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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
not confirmed

● 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 Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics or a closely related field (the programme is built on Mathematics + Computer Science foundations)
Minimum grade
not confirmed
English
TOEFL iBT 95 / IELTS 6.5.Certificate must be under 2 years old; institutional TOEFL (ITP) rejected. Medium-of-Instruction certificates are NOT accepted - the only exemption is an undergraduate degree completed in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, New Zealand or Australia.
German
not required for admission
Prerequisite credits
  • Sufficient prior ECTS in mathematics and computer science, matched against RWTH's CS/Mathematics/Physics module profiles (specific credit-point minima apply)
Also required
Standard open admission (no NC) - meeting the module, ECTS and language requirements essentially guarantees a place; you compete against the module handbook, not other applicants. The real filter RWTH is candid about: demanding first-semester exams. GRE is REQUIRED for applicants without EU/EEA citizenship or a German Abitur: Quantitative Reasoning 160 or above (Verbal and Analytical Writing are disregarded). Admission hinges on the Module Matching Form (Formblatt zur Überprüfung der fachlichen Zugangsvoraussetzungen): you map your bachelor's ECTS and syllabus against RWTH's required modules - rejections are administrative and objective (too few ECTS in a named subject), and incomplete files can be discarded without notice. Master's applicants apply directly via RWTHonline - uni-assist is NOT used for RWTH master's applications (it applies to bachelor's applicants). No application fee. APS certificate required for applicants from India, China 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 Final deadline for WS 2026/27 (portal opens ~January). Late or incomplete applications are not considered; decisions typically issue 4-8 weeks after the deadline.
EU / German-degree applicants Winter semester closed for this intake; next cycle usually repeats the same window EU/EEA citizens, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree (portal opens 4 May 2026).
Non-EU applicants Summer semester Final deadline for SoSe 2027 (portal opens ~July).
EU / German-degree applicants Summer semester EU/EEA citizens and holders of a German degree.

Fees & funding

Tuition
€0 per semester
Semester contribution
not confirmed
Semester ticket
included (Deutschland-Semesterticket)

€0 tuition for all students including non-EU/EEA - NRW public universities charge no tuition (contrast: TUM in Bavaria charges non-EU Master's students €4,000-6,000/semester). Semester contribution is approx. €330/semester: components are confirmed (ticket portion €208.80 from WS 2025/26) but the exact WS 2026/27 total is not yet verified on the AStA page, so no hard number is published here. It includes the Deutschlandsemesterticket, delivered digitally via the naveo app - valid Germany-wide on regional transport plus Zuid-Limburg in the Netherlands (Maastricht, Parkstad, Sittard-Geleen), with specific AVV cross-border lines into Belgium.

Scholarships are listed per university: see RWTH Aachen scholarships.

How to apply

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