Computer science as a key tool for the future
Computer science is everywhere: more than almost any other science, it permeates almost all areas of our lives and has also become an indispensable tool in other disciplines: the handling of big data in biology or medicine, the analysis of texts in linguistics or the automation of production processes in mechanical engineering are just a few examples of what applied computer science can look like.
Why study applied computer science?
In addition to the must-haves for every computer scientist, your AI studies will also fill your toolbox with skills from the fields of economics, project management, data protection, and artificial intelligence. You will also gain knowledge from your chosen areas of application, making you a highly sought-after specialist on the job market.
High Demand
There are currently around 149,000 unfilled IT jobs in Germany* - a huge opportunity for anyone who wants to get started in this exciting field!
(*Source: Bitkom Research 2023)
Diverse Career Opportunities
With a degree in applied computer science, all doors and industries are open to you! Whether you want to work for large companies, get started in innovative start-ups, or immerse yourself in the exciting world of research—anything is possible!
High Starting Salary
Starting salaries in the IT sector are particularly high and can rise even further with increasing experience and specialization, meaning that, depending on your degree, you can earn between €45,100 and €62,400* when you start your career.
(*Source: Get-in-it.de)
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Once they start working, even computer scientists no longer work exclusively with their peers. It is therefore advantageous to understand the perspectives of other disciplines and to be able to speak the same “language.” Our program prepares you early on for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Innovation and Technology
Applied computer science is a highly dynamic field that is constantly developing new technologies and methods. Here you have the opportunity to be at the forefront of technological innovation and develop modern solutions.
AnI@RUB
The AnI program at Ruhr University Bochum is unique in that you do not have to specialize. This means you can get a taste of all our exciting areas of application and experience how versatile computer science is as a tool for solving problems and improving the world. With numerous options to choose from during your studies, no two degrees are alike.
You should bring that with you!
With these core skills, you will successfully study Applied Computer Science.
Interest in
interdisciplinary questions
Creativity & logical thinking
No fear of math &
Affinity for logical thinking
Interest in technology &
basic technical understanding
Ability to work in a team
Independence, resilience & stamina
Our Applied Computer Science degree programs
BACHELOR
Applied Computer Science
Are you looking for a varied degree course that allows you to realize your interests and make a real difference? With a degree in Applied Computer Science, you’ll go all in: computer science is everywhere and now touches almost all areas of life – from smartphones, household appliances and cars to product development and medicine. With our degree course, you will make computer science your tool to drive digital and technical progress in a wide range of areas, such as economics, linguistics, biology, civil engineering, mechanical engineering or electrical engineering. Variety is already guaranteed during your studies and you can choose between application areas such as bioinformatics, engineering informatics, neuroinformatics or computational linguistics.
Enrollments are possible from mid-June 2026
Master
Applied Computer Science
In the Master’s degree program in Applied Computer Science, you can build directly on the knowledge you have acquired! You can expect even more freedom here than in the Bachelor’s degree, as there are no compulsory modules. In a small compulsory elective area, you will acquire in-depth knowledge of machine learning, algorithms and complexity theory, programming techniques or cryptography, depending on your choice. This prepares you well for the broad area of specialization, in which you can put together an individually tailored course of study from numerous modules from the fields of engineering informatics, bioinformatics, neuroinformatics, computer linguistics, cryptography and theoretical computer science, programming and simulation technology as well as IT in management.
Enrollments are possible from mid-June 2026
Our Professors introduce themselves
Prof. Dr. Thorsten Berger
Professorship for Software Engineering
Software erobert die Welt: Ein Leben ohne Software ist heute kaum mehr vorstellbar. In addition to smartphones, computers, (industrial) robots and cars, more and more everyday appliances, such as fridges, are being equipped with software.
Software companies dominate the markets. Modern software is data-driven, rich in variants and makes use of technologies such as artificial intelligence. The field of software engineering provides methods and tools that enable software to be developed faster and more automatically. The success of this innovative field depends on highly creative developers, whom we train here.
Prof. Dr. Sen Cheng
Professorship for Computational Neuroscience
How does our brain remember past events? What exactly do we remember? How do these episodic memories help us, for example, with spatial navigation? Our brain is one of the most complex systems in the universe. To understand it, neuroinformatics has spent decades developing models and algorithms such as reinforcement learning and deep neural networks. These methods are currently among the greatest achievements of machine learning and are used in many other areas of applied computer science.
Prof. Dr. Bernd Kuhlenkötter
Professorship for Production Systems
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Smartphones, electric cars, food and medicines – we need highly automated means of production for all of our mass products in order to be able to manufacture these products in sufficient quality and quantity and at reasonable cost, but also in a way that conserves resources. Our research helps to develop tools and systems to organize and support production operations. Be it through smart assistance systems that are constantly improving through machine learning processes or through collaborative robots with which we can work hand in hand and safely.
Prof. Dr. Christian Meske
Professorship for Sociotechnical System Design and Artificial Intelligence
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
In order to shape the digital transformation, we need to look at the interaction between people, technology and organization together. This socio-technical perspective is also the focus of my research. One area of focus here is artificial intelligence (AI) in work processes. How should AI and the interaction between humans and AI be designed? How can AI be made explainable and what influence does this explainability have on people’s trust and work performance? In my courses, I teach the technical, methodological and theoretical foundations to be able to answer these and many more questions.
Prof. Dr. Axel Mosig
Professorship for Bioinformatics
Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
Bioinformatics has become an integral part of modern life sciences. From pattern recognition in microscopic image data for medical diagnostics to the analysis of genomic sequencing data in basic research, algorithms and machine learning methods have become a kind of digital lens. This allows biological systems to be better understood and modeled. By better understanding the often somewhat hidden properties of algorithms, we can focus our digital lens more precisely on the questions we are working on with modern ways of thinking in interdisciplinary teams.
Prof. Dr. Markus König
Professorship for Computer Science in Civil Engineering
Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The built environment is the backbone of our society. How can we build homes faster and more sustainably in the future? Can’t traffic be better managed? How can we store energy better? Digital transformation is therefore on everyone’s lips, as we also need a suitable digital nervous system for the built structures. This includes, for example, the management and analysis of large amounts of data so that information is available in real time. However, new technologies such as virtual and augmented reality also need to be meaningfully integrated for specific applications – e.g. in civil and environmental engineering. The relevant skills are taught in our degree program so that we can continue to have an environment worth living in in the future.
Prof. Dr. Asja Fischer
Professorship for Machine Learning
Learning through algorithms, also known as machine learning, is one of the most important methods of artificial intelligence. For future developments, it is very important to understand the basic computing principles of learning.
Machine learning is already influencing our lives today: We are shown advertisements for products we are interested in in our browser, our smartphone recognizes our face, technical systems understand our language and interpret its content, even translating it into a foreign language. Much more will be possible in the future: Get involved and shape the new developments!
THAT'S WHY BOCHUM!
RUB’s large campus area is home to 21 faculties and over 185 degree courses. And although over 40,000 people study, teach and research here, there are many quiet places to study and relax in addition to the lively hustle and bustle in the middle of the campus. The close cooperation between the various research institutions breaks down conventional boundaries between the subjects. The facilities are well equipped, the hierarchies are flat, the atmosphere is informal and the doors are always open to students. Various student services offer support for all aspects of studying and beyond. In national and international comparisons, RUB degree programs occupy top positions, and our graduates benefit from the academic reputation of their university.
Due to Bochum’s location in the heart of the Ruhr region, no distance is really far. Many students from the entire Ruhr region and further afield commute to Bochum every day. Having your own apartment is also affordable, as rents are low compared to other university cities. There are many halls of residence for students, offering a wide range of accommodation from simple rooms to small apartments. Bochum is a genuine student city with tradition. Lively nightlife, a colorful pub scene, many festivals and world-class cultural events are part of everyday life.
And Now?
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