Computer science studies

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This article or paragraph presents the situation in Germany . Help us to describe the situation in other countries.

The computer science course is the course in the field of computer science . It is completed at universities with an academic degree .

General

Computer science can be studied at various educational institutions. In the higher education sector in Germany, these are universities and equivalent colleges and universities of applied sciences . The computer science course ends with a university examination and thus with the award of an academic degree . The course content can vary greatly depending on the type of university selected, but also from university to university.

In addition, vocational academies offer dual training in the field of computer science. However, these are not colleges and lead to a state qualification instead of an academic degree. In Baden-Württemberg, the vocational academies were converted into dual universities in 2009 and have since been able to award academic degrees.

Course content

When studying computer science, students first learn the basics of practical , theoretical and technical computer science and the mathematics required for this . The degree of expression of the individual sub-areas depends heavily on the university.

Course content in the individual areas typically includes:

  • Practical / Applied Computer Science
    • Programming paradigms (functional, declarative, logical, imperative, object-oriented etc.)
    • Algorithms (construction, analysis and optimization)
    • Data structures
    • Software development
    • various fields of application (economy, medicine, geography)
  • Theoretical computer science
    • Parts of theoretical linguistics (formal languages, grammars, parsers)
    • Automata theory
    • Computability and Complexity Theory
  • Technical computer Science
    • Electrical engineering
    • Computer architectures and design
    • Operating systems and communication technology
    • network technology
    • Artificial intelligence
  • mathematics
    • Discrete Mathematics (graph theory, abstract algebra & number theory)
    • Mathematical logic
    • Linear Algebra
    • Analysis

In addition to the classic content from computer science , as a result of the increasing distribution and specialization, interdisciplinary components are also integrated to a considerable extent, mostly in the form of a freely selectable supplementary subject. In the beginning there were general computer science courses at German universities. Today, entire interdisciplinary trend courses are increasingly offered, e. B. in bioinformatics , geoinformatics or media informatics , as well as courses for teaching . Business in the form of business informatics is also increasingly finding its way into a separate degree course or is offered as an elective module.

While studies at universities with the right to award doctorates are intended to prepare for the scientific development of new methods, at universities of applied sciences it traditionally teaches the ability to apply existing scientific methods. In the dual courses of study at the vocational academies, half of the training takes place in a training company, with each of which there is an individual training contract.

Diploma courses

After the diploma dominated as a degree in Germany in the 20th century , in the course of the Bologna Process a changeover to the tiered degree programs with the degrees Bachelor and Master took place in computer science by 2010 , so that the diploma degree programs were phased out. In Saxony, however, there is the possibility of introducing modularized diploma courses, for example at the HTW Dresden and the TU Dresden .

The universities award the academic degree of Diplom-Informatiker , abbreviated to Dipl.-Inform , depending on the examination regulations . or Dipl.-Inf. , at universities in Bavaria sometimes also Dipl.-Inform. (univ.) . In some cases, the title of the degree can be added with a university suffix, e.g. B. (TUM) at the Technical University of Munich . The standard period of study in computer science is 9 semesters. The last transnational framework for the diploma examination in computer science at universities and equivalent colleges of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs from 1995 was declared obsolete without replacement.

The universities of applied sciences initially also awarded the academic degree Diplom-Informatiker , from 1987 with the addition (FH), abbreviated Dipl.-Inform. (FH) or Dipl.-Inf. (FH) . According to the requirements of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, the degree courses in computer science at the universities of applied sciences are usually 8 semesters shorter by one semester, including one or two practical semesters.

While initially only degrees in computer science or engineering were awarded, with increasingly interdisciplinary courses of study, separate degrees have also appeared in the sub-disciplines. However, these are not uniform, and strongly interdisciplinary courses of study sometimes use the normal diploma designations.

The state qualification diploma computer scientist (BA) is awarded at vocational academies , abbreviated Dipl.-Inform. (BA) or Dipl.-Inf. (BA) . The training lasts two to three years and leads to a legally regulated professional qualification with a state examination. Around half are completed as a degree at the vocational academy and the other half in the training company.

Bachelor and master courses

In the field of computer science, the qualifications Bachelor of Science , abbreviated B. Sc. , and Master of Science , abbreviated M. Sc. , forgive. In addition to computer science, the subject group of these degrees also includes mathematics, natural sciences and, depending on the focus of a course, engineering or economics. In interdisciplinary courses of study, other degrees can also be awarded due to different focuses, such as the Master of Engineering in Geoinformatics.

In bachelor 's degree programs and consecutive master’s degree programs, these master ’s degrees are required by the decision of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs in 2003 and are no longer supplemented by subject-specific additions such as “ in Computer Science ”. Older courses of study have to adapt the title of the degree as part of the reaccreditation . In non-consecutive and continuing education courses, different degrees may be awarded, but these are rare. In certain cases, the bachelor's or master's degree can be awarded with a university supplement, e.g. B. at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Bachelor's and master's degrees are offered as academic degrees from universities and equivalent colleges and universities of applied sciences. All bachelor's and master's degree programs must meet common requirements that are checked during accreditation . The names of the degrees are no longer differentiated according to the type of university, so that a distinction between technical college and university degrees (with the exception of university supplements in the bachelor's or master's degree, see above) is no longer possible.

The standard period of study is 6 to 8 semesters for a Bachelor (usually 6) and a further 2 to 4 semesters (usually 4) for a Master. It is also not dependent on the type of university or the subject area of ​​computer science. A consecutive Master’s course, together with a preceding Bachelor’s degree, has a standard period of study of 10 semesters, which corresponds to 300  ECTS points.

As in other disciplines, master’s courses in computer science can be assigned to the profile more application-oriented or more research-oriented. The profiles also do not depend on the type of university. In principle, both profiles can be offered at both universities and technical colleges.

At vocational academies, bachelor's degree programs are also offered, which award a state qualification. In the future, these degrees are intended to give the same university-law authorizations as the bachelor’s degrees of the universities in order to simplify the admission to further studies.

promotion

There is the possibility of doing a doctorate at universities and colleges of equal standing. A doctorate serves as proof of the ability to carry out in-depth scientific work. This usually leads away from universal education to specialization in a corresponding sub-area. Depending on the faculty and the focus of the dissertation, the academic degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. Nat.) Or Doctor of Engineering (Dr.-Ing.) Is awarded.

The master’s degree at universities and technical colleges basically entitles the holder to a doctorate, just like the university’s diploma degrees. But you can also do a doctorate with a bachelor's degree. Particularly qualified diploma graduates from universities of applied sciences or vocational academies can also be given access to a doctorate at a university. To do this, however, depending on the admission regulations, an entrance examination must first be completed and additional study achievements must be performed, which may include several semesters.

After completing a doctorate, the decision must be made again between pursuing an academic career (remaining at the university, e.g. for a habilitation ) or switching to other public services or business. In the latter case, a doctorate in computer science is by no means “mandatory” for professional opportunities (unlike, for example, in medicine or chemistry). The additional time spent at the university does not necessarily pay off financially.

history

The term computer science was coined in 1957 by Karl Steinbuch (see definition of computer science ). Computer science courses were set up in the Federal Republic of Germany towards the end of the 1960s as part of the national research program for computer science (ÜRF) in response to the so-called software crisis . While the Federal Ministry of Research was still concentrating on better equipping data centers and setting up large-scale research facilities, the industry was already complaining about the lack of qualified specialists. Robert Piloty , professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt , pointed out in this context that the training of specialists is the task of the universities.

Under Piloty's influence, recommendations were also made for the computer science course, which were based on the American computer science courses . In 1968, the then Federal Research Minister Gerhard Stoltenberg used computer science as the name for the new courses to be set up in a speech at the TU Berlin . The research program envisaged 120 research groups at 15 to 20 universities. In the start-up phase, 70% of the personnel and material costs should be borne by the federal government and 30% by the respective federal states. The prerequisite for participation in the program was the introduction of computer science studies by the winter semester of 1971.

In 1956 the first students of the Technical University of Darmstadt (TH Darmstadt) were able to deal with the problems of calculating machines at the Darmstadt electronic calculator . At the same time, the first programming lectures and internships were offered at the TH Darmstadt . The TH Munich (today TU Munich) offered a branch of information processing as part of the mathematics course as early as 1967 . In 1968 the TH Darmstadt introduced the first computer science course. In 1969 the course "Data Technology (Technical Computer Science)" followed at the TH Darmstadt and in 1970 a mathematics course, which was completed with the degree "Diplomingenieur in Mathematik with a focus on computer science". In 1969, the full degree in computer engineering was introduced in the GDR . At the TU Dresden in 1967 machine computing technology ( lecture machine computing technology ) was offered as an elective. In the autumn semester of 1969, a "Information Processing Section" of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering / Electronics started training to become a "Diploma Engineer for Information Processing", initially with around 150 full-time students per year. (The term "informatics" was used in the GDR by library science; that only changed in the 1980s). In 1968 the Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences introduced the information technology course (programming of computer systems) as an independent course. The University of Karlsruhe (the current KIT) offered a full course in computer science for the first time in the winter semester 1969/70, produced Germany's first graduate computer scientist in 1971 and founded the first computer science faculty in 1972. In 2002, 30 years of computer science was celebrated at German universities.

In Austria , the legal basis for studying computer science was created by the federal law of July 10, 1969.

In 1969, lectures for the computer science diploma course began at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz , although the initiators of the course under the leadership of Heinz Zemanek had agreed to start with Vienna in 1970. At the Vienna University of Technology (at that time still “Technical University in Vienna”) the computer science course (course code E88) was set up together with the University of Vienna (course code A88). For the first time in Austria, computer science received a study commission for the development of study regulations and curriculum, in which professors , research assistants and students were represented in equal numbers (3 each from "Technology" and 2 each from the University of Vienna; third parity ). Since this experiment, which was under the general line "democratization of all areas of life" of the sole government of the Socialist Party of Austria ( SPÖ ) elected in 1970 under Federal Chancellor Kreisky , had proven itself in computer science, this body was approved by the University Organization Act 1975 ("UOG ´75") Introduced for all Austrian courses. In January 1971, the founding congress of the field of study with leading speakers from around the world took place at what was then the Technical University of Vienna . Gradually, with the appointment of one or two professors per year, the range of courses was created in line with the course of the first year. The number of computer science students increased in the first years from about 50 in 1970 by about another 50 per year.

In 1975 the first graduates left the Vienna University of Technology with the academic degree of Diplomingenieur ( Dipl.-Ing. ).

In the years and decades that followed, computer science became the field of study with the highest number of students. In the 1990s, computer science branched out into a large number of courses, although there was and is no staff, space or money for it (e.g. media informatics, medical informatics). In 2012, the Vienna University of Technology was forced to limit the number of IT students.

In Switzerland there was only an opportunity to study at the ETH Zurich from 1980 .

A current development - adapted to the economic situation - is to establish parts of the computer science course as individual courses, such as business informatics , applied computer science or software technology .

See also

Portal: Informatik  - Overview of Wikipedia content on the topic of informatics

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ z. B. State University Act Baden-Württemberg, i. d. F. of January 5, 2005
  2. ↑ z. B. Dual University BW Karlsruhe ( Memento from June 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Computer Science. Retrieved June 15, 2020 .
  4. ↑ since 1971, the year of the first diploma examination in Karlsruhe on February 17, 1971
  5. ↑ a b Hochschulrektorenkonferenz , Kultusministerkonferenz : General provisions and framework examination regulations ( Memento of the original dated November 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.hrk.de
  6. ^ Conference of Ministers of Education : Framework examination regulations / subject-specific provisions
  7. ↑ Framework regulations for the diploma examination in the computer science course - Universities of Applied Sciences - (resolution HRK on November 5, 2002, KMK on December 13, 2002; PDF; 220 kB)
  8. ↑ a b c d e f Common structural specifications in accordance with Section 9 (2) HRG for the accreditation of Bachelor and Master courses with additions for courses at art and music colleges (resolution of the KMK of October 10, 2003 as amended on September 22 2005)
  9. ↑ cf. Guidelines for the accreditation of interdisciplinary study programs of the accreditation agencies
  10. ↑ a b c State university laws, e.g. B. LHG Baden-Württemberg i. d. F. of January 1, 2005, § 38
  11. ↑ z. B. Doctoral regulations of the University of Karlsruhe (TH) for the Faculty of Computer Science i. d. F. dated September 17, 1997
  12. ↑ a b Christine Pieper: University Computer Science in the Federal Republic and the GDR until 1989/1990 . In: Science, Politics and Society . 1st edition. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-515-09363-7 .
  13. ^ Faculty of Computer Science: History. Retrieved September 13, 2019 .