Computer Science at the University of Potsdam

Computer science has paved the way for a series of fundamental achievements that are vastly changing our society, other fields, and the business landscape:

The development of the Internet bestowed universal access to nearly the totality of human knowledge. All this information is stored on computers and can be searched in fractions of a second.

By decoding the German encryption machine Enigma, cryptographers shaped the outcome of the Second World War. Today, computer scientists are researching cryptographic methods for secure and confidential communication, anonymity on the Internet, and crypto-currencies.

Computer scientists have proven mathematically that certain groups of problems are fundamentally unsolvable. Other types of problems cannot be solved by computers within the lifespan of the universe. For many other important problems, computer scientists are researching rapid algorithms – for tasks such as optimal route planning, for example.

Computer graphics are ubiquitous in films, on television, and in computer games. Computer vision technologies can analyze traffic situations and recognize faces.

Software is being used to automate processes in companies. This makes companies more profitable and makes new business models feasible. In e-commerce, computer programs accept orders, calculate optimum transport pathways for consolidating goods in logistics centers, and coordinate the work of package delivery services.

Scientists seek models that represent aspects of reality, such as movements in the earth's crust, molecular reactions, particle decay, or phenomena of human behavior. Today's scientific models are extremely complex. The parameters of such models are extrapolated from experimental data using methods from computer science. These models, along with methods of parallel computing, can then be used to compute simulations.

The computer science bachelor's degree programs at the University of Potsdam qualify you directly for beginning a career, but also for master's and doctoral studies. Certainly, a degree in computer science brings excellent career prospects.

Principal employers of computer science graduates in Germany include the automotive industry, medical technology, banks, financial services providers, insurance companies, consulting firms, telecommunications companies, chemical and pharmaceutical companies, media outlets, the civil service, and government agencies. If you are willing to work farther afield after graduation, you have access to major global IT corporations such as Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and IBM.

New technologies developed by computer science have made long-established business models superfluous, such as mail-order catalogs or wire/telephone information services, and have given rise to new business models such as social networks and new communication media such as YouTube and Twitter.

If you understand these technologies and can forecast changes in society and business, you have fantastic prospects as a startup founder. Some of the largest companies today, most notably Facebook, have been founded in the last several decades by computer science students.

Scholars worldwide conduct research at universities and research institutions in computer science and interdisciplinary topics that intersect with it.

Computer scientists investigate open-ended engineering questions but also explore new technologies and processes that help improve our understanding of mathematical, cognitive, and natural- or social-scientific relationships, such as climate simulations or models of neural networks. Research can begin during a master's program and usually proceeds into a doctorate.