First-year students

On this page, you’ll find important information and an overview of the first dates of your program:

Your studies begin with the first-semester orientation and a preparatory course in “Programming” (see below for details). Regular courses for the winter semester of 2026 begin on September 14, 2026. You can find an overview of course times and locations in the course schedule . The module database provides an overview of the course content. Please check your email regularly. We will send you further information about the start of the semester via email.

The first important event for students in the Data Science master’s program is the first-semester orientation. We look forward to welcoming you on that day.

For the winter semester of 2026, this event will take place on Monday, September 7, 2026, as follows:

• 10:00 a.m. Introduction to the program and university facilities
• 11:45 a.m. Campus tour
• 1:30–4:30 p.m. Pre-course programming (optional)

Location: Room C12-3.04 is located in Building 12 at Grenzstr. 5 on the HAW Kiel campus (map).

Programming is an essential component of the Master’s program in Data Science. However, experience has shown that students’ prior knowledge varies depending on their previous field of study or professional/practical training. For this reason, a 3-day introductory programming course will be offered between September 7 and 9, 2026. The course aims to provide basic knowledge of programming in Python, thereby enabling all students in the Master’s program in Data Science to get off to a successful start in their studies.

Dates:
- September 7, 2026, 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., C12-3.04 (Grenzstraße 3, 24149 Kiel)
- September 8, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., O15-3.47 (Ostuferhafen)
- September 9, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., O15-3.47 (Ostuferhafen)

Practical Information:

• Overview of Course Content
• Please bring your own laptop. You will install open-source software and complete all exercises on your laptop.
• As a registered student, you have Wi-Fi access on campus. You can set up your Wi-Fi connection initially by following these instructions.

• The Data Science Information Hub is the central hub for information and internal communication for all students and faculty in the Data Science program. There, you’ll find up-to-date information on important dates, job openings, master’s theses, and other aspects relevant to your studies.
• All students in the Data Science master’s program are required to register with the Data Science Information Hub and remain registered there for the length of their study. You will receive login credentials at the beginning of the semester (via email, at the welcome event, etc.) and can obtain them at any time from the program’s faculty members.