The programme was approved by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Senate on December 19, 2008, University of Maribor Senat on February 17, 2009, and by the Council for Higher Education on March 30, 2009. On 24 April 2014, the Senate of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science accepted the application for re-accreditation of the study programme, and the Senate of the University of Maribor accepted it on 22 September 2015. On 17 March 2016, the Council of the National Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Quality Assurance in Higher Education adopted a decision extending the accreditation of the study programme.

Conditions for advancement to the second study year: A student advances to the second study year if they collect at least 48 ECTS credits out by completing the first study year obligations. The conditions for promotion under extraordinary conditions and the conditions for repetition are defined by the Statute of the University of Maribor https://www.um.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Statut-Univerze-v-Mariboru-uradno-precisceno-besedilo-UPB-13.pdf

The second-degree study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies does not contain individual parts.

A graduate of the study programme for obtaining a second-degree master's education may continue with doctoral studies in the third-degree study programmes in accordance with the conditions determined by the higher education institution announcing the doctoral study programme.

The second-degree study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies allows students to, in addition to gaining expert skills, form the correct attitude towards research and development work, team and project problem solving and to connect knowledge and potential solutions with innovative industrial products and services with an extremely high added value. The competencies will enable the provision of key and management functions in development projects and further studies at the third-degree study programmes.

Information on study programmes offered by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science are available on the following website https://feri.um.si/en/study/programmes/.

There are no other obligations.

Examination and assessment of student learning outcomes is performed in accordance with the criteria and methods defined in the Rules on the Examination and Assessment of Knowledge at the University of Maribor https://www.um.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Pravilnik-o-preverjanju-in-ocenjevanju-znanja-na-Univerzi-v-Mariboru-stev.-A4-2009-41-AG-uradno-precisceno-besedilo-UPB1.pdf In the case of an individual study unit, the type and manner of taking the examination and the conditions for taking the examination are determined by the curriculum, which is an integral part of the study programme. The curriculum determines the share of each method of examining and assessing the knowledge, which contributes to the final assessment. For all subjects in all study programmes of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, knowledge assessment is regulated by a single Assessment Scale, which is available at the following website: https://feri.um.si/studij/vprasanja-in-odgovori/. Methods of continuous examination and assessment of knowledge are encouraged, thus enabling students to continuously monitor their own progress in their studies.

The fundamental objectives of the study programme are the following: • The second-degree study programme derives from the characteristics of the first-degree university study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies. From the content side, this means an upgrade and in particular a greater emphasis on narrower policies and specialisation, while it at the same time builds on the similar didactic perspectives, so that it in particular offers strong emphasis on project work and the integration of complementary themes in solving concrete problems that are interesting for the industrial production. • The curriculum of the proposed second-degree study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies connects all sub-areas of Computer Science in a coordinated manner; thus, basic computer science, computer engineering, software engineering and information technologies, as well as information systems. In this way, it is comparable to the contents and knowledge provided by the related faculties in Europe and the rest of the world. • The study programme combines two basic requirements: first, the masters of this profession must be able to perform complex development tasks in research and development departments of industrial, and especially computer companies that deal with the introduction of their own products with an extremely high added value; and secondly, they must be ready for scientific and research work if they move on to doctoral studies. • The study programme is also fully consistent with the guidelines of the Bologna Declaration and the resulting acts, so that it is comparable to similar study programmes of other European universities in the content and regarding the obligations of the students. The students will be encouraged to professional criticism and responsibility, as well as taking initiative and being independent in decision-making, management and performance of the most demanding professional tasks. • The second-degree study programme upgrades the concept that was introduced with the teamwork and project work in the first-degree study programme. Therefore, lectures and practices in subjects that are marked as elective subjects I or II are offered in sets, designed like development projects. For each new generation of students, new projects will be prepared (usually two, each of which will combine eight elective subjects), while the project contents will be logically linked with the basic skills and developmental problems in the fields of computer science and information technologies. The objectives of the projects will be development solutions where the students will meet with the demands of the development work in practice, while at the same time the students will learn how to create new products and services relevant to the high-tech industry and the society. • An essential component of the study programme is also encouraging individual's creativity and enabling them to obtain consistent specific knowledge with the thoughtfully selected set of elective subjects. It prepares them for the more complex project tasks in the industrial research and development departments, while at the same time offers them a sufficient basis for potential further study at the doctoral level, in particular in all areas of Computer Science and Information Technologies.

General competencies that are acquired through the programme: The second-degree study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies allows students to in addition to expert skills form the correct attitude towards research and development work, team and project problem solving, and to connect knowledge and potential solutions with innovative industrial products and services with an extremely high added value. The most important general competencies acquired in the second-degree master's study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies, will be the following: • The ability of analytical reflection and solving complex problems and situations; • The ability to understand technical, technological and developmental problems; • The ability to work in project teams with creative contributions and argumentative views of the profession; • The professional and research critical thinking, responsibility, initiative and independence in decision-making, as well as participation in major development projects or their management; • The knowledge of methodologies, methods and techniques used in the development and technological and production projects, as well as the ability to integrate or upgrade them; • The ability to track the current state of the profession and continuous improvement of related knowledge; • The management of development approaches and the introduction of technical and technological improvements, devices and services, as well as related patent engineering; • The ability to analyse and synthesise complex solutions in development and technological and production projects, their implementation, monitoring and management; • The professional, theoretical and empirical basis for further studies at the third-degree, doctoral level of the study and to engage in scientific and research work especially in the fields of Computer Science and Information Technologies.

Subject-specific competencies or learning outcomes acquired through the study programme: • Broad knowledge of computer and information technologies, strengthened by seven compulsory subjects in the first and second semester of the study programme: selected algorithms, development and management of software systems, construction and management of cloud computing, web technologies, computer multimedia, domain-specific modelling languages, and computer processing of signals and pictures; • In-depth knowledge of computer systems, their architectures, virtualisation, advanced operating systems, the Internet and intelligent services, and communication structures; • The possibility of improvement in the field of modelling, mathematical and analytical, as well as statistical and optimisation bases for computer solutions; • Managing the development and quality of software solutions, mobile and ubiquitous computing, the principles of information systems, application servers, and the field of security and protection; • Understanding and the ability to plan, develop and ensure quality of components that provide very high added value to a wide segment of computer-aided products. These include the following: - Computer intelligence, intelligent systems, and the semantic and service-oriented web; - Virtual environments and computer animation; - Speech technologies and evolutionary computing; - Computer geometry and modelling; - Advanced signal and image processing, computer vision; and - Analysis of mass and remote sensing data, lean control in engineering, neuro, nano and quantum computing; • The ability to perform key and managerial tasks in technological and production projects, as well as in development projects, and to continue studies at the third, i.e. doctoral degree.

Candidates who completed the following may apply for the 2nd-cycle (master’s) study programme in Computer Science and Information Technologies: a) A 1st-cycle (bachelor’s) study programme corresponding to at least 180 ECTS credits in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (061), mathematics (0541), statistics (0542), or physics (0533). b) A 1st -cycle (bachelor’s) study programme corresponding to at least 180 ECTS credits in a field not specified in the previous paragraph. Prior to enrolment, candidates shall pass the following courses corresponding to 24 ECTS credits under the 1 st-cycle (bachelor’s) study programme in Computer Science and Information Technologies: Programming II (6 ECTS), Algorithms and Data Structures (6 ECTS), Computer Architecture (6 ECTS), and Operating Systems (6 ECTS). If the candidate has mastered course content during 1st-cycle studies, a course may be fully or partially recognized. c) An undergraduate professional study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004 in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (061), mathematics (0541), statistics (0542), or physics (0533). d) An undergraduate professional study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004 in a field not specified in the previous paragraph. Prior to enrolment, candidates shall pass the following courses corresponding 24 ECTS credits under the 1 st-cycle (bachelors’) study programme in Computer Science and Information Technologies: Programming II (6 ECTS), Algorithms and Data Structures (6 ECTS), Computer Architecture (6 ECTS), and Operating Systems (6 ECTS). If the candidate has mastered course content during 1st-cycle studies, a course may be fully or partially recognized. e) An undergraduate academic study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004 in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (061). Upon demonstrating mastery of relevant study content, candidates are typically awarded 60 ECTS credits and may enrol in the second year of study provided they satisfy the transfer criteria laid down in the accredited study programme. f) An undergraduate academic study programme adopted prior to 11 June 2004 in the field of mathematics (0541), statistics (0542), physics (0533), electricity and energy (0713), electronics and automation (0714), mechatronics (0788), chemistry and chemical engineering (0531), mechanical engineering (0715), or building and civil engineering (0732). Upon demonstrating mastery of relevant study content, candidates are typically awarded 30 ECTS credits and may enrol in the corresponding year of study.

When selecting candidates for enrolment in the second-degree study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies, the following is taken into account: success in the first-degree study programme - average grade of exams and the final work (100%).

Transitions between the study programmes are possible in accordance with the Higher Education Act, the Criteria for transitions between study programmes, and other regulations. According to the criteria for transitions, candidates enrolled in the study programmes in the field of the Information and Communication Technologies - ICT (061), Mathematics (0541), Statistics (0542) or Physics (0533) may transfer to the second-degree study programme Computer Science and Information Technologies, which at the end of their studies ensure the acquisition of comparable competencies, and according to the recognition criteria, at least half of the ECTS obligations from the first study programme, which relate to the compulsory subjects of the second study programme, are recognised. In the process of recognition, the already completed study obligations of the students are identified, which can be fully or partially recognised, and the study obligations that they must complete if they want to complete their studies according to the new study programme are determined.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science recognises the acquired knowledge, qualifications or abilities on the basis of the Rules on the Recognition of Knowledge and Skills in the Study Programmes of the University of Maribor, which regulates the procedures for identifying, verifying and recognising knowledge and the criteria for recognising knowledge acquired through formal and non-formal learning before enrolment and during the studies at the University of Maribor. The faculty recognises the knowledge and skills of the candidates, gained before enrolment, if, in terms of scope, their content and complexity fully or partially correspond to the general or subject-specific competencies determined by the study programme in which the candidates wish to enrol or are enrolled. The basis for the recognition of knowledge and skills are the certificates or other documents: - publicly valid documents (certificates, diplomas), - certificates of completed work of the study programme or completed obligations in the study programme, - certificates of education and training providers on successful completion of education/training, certificates and other documents, - products, services, projects, publications and other author's works of candidates, - evidence of registered patents, - relevant references on practical training and work experience, - knowledge acquired through self-education and informal learning and other evidence/knowledge assessed by the Commission for Academic Affairs UM FERI. The process of identifying, verifying and recognizing knowledge and skills begins on the basis of the candidate's application, which he submits on a special form, which is an integral part of the aforementioned rulebook.

A student who completes all the obligations prescribed by the study programme and thus collects at least 120 ECTS credits completes their studies.