Application and Admission 5.11.2020

The next application period starts on 15 February 2021. 

Once a year, you have the possibility to apply for the Master of Science Intelligent Adaptive Systems at Universität Hamburg, Germany. The application period for the winter semester each year starts February 15 and ends March 31. The Universität Hamburg notifies about formal rejection/acceptance/waiting list in mid-May in your STiNE account. There is no summer semester intake or late intake. 

Please check whether you meet both the following two requirements before applying to the IAS Master Program. Note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a place in the IAS Master Program. However, we can only consider your application if you meet the minimum requirements. Find out more about the individual minimum requirements by clicking on them.

The minimum requirements:

1. 60 ECTS in core computer science
   1. A Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field insofar as 60 ECTS credit points were acquired in the core field of computer science. Any kind of maths, economics, management, electrical engineering, soft skills courses do not count. Please use this table template and fill in only your finished core Computer Science subjects. Please provide all the information asked for in the table. Please also read the explanation in the wiki. Note, that you have to explain courses with meaningless names like „Project“ or „Thesis“; you have to provide extra proof that the course has a significant computer science content (e.g., via an official module description/ letter of recommendation). Do not send full handbooks. The table has to be precise and well-structured. 
2. English language proficiency
   1. CEFR/TELC Level >= at least B2 in all categories or C1
   2. IELTS >= Overall band 6.5 + B2 (*with a minimum subscore of 6.0 for Listening, Comprehension, Speaking, Writing)
      
   3. TOEFL: IBT >= 90 (*with a minimum subscore of 20 for Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing),
   4. PBT >= 575, CBT >= 230
   5. Cambridge >= CAE or CPE

*You still have to reach the overall minimum level

The medium of instruction of your degree is not sufficient proof of English Language Proficiency! Please read the detailed explanation of alternative cases of providing proof of the English Proficiency in our wiki: minimum requirements.

60 ECTS Quick-Check Service:

As an extra service: Every year from November to January the IAS-Team offers a voluntary preliminary quick check of whether you meet the minimum requirements. For receiving an answer please provide:

• Evidence of your 60+ ECTS using the IAS table template 
• Fill in all the information in the table-template
• Transcript (+highlighted information (see table template))
• Fill in all fields on the cover-letter-form asking for information regarding your personal and academic information on the cover-letter-form. But do not send a CV, Motivational letter or the STiNE form.
• English Certificate (if you have or information which Proficiency Test you will take)
• via Email ask nicely for a quick check (Contact us here)
• Note: emails with missing information will be deleted

This is the formal process to apply to the IAS Master:

1. Register with the central administration of Universität Hamburg (CampusCenter) via the STiNE online form (see Required documents, 2. ). Submit the STiNE online form to receive a BW-Number (application number). Only if you have submitted the STiNE online form, you are allowed to formally take part in the application process for the IAS Master. This is only possible during the application period. Read more about the STiNE online form here.
2. Send your complete application in a single pdf to the IAS Team at the Department of Informatics. To be considered for the IAS Master you need to: a. meet the minimum requirements. b. provide all required documents in your application to the IAS Team. c. your application needs to be received before the application deadline. Please read the corresponding sections on this website and consult the wiki for more explanations.

For further information about the individual documents, please click on the document titles to be redirected to our wiki. Please use the following order of documents to send your application: 

1. Filled in cover letter form: The first page of your application is this pdf-form asking for your personal information. Only use the cover-letter-form provided by us. If you cannot fill in your information with a technical device, please do so by hand (and scan for the final application pdf). Make sure the information is saved and displayable. This document goes on top of your application; it is the first page of your final application pdf.
2. STiNE online form: The Universität Hamburg Campus Center (= central administration) requires you to fill out a general and university-wide online form on their platform called STiNE. Please fill out this form before sending your required documents to the IAS Team. On the STiNE platform: Create an application account and choose the IAS course. Submit, print, sign the STiNE online form, and include it in your application to the IAS Team. Registering on the STiNE platform is only possible within the application period. Please see our wiki entry for detailed help on how to fill in your data.
3. CV: Your Curriculum Vitae (table version) needs to contain your relevant experience (academic, work, international, extracurricular)
4. Letter of motivation: A letter of motivation written by yourself in English (max. 1.5 pages) in which you explain why you chose the IAS Master program in Hamburg, why it facilitates your academic and professional aims, and how it aligns with your previous experience (also international experience). Please be precise and write about yourself – no generic history lesson on computer science.
5. Proof of English language proficiency: Read more about the proof you need to provide in the section regarding minimum requirements.
6. Transcript of Records: Your degree’s transcript of records listing all your finished courses with credit hours, individual course grades, and your final or average grade. Please only apply if you can provide at least a transcript which is only missing the final semester.
7. Filled out table of 60 ECTS in core computer science – please use the form provided here: Read more about the proof you need to provide in the section regarding minimum requirements.
8. Bachelor Certificate: A copy of your certificate showing that you have finished your degree (the Bachelor Certificate). If you have not finished your degree yet, please provide evidence of the date that you will finish on – issued by your university.
9. Diploma Supplement: A description of your degree issued by your university (sometimes this is the first or last page of your transcript or degree certificate). We need the degree description, degree certificate, and transcript to understand and compare the degree offered at your university, e.g., semesters per year, weeks of lectures in a semster, in-class / contact hours, total credit hours or points, grades possible, grading scheme ….
10. Your Grade: Please provide your grade in numbers.  The grade has to be stated in an official document containing your final grade or preliminary cumulative average grade in numbers issued by your university. If your degree certificate or your transcript provides your grade then you do not need a second document. Highlight your grade in the corresponding document.
11. The corresponding grading scale: Provide your degree’s general grading scale in numbers in an official document issued by your university. The degree’s grading scale needs to contain the minimum passing grade and the maximum grade of your degree in numbers. Please highlight the grading scale in the document. If your transcript or certificate or diploma supplement provides such a scale, then you do not need a second document. For quicker understanding, please highlight passing and maximum grade in the document.
12. Recognition of foreign educational qualifications: If you have not done your degree in Germany then you need evidence that your foreign educational qualifications are recognized by Universität Hamburg, Germany. Please read the section 11 about Anabin and how to evidence it cost-free in our wiki. 

Additional Documents: You may provide additional documents but please only if relevant to the IAS study program or selection criteria, e.g., a letter of recommendation or online course certificates, or stay abroad, volunteering, proof of work/international/intercultural experience etc..  Generally, it is a good idea to provide some extra proof of things you mention in your application. It makes your application more trustworthy.

Include all application documents in one single PDF-document and send the document via e-mail. Follow precisely the following steps to successfully send your final application PDF-document. Read more about minimum requirements and required documents in our wiki:

• Use the following email address to send your application document. Use it only for your application document: ias-application@informatik.uni-hamburg.de
• Send one single pdf document that includes all your required documents 1-12.
• Only use the following filename for your application PDF-document: Final_IAS_Application_YourFullname_YourBW-number.pdf
• Use the order of documents in your pdf as presented here 1.-12 when compiling the document
• Not more than 9 MB
• Deadline is 31 March (11:59 pm UCT + 2, Central European Summer Time)
• Use only this Email – subject [Final IAS Application] [Your Full name, Your BW-number] (The emails will be automatically checked.)
• Use this Email-text and fill in your information accordingly:
  • „Dear IAS-Team, this is my final application to the Master’s program IAS. I have registered in STiNE. This is my BW-Number: … Please consider the attached application document as my final and only application to the IAS study program. [Please additionally state whether you have already sent a paper application or whether you are only applying via email. It does not matter how – we just need to know.]  Kind regards, your name.“
• You may include extra pages on suitable positions within your application-pdf for explanations and structure. We love neat and structured applications.
• Do not write any extra information in the Email text 

The IAS Team will only process applications that follow precisely the above steps. (Check the Filename, Subject, Text, pdf, completeness before sending the email)