Minors

Overview

A minor is a 30 ECTS program you can take alongside your Master’s degree to expand your knowledge beyond your main field. You can choose an interdisciplinary minor, covering topics from various programs, or a disciplinary minor, focused on one specific area. A minor can deepen your expertise or broaden your skills, enhancing your job market versatility. It is officially recognized in your Diploma Supplement.

Reminder IC Master’s students: Computer Science students may choose to pursue either a specialization or a minor, but not both. Data Science students may only pursue a minor, they cannot enroll in a specialization. Cyber Security students cannot enroll in either a specialization or a minor. IC students enrolled in a minor are not permitted to take additional unlisted courses considered “outside the study plan”, except for CS- and COM- coded courses offered by IC.

Structure of minors at EPFL

The complete list of available minors can be found on this link.

Some minors follow a predefined study plan, while others require you to select courses in consultation with the minor advisor, depending on your academic background.

If a predefined study plan is not listed here, you must contact the person responsible for the selected minor for further information.

For general information about the structure of study programs and minors at EPFL, visit: link.

Academic requirements

To successfully complete a minor, you must earn 30 ECTS by passing each course individually—there is no credit compensation between courses.

These credits replace 30 ECTS of optional courses (Group 2) in your Master’s study plan.

Some minors may include extra requirements, such as a project or earning a number of credits from a specific group of courses, within the 30 ECTS. It is your responsibility to review these details carefully and ensure you meet all requirements.

Minors for Computer Science and Data Science students

Below is a list of minors most commonly pursued by our students. Other disciplinary or interdisciplinary minors are also available. View the complete list of available minors here. 

💻 Science and technology focused minors
📈 Business focused minors
🌐 Interdisciplinary minors
Registration procedure
  1. Research available minors and their course lists to find one that complements your major and aligns with your interests.
  2. Follow the procedure outlined on the minor webpage, fill out the appropriate form and obtain the minor advisor’s signature to validate your course selection.
  3. Submit the signed form to your Master’s administrative office (Antonella Veltro for Computer Science students, Carole Dauphin for Data Science students).
  4. Complete your registration in IS-Academia by the beginning of your 2nd semester (Friday of the second week) of your Master’s studies, during the official course registration period.

Minors offered by IC to Master’s students from other sections

If you have any questions regarding the organization of your minor, you can contact: Jasmine Locatelli

👨‍💻 Computer Science minor
  • This minor provides an in-depth exploration of computer science, covering foundational and advanced topics such as algorithms, operating systems, computer architecture, security and privacy, machine learning, natural language processing, and theoretical computer science. ➤ [course list] [minor form]
📈 Data Science minor
  • This minor covers key concepts and tools in data science and AI, combining theory with hands-on experience in data analysis, machine learning, computer vision, NLP, and deep learning—preparing students to build intelligent, data-driven systems. ➤ [course list] [minor form]
🛡️ Cyber Security minor
  • This minor offers a deep dive into the foundations and applications of cryptography, security, and privacy in modern computing systems. It equips students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to understand and design secure software, protect sensitive information, and analyze system vulnerabilities. ➤ [course list] [minor form]
  • Important: To complete the Cyber Security minor, students must obtain at least 18 out of the required 30 ECTS from courses marked as “depth” in the Cyber Security minor study plan.
🧬 Computational Biology minor
  • This minor offers students a multidisciplinary foundation at the intersection of data science, biology, and neuroscience. It emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in analyzing complex biological systems using computational and statistical tools. ➤ [course list] [minor form]
Registration procedure
  1. Before proceeding with any minor registration, obtain your home section authorization.
  2. Complete the required form and email it to Jasmine Locatelli to obtain the minor advisor’s signature and validate your course selection.
  3. Once approved, submit a copy of the signed document to your home section.
  4. Complete your registration in IS-Academia by the beginning of your 2nd semester (Friday of the second week) of your Master’s studies, during the official course registration period.