- Degree
- Master of Science in Computational Sciences
- Course location
- Berlin
- Teaching language
- • English
- Languages
- All mandatory courses are held in English.
German is helpful for some modules as students can choose from a wider selection of courses.
- Full-time / part-time
- • full-time
- Programme duration
- 4 semesters
- Beginning
- Winter semester
- Additional information on beginning, duration and mode of study
- Start of the programme is the winter semester, which begins on 1 October. Lectures start in the second or third week of October, with welcome events taking place beforehand.
Lectures take place in person between Monday and Friday and regular attendance is required to pass. Certain lectures, seminars or practicals may also take place as block courses or on irregular dates. This information is made available to attending students in the course catalogue.
It takes four semesters – two years – to complete the programme. During this time, the lecture-free periods (mid-July to October; mid-February to April) allow time for self-study, internships or other activities. Exams, excursions, and irregular, elective lectures may be scheduled during the lecture-free periods.
Up-to-date information on lecture times may be found in the academic calendar (https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/beratung/kalender/index.html).
- Application deadline
- All applicants: 31 May for the following winter semester
The dates may change. Please find more information here (https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/studium/bewerbung/master/konsekutive-masterstudiengaenge/index.html).
- Tuition fees per semester in EUR
- None
- Combined Master's degree / PhD programme
- No
- Joint degree / double degree programme
- No
- Description/content
- The programme will teach how to apply precise mathematical and computer-based methods and to develop software for solving current scientific problems. The instructors in the programme are from the disciplines of chemistry, physics, geosciences, mathematics, and computer science.
The four-semester Master's programme combines theoretical and application-oriented contents. It is divided into the following four components:
• Synchronisation: learning fundamental methods of computational sciences and establishing an interdisciplinary profile from courses that have not been addressed in the students' Bachelor's degree programmes
• Scientific computing: setting a priority in numerics, statistics, or computer science
• Specialisation: focus on one of the three scientific fields: molecular sciences, geosciences, or atmospheric sciences
• Master's thesis: writing up a research project in the field chosen for specialisation
The Master's programme covers fundamental and advanced terminology, structures, methods, and processes in a wide range of structured and applied areas of scientific knowledge combined with supplementary courses. It ensures that students have the opportunity to specialise in current research. It also promotes the development of independent scientific thinking with a particular focus on the use of computers to expand knowledge.
Students gain and deepen their competence in combined mathematical, computer-related and applied scientific expertise. They also systematically develop their interdisciplinary skills and key qualifications. By preparing lectures and reports, students learn to present their expertise and qualifications orally or in writing in a form suitable to their audience. They learn to deal with gender and diversity issues in practicals and practice groups as well as through supervising tutorials. For example, the students learn to take cultural differences into account when working in the participating departments' research groups, which are usually international in composition.