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Faculty of Mathematics
Faculty of Mathematics
Faculty of Mathematics 

Foundations in Data Science  Bachelor Degree Program

Overview

  • Degree: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)
  • Standard period of study: 6 semesters
  • Start: Winter semester
  • Application deadline (winter semester): mid-September (for German applicants) and mid-July (for international applicants)
  • Admission: no particular restriction
  • Department: Mathematics
  • Languages: English; learning German is a compulsory part of the program

Our strengths

  • Good supportive environment: A family environment where everyone knows everyone and you will always be helped quickly.
  • Industry and practice orientated: Co-operations with companies for your university projects and extensive working student opportunities.
  • No programming requirements: You don't need to know a specific programming language, a few basic skills and motivation for programming are enough.
  • Uncomplicated authorisation: Your application will be reviewed quickly and individually so that you don't have to wait long for a decision.
  • Stay abroad: You can easily study abroad with Erasmus+ (e.g. Trinity College Dublin) and have your courses recognised. You can find our partner universities and further information on our Erasmus programme website.

From Bachelor to Master

After completing the bachelor program in mathematics, you can pursue your studies with a master in

Curriculum

Classes listed for the odd-numbered terms are generally offered in the winter semester (starting in October) while classes of the even-numbered terms usually take place in the summer semester (starting in April).

Foundations in Data Science

Mathematics ECTS Modeling and Computing ECTS Language
1st term Mathematics for Science and Engineering I 10 Digital Systems 5 German or English up to level C.1
30 ECTS
(5 ECTS per semester)
Mathematical Training I 5 Computational Machine Learning 5
2nd term Mathematics for Science and Engineering II 10 Microprocessor Technology 5
Mathematical Training II 5 Scientific Programming 5
3rd term Mathematics for Science and Engineering III 10 Mathematical Modeling in Economics 10
Applied Optimization 5
4th term Mathematics for Science and Engineering IV 10 Statistical Modeling 5
Numerical Methods 10
Specialization ECTS
5th term Proseminar 5
Compulsory Electives 20
6th term Compulsory Electives 10
Bachelor Thesis 15

Application

In a nutshell

Here are the most crucial steps for international applicants. More information (also for candidates from Germany) can be found below.

  • Check whether you are eligible for applying.
  • You might need a certain proof of English proficiency even if you don't expect that. This might also be relevant for visa.
  • Complete the subject-specific entrance test in order to check whether your mathematical skills meet the requirements for our program, and hand it in along with you application to uni-assist.
  • Prepare your application to uni-assist as soon as possible.
  • Processing your application at uni-assist and at the Admissions Office of TU Chemnitz can take up to eight weeks and more. Therefore it is risky to schedule a visa appointment before receiving an admission letter.

Prerequisites

Admission to the Bachelor's degree programme requires a successfully completed secondary school qualification (e.g., Abitur, A-levels) and English language skills at level B2 (CEFR).

Applicants should be familiar with the subject matter covered by the German General University Entrance Qualification (Abitur). Our online preparatory course outlines the mathematics knowledge expected of first-year students. All applicants should familiarize themselves with the course contents and be able to pass the provided tests.

Please note that this is an optional resource. You are not required to complete the entire course before applying. The subject-specific entrance test is more important, see the section below concerning the application process.

Language proficiency

No prior knowledge of German is required for admission. However, as German courses are compulsory in our program, students without proven German language skills must complete the corresponding language modules. Depending on the entry level, these lead to at least language level B1/B1+ (CEFR).

In many cases, prospective students have to prove English language skills. Please refer to our FAQ for details.

Application

As part of the application, you are strongly encouraged to complete our subject-specific entrance test.
Please save the results of this test as a PDF file. You should then upload this file in the application process.

If you hold a German Abitur,
you may enrol directly via the ‘Bewerbungsportal’ (Application Portal). Please follow the instructions and observe the application deadlines.
If you are applying from abroad,
you will generally need to apply via the uni-assist agency. Please follow the instructions and observe the application deadlines.
  • A list of required application documents is available on the "How to apply at University of Technology Chemnitz" page.
  • Upload the application documents and the subject-specific entrance test results to uni-assist.
    • To find the "Foundations in Data Science" programme in the uni-assist database, proceed as follows: Once registered, log in and navigate to the "Search courses of study" section. In the drop-down menu "University" and "Degree type", please select "Technische Universität Chemnitz (TU)" and "Bachelor", respectively, and click "Search". Please note that the results are not displayed alphabetically; the "Foundations in Data Science" programme may appear on later pages.)
  • The deadline for applications to uni-assist is 15 July (applications for fall term, starting in October), 15 January (applications for spring term, starting April 1). The application must be submitted in full to uni-assist by that deadline. Please note that incomplete applications will not be evaluated.
  • You will be notified of any missing documents; however, these must still be submitted before the deadline. As incomplete applications received by the deadline will be rejected, we strongly recommend submitting your application as early as possible, preferably eight weeks in advance.
  • We also refer to the Guide for international applicants at TU Chemnitz.

Visa Requirements

International students require a visa and proof of sufficient funds. The visa process can take several months; we recommend applying well in advance. You can typically schedule a visa appointment before receiving your admission letter. However, you will need your admission letter for the appointment. Please review the specific documents required for your visa application, the required level of financial proof, and available funding options for studying in Germany. For more information, see: Student Visa Germany and Blocked Account.

Careers

Data scientists are characterized not only by their sound theoretical and practical knowledge, but also by their ability to think logically and abstractly, approach problems analytically, communicate precisely, show perseverance in solving complex problems and work effectively in a team. These skills are at the heart of the Foundations in Data Science degree program in Chemnitz, which is also distinguished by its strong focus on mathematics. It is precisely these skills, combined with in-depth mathematical training and state-of-the-art data analysis methods, that open up excellent career prospects for graduates.

Another core feature of the degree program is the close link between mathematics and computer science. This combination enables students to master data-based challenges in practice and to solve complex problems analytically across various fields. In the age of digitalization, in which data increasingly forms the basis for decisions and innovations, interdisciplinary collaboration between mathematics, computer science and applied sciences is becoming increasingly important. The Data Science degree program in Chemnitz therefore offers numerous electives in technical, natural, and social sciences to foster this interdisciplinary approach.

Graduates of the Bachelor's degree program in Data Science are versatile and can find exciting career opportunities, for example, in the following industries and sectors:

  • Data analytics and business intelligence
  • Management and IT consulting
  • Banks and financial services
  • Technology centres and high-tech companies
  • Software development and artificial intelligence
  • Telecommunications and network analysis
  • Medical data analysis and bioinformatics
  • Logistics and supply chain optimisation
  • Automotive industry and smart mobility
Graduates of the advanced Master's programme in Data Science are ideally qualified for management positions also have the best prerequisites for management positions in business or for an academic career in research and teaching. Thanks to the high demand for data science skills, the unemployment rate in this field is extremely low.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following answers primarily address questions from international applicants.
Further information can also be found on the Frequently Asked Questions provided by the Student Service of TU Chemnitz.

The information below has been compiled by faculty staff to the best of our knowledge. However, we cannot accept any liability for its accuracy. The general Disclaimer of Chemnitz University of Technology (TU Chemnitz) applies.

General

There are no tuition fees; however, you must pay the semester contribution each semester and, of course, you must cover your own living expenses.

Application and admission

The evaluation of your documents is conducted by uni‑assist based on the submitted documents and the applicable criteria. Unfortunately, TU Chemnitz cannot provide a binding preliminary check or an individual assessment.

For intake in October, the application period at uni-assist is April 1 to July 15. We suggest that you apply as early as possible.

Firstly, applying early ensures that uni-assist can process your application more quickly. Consequently, given you are admitted, you have more time for planning the move to Germany, e.g., scheduling a visa interview.

Secondly, it is not possible to hand in any (potentially) missing document to uni-assist after July 15. Given that the processing time can last up to six weeks or longer, submitting an application as late as the beginning of June may already be problematic.

Please observe the application deadlines.

Although we strongly recommend to start in the winter semester we also allow for intake in the summer semester. However, in the latter case you might need longer than six semesters to complete the program, because classes in the summer term are based on the material taught in the winter term.

You may check whether you are eligible to apply to our program via the uni-assist webpage. Please also note further information on that page, including Info country by country.

A Studienkolleg prepares students for admission to German-taught degree programs in Germany. Attending a Studienkolleg in pursuit of enrolling in our program is not recommended as it does not require prior knowledge of German.

Depending on your case, you might need to attend a university in your home country for another year to qualify for admission. Please note that only certain subjects are accepted for this purpose. We regret that we cannot offer any further information on this matter.

Our program is highly focused on mathematics. To give you an impression of the minimum requirements in mathematics and to help you decide whether you fit our program, we kindly ask you to complete the subject-specific entrance test and include the result with your application.

This depends in the first place on the processing times at uni-assist. Once you have received your result from uni-assist, please allow at least one additional week for the Admissions Office at TU Chemnitz to decide on your case.

We regret that we are unable to offer a pre-check of your documents.

Yes, but this might significantly delay the entire process. Moreover, uni-assist will not accept any document being sent later than July 15. This deadline is implemented by uni-assist and cannot be extended. According to the uni-assist webpage,

If you upload additional documents after submitting your online application while the evaluation of your application at uni-assist is still ongoing, these additional documents will be processed in the order of their upload date. The processing time for supplementary documents is usually 4 to 6 weeks from the day of upload. The status of your application will change once uni-assist has reviewed the new documents. You will be notified by email as soon as the updated evaluation result is available in your My assist account. For more details, please see: Submitting additional documents.

You will receive a letter along with your admission documents from TU Chemnitz. We regret that we are unable to issue provisional documents of any kind. In particular, we cannot influence the processing times at uni-assist.

In principle, you can extend your studies, if necessary. At some point, higher fees might apply. There might also arise issues beyond our control, such as the extension of your visa.

This is possible, but some limitations apply. You have to apply after enrolling at TU Chemnitz. Unfortunately, we are unable to conduct a preliminary review.

Yes, but you must first apply for admission to the first semester. Once you have been admitted, you may apply for credit transfer and placement into a higher semester. Please understand that we are unable to conduct any preliminary reviews regarding this matter.

To begin with, we highly recommend limited enrolment from abroad.

We offer most classes of the first term in a hybrid mode. If you have chosen limited enrolment from abroad you must be present in Chemnitz by March at the latest (following intake in October) to finalize your enrolment. Moreover, we do not offer online exams. If you miss the exams of the first term you can take them a year later.

In case you are unable to arrive in Chemnitz before the end of the first semester, we will try to defer your admission to the following semester. In this case you must arrive in Chemnitz by the end of the second month (i.e., May, for original intake in October). However, in the worst case you will have to restart the application process via uni-assist. Please note that classes in the second term are generally not offered in a hybrid mode.

Language requirements

Please note that you may need to provide a language certificate not only to uni-assist, but also when applying for your visa.

No prior knowledge of German is required for admission, but learning German is a compulsory part of our program.

English language proficiency at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required. In most cases you need to present a proof.

Unless you are from a country where English is the official or primary language of instruction, you need to prove English language skills at level B2. More details can be found on the list of admissible certificates at the webpage of the Admissions Office.

This is unlikely. The final verification and assessment are carried out exclusively by uni‑assist as part of the application review and cannot be influenced by TU Chemnitz.

According to the list of admissible certificates, a completed university degree program taught entirely in English counts as proof of English proficiency.

If you have any further question regarding proof of English proficiency, please contact our Admissions Office.

In general, MOI certificates for studies that (a) have not yet been completed, or that (b) refer only to (secondary) school education, are not accepted as sufficient proof of English proficiency. There is only one exception, namely certificates regarding completed university degrees.

Please note that the final verification and assessment are carried out exclusively by uni‑assist as part of the application review.

This cannot be decided in advance.

First you should choose a language class which is adapted to your prior knowledge. In order to meet registration deadlines or schedule a placement test, please consult the instructions on the webpage of the Foreign Language Centre in advance, i.e., mid-September for the winter term and mid-March for the summer term.

Later you can apply for recognition of your language certificate by sending the respective form (unfortunately there is no English version) via email or regular mail.

Enrollment

We suggest that you opt for limited enrolment since it provides you with the option to temporarily conduct your studies from abroad. This is particularly relevant if you are not sure that you will arrive at Chemnitz before November.

standard enrolment
You must be physically present at Chemnitz in November (or earlier), otherwise you can no longer enrol.
limited enrolment from abroad
You can only choose this option before the end of September (for intake in October). Then you have time to arrive in Chemnitz by March.
More information can be found in your admission letter.

Visa

In general, applicants are advised to contact the visa issuance office of the German embassy in advance to inquire about visa requirements, particularly language certificates. Most visa offices require a B2 certificate (in English).

Please note that acceptance of your language certificate by uni-assist does not imply that it will likewise be accepted by the embassy.

About the study programme

Most exams are scheduled within four weeks after the end of the lecture time, i.e., generally in February and at the beginning of March for the winter term and in July and at the beginning of August for the summer term.

In principle there is no particular prerequisite. You should have a good understanding of mathematics, be curious, and enjoy tackling complex problems.
The complimentary subject-specific entrance test provides some feedback on your mathematical knowledge. We strongly encourage you to complete it before applying.

You do not necessarily need to know a specific programming language, but you should have some prior knowledge and motivation for programming.

The main focus is on Python, but R, Julia and Matlab are also used.

Studying and living in Chemnitz

We highly recommend taking advantage of the services offered by our colleagues from the International Office. On their website, you will find the following in particular:

Plenty of information is available on the official webpage Studying in Chemnitz hosted by TU Chemnitz.

In general, professors and instructors are open for discussion after the lectures or during office hours. As the department is relatively small, there is a lot of interaction between students and teaching staff. We also offer extra consultation facilities at our Learning|ROOM.

Faculty

Prof. Dr. Imma Valentina Curato
Career
MSc University of Florence, PhD University of Pisa, Ulm University
Research
Statistics for Stochastic Processes, Bayesian Learning, Time Series Analysis
Teaching
Mathematical Statistics, Statistical Modeling, Statistics in Data Science
Prof. Dr. Oliver Ernst
Career
Dipl.-Math. Karlsruhe, PhD Stanford, University of Maryland, TU Freiberg
Research
Uncertainty Quantification, Numerical Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis
Teaching
Introduction to Data Science, Uncertainty Quantification, Numerical Linear Algebra
Prof. Dr. Uta Freiberg
Career
Dipl.-Math. HU Berlin, PhD FSU Jena, La Sapienza Rom, ANU Canberra, Uni Stuttgart
Research
Stochastic Processes, Fractals, Energy Forms
Teaching
Stochastics, Stochastic Processes, Fractals
Prof. Dr. Christoph Helmberg
Career
Dipl.-Ing. TU Graz, PhD TU Graz, Zuse Institut Berlin
Research
Discrete Optimization, Semidefinite Programming, Convex Optimization
Teaching
Discrete Optimization, Graph Theory, Nonlinear Optimization
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Neumayer
Career
MSc RPTU Kaiserslautern, PhD TU Berlin, EPFL Lausanne
Research
Inverse Problems, Mathematical Imaging, Data Science
Teaching
Inverse Problems, Image Processing, Functional Analysis, Optimal Transport
Prof. Dr. Alois Pichler
Career
Studies in Mathematics and Physics, University of Vienna; PhD, University of Vienna; Industry experience in insurance
Research
Statistics and Probability Theory, Optimization under Uncertainty, Finance, Risk Theory
Teaching
Statistical Methods in Data Science, Stochastic Optimization
Prof. Dr. Daniel Potts
Career
Dipl.-Math. Rostock, PhD Lübeck
Research
Fourier Analysis, NFFT, Fast Summation Methods, Big Data Learning
Teaching
Sparse and High-Dimensional Approximation, Introduction to Fourier Analysis
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Shikhman
Career
Dipl.-Math. RWTH Aachen, PhD RWTH Aachen, Catholic University of Louvain
Research
Economic Equilibrium Analysis, Nonsmooth Optimization
Teaching
Big Data Analytics, Mathematics in Investment Banking
Prof. Dr. Martin Stoll
Career
Dipl.-Math. Chemnitz, PhD Oxford, University of Oxford, MPI Magdeburg
Research
Numerical Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis, Data Science
Teaching
Matrix Methods in Data Science, Numerical Linear Algebra, Numerics
Prof. Dr. Tino Ullrich
Career
Studies in Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Ilmenau; Dipl.-Math. and PhD, FSU Jena; Complutense University Madrid; Hausdorff Center for Mathematics, Bonn
Research
High-Dimensional Approximation Theory, Function Spaces, Information Based Complexity
Teaching
Learning Theory, Compressed Sensing, Hilbert Space Methods, Nonlinear Approximation

More Information

Study documents Translated study documents (not legally binding)
Further documents
Study advisor
Portrait: Prof. Dr. Philipp Reiter
Prof. Dr. Philipp Reiter
  • Phone:
    +49 371 531-31585
  • Address:
    Reichenhainer Straße 39, 09126 Chemnitz
  • Room:
    C46.720 (prev. 2/39/720)
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  • Email:
    We kindly ask you to review the FAQ section before sending any inquiry to .

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