FAQ by Applicants

Important note for VISA Application

You are enrolled at RWTH Aachen University but should live in Bonn. Please note that in your visa application. For visa support please use this document of the academic advisory team.

How about accommodation?

Students can live in one of the many student dormitories which have basic to full furniture and Internet and cable access or in a private room.

Usually rooms are available in a range from 250 Euro to 450 Euro (more apartment like) and the prices in the student dormitories usually already include costs like heating, water, electricity, and internet access. Information about accommodation is sent to accepted applicants well before their arrival to Germany.

Where will the courses take place?

Media Informatics is designed to give you the best from three great organizations: RWTH Aachen University, University of Bonn, and the participating Fraunhofer Institutes at Birlinghoven Castle in St. Augustin. That's why courses take place in the beautiful new B-IT building on Campus Poppelsdorf in Bonn where you can have courses from all the above mentioned organizations. Labs and other courses may also take place at the University of Bonn and the Fraunhofer Institutes in St. Augustin (near Bonn). Further additional elective courses are also offered at RWTH Aachen University.

Recommendation: First year students should live in Bonn and finish all mandatory courses and labs before considering a move in the second year. The module catalog offers plenty of courses in Bonn and Aachen, so students can choose freely where to continue in the second year.

Which institution issues my degree certificate?

Your master degree certificate is issued by RWTH Aachen University.

What are my chances to find a job afterwards?

Computer scientists with an applied focus have been in great demand in the past, and this trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The alumni of Media Informatics are doing their PhD in Germany or abroad, or are working at prestigious companies. Alumni with a degree of RWTH Aachen are deemed to be best prepared for the job and are preferred to be hired by companies. That result has been confirmed over and over since the program started in 2002.

The ABCD region (Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Duesseldorf) is home to many prospective employers, including global players such as Microsoft, Philips, Ericsson, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Bertelsmann Group, as well as many television stations such as WDR, VIVA, etc. and about 2/3 of our alumni stay in Germany. The others return to their home country or work in other countries of the EU or abroad. For examples of companies/universities where our alumni accepted positions or to read what our alumni say about Media Informatics please see b-it impressions.

Does RWTH Aachen have an institutional code (ETS code) for TOEFL test results?

Yes, please ask ETS to send the TOEFL certificate to:

INSTITUTION:
RWTH Aachen
INSTITUTIONAL CODE:
8504
ADDRESS:
Templergraben 57; 52056 Aachen
NAME OF DEPARTMENT:
International Office
(No Dept. Code)

Do I have to pay tuition fees?

Until the summer term 2011, RWTH Aachen University required a tuition fee of 500 Euro per semester (6 months). This is now covered by new state funds and students currently do not have pay a tuition fee. 
However, per semester, you have to pay a social contribution fee of about 320 Euro which will include reduced prizes for meals and free public transport in the whole state of North-Rhine Westphalia.

Note: Starting April 1st, 2024, the fee covers public local and regional transport in all Germany (this does not include long-distance trains, e.g. IC, ICE).

Do we offer scholarships?

For an extensive overview, we refer to the pages on Scholarships and Funding Programs at RWTH Aachen University