Application Process

The conditions for admission into the Master’s degree program CME depend on whether you have earned your Bachelor’s degree at FAU or at another institution.

Case 1: You hold a Bachelor’s degree from FAU in one of the following subjects: Information and Communication Technology, Computational Engineering (with TAF Information Technology) or Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Information Technology. Your current average grade or final grade is 2.30 or better. In this case you can be directly admitted to CME without having to participate in the qualification assessment test (QFV). Please note that students who hold a Bachelor’s degree from FAU in one of the above mentioned subjects, but whose current average or final grade is between 2.31 and 3.0 need to pass the qualification assessment test (QFV) in order to be admitted to CME.

Case 2: You hold a Bachelor’s degree from FAU in another subject related to engineering or you hold a Bachelor’s degree from any other university. In this case you can generally only be admitted to CME after successfully passing the qualification assessment test (QFV). You are eligible to participate in the qualification assessment test if you meet the following criteria:

• You hold a Bachelor’s degree related to engineering.
• You have successfully passed at least one module with the result “good” or better in each of the following four competence areas: Engineering Mathematics, Signals and Systems, Digital Communications, Digital Signal Processing.
• Your current average grade or final grade in your Bachelor’s degree is at least “good” (corresponding to 2.5 in the German grading system) or better.

German language skills are not a requirement. However, all applicants need to have strong English language proficiency:

• English proficieny (TOEFL score report with a minimum score of IBT 80, PBT 547, CBT 210; IELTS with a minimum score of 6.0; or other proof of English-language education at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages; or Medium of Instruction Certificate)

In general, all applicants need a strong foundation and working knowledge in the following fields:

• Engineering Mathematics: linear algebra, complex analysis, linear differential equations, Fourier transform, Laplace transform, z-transform, probability and random variables
• Signals and Systems (e.g., A. V. Oppenheim and A. S. Willsky, Signals and Systems, Pearson Education Limited, 2nd ed., 2013)
• Communications (e.g., S. Haykin and M. Moher, Communication Systems, Wiley, 5nd ed., 2009)
• Stochastic Signals (e.g., A. Papoulis and S. U. Pillai, Probability, Random Variables and Stochastic Processes, McGraw-Hill Professional, 4th ed., 2002)
• Skills in a programming language such as C/C++, MATLAB, and Python (e.g., M. Müller and S. Rosenzweig, PCP notebooks: A preparation course for Python with a focus on signal processing, Journal of Open Source Education (JOSE), 5 (2022), pp. 148:1-5)

You need to submit your application via FAU’s online application portal “campo”. Application documents sent by email or postal mail will not be accepted.

Prepare the following documents as scanned copies in good quality:

• CME application form (Download: FAU Master CME Application Form_v3_2025)
• Curriculum vitae (CV) including a passport picture (necessary for identification in online interviews)
• Secondary school’s leaving certificate and university entrance certificate (certified English or German version)
• Bachelor’s degree and academic transcripts (certified English or German version)
• Proof of English proficiency (TOEFL score report with a minimum score of IBT 80, PBT 547, CBT 210; IELTS with a minimum score of 6.0; or other proof of English-language education at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages; or Medium of Instruction Certificate)
• APS certificate (for applications from China, Vietnam and India)

If you have other documents that you would like to add to your application, you may also upload them via FAU’s online application portal:

• Optional: GRE test results
• Optional: Certificates for German language courses or tests
• Optional: Recommendation letters of two of your academic teachers that know you well

You need to submit your application via FAU’s online application portal “campo”. Application documents sent by email or postal mail will not be accepted.

• Make sure to upload your application documents in due time to meet the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
• The selection commission (Zulassungskommission) will review and decide on all applications.
• Suitable candidates will be admitted directly or will be invited to a personal or video interview for further qualification assessment (Qualifikationsfeststellungsverfahren).
• Applicants who cannot be admitted will receive a rejection notice (Ablehnungsbescheid) via campo.

If your application documents are positively evaluated by the selection commission:

• Regularly check your emails (including the spam folder) for messages.
• You receive an invitation to a personal or video interview for further qualification assessment.
• If you receive an interview invitation, make sure to accept it by replying.

The interview

• takes approximately 30 minutes,
• includes questions from the core fields of the Master’s degree program (Engineering Mathematics, Signals and Systems, Communications, Stochastic Signals and Programming),
• serves to assess the applicant’s background for a successful completion of the Master’s degree program in Communications and Multimedia Engineering.

After the interview the selection commission will finally decide on your application:

• Suitable candidates will be admitted and receive an admission notice (Zulassungsbescheid) via campo.
• Applicants who cannot be admitted will receive a rejection notice (Ablehnungsbescheid) via campo.

If, after the interview, the selection commission finally decides positively on your application:

• You receive a notification via campo that you have been accepted.
• Your documents will be verified by FAU’s Master’s Office for completeness and formal correctness.
• If your documents meet all formal requirements, the Master’s Office will issue the admission letter via campo.
• You can download your admission letter in campo.

If you have received your admission letter via campo:

• You need to enroll (einschreiben) at FAU.
• FAU’s Student Records Office is responsible for the enrollment process. You can find all information on how to enroll on their website.
• In order to enroll in the Master’s degree program Communications and Multimedia Engineering you need to send all enrollment documents by postal mail to the Student Records Office.
• The deadline for enrollment is September 30.