Frequently Asked Questions
Here you will find a continuously updated list of answers to frequently asked questions. Topics include eligibility, procedures, courses, financial matters and career opportunities. If you have a question that has not yet been addressed in this section, please send an email to sisc@aices.rwth-aachen.de.
Eligibility
With our Master's program we address very well-qualified students with a substantial background in the fundamentals of a natural science, engineering, computer science or applied mathematics. You should have a Bachelor's degree in one of the above mentioned fields of study with grades substantially above average. Also a good command of English (see below under "Language") as well as knowledge in at least one programming language such as C or Fortran is required.
Yes, this is possible in case you will be finishing your Bachelor studies within the current year and as long as you provide us with your transcripts obtained so far.
Application Process
We only accept applications which meet the requirements described here. Please make sure that you provide us with all necessary documents.
Simply fill in your credit points or leave the corresponding cells blank.
Simply group your courses according to the subject and list more than one course per line.
For a first evaluation of your application copies are sufficient. In case your application is successful and you are going to enrol yourself at RWTH Aachen University, you will have to present your original documents.
We start processing your application as soon as the documents are complete (i.e. when we have received your application documents and the reference letters) but not before March 1. We cannot give you exact times and dates.
First your application documents will be pre-evaluated. In addition you may be asked for an interview with one of our faculty members. Finally the evaluation committee will check your documents and decide about admission. The committee meets about once a month. Once this decision has been made you will receive an official answer by RWTH Aachen University.
The Master's program comprises four semesters. The first semester covers the mandatory courses Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, From Quantum to Continuum Physics I, Applied Quantum Mechanics, Data Analysis and Visualisation and Parallel Programming I. In the second semester you will attend the mandatory courses Fast Iterative Solvers, Parallel Computing in Simulation Sciences, From Quantum to Continuum Physics II OR Computational Many-Body Theory, Model Based Estimation Methods OR Quantum Theory of Materials plus a number of elective courses of your choice. In the mandatory SiSc-Laboratory of the third semester you will apply the knowledge you have gained in the first two semesters. By individually selecting additional elective courses you determine the main focus of your studies. The fourth semester is dedicated to your Master's thesis. The Master's thesis is a document written in English in which you demonstrate your ability to work independently and scientifically on a problem from the field of simulation sciences within a given time frame of 22 weeks. The entire program is meant to last four semesters, and 120 credit points have to be obtained (roughly 30 credit points per semester).
The course starts in winter semester (October 1).
Mandatory courses are those courses which have to be taken by all students regardless of their individual background and specialization. From the second semester on you have the possibility to choose, according to your individual interests, elective courses from a wide variety of fields such as: energy engineering, process engineering, control engineering, fluid mechanics, structural mechanics, biomedical engineering, production engineering, communication engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry, geoscience, computer sciences and mathematics.
Financial
The living costs in Aachen and Jülich are roughly 800 Euro per month. For more details please see here.
Language
It is not mandatory that you speak German as the courses and exams of our Master's program in Simulation Sciences are held in English. However, we encourage our students to learn German as it will help them in their daily life. There is the possibility to learn German at the language centre of RWTH Aachen University or at private institutions.
We ask our students to provide an official English test (e.g. TOEFL or IELTS). The minimum overall result for the IELTS certificate is 5.5. For TOEFL the minimum result is 90 points for the internet-based test.
Organizing my stay in Aachen and Jülich/Germany
Yes, the service team will assist you regarding e.g. insurance matters, getting familiar with Germany and especially Aachen and Jülich. On request, there is also a handbook available with helpful information. You will also be assisted regarding finding accommodation - however, it is each student's responsibility to find accommodation. If you want to get a room in one of the student dorms run by the Studentenwerk you should apply for accommodation as early as possible (e.g. January / February to get accommodation in September / October). For more information see here. It is not necessary to be enrolled, you should start to apply for a room as soon as you know that you are going to study in Aachen.
Career Prospects
Career opportunities in numerous professional fields are open to graduates of the Master’s program in Simulation Sciences. Due to its interdisciplinarity, the program addresses the areas of methodology, basic principles and applications of simulation sciences that are currently in very great demand.
Potential employers can be found in both research and industry. For example, cost cutting means that computer simulations now replace expensive experiments, which makes it attractive for industry to employ well-qualified experts in the field. Since the program is taught in English, the graduates are moreover well qualified for the international market.