Environmental Engineering M. Sc.

The programme offers a mix of thematic specialisations, general competences, practical engineering work, and independent scientific research.

The Fields of Study form the core specialisation and your individual coursework of the Environmental Engineering M.Sc. programme, defining your professional focus. You choose two from the following eleven options:

Furthermore, a common block of cross-cutting methods provides you with tools for independent scientific work, environmental data collection and analysis, and the ability to professionally process and visualise this data using digital tools.

A practical study project enables you to apply knowledge from your specialisation to everyday engineering tasks. The research-oriented master’s thesis sharpens your ability for independent scientific work.

As a graduate, you will be equipped to independently tackle complex engineering challenges, always considering economic, ecological, and social dimensions,

Depending on your chosen Fields of Study, you’ll develop in-depth expertise in your field. Thanks to the program’s practical orientation and extensive project-based learning, you’ll be able to apply your knowledge directly to real-world problems.

You will be trained to:

• Analyse and model environmental processes and their interactions with technical systems
• Assess and predict the impacts of human activities on natural systems
• Develop innovative strategies to guide these impacts toward ecological, economic, and social sustainability 

This program is designed for future engineers who want to take responsibility for shaping a resilient and sustainable world. Whether your interests lie in water management, soil protection, sustainable mobility and urban development, or climate adaptation, the master’s program offers the tools, knowledge, and flexibility to specialize and make a meaningful difference.

The interdisciplinary structure and international outlook of the program will broaden your perspective, enabling you to approach environmental engineering challenges in a global context.

A large proportion of the program's graduates work in planning and engineering offices that are thematically linked to their chosen fields of study. In addition, public administration, which is responsible for dealing with environmental issues, also employs environmental engineers. They work closely with engineering offices and interact with stakeholders from politics, business, and society.

The scientific nature of the program also enables many graduates to pursue careers in research and development, both in industry and in academia. In addition, environmental engineers also find employment with industrial companies, software providers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and consulting firms with relevant products and projects.

Bachelor’s degree

Your bachelor's degree must have a minimum duration of three years and provide you with the prerequisites necessary to succeed in advanced environmental engineering classes. The fitness of the bachelor’s degree is evaluated based on the following course groups and weighted according to the credits of these groups in TUM’s environmental engineering bachelor’s program:

• Higher mathematics
• Engineering mechanics
• Fluid mechanics and thermodynamics
• Chemistry
• Water/wastewater treatment, hydrology, river engineering, transportation planning

The more of these prerequisites you cover in your bachelor’s programme, the higher the chance of getting admitted. 

Proof of language proficiency

The master’s programme is entirely taught in English. You must prove your language proficiency by either:

• One of the recognised certificates listed on the website of the enrolment office
• Official proof that the medium of instruction in your bachelor's degree was English
• 30 ECTS credits from university courses taught in English
• or the TUM-internal qualification “English C1 Gateway to Masters” (available only to undergraduate students of TUM)

Please note that proof of language proficiency is a required document for admission and must be submitted before the application deadline expires. Please plan accordingly.

• Degree Certificate and Diploma or Subject and Grade Transcript of Studies to Date (if already available at the time of application)
• Transcript of Records of your courses and grades so far (if the final degree is not available at the time of application)
• Proof of English Language Proficiency (see also Requirements for admission)
• Statement of purpose - maximum two pages explaining the reasons for picking this programme and highlighting your specific aptitude for environmental engineering at TUM
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Passport
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) if the qualification for graduate studies (e.g., a Bachelor’s) was obtained outside Germany.

The enrolment office 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.

Before the evaluation

The enrolment office of TUM checks if all formal criteria of the application are fulfilled. If relevant documents are missing or do not meet the requirements, they are marked as “not OK” in the TUMonline applicant account. 

For questions regarding the formal criteria (including the VPD) and/or the processing of your application documents, please contact the enrolment office directly under study(at)tum.de 

Selection process

Selection takes place through an aptitude assessment. This is a two-step procedure after the enrolment office has formally approved the application. In this procedure, the admissions committee determines whether you meet the specific requirements for this Master’s program.

The first step is to evaluate the documents. Applicants receive points for the following parts of their application:

• Content of the undergraduate studies (max. 60 points)
• Average grade of the undergraduate studies (max. 10 points)
• CV and quality of the statement of purpose (max. 30 points)

Applicants with 70 points or higher receive an admission. Applicants with 59 points or lower receive a rejection. Applicants with scores between 60 and 69 points proceed with the second step of the evaluation.

In the second step, applicants are invited to a personal interview with two committee members. The interview is a discussion about the applicant’s academic background, motivation for the study program, and a check of the applicant’s ability to answer relevant technical questions on an undergraduate level.

The interview period spans from January to March for the summer semester and from April to August for the winter semester. The concrete appointments are coordinated via email between the committee and the individual applicant.

The legal basis of the aptitude assessment is Appendix 2 of the study regulations.

After the acceptance

After receiving an acceptance, applicants must log in to their TUMonline account and accept the study place. As a next step, they apply for enrolment and submit all official documents, certified as true copies, to the enrolment office of TUM.

The beginning dates of semesters and lectures are published here.

• Application for Enrollment (signed)
• Degree Certificate and Diploma (authentic document)
• Transcript of Records (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)

The enrolment office 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 hard copy (certified as true copy) for enrollment.

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

Student accommodation in Munich

Finding a place to stay in Munich can be difficult, but it is not impossible. The TUM-Accommodation Support has gathered all useful information on its website and offers personal housing advice.

General Orientation at TUM

If the master’s programme is your first contact with TUM, you will find useful information on the campus, the administration and various events for beginning students here.

Orientation weeks for international students

TUM offers a variety of events and orientation programs for international students across all programs. You can find the information on their website.

Orientation for Environmental Engineering students

On the first day of lectures, a detailed introduction event is organised by the School of Engineering and Design. It includes an explanation of the study regulations, a presentation of the fields of study, and practical advice for your first steps in the programme. All students accepted in the first semester receive an invitation via email.

Online information, including introductory videos and presentations, will be distributed in advance.

The student council of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department also organises welcome events for the beginning students of our master’s programs. You can find the current schedule on their website. 

Fields of Study

The Fields of Study are the core specialisation of the programme and determine the graduate’s professional profile. Students pick one out of eleven specialisations already in their first semester.

As soon as you have decided, send the information on your choice to the study programme coordinator in am email.

Cross Cutting Methods

Cross Cutting Methods deliver overarching competences that are relevant for all Fields of Study, such as acquiring, modelling and visualisation of environmental data, scientific work and paper writing, as well as aspects of renewable energy.

Personal Electives

Students can choose modules from the entire module catalogue of TUM to broaden their horizons. Eligible are modules from other Fields of Study of Environmental Engineering, other Study Programmes of TUM, soft skills, and language courses.

Curriculum

You can browse through the curriculum and read the syllabi of the courses in TUMonline or download the module handbook in the documents section.

As soon as your fields of study are registered, you can access the curriculum in TUMonline under “My Studies”

Cross Cutting Methods

Cross Cutting Methods deliver overarching competences that are relevant for all Fields of Study, such as acquiring, modelling and visualisation of environmental data, scientific work and paper writing as well as aspects of renewable energy.

In the Cross Cutting Methods, the students must complete:

• one required module of 6 credits (Scientific Work and Presentation Techniques)
• a minimum of 12 credits from elective modules specific to the Cross Cutting Methods

The Cross Cutting Methods are a fixed catalogue that you can access in TUMonline under “My Studies”. You can pick courses from that cataloge only.

Personal Electives

Students can choose a maximum of 12 credits from the entire TUM module catalogue to broaden their horizons. Eligible are modules from other Fields of Study of Environmental Engineering, other Study Programmes of TUM, soft skills, and language courses. For choosing the personal electives, please consult the guidelines.

The persona electives are not assigned automatically to the student’s curriculum. They must be approved by a mentor using this form.

The available space for the personal electives gets reduced if students exceed the minimum credit requirements in their Fields of Study or the Cross Cutting Methods.

Eligible for personal electives are:

• Modules from Fields of Study from the MSc in Environmental Engineering, other than your chosen ones
• Modules on MSc-level form other study programmes of TUM
• TUM Project Weeks
• Courses in Contextual Competence from the TUM School of Engineering and Design
• Soft skills from the Carl von Linde Academy, the TUM library, the TUM School of Social Sciences and
  Technology, …
• Language Courses from the TUM Language Centre up to a total of 8 credits, level A2 or higher. English
  and the own mother language are excluded.
• Courses from the ATHENS exchange programme
• Modules passed during an exchange semester at a partner university

Both the Study Project and the Master's Thesis are "open" topics that can be chosen according to your own specialisation or individual interests.

Admission and registration

There are no strict regulations on when to do the Study Project. However, completing the study programme in the minimum time of 4 semesters will require completing the project by the end of the 3rd semester. The Study Projects grants 12 ECTS credit points and has a duration of six months. Further information on the Study Project is available in the guidelines.

Students who have achieved a minimum of 75 credits are eligible to start their Master's Thesis. Completing the programme in the minimum time of four semesters, students must dedicate the fourth semester to the thesis. This is a full-time independent scientific work. It grants 30 ECTS credit points and has a duration of six months.

The registration of both the Study Project and the Master's Thesis is done by the supervising chair as soon as the student starts working. 

How to find a study project or a thesis topic?

The topic of your Study Project and your Master’s Thesis must be related to your Fields of Study. This does not restrict your choice of supervising chair, though. The supervising chair must, however, be included on the list of approved supervisors for the programme.

The first step is to identify the specific field in which you would like to complete your project or thesis. The specific field is mostly represented by one chair (i.e. a professor) who is involved in the study programme. Once you know your general direction, you can get information on available topics. Many chairs publish topics on their websites.

If you find an already available topic, then you can contact the person responsible (a professor or one of the researchers) directly.

If you have your own idea and would like to develop it into a topic, you can refer to one of the researchers working in the field you are interested in. Own initiative is, in most cases, highly appreciated.

Where to start searching

The website of the chair in your thematic field of interest is always a good place to start looking for a topic. Most chairs publish available topics on their websites.

Study Project or Master’s Thesis in cooperation with a company

You can write a master’s thesis in cooperation with an external institution, such as a company, a research institute, or a public administration. You need an academic supervisor who is eligible to supervise your thesis. The topic must be related to your Fields of Study and must be accepted and registered by your academic supervisor.

Not all possible topics offered by externals can be supervised. Sometimes they are thematically far away from the study programme – please keep the teaching and research portfolios of your potential supervisors in mind when choosing an external topic!

Preliminary course schedules

Winter semester 2025/26 - last update 22 October 2025

FoS1 | FoS2 | FoS3 | FoS4 | FoS5 | FoS6 | FoS7 | FoS8 | FoS9 | FoS10 | FoS11 | Cross Cutting

Summer semester 2025

 FoS1 | FoS2 | FoS3 | FoS4 | FoS5 | FoS6 | FoS7 | FoS8 | FoS9 | FoS10 | FoS11 | Cross Cutting

Changes to individual courses are always possible! Please check TUMonline to find out when and in what form your course will take place

Examination plan

The dates of the required exams are usually scheduled one semester in advance and are visible in TUMonline at the beginning of the lecture period. The following PDF only provides an overview. Only the dates listed in TUMonline are binding.

Examination plan overview Status: Winter Semester 2025

Please check the current exam date and location in TUMonline. You must register for all exams via TUMonline.
 

Guidelines and Forms

• Guidelines for the Study Project
• Guidelines for the Personal Electives
• Approval Form for the Personal Electives

General study regulations of TUM (APSO)

This is the overarching set of regulations, valid for all degree programs at TUM

APSO [German | English]

Updates are continuously published on the TUM website.

Beginning of studies from the winter term 2022 and later: FPSO20221

• Specific study regulations of the master's programme (FPSO) [German | English]
• Study programme documentation [English]
• Module Handbook [German | English]

The module handbook is subject to changes in each semester. Please consult TUMonline for the current version.

Beginning of studies in the winter term 2021/2022 and summer term of 2022: FPSO20211

• Specific study regulations of the master's programme (FPSO) [German | English]
• Study programme documentation [German]
• Module Handbook [German | English]

Beginning of studies from winter term 2016/2017 until summer term 2021: FPSO20161

• Specific study regulations of the master's programme (FPSO) [German | English]
• Study programme documentation [German]
• Module Handbook [German | English]

Beginning of studies from winter term 2011/2012 until summer term 2016: FPSO20111

• Specific study regulations of the master's programme (FPSO) [German | English]
• Study programme documentation [German]
• Module Handbook [German | English]

Beginning of studies from winter term 2006/2007 until summer term 2011: FPSO20061

• Specific study regulations of the master's programme (FPO) [German]

Exam dates

Most of the exams are planned a semester in advance. Please look up TUMonline under “My Studies” for information on the exam dates.

You may also refer to this overview; however, please note that changes can occur at any time, and the most up-to-date information is available only in TUMonline.

Exam registration

Each semester, there is a fixed period for exam registration. Typically, the winter term begins around November or December/December for the summer term starts around May or June. The examination officers will send emails to all students reminding them of the deadlines.

You must be registered to participate in the exam, submit a seminar paper, or an exam report.

You can deregister from an exam up to seven days before the examination date.

Illness during the exams 

Students who are unable to attend examinations due to health reasons must provide a medical certificate of their condition to the examination officer of their programme.

Compensation of disadvantages

Acute or chronic illness, disabilities and other impairments might hinder you from performing in the exams. The examination board can approve special conditions in the exam as compensation for disadvantages, usually in the form of extending the exam durations.

Please consult with the study programme coordinator, the examination officer or the advisor for students with special needs.

Repeating exams

Failed attempts on exams and papers do not appear on your transcript. 

If you fail a required module, you must repeat the exam; otherwise, you will not be able to graduate. 

If you fail an elective, you do not need to retake it. You can replace the credits with a different elective from the same category.

An exam passed successfully cannot be repeated, even if it was passed for a different study programme at TUM.

Study progress control

A normal study progress is 30 ECTS credits per semester, which leads to a completion of the programme in four semesters.

Students can study more slowly if they do not fall below the following thresholds of study progress control:

• After the 2^nd semester: at least one required module must be successfully passed
• After the end of the 3^rd semester: 30 credits
• After the end of the 4^th semester: 60 credits
• After the end of the 5^th semester: 90 credits
• After the end of the 6^th semester: 120 credits
• A 7^th semester is possible for final attempts on remaining credits

Students who fall short of these thresholds get cut from the programme.

Recognition from previous studies

Recognition of courses (credit transfer) from previous studies is possible during the first two study semesters in the MSc programme.

The courses must be at a master's level in your previous studies. Courses from bachelor’s programmes (regardless of the duration of these programmes) cannot be accepted. For “classical” 5-year engineering degree programmes, the course must be verified from your home university to be at the level of 2^nd cycle - equivalent to a master's.

The courses to be recognised must provide a grade; simple “pass/fail” results cannot be taken in the local curriculum.

To organise the process, please consult with the study programme coordinator in your first semester of studies.

Recognition of required modules

The course from previous studies must be equivalent to the required module at TUM, with the same competencies and credits. This is decided upon by the lecturer of the required module at TUM,

Recognition of electives in the Fields of Study or the Cross Cutting methods

Here, an exact equivalent course at TUM is not necessary. The courses must fit the category of the curriculum and not be thematically overlapping with other modules of the same category. The study programme coordinator can give the approval for this recognition, in consultation with the chair organising the field of study.

Recognition of personal electives

The courses you wish to recognise must fulfil the requirements for the personal electives as stated in the guidelines. The study programme coordinator can give the approval for this recognition.

Recognition from a semester abroad

If you make an exchange semester, you can transfer up to 30 ECTS credits per semester from the partner university.

For Erasmus+ students, clarifying the recognitions before mobility is mandatory. The information on how to do this will be provided to you during the application process for the exchange.

For all other exchange programmes, an a priori clarification is not mandatory but recommended. You are welcome to consult with your study programme coordinator before finalising the learning agreement.

There are many ways to spend a shorter or longer period abroad during the master’s studies, for studying or an internship. 

In addition to the well-known Erasmus+ program, TUM students have access to several other exchange opportunities. You can find detailed information in the TUM Wiki of your degree program under „Going on exchange - Wege ins Ausland“: Internationales / Exchanges – M.Sc. UI

A recognition of modules from a stay abroad can be achieved in two ways: 

• Recognition as equivalent
• Personal Elective credits 

The recognition as equivalent means that a module from the TUM study programme is replaced by an identical module from the partner university. The decision on this equivalence is taken by the professor responsible for the course at TUM based on the module descriptions. The forms for the recognition are provided by the examination officer.

Recognition in the personal elective credits does not require a full equivalence of the modules. If they fall within the thematic scope of the study programme and do not overlap with already completed modules at TUM, they can be transferred directly. In this case, please consult with the student advisor of the master's programme. In the master’s programme students can bring in up to 30 credits from the partner university as electives (this applies also to the cross cutting methods) through this procedure. 

You can find further information on the credit recognition process in the TUM Wiki of your degree program under „Going on exchange - Wege ins Ausland“: Internationales / Exchanges – M.Sc. UI

Students staying abroad with a leave of absence can bring in up to 20 credits per semester from the partner university without cancelling the leave of absence.

Are you a student from a foreign university interested in a stay at TUM? Please check the TUM Wiki under „Coming to TUM on exchange“:  Internationales / Exchanges – M.Sc. UI