Curriculum and degree
EMECS is a two-years master’s program. A total of 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulations System) credit points must be acquired. The curriculum consists of a core program, an elective program and a Master’s Thesis. The core program covers the fundamentals of embedded computing systems and offers an equivalent education in all four institutions. The elective program reflects the specific profiles of the participating partner universities and their associated research institutes.
All EMECS students who have successfully completed the curriculum will
have a profound understanding of the scientific underpinning of the Embedded System field
be familiar with state-of-the-art architectures of hardware and software systems and how these architectures have different characteristics in different application domains and Embedded Systems ecosystems
have competences in creating new architectures for hardware and for system software (operating systems), including new and evolving architectures for Embedded Intelligence
be familiar with design methodologies for Embedded Systems
have knowledge of design models, languages and techniques for all levels of the design process of Embedded Systems
be familiar with the requirements of dependability and security for Embedded Systems and how these requirements are addressed at different levels of the design process
have practical skills in the development of embedded software
have practical skills in using state-of-the-art computer-aided methods and tools for hardware design, test and verification
have hands-on experience in industry-related embedded systems projects.
Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Embedded Computing Systems (Joint Degree or Double Degree)
Core Program (45 ECTS)
The core program consists of three study areas:
Embedded System Hardware Architectures
System Software
System-on-Chip (SoC) Design Methodology
The four partner universities have agreed on the contents of these core study areas. All teaching modules of the core program are mandatory to all students and need to be finished within the first year of study at one of the partner universities. The core program guarantees that all students can achieve an equivalent educational level regarding the basic principles of embedded system design and architecture. After completion of the core program, no matter at which partner institution, students will be able to take full profit of the elective program and project activities offered throughout the consortium.
Elective Program (45 ECTS)
The elective program consists of five study areas:
Advanced Topics in Embedded Systems
Communication & Signal Processing
Automation & Control
Microsystems
Artificial Intelligence
These areas are offered by all partner universities. Each partner university contributes a number of teaching modules to each elective study area. The teaching modules within an elective study area are varying between universities and reflect specific local strengths, special application areas, design methodologies and architectures of embedded systems.
There are no mandatory teaching modules in the elective program. Every student is assigned a supervisor at each of the two partner universities that he or she attends. Based on the elective program an individual study plan is elaborated and mutually agreed on between the student and the supervisors.
Master’s Thesis (30 ECTS)
The last part of the curriculum during the second year of study is dedicated to a Master’s thesis. A thesis topic can be chosen at any partner institution of the consortium. The Master’s thesis is typically embedded into larger research projects conducted by the local research centres or together with industry. The topic and location of the Master's thesis is determined during the second year of studies.