Additional Information for International Students

 

Please note: The official designation of the Master's Program is "Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Computer Engineering" (German: "Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik und Technische Informatik"), which is due to the fact that within this Master’s Program there are several specialized study programs. The study program Communications Engineering is fully taught in English.

 

Description of the Study Program

Copyright: © Mario Irrmischer

The field of information technology is growing rapidly, providing excellent job opportunities for communications engineers. There is a worldwide demand of highly trained staff in the area of multimedia communication systems for industrial and non-industrial research, system development, fabrication, network planning, as well as network management and maintenance.

The particular focus of the course are advanced digital multimedia transmission systems. Students will be trained in the whole spectrum of telecommunication communication systems including the evolution from GSM/UMTS/IMT-2000 towards the future internet and the next generation cellular radio systems. During the six-month master thesis period, students work in a research project with industrial background. Graduates of this program will be able to apply scientific methods to the analysis and design of future multimedia communication systems using state-of-the-art software tools and implementation technologies, as well as to work in project teams and write scientific and technical documentations.

 

Structure of the Program

The program consists of two to three semesters of classes with an integrated industrial internship of 18 weeks, and a six-month period for the Master thesis. The course language is English. Classes comprise lectures, tutorials, seminars, and experimental laboratories in Communications Engineering. Students will also attend German language courses. They may choose from a wide range of voluntary elective classes of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology.

After each semester with courses students have to give proof of their knowledge through exams. Candidates have to obtain 120 credits in order to be awarded their degree. 72 of those credits stem from various classes, 22 from the internship and a connected seminar and 30 credits from the Master thesis.
After they have completed their Master thesis, candidates are required to give an oral presentation on their topic. The Master thesis can be written at any institute from the department of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Computer Engineering.

The program is designed for a minimum duration of 4 semesters. The adaptation to a new culture and study environment and the challenging exams should not be underestimated. Therefore a longer duration of about 5 or more semesters also occurs in practice.

 

Application

Copyright: © Martin Braun

The requirements for admission are defined in the respective examination regulations (in German: “Prüfungsordnung” = PO). Moreover, the requirements and application deadlines are summarized here.

For a successful application, the following requirements regarding ECTS credit points must be met, according to the respective examination regulation (PO).

From our long standing experience, for successful studies the applicants should have a performance well above average, with a GPA of at least 75% (or 3.2 on a scale from 2.0 to 4.0, "First Class with Distinction"). Excellent performance in the field of Communications Engineering, especially in Probability and Random Processes, Information Theory, and Signals and Systems is mandatory. Substantial knowledge in Mathematics, Digital Signal Processing, fundamental knowledge in Computer Programming is assumed.

The following documents have to be handed in online for application:

• GRE (for non-EU citizens only, min. scores: Verbal Reasoning 15%, Quantitive Reasoning 75%)
• Authenticated copies of first degree academic certificates
• Authenticated translation of degree certificate into German, English or French

Please note, that no documents have to be send as hard copies for application! The original documents have to be handed in in case of enrollment.

In addition a proof proficiency in the English language is required for enrollment. Either the IELTS with a minimum score of 5.5 or the TOEFL with a minimum score of 90 is required. Note that with a degree acquired in either Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America no English language test is required.

Further information regarding your application and the link to the application platform RWTHOnline is available here.

 

German Language Course

A German language course is an integral part of the Communications Engineering program and provides students with the ability to communicate effectively in German both during their period of study in Aachen and later in the workplace after graduation. Eventually, they have to show proof of German knowledge on the A2.2 register, which can be done by any of the following three ways:

1. Successfully passing the DSM exam (Note, that the DSM exam will only be offered until February 2019)
2. Successfully passing a RWTH German course with level A2.2
3. Acquiring the A2.2 register at an external institution

Two different RWTH German course formats are offered at different levels:

• 4 hours a week course: Two course hours (each 45 minutes) twice a week.
• 8 hours a week course: Four course hours (each 45 minutes) twice a week.

For more information please visit the website of the language center.

 

Financial Aspects

The program is free of charge, therefore the university does not offer scholarships. However, there is a social contribution fee of roughly 250 Euros per semester, which must be paid by all students. This fee includes public transportation in all of North Rhine-Westphalia. The overall cost of living for a student at RWTH Aachen University, including the social contribution fee, is about 700 €/month but may be higher depending on your lifestyle. In exceptional cases, the German government may provide a scholarship to support the cost of living. Please visit DAAD for further information. It is advised to already apply for scholarships before studies!

Private scholarships may also be available, depending on your background.