Automation & IT (Master's program) – Program Content
Building expertise through case studies: The four-semester program includes highly relevant courses in industrial communications, information security and integration of technical and business information systems. Students work in teams when conducting case study research, thus not only developing their technical and methodical but also social and individual skills.
Students programming in the automation lab
(Image: (Image: Thilo Schmülgen/FH Köln)
Interdisciplinary and in high demand around the world: the Master's program in "Automation & IT"
For the past 25 years, new developments in the IT sector have strongly influenced the field of automation. This influence, both on hard- and software, will continue to grow stronger. Since the two scientific disciplines computer science and automation have a significant overlap and are increasingly forming one single field of knowledge, the objective of the Master's program in Automation & IT is to deepen and broaden the students' technical and methodical skills and knowledge. At the same time, the program fosters social and individual skills, preparing students for a position of responsibility in one of the following fields: research, development, planning and project development, production and management. The language of instruction is English, which supports the students' individual competency development just as much as the intercultural exchange with students from Asia or the Americas.
Program Objectives and Program Content
The standard duration of the Master's program is four semesters. During the first two semesters, the focus is placed on imparting knowledge to build a sound foundation in terms of both expertise and methods for the Master's degree. During the third semester, students conduct case studies which focus on the same topics as current research activities. These team projects aim at developing the students' technical and methodical but also social and individual skills. The fourth semester is dedicated to the Master's thesis on a current and complex topic.
Modules
The Master's program includes the following modules:
· Industrial Communication and Information Security in Industrial Automation
· Integration of Technical and Business Information Systems
· Modelling and Simulation of Technical Systems
· Control of Technical Systems
· Optimization of Technical Systems
· Case Studies
· Master‘s Thesis
General Admission Requirements
- an excellent undergraduate degree (Bachelor's degree or Diplom (FH)) in electrical engineering, automation or a comparable program from a German or international institution of higher education.
- an above-average, suitable and comparable university degree
A degree is deemed above-average if the final grades "A"/"B" or "excellent"/"good" were awarded. Applicants must have adequate proficiency in English – and to a lesser extent in German – to successfully cope with the curriculum.