in semester 1 or 2, can be repeated in 3rd semester• You have 2 or 3 attempts, depending on whether you take an

attempt in 1st semester.

• You can place the DSI course in your examination plan!• CS: in the general fundamentals section of the supplementary block• ACS: as an interdisciplinary course

• 89-8303 General Fundamentals: German Language Course A2 (6 ECTS)

Information Resources• CS department master program web pages

• http://www.informatik.uni-kl.de/en/studium/studiengaenge/bm-inf/ for CS

• http://www.informatik.uni-kl.de/en/studium/studiengaenge/bm-ai/ for ACS

• There look in the following sections for the master• Study plan – overview, descriptions of specializations and minor

subject• Regulations – Examination regulations, english translation

available

• Module handbook athttp://www.informatik.uni-kl.de/en/studium/lehrveranstaltungen/modulhb/