Bachelor’s programme in Computer Science

The bachelor's degree programme in Computer Science provides a professional qualification that imparts basic competencies in both practical and theoretical computer science across a broad front. Due to a high proportion of elective modules, however, the degree programme also offers sufficient opportunity for in-depth study. The range of courses in computer science is supplemented by courses in mathematics, in the application area, and in the Studium Generale area of study. The bachelor's degree not only qualifies graduates for a professional occupation immediately after the bachelor's degree, but also for the more advanced, research-oriented master's degree.

The degree programme is intended to enable graduates to work successfully throughout their entire professional life. To this end, there is a need to teach students not only content that is relevant to the present, but also the theoretically underpinnings and methods that will endure beyond any current trends. In particular, competencies are taught in the following fields: formal, algorithmic, mathematical competencies; analysis, design, realisation, and project management competencies; technological competencies; interdisciplinary competencies; methodological competences; as well as social competences and self-competence.

Compared to the Type 2 bachelor's programme in Applied Computer Science, the scope of the application subject has been significantly reduced in favour of computer science. Training in the application subject pursues a different objective than in Applied Computer Science. Primarily, the terminology and methodology of an application subject are taught so that computer scientists acquire general competencies in application-related work that are transferable to other areas of application.

With the introduction of the bachelor's programme in Computer Science, the Department of Computer Science is supplementing its range of courses so that Type 1 and Type 2 courses are now offered in parallel in both bachelor's and master's programmes.

In contrast to the Applied Computer Science degree programme, which focuses on its three application subjects, the bachelor's programme in Computer Science focuses more on variety.

You can look forward to compulsory modules in practical and theoretical computer science, and choose from among eight minors. It is important to us that you receive continuous training in programming from the first semester onwards. In your third semester, you will expand your individual programming experience in the bachelor practical, which will stand you in good stead for the teamwork involved in the bachelor’s project. In addition to the basics of mathematics, you can choose one of the following minors: Physics, Mathematics, Biochemistry, Earth Sciences, Law, Economics, Media, or Engineering Science.

A Studium Generale will expand your key linguistic and interdisciplinary competencies. With this wealth of knowledge and experience, you will then begin to write your bachelor's thesis.

We attach great importance to intensive student support. Our aim is to offer each student the best possible working conditions and thus to ensure excellent conditions to successful complete their degree.

 
*ECTS Credit points according to ECTS. The awarding of credit points according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) supports the international comparability of academic courses completed at European universities.
 
**You can only choose one minor subject.

Are you aiming for a university career in computer science, or would you find it more appealing to take on the complex challenges the private sector has to offer? Either way, the bachelor's degree programme in Computer Science qualifies you for a wide range of professional activities, e.g. in large companies in the IT sector, in public administrations, in software firms, in banks and insurance companies, but also in companies that use hardware and software in embedded systems, such as in automotive and aircraft construction.

In addition to the technical skills, the Bayreuth degree programme will also equip you with key competencies essential, for example, in management and teamwork. For instance, you knowledge and skills will be in demand just as much in the development departments of medium-sized and large companies, or you might atrt work straight away as a freelance consultant.

The bachelor's programme Computer Science is designed for approximately 50 first-year students per year. It addresses a target group that is complementary to the more application-oriented target group of the bachelor's degree programme Applied Computer Science.

A wide range of alternative application subjects is offered. The selection of application subjects is coordinated with the master's programme in Computer Science to enable consecutive study. All courses of the application subjects can be covered with already existing modules via teaching contributions from other institutes and faculties. This strategy is based on the idea that computer science students learn to understand the technical language of the application areas through such courses. Thus, they are able to design and implement the experts’ application systems together with the experts.

The bachelor's programme Computer Science is made up of the sub-areas listed in the following table. Compared to the bachelor's programme Applied Computer Science, a new sub-area Studium Generale was introduced, which can be designed by the students based on their interdisciplinary interests. Apart from the bachelor's thesis, an interval of credit points is specified for each sub-area in order to allow students sufficient flexibility in balancing the sub-areas. Within the sub-areas, the selection options were expanded by reducing the proportion of compulsory modules. Overall, the bachelor's programme Computer Science offers significantly more flexibility than the previous bachelor's programme Applied Computer Science.

 
In the sub-area of computer science, all lectures, tutorials, and seminars are identical to the corresponding courses in applied computer science. Compared to the bachelor's programme Applied Computer Science, the scope of the compulsory modules has been slightly reduced. The compulsory modules cover all the basic areas of practical and theoretical computer science (with an emphasis on practical computer science). Due to the larger overall scope of the sub-area compared to the bachelor's programme Applied Computer Science, up to seven elective modules can be completed.

Particular emphasis is placed on continuous programming training from the first semester onwards. This is partly integrated into lectures and tutorials (e.g. concepts of programming, algorithms and data structures, databases and information systems, as well as software engineering). In addition, a bachelor’s internship must be completed in the third semester, in which basic programming skills are acquired or practised. The (more extensive) bachelor’s project in the fifth semester requires these competences and in particular the course Software Engineering. In this project, a more extensive task is to be worked on in a team.

In the mathematics sub-area, mathematical foundations that are required both in computer science and in the applied subject are addressed. Essentially the same modules are offered as in the bachelor's programme Applied Computer Science, but the number of compulsory modules has been reduced.

In the application sub-area, the application subjects mathematics, physics, biochemistry, geosciences, law, economics, media, or engineering are offered. The application modules serve as an introduction to the respective subject and the corresponding subject-specific terminology.

In the sub-area Studium Generale, coursework on linguistic and interdisciplinary key competences must be completed. These include, for example, skills in public speaking, in writing and presenting in English or German as well as subject-specific knowledge in the areas of science theory, project management, and intercultural communication. As a condition of the modules to be selected here, a content-related proximity and relevance to the bachelor's programme is assumed.

The bachelor's thesis, which is assessed with 15 credit points including a presentation, represents the conclusion of the programme. The bachelor's thesis plays a central role especially with regard to one’s professional qualification and is therefore weighted twice in the calculation of the final grade.

The programme is aimed at prospective students who either want to pursue a career immediately after obtaining their bachelor's degree or who want to expand and deepen their knowledge and skills in a subsequent master's programme. In the latter case, students can continue their studies at the University of Bayreuth in the master's programme Computer Science. To make this possible, the range of applied subjects in both degree programmes is coordinated. Continuation in the master's programme Applied Computer Science is also possible in principle if the missing courses in the application subject are made up.

The bachelor's programme Applied Computer Science is aimed at prospective students with a strong interest in interdisciplinary work. In addition to a basic computer science education, the Applied Computer Science degree programme imparts comprehensive knowledge in the chosen application subject (bioinformatics, environmental informatics, or engineering informatics). In contrast, the new bachelor's programme Computer Science is aimed at prospective students who are primarily interested in computer science training (although application-related work is also taught to a lesser extent and with other requirements as an essential part of the programme). Thus, the two bachelor's programmes address complementary groups of prospective students.

If you are not quite sure whether studying computer science is right for you, we strongly advise you to take one or more computer science self-tests. A collection of tests can be found on the OSA platform. Here you should successfully pass a subject-specific test of a university, e.g. that of the University of Bonn.

No special prior knowledge is required for the bachelor's programme, as it builds on the knowledge gained in high school. In order to close any gaps or to repeat the material, the following preliminary courses should be attended:

• Preparatory course: Concepts of programming for courses in computer science, mathematics and physics
• Mathematics preparatory course for teacher training and bachelor's programmes in mathematics and computer science

For the contents and dates of the preparatory courses, please refer to the web pages of the Student Administration Office.

As the scheduling of the two preparatory courses unfortunately always overlaps, we recommend the following:

• If only programming knowledge is missing, then the programming course should be attended.
• If only school mathematics knowledge is missing, then the mathematics course should be attended.
• If both of these skills are missing, then

- the mathematics course is attended in the 1st week and
- the programming course is attended in the 2nd week and
- the full mathematics course is attended in Summer Semester.

Semester 1

• Timetable of the first semester in winter term 2024/2025
  

   We would like to point out that this overview is only intended to help you get started in your studies more easily.  

Semester 2

• Timetable of the second semester in winter term 2024/2025
  

   We would like to point out that this overview is only intended as a guide to make it easier to start studying.

Semester 3

• Individually compiled timetables

Semester 4

• Individually compiled timetables

Semester 5

• Individually compiled timetables

Semester 6

• Individually compiled timetables

Detailed information about the Certificate Program can be found here.