Environmental Engineering B. Sc.

A central focus of the program is water: students learn to understand, model, and design both natural water systems—such as groundwater and surface water—and technical systems for water treatment using modern technologies. These systems are studied in connection with weather, climate, and energy production.

Another key area is the sustainable development of cities. This includes the responsible use of resources, the planning of ecological construction methods, and the design of future-oriented infrastructure. Mobility is examined from multiple perspectives—ranging from spatial and transport planning to strategies for reducing emissions and improving quality of life in urban environments.

Energy is also an important topic: students gain insights into various forms of energy generation and learn how renewable energy sources can be effectively integrated into existing supply systems.

Please note: the BSc in Environmental Engineering at TUM is taught in German.

In the bachelor’s program in Environmental Engineering, students acquire a broad foundation in natural sciences and engineering, enabling them to understand and solve complex environmental challenges. They learn how chemical, ecological, and climatic processes work, how to measure and assess the quality of water, soil, and air, and how to apply mathematical and physical methods to analyse environmental and traffic-related data. The curriculum also includes training in digital tools such as programming, CAD, and geographical information systems. This foundational knowledge prepares students for later specialisation in areas such as water management, sustainable mobility, energy supply, or infrastructure planning. The program promotes interdisciplinary thinking and prepares graduates for a career in a dynamic and socially relevant field.

Please note: the BSc in Environmental Engineering at TUM is taught in German.

Graduates of the bachelor’s program in Environmental Engineering work across a wide range of institutions and sectors.

The largest group is employed by engineering and planning firms involved in water management, hydraulic engineering, water supply and wastewater treatment, urban and transport planning, traffic engineering, building physics, and sustainable construction.

Public authorities at the municipal, regional, and federal levels also offer career opportunities, particularly in the areas of water, environment, and transportation.

In addition, service providers in utilities and mobility—such as municipal utility companies—are potential employers.

Industrial and consulting companies that focus on environmental engineering topics are also relevant career paths.

Finally, public and private research institutions, including technical universities, offer opportunities for careers in research, development, and academia.

Please note: the BSc in Environmental Engineering at TUM is taught in German.

Study structure

The first three semesters of the bachelor’s programme consist of fundamentals in the fields of engineering and nature sciences. They are the foundation for an interdisciplinary engineering education related to the environment.

The final three semesters include cross cutting engineering competences and the basic modules of all possible specialisation fields of an environmental engineer:

• Water Engineering
• Transportation
• Energy and Buildings

Course Content

Semesters 1 - 3 consist of general basic modules from the engineering sciences (approx. 2/3 of the modules) and the natural sciences (approx. 1/3 of the modules).

Semesters 4 - 6, which are in the area of specialisation, comprise overarching competences of environmental engineering as well as a targeted selection of subjects from the specialisation fields of environmental engineering relevant to the job description. The mixture between engineering and natural science modules within the overarching fundamentals is retained in these semesters, whereby the content of these modules is more clearly linked to the job profile of environmental engineering.

Emphasis is placed in semesters 4 - 6 in the areas of:

• Hydraulic engineering and water management
• Hydrology
• Urban water management
• Environmental geotechnics
• Hydrogeology
• Regional planning and land development
• Traffic Engineering
• Transport Planning
• Sustainable transport infrastructure planning
• Circular economy
• Sustainable construction materials and sustainable building
• Energy networks and energy supply

The group of specialisations relevant to the professional education is organised in so-called "profiles". Within the profiles, students must take elective modules worth at least 10 credits (two modules) in each of the following three profiles in the 4. - 5. semester:

• Water Resources
• Transport and Infrastructure
• Sustainability of the built environment

[Study plan]

The main target group for the Bachelor's degree program are interested high school graduates from Germany and abroad.

Formally, the following are required:

• University entrance qualification (Abitur or an equivalent title from a foreign school system)
• Proof of language proficiency in German
• A relevant pre-study internship of at least 6 weeks

• Higher Education Entrance Qualification
• Proof of German Language Proficiency
• Evidence of at least 6 weeks of relevant practical experience
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Passport
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) by uni-assist - for international applicants only

We may require additional documents depending on your educational background and your country of origin. Complete the online application to receive a comprehensive list of the required documents. 

Please consider the specific requirements for documents for application and enrollment at TUM.

This is a program with unrestricted access. There is no selection procedure. You will receive confirmation of your application 

• after submission of the online application and all documents in a formally correct manner by the deadline
• and after your documents have been reviewed.
• Unrestricted Admission

• Application for Enrollment (signed)
• Higher Education Entrance Qualification (authentic document)
• Most Current Photo (as for ID)
• Digital notification of your health insurance status from a German public health insurance provider (requested by applicant)

We may require additional documents depending on the type of educational background you earned and your country of origin. After accepting an offer of admission in TUMonline, you will receive a list of documents you must submit to TUM in hardcopy for enrollment.

Please consider the specific requirements for documents for application and enrollment at TUM.

The time between admission and the start of your studies is often filled with various organisational tasks. Fortunately, both TUM and student representatives offer helpful support.

Preparatory Math Courses
For first-year Bachelor students, preparatory math courses are offered to refresh school-level content and prepare students for the expectations of the first semester. These courses take place shortly before lectures begin, and participation is, of course, voluntary. The School of Computation, Information and Technology announces dates and registration details on its website in due time.

Pre-Internship
It is strongly recommended to complete as much of the mandatory internship as possible before starting your studies. Later on, the lecture-free periods will be needed for exam preparation, exams themselves, and possibly some vacation, so time might get tight. Information about the mandatory internship can be found here.

First-Semester Introduction
On the first day of lectures, there will be a comprehensive introductory event along with many other activities organised by the student representatives. All admitted first-semester students will receive an invitation via email from the student council – Fachschaft Bau Geo Umwelt. Further information for first-year students is available on the student council’s website.

Please note: the BSc in Environmental Engineering at TUM is taught in German.

Fundamentals and Orientation Examination (GOP)
Three exams totalling 25 credits from the first semester have stricter requirements. Students who fail the GOP are removed from the program. The GOP modules are:

• Higher Mathematics 1
• Technical Mechanics 1
• Informatics for Civil and Environmental Engineering
• General and Inorganic Chemistry

Generally, students have only two attempts for these exams. The first attempt takes place immediately after the lecture period of the first semester ends. Results are announced quickly, and the second attempt is scheduled before the start of the second semester.
If a student passes three out of the four exams and fails only one twice, a third and final attempt is granted after the third semester. In this case, it is strongly recommended to attend the lectures and exercises for that subject again.

After the GOP – Study Progress Control
All other exams in the program follow a continuous assessment format, with no limit on the number of retakes. However, students must meet minimum progress thresholds:

• After the 3rd semester: at least 30 credits
• After the 4th semester: at least 60 credits
• After the 5th semester: at least 90 credits
• After the 6th semester: at least 120 credits
• After the 7th semester: at least 150 credits
• After the 8th semester: at least 180 credits

Students who fall below these thresholds will be removed from the program. The 8th semester threshold is flexible, and a 9th semester may be granted for final retakes.

Profiles (4th and 5th Semester)
In advanced semesters, students develop specialised professional skills through profile modules. The profiles and their modules are:

1. Water Management

• Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management (5 credits)
• Urban Water Engineering (5 credits)
• Hydrology (5 credits)

2. Transportation

• Regional and Transport Planning (5 credits)
• Traffic Engineering and Integrated Transport Systems (5 credits)
• Sustainable Infrastructure Planning (5 credits)

3. Sustainability of the Built Environment

• Sustainable Building Materials (5 credits)
• Ecological Construction (5 credits)
• Municipal Circular Economy (5 credits)

4. Sustainable Energy Systems

• Urban Energy Systems and Modern Urban Infrastructure (5 credits)
• Sustainable Energy Systems (5 credits)
• Fundamentals of Energy Economics (5 credits)

Students must choose at least 10 credits from profiles 1 and 2, and at least 5 credits from profiles 3 and 4. Additional profile modules may be selected, but each extra module reduces the space available for advanced electives by 5 credits.

Advanced Elective Modules
Students can choose from a wide catalogue of advanced electives that deepen topics introduced in core and profile modules. They select modules worth 25 credits based on their interests. The list of electives is available in the corresponding category on TUMonline. Free selection outside this catalogue is not permitted.

General Education Courses
Throughout the program, students must complete 5 credits from the general education catalogue. These include soft skills, contextual competencies (e.g., sustainability, society), TUM project weeks, and a limited selection of language courses (see TUMonline for details).
General education courses are the only category graded on a pass/fail basis and appear as “Passed” on the final transcript.

Bachelor’s Thesis
The program concludes with a final project, the Bachelor’s thesis. 

Please note: the BSc in Environmental Engineering at TUM is taught in German.

Application Periods

• Winter Semester: May 15 – July 15
• Summer Semester: November 15 – January 15 (only for transfer students)

Exam Registration Periods

• Winter Semester: November 18 – January 15
• Summer Semester: May 26 – June 30

Submission Deadlines for Examination Committee Requests

• Winter Semester: March 31
• Summer Semester: September 30

Please note: the BSc in Environmental Engineering at TUM is taught in German.

Bachelor’s Thesis

The bachelor’s thesis is the final project of the Bachelor's degree program. It represents the students’ first independent scientific work. It concludes with the submission of a written report and a presentation.

Eligibility and Registration Deadline

Students are automatically eligible to begin their bachelor’s thesis once they have earned 120 credits. After becoming eligible, they have 12 months to officially register the thesis.

The key date for reaching the required credits is the meeting of the examination board for the respective semester in which the credits were achieved. The dates can be found [here].

Choosing a Topic

The topic must be assigned and supervised by a chair with examination authority for the final theses in Environmental Engineering. Students choose the subject area based on their personal interests and then independently contact a potential supervisor. Many departments list available topics on their websites (see list of eligible chairs), but are generally open to students' suggestions for their own topics.

A bachelor’s thesis may also be completed externally at a company or a foreign university. However, official supervision must still be provided by one of the authorized chairs at TUM.

Thesis Registration

The start and completion of the bachelor’s thesis must be registered with the Environmental Engineering Examination Office. Registration is carried out by the supervising chair. Students only need to present a transcript showing they have earned the required credits to their supervisors for eligibility.

Thesis duration

From the registration date on, students have five months to complete and submit the thesis document. After submitting the document, the students give a presentation on the thesis findings to their supervisors.

Submission and Transition to Master’s Program

If the bachelor’s thesis is the final requirement of the degree program, students may transition to a master’s program afterward. However, the thesis must be submitted and graded in time. The deadlines to ensure graduation within the current semester are:

• Summer Semester: 30 September
• Winter Semester: 31 March

The official submission date is the day the written report is handed in to the supervising department. The time until the final presentation does not count toward the five-month duration of the thesis.

General information about the bachelor’s thesis can be found here.

Required Internship for BSc Environmental Engineering Students

Students enrolled in the Environmental Engineering Bachelor's program are required to complete a professional internship. This internship takes place before the start of studies and lasts six weeks. If it is not possible to complete the internship before starting the program, it may be submitted by the end of the second semester. However, students are strongly encouraged to complete the internship before the start of their studies to reduce the workload during the first academic year.

Internship Options

The internship can be completed in:

• a planning or engineering firm
• an industrial company
• a public administration
• a research institution

The practical work must be relevant to the field of study.

Internship Approval

Internship approval is handled by the Internship Office for Civil and Environmental Engineering.

On the Internship Office website, you will find:

• the internship guidelines
• the portal for uploading your documents
• information about office hours

Submission Deadline

Proof of internship completion must be submitted to the Internship Office no later than one month before the end of the second semester (August 31). This deadline cannot be extended.

Information about stays abroad can temporarily be found in the Wiki of the School of Engineering and Design.

Please note that the bachelor’s programme in environmental engineering at TUM is taught entirely in German