The Erasmus Mundus Programme "Computer Simulations for Science and Engineering" (COSSE) – (M.Sc.)

Contents

The COSSE master's programme is a two-year programme including compulsory mobility for the students. They will enter in one of the universities (the "home university") and continue the second year at one of the other universities in another country (the "host university"). The combination of universities is free, however, the number of students will balanced among the universities by the coordinator.The first 60 ECTS credit points are taken at the home university and the remaining 60 ECTS credit points are taken at the host university.

The programme includes three semesters of courses followed by the fourth research semester spent on the Master's Thesis (30 ECTS) under the supervision of both the home and the host university.

Please note that it is not possible to combine the two German universities. The students receive doubles degrees, i.e a degree from both the home and the host university. The second year includes a choice of a specialization according to the chosen host university. The specialization may be selected according to the following possibilities:

• KTH: biocomputing, computational materials science
• TU Berlin: computational control theory, computational optimization
• TU Delft: computational fluid dynamics, numerical linear algebra
• Erlangen: scientific visualization and image processing, high performance computing

The specializations offered reflect the research areas of each institution and their spear head competencies.

Learning outcomes and career possibilities

The COSSE-students will become very familiar with the tools of CSE, which includes:

• mathematical modeling techniques
• simulation techniques (discretizations, algorithms, data structures, software in CSE)
• analysis techniques (data mining, data management, visualization)

The students will become experts in the generic tools as applied to one of the specializations offered by the universities. Upon graduation from COSSE the students have acquired

• familiarity with selected scientific and engineering application areas and their mathematical models
• a knowledge base and skills ranging from formulation of a mathematical model to constructing software for high-performance computer architectures
• effective communication skills for interacting with the professional community as well as management and the society at large, on written and oral presentations
• a degree of independent and critical appraisal of the capability and limitations of, and results produced by, computational modeling.

As for career opportunities, a COSSE Master's degree opens several opportunities:

• to join the international research coomunity by continuing PhD-studies in CSE and science/engineering fields where simulation and high-performance computing is applied: fluid dynamics, electromagnetics, molecular physics, quantum chemistry, material science, chemical engineering, structural mechanics, biocomputing, and many more
• to employment in "end-user" high-tech industry and "provider companies", using and development tools for advanced computer simulation in pharmaceutical, automotive, materials, aeronautics, power generation, micro-electronics, etc. industry
• to start new innovative companies which are based on CSE expertise.

Workshop

A compulsory part of the programme is the joint workshop. After the beginning of the second semester (typically in February) students, scholars, and teachers of all partner universities will meet to advise students on their specialization and the elective courses, including possible topics for their Master's thesis. The workshop will include joint research and cultural activities and provide contacts to research departments in academia and industry. The hosting will alternate. After the workshop each student will have chosen a specialization and a host university for the second year of studies.

Master's Thesis

The Master's thesis comprises 30 ECTS credits, and is carried out in the second half of the second year of the programme.

Students are supervised and examined by faculty from both the home and the host university. Topics of master thesis are suggested at the work shop or by teachers at the home or host university. The thesis work may be performed in a research group at the institute or as a project in industry or consulting company. The result of the thesis work is presented as a written report and in an oral seminar.

Accreditation

NVAO independently assesses the quality of higher education in Flanders and the Netherlands. All of TU Delft’s educational programmes are accredited by NVAO and therefore meet the European quality standards. Alongside the national accreditation system, many of TU Delft’s education programmes are recognized as substantially equivalent to the best programmes in the USA by the American Board of Engineering & Technology (ABET).

Funding details

The EACEA (the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency) awards 7 to 9 category A scholarships and 7 to 9 category B scholarships per Erasmus Mundus Master's programme.

Category A scholarships

can be awarded to applicants from non-EU member states (but not to applicants from Norway, Liechtenstein or Iceland)

UNLESS they have resided in a EU member state or in Norway, Liechtenstein or Iceland, for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years (by 28 February of the year of enrollment).

The category A scholarship includes:

• Travel and installation costs: € 8000 for a 2 year programme
• Participation costs (including insurance coverage): € 4000/semester
• Monthly allowance: € 1000/month

Category B scholarships

can be awarded to applicants from EU-member states and to applicants from Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland

The category B scholarship includes:

• Travel and installation costs - only if the EM master's programme includes a mobility period to a Third-Country partner: € 3000
• Participation costs (including insurance coverage): € 2000/semester
• Monthly allowance: € 500/month

Who can apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship (Action 1)?

Candidates who apply for an Erasmus Mundus Master Programme are at the same time considered for a scholarship nomination for this specific programme. The scholarships are awarded to the highest ranked candidates that fulfill the following scholarship conditions:

• The applicant has applied correctly, fulfilled the admission requirements and is nominated for a scholarship by the EM consortium.
• The applicant has not applied to more than three (3) Erasmus Mundus master’s programmes during one round of applications.
• The applicant should be able to spend his study period in at least two of the consortium partner countries. These two countries must be different from the country in which the applicant has obtained his/her last university degree; the mandatory mobility periods cannot be replaced by virtual mobility, neither can they take place in institutions outside the consortium.
• The applicant has not yet benefited from an EM master's programme scholarship.
• The applicant should not benefit from another Community grant while pursuing their Erasmus Mundus masters studies.
• The applicant should be enrolled as a full-time student and commit himself to participate in the master's programme in accordance with the terms defined by the consortium in the Student Agreement. Failure to do so could lead to the cancellation of the scholarship.