High-Performance Computing M.S. (Double Degree)

High-Performance Computing (HPC) Double Degree Master’s Program with Thesis

Do you want to help shape the technologies of the future and become a leader in big data and complex scientific computing? The High-Performance Computing (HPC) Double Degree Master’s Program with Thesis is designed for students who aspire to specialize in HPC and build advanced expertise in one of today’s most strategic and fast-evolving fields.

Delivered through the collaboration of seven leading universities and major industry partners, this international program offers a unique academic experience that combines scientific excellence, mobility, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Why Choose This Program?

This program offers the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of High-Performance Computing while building an international academic and professional profile in a field that drives scientific and technological progress.

  • Study in a cutting-edge field at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation.
  • Earn a double degree by studying in two different countries.
  • Develop expertise in HPC, Cloud Computing, Big Data, and Data-Intensive Computing.
  • Enhance your career prospects through international mobility and interdisciplinary learning.
  • Broaden your skill set through an integrated Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor.
  • Gain the opportunity to develop your own ideas, projects, and entrepreneurial initiatives.

Partner Universities

The program is offered under the coordination of EIT Digital, in collaboration with the following distinguished European universities:

  • Aalto University (Finland)
  • Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania)
  • KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)
  • Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
  • Middle East Technical University (Türkiye)
  • University of Rennes 1 (France)
  • University of Trento (Italy)

Supported by strong technological infrastructure investments and extensive academic collaboration across Europe, the program is built on a foundation of long-term sustainability and excellence.

Education Supported by the ACHIEVE Project

The program is also supported within the scope of the ACHIEVE Project (Advanced Cloud and High-Performance Computing Education for a Valiant Europe).

Through this initiative, the program aims to educate highly qualified specialists who will contribute to and lead the future development of cloud computing and high-performance computing systems.

Scholarship opportunities provided under the ACHIEVE Project are available to citizens of Türkiye and EU member states.

Program Structure

Students enrolled in the HPC Double Degree Master’s Program with Thesis are required to complete a total of 120 ECTS credits over two years, including coursework and a master’s thesis.

The program is structured around study at two universities in two different countries:

  • one designated as the Entry University
  • the other designated as the Exit University

Mobility is an essential component of the program, with students completing:

  • 60 ECTS during one year of study at the Entry University
  • 60 ECTS during one year of study at the Exit University

In addition, the curriculum includes a compulsory Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) minor program. The mandatory Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) minor spans the full two-year study period. It consists of 30 ECTS credits and is designed to equip students with the entrepreneurial mindset and practical skills needed to transform technological knowledge into real-world impact.

Students who successfully complete all program requirements are awarded:

  • an HPC Master’s degree from the Entry University
  • an HPC Master’s degree from the Exit University
  • the EIT Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate, approved by EIT and awarded by EIT Digital

Degree Requirements

Year 1: Entry Year (60 ECTS)

HPC Core Courses (30 ECTS):

All of the following must be completed

  • Introduction to HPC, Parallel and Distributed Systems (6 ECTS) – 1st Semester
  • Cloud Computing: Technology and Business (6 ECTS) – 1st Semester
  • Computer Networking for HPC and Cloud (6 ECTS) – 2nd Semester
  • Software Architecture for HPC (6 ECTS) – 2nd Semester
  • Research Methods and Ethics (6 ECTS) – 1st Semester
  • Graduate Seminar (1 ECTS) – 1st Semester

HPC Elective Courses (6 ECTS):

One 6-ECTS course or two 3-ECTS courses must be completed (Available 2nd Semester):

  • Numerical Methods (3 ECTS)
  • Programming and Operating Systems (3 ECTS)
  • Advanced Parallel Programming (6 ECTS)
  • Performance Analysis and Optimization (3 ECTS)
  • Compilers and Optimizations (3 ECTS)
  • Computer Architecture for HPC (6 ECTS)
  • Quantum Computing (3 ECTS)
  • Applied Parallel Programming on GPU (6 ECTS)
  • Web Services and Service Oriented Architecture (6 ECTS)
  • DevOps Essentials (6 ECTS)

Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E)

  • I&E Core Courses (19 ECTS): All of the following must be completed
    • I&E Basics (6 ECTS) – 1st Semester
    • Business Development Lab I&E (9 ECTS) – 2nd Semester
    • Summer School I&E Programme (4 ECTS) – Summer
  • I&E Elective Courses (5 ECTS): One of the following must be completed (Available 2nd Semester):
    • Digital Transformation: Management, Technology and Organization (5 ECTS)
    • Technology Entrepreneurship and Lean Startups (5 ECTS)
    • Business Process Management (5 ECTS)

Year 2: Exit Year (60 ECTS)

HPC Core Courses (30 ECTS):

  • Thesis / Internship (30 ECTS) – Spans 1st and 2nd Semesters

HPC Elective Courses (24 ECTS):

Four courses (6 ECTS each) from the following must be completed (Available 1st or 2nd Semester):

  • Foundations of Deep Learning (6 ECTS)
  • Spatio-Temporal Data Mining (6 ECTS)
  • Transformers and Attention-based Deep Networks (6 ECTS)
  • Reinforcement Learning (6 ECTS)
  • Machine Learning Systems Design and Deployment (6 ECTS)
  • Deep Learning: Methods and Applications (6 ECTS)
  • Generative Models for Multimedia (6 ECTS)
  • Introduction to Data Informatics (6 ECTS)
  • Knowledge, Discovery, and Mining (6 ECTS)
  • Social Media Analytics / Social Network Analysis (6 ECTS)
  • Big Data (6 ECTS)
  • Deep Learning for Text Analytics (6 ECTS)
  • Artificial Intelligence for Cognitive Science (6 ECTS)
  • Machine Learning Design and Application for Cyber Security (6 ECTS)
  • Statistical Learning for Bioinformatics (6 ECTS)

I&E Core Courses (6 ECTS):

  • I&E Study (6 ECTS) – 2nd Semester

Applications and Further Information

For detailed information about the High-Performance Computing Double Degree Master’s Program with Thesis, including admission requirements, important dates, and the application process, please visit EIT Digital Master School website.

As the double degree program involves a large number of universities, applications are centrally managed by EIT Digital and shared with the relevant partner universities.

Applicants may indicate up to three preferences for both entry and exit universities. Evaluations are conducted by the academic committees of the selected universities, taking into account each applicant’s order of preferences.

Admission results are announced by EIT Digital. Successful applicants are informed of their assigned entry and exit universities, as well as any applicable scholarship conditions. Students who gain the right to enroll receive official acceptance letters from the respective universities.

Due to differences in academic calendars among universities, the application process for the double degree program is conducted independently of our university’s graduate application schedule.

Applicants who require a student visa are strongly advised to apply during early application rounds and to consider visa processing times of the respective countries when selecting their entry university.