# Human-Centered Intelligent Systems (MSc) at RWTH Aachen

Successor to the discontinued Media Informatics programme, offered by the Faculty of Computer Science together with the Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it). It integrates artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and system architecture — covering deep learning, generative AI and multimodal interaction — with an ethics and usability emphasis. Positioned for the Aachen-Bonn-Cologne-Düsseldorf technology corridor.

University: RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen) (https://studygermany.dev/universities/rwth-aachen.md)
City: Aachen (https://studygermany.dev/cities/aachen.md)
HTML page: https://studygermany.dev/programmes/rwth-aachen-msc-human-centered-intelligent-systems/

## At a glance

- Degree: MSc
- Language of instruction: English
- English requirement: Fluent spoken and written English, certified per the RWTH language requirements page. No numeric threshold is published on the programme page.
- German requirement: not required for admission
- ECTS: 120
- Duration: 4 semesters
- Intake: Winter semester
- Tuition: €0 per semester (public university)
- Semester contribution: €375.19
- Semester ticket included: yes (Deutschland-Semesterticket)

Fee notes: €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).

## Admission requirements

- Prior degree: Recognised first degree (B.Sc. or B.Eng.) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Informatics or a closely related subject; a strong CS, mathematics and engineering background is expected, otherwise a bridging course applies
- Minimum grade: Above-average undergraduate performance expected; no NC
- Prerequisite credits: Substantial computer science and mathematics background
- 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.

## Application deadlines

- Non-EU applicants, winter semester: 2026-03-01 (PASSED as of the last site build; the window usually repeats next cycle). Non-EU / foreign-degree applicants. Winter-only intake.
- EU / German-degree applicants, winter semester: 2026-07-15 (PASSED as of the last site build; the window usually repeats next cycle). EU/EEA applicants, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree. Winter-only intake.

## How to apply

- uni-assist required: no
- Application portal: https://online.rwth-aachen.de/
- Official programme page: https://sc.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/en/studium/master/master-hcis/

## External resources

- [Official programme page](https://sc.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/en/studium/master/master-hcis/)
- [Official RWTH catalogue entry](https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/vor-dem-studium/studiengaenge/liste-aktuelle-studiengaenge/studiengangbeschreibung/~bltdwv/human-centered-intelligent-systems-m-sc/?lidx=1)
- [DAAD International Programmes](https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programmes/en/detail/3728/)
- [Apply via RWTHonline (no uni-assist)](https://online.rwth-aachen.de/)


## Focus areas

- AI-driven interaction
- Human-computer interaction
- System architecture

## Provenance

Last checked: 2026-08-09

- RWTH Aachen — Human-Centered Intelligent Systems M.Sc. official programme page: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/vor-dem-studium/studiengaenge/liste-aktuelle-studiengaenge/studiengangbeschreibung/~bltdwv/human-centered-intelligent-systems-m-sc/?lidx=1
- RWTH Studiencenter Informatik — HCIS (taught in English, no German proficiency required; successor to Media Informatics): https://sc.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/en/studium/master/master-hcis/
- AStA RWTH Aachen — Semesterbeitrag / finance (WS 2026/27 components; WS 2025/26 total €338.05 confirmed): https://www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/en/about-us/finance/
- RWTH Aachen — Master's application route: direct via RWTHonline, no uni-assist, no VPD: https://online.rwth-aachen.de/
- Inferred — WS 2026/27 semester contribution €375.19 reconstructed from official AStA components; not published by RWTH as a single figure. Confirmed fallback €338.05 (WS 2025/26). Verify before publishing a hard number.: https://www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/en/about-us/finance/