Cybersecurity studieren in Deutschland?

what are these courses (simply computer science as a degree course?)

The names vary according to university. The most common are:

• Cybersecurity
• IT security
• Cybersecurity
• Information security

Sometimes this is also offered as a focus within a computer science study.

What would change structurally in studies compared to “normal” computer science studies?

Both courses start with the basics of general computer science, such as:

Programming, algorithms and data structures, operating systems, computer networks and mathematics (Analysis, Linear Algebra, discrete mathematics).

The difference: IT security courses focus more on security issues such as:

• cryptography
• Network security
• malware analysis and vulnerability management
• Hardware security

There are also interdisciplinary topics such as legal aspects (data protection laws), IT forensics and security management.

There are often more practice in IT security courses. For example:

• Cybersecurity Labs
• Hackathons or Capture-the-Flag Events
• Projects that deal with real security issues

What’s important?

Classical computer science studies are broader, as you have more choices in topics such as AI, web development, game development or databases.

However, IT security courses are quite specialized. This is almost just about security, and less about general computer science issues.

This also makes a difference:

With an IT security program, you can enter directly into occupations such as penetration testers, IT researchers or security consultants.

With a classic computer science program you can also go into IT security, but you have to specialize yourself more closely – e.g. through electives, internships or projects.

Which universities in DE or possibly. outside are there for this?

Inland: Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Universität der Saarlandes, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Technische Hochschule Brandenburg

Abroad: Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands), KU Leuven (Belgien), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway), Royal Holloway, University of London (UK).

To do this, however, you need to see whether your degree is easily accepted within the EU(German degrees are highly respected 😀 and many have open application procedures, especially for international students) and you also meet the language requirements.

You should also consider the following aspects:

• The study programme is officially recognised
• The curriculum corresponds to your interests
• There are opportunities for internships or practical projects.
• And the most important thing is whether you stay in Germany or go abroad.

My conclusion:

A computer science study is enough if you focus on IT security during your studies. But if you already know that you want to go fully towards cybersecurity, a specialized study course is better.