Sustainable Management – Water and Energy M.Sc.

 

A permanent supply of water and energy is one of the great global challenges of our time. As a result the water-energy nexus, which reaches across various sectors, is becoming increasingly important. Knowing the relationship between water and energy supply and distribution – both pillars in sustainability – it is necessary to connect different scientific perspectives. By considering complex interdependencies – detached from individual resources – the water-energy nexus gains importance as an important key element of sustainable development.

By offering the Master's course of study in Sustainable Management, RWTH is meeting the demand for interdisicplinary collaboration. The program integrates disciplines from energy, civil, and environmental engineering, geography, business and economics, and the social sciences. Students gain specialized analysis, method, solution, and evaluation skills in the fields of water and energy management. Furthermore, the course of study teaches interdisciplinary skills, such as the ability to critically reflect on innovations in a global context and independently work and research.

This technical breadth allows graduates to face complex and global challenges in their professional lives that are scientifically, technologically, and socially relevant. The program aims to qualify a new generation of socially responsible engineers, who contribute to shaping global, sustainable development.

 

Degree Content

Students' interdisciplinary perspective is carefully crafted from the first to last semester. The program begins with interdisciplinary units, then transitioning to water and water management at RWTH, on to the field of energy and energy management abroad, and ends with a final semester at RWTH dedicated to the water-energy nexus. Students complete an independent research paper during this semester as well.

Required Courses	Global Changes and Sustainable Development Engineering Hydrology Water-Energy-Food Nexus Expanding Engineering Limits: Culture, Diversity and Gender Lecture Part
Electives	Industrial Wastewater Treatment Numerical Modelling in Water Resources Management Flood Risk Management Sanitary Engineering in Developing Countries Hydraulic Engineering Experiments Hydrodynamic Simulation Geographic Information System (GIS) in Water Management I & II Coastal Engineering Groundwater Management Innovation & Diversity Economics of Technical Diffusion Development Economics Advanced Energy Economics Economics of Technical Change Smart Grid Economics and Information Management Automation of Complex Power Systems Massive Open Online Course 1 Massive Open Online Course 2 Energy from Biofuels Seminar on Hydraulic Engineering Discovering Innovation - Project Work Beyond Engineering Sustainability Assessment - Methods and Tools Sustainability Strategies in Policy and Companies Reshaping Engineering Culture with Design Thinking Social Development and Sustainability
Mobility Window	During the mobility window students complete courses with a focus on energy and management.

Massive Open Online Courses, MOOCs

These are elective online courses from edX. You can register for one or more MOOCs. A total of up to 10 ECTS can be taken. Please note that MOOCs in the free version can only be recognized if semester-long, assessment works, such as tests and submissions, are offered. A final test is not necessarily required when semester-long, graded assessment of the performance is provided. A list of MOOCs that have already been approved and recognized, as well as instructions on how to register for MOOCs, will be emailed at the beginning of the program and upon request by the Program Manager. Please check on an independent basis if the assessed tasks for the selected MOOCs are available in the free version for the current semester. Additional MOOCs may also be selected after consultation with the Program Manager.

Programs Abroad

The fixed mobility window during the third semester allows students to easily complete a stay abroad to specifically complete courses on energy and management. Exchange programs with strategic partner universities in the IDEA League are preferred. A fixed collaborative program is currently offered in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, Italy.

 

Prerequisites

A prerequisite for starting studies in a first university degree, with which the necessary background education can be proven, as determined in the exam regulations. The exam board determines whether it fulfills the entrance requirements.

Language Skills

This course of study is taught in English. Thus applicants must submit proof of sufficient English language skills. The current examination regulations determine the required level of skills. You can find the link to the examination regulations further down the page.

 

Career Prospects

Due to their interdisciplinary and international eduation graduates from the Sustainable Management course of study are able to evaluate and calculate complex, global relationships in energy management and water supply. With their breadth of skills they have good professional prospects in both companies in the water and energy management sector as well as an in consulting engineering offices or in public administration at the state, national, or European level.

Furthermore there is a great demand for skill experts in non-governmental organizations or international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit. Graduates can also work as researchers and science managers at the cross-section of various disciplines.

 

Module Handbook and Examination Regulations

The module handbook provides a description of all modules of a degree program and offers a comprehensive insight into the program contents.

The examination regulations are comprised of legally binding provisions on learning objectives, prerequisites for study, the course structure and processes, and examination procedures.

Regulations that generally apply to all Bachelor's and Master's degree programs, including information on language proficiency requirements, can be found in RWTH's General Examination Regulations. These general regulations are further specified and complemented by the subject-specific examination regulations.

If two examination regulations are valid for a degree program during a transition phase, the most current version shall apply to students enrolling in the program for the first time.

Please note that only the German examination regulations are legally binding.

Module Handbook
Subject-Specific Examination Regulations
RWTH's General Examination Regulations

 

Faculty

The Faculty of Civil Engineering is in charge of the Master's course of study in Sustainable Water and Energy Management. It collaborates with the Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and the School of Business and Economics.