Software systems are everywhere in our daily lives. We find them in smartphones, (self-driving) cars, and supermarket checkouts, to name just a few examples. Many of these systems share the characteristic of being complex in the sense that they are built from many smaller, interdependent components, and they contain increasingly intelligent elements in the sense that they make extensive use of recent techniques in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Depending on the application domain and target audience of the software, the specific requirements, technologies used, and organizational frameworks can vary considerably. Nevertheless, upon closer examination, we can identify fundamental principles, practices, and tools for efficiently developing almost any modern software system in an analytical, creative, and constructive manner.

In the Complex and Intelligent Software Systems (CISS) program, we teach core competencies for the scientifically sound yet practice-oriented development and maintenance of modern software systems. The goal is to learn how to move from abstract software models to practical implementations and thereby harness the power of analytical thinking. But teamwork and strong communication skills are also crucial. Students learn to understand problems and requirements and to describe them precisely. As a next step, they learn how to select and apply recent solution approaches, critically evaluate their suitability, and develop them further if necessary. In addition, theoretical foundations are covered so that students can acquire future concepts and techniques that go beyond current trends.

The two characteristics that give this study focus its name—namely, complex and intelligent—are, on the one hand, drivers of innovation in modern software and, at the same time, the greatest challenges to their controllability. Any holistic approach to the complexity and intelligence of software systems is a cross-cutting issue that is reflected in all fundamental disciplines of computer science—from programming, algorithm design, and data structures to software engineering tools and machine learning methods. The specialization covers the relevant topics for acquiring the corresponding skills.

Students who successfully complete this specialization have excellent career opportunities, ranging from software developers, software architects, and quality managers to data analysts and AI experts.

The curriculum and module list for the Complex and Intelligent Software Systems specialization are available starting on page 11 of the examination regulations.
Detailed module descriptions can be found later in the appendix.