Double Master’s Degree Program

Overview

The IFIK double Master’s degree program brings together two existing Master-level programs: the diplôme d’ingénieur en informatique (Département d’Informatique) of the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA de Lyon) and the Masterstudiengang Informatik (core area: Informations- und Kommunikationssysteme/Information and Communication Systems) of the Universität Passau (UP).

The program combines the emphasis on developing professional and academic skills at INSA and the orientation towards high-level-scientific courses at UP.

Students will be awarded two Master degrees (120 ECTS):

• Master of Science (M.Sc.) Informatik (Schwerpunkt Informations- und Kommunikationssysteme)
• Diplôme d’ingénieur en informatique

The IFIK double Master’s degree program is financially supported by the Deutsch-Französische Hochschule / Université Franco-Allemande. Students will receive financial support during their studies. Details are given to successful applicants.

IFIK is part of an integrated PhD-track: it aims to facilitate the transition to a PhD program at the end of the Master program. Thus, at the end of their Master studies, students who so wish can start a PhD in the MDPS doctoral program, a doctoral college composed of the same partner universities, plus the Università degli Studi di Milano.

Admission to the program

Students must meet the following requirements:

• Completed Bachelor degree (more than 50% of computer science subjects).
• Ranking in the best 65% of their Bachelor degree or overall grade of at least “gut” (2,5) (corresponding to 13 in the French grading system)
• Sufficient level in French and in German (ability to follow courses in both languages as courses will be held in German at UP and in French at INSA) is recommended. Students will obligatorily follow language courses of the receiving country during their study (see below).
  
• Motivation to participate in an international and in particular a German-French program and interest for research

Application Formalities

If you have a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or equivalent (3rd year's study) or if you already have a First Year Master Degree in Computer Science of equivalent (4th year of study): electronic application including CV, official transcripts from previous university studies and motivation letter. Please address your complete application before June 15 to Harald.Kosch (at) uni-passau.de - Elod.Egyed-Zsigmond (at) insa-lyon.fr - Lionel.Brunie (at) insa-lyon.fr - David.Coquil (at) uni-passau.de .

You will receive the admission decision 2-3 weeks after your application.

In the case of a successful application, you will be invited to register as student to the INSA and University Passau. Both institutions will verify your formal application and will officially pronounce admission. Afterwards you will register as student to the Deutsch-Französische Hochschule / Université Franco-Allemande. Instructions will be given directly to the students.

Course outline

French and German students start together in a winter semester in France and spend three semesters at INSA. They will come to Passau in their 4^th semester of study and spend two more semesters here. One of these semesters, normally the second one, is dedicated to the Master thesis (recognized as “Masterarbeit” and “Projet de Fin d’Etudes” by UP and INSA respectively).

IFIK Master students are integrated in a single study group, completing all parts of the Master phase together. At the beginning of the program in 4IF (semesters 1 and 2 at INSA), they will form an “hexanôme” (group of 6 students) and work on project courses together. After this initial phase, they will be dispatched in other groups of 6 students, favoring their integration with other fellow students.

The Master thesis has to be written in English and is accomplished under the joint supervision of one French and one German professor or habilitated researcher.

Specific courses

As an integral part of their studies, IFIK double Master students will carry out several specific projects:

• Specific research oriented projects (semester 1 or 2 and semester 3): Students carry out two software design and development projects which introduce them to research at an early stage as they will be supporting ongoing PhD theses on at the MDPS doctoral college.
• The international project (semester 3):  IFIK students work together with students from partner institutions (mainly with the University of Milan from MDPS doctoral college) on a subject related to the research domain of interest to the MDPS-IFIK PhD-Track.
• The bibliographical study: Students work in groups in order to develop their ability to analyze and synthesize the scientific literature on a given domain concerning their future Master theses.

Furthermore students will accomplish a summer industrial internship at the end of their 2^nd semester at INSA and participate at the semi-annual workshops organized by the MDPS doctoral college.

Language support

Language courses are offered in both partner institutions. ( “Services de Français Langue Etrangère” at INSA / French courses and German courses "Deutsch als Fremdsprache" from complete beginner to advanced level at UP. Both institutions also offer English courses.)

For further information

INSA Lyon:

Dr. Elöd Egyed-Zsigmond, Département d’informatique
(Email: Elod.Egyed-Zsigmond (at) insa-lyon.fr)

Prof. Lionel Brunie, co-directeur du CDFA MDPS
(Email: Lionel.Brunie (at) insa-lyon.fr)

Universität Passau:

Dr. David Coquil, Lehrstuhl für Verteilte Informationssysteme
(Email: David.Coquil (at) uni-passau.de)

Prof. Dr. (ENS Lyon) Harald Kosch, Studiengangsverantwortlicher Master Informatik, Leiter des Doktorandenkollegs MDPS
(Email: Harald.Kosch (at) uni-passau.de)

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