MSc Water Security and Global Change RWTH Aachen University

The Joint Master's programme in Water Security and Global Change offers a truly international learning experience. It immerses students in a dynamic educational environment that addresses the urgent and vital issue of water security, bridging perspectives from both the global South and global North. Drawing on the collective expertise of all partner institutions, the new Master's programme adopts an integrated and comprehensive approach to meet the needs of regional, national, and international stakeholders.

Building upon existing modules, the programme features a modular structure with opportunities for specialisation. Student mobility is coordinated as part of this collaborative effort, alongside the development and implementation of communication, dissemination, and marketing strategies. Courses are taught by experts from the participating institutions, ensuring a high standard of education.

Master's theses are conducted in close collaboration with selected companies, governmental agencies, and NGOs, providing students with practical experience and real-world connections. Through a joint curriculum, the programme is established across three degree-awarding universities (RWTH Aachen, IIT Madras, TU Dresden), with two associated partners (UNU Flores and AIT Bangkok). Upon completion, students receive a joint degree.

What does this programme offer?

• Gain comprehensive insight into the hydrological cycle, water system components, and their interactions with the environment, society, and ecosystems
• Explore the repercussions of global change on water resources and ecosystems
• Gain an understanding of the effects of temperature shifts, precipitation patterns, and sea level rise on water availability and quality
• Learn about water resource governance structures, policies, and regulations at various levels and their implications for water security
• Study water pollution sources, their impacts on human health and the environment, and strategies for monitoring and enhancing water quality
• Develop skills in managing and optimising water resources, including sustainable water use, conservation, and integrated management strategies
• Learn to assess and mitigate water-related risks such as floods, droughts, and water scarcity, and build resilience in water systems
• Collaborate across disciplines, integrating knowledge from environmental science, engineering, policy, economics, and social sciences to address water security challenges
• Enhance research skills and analytical abilities to investigate complex water-related problems and propose evidence-based solutions
• Explore ethical, social, and equity aspects of water security, acknowledging access to clean water as a fundamental human right

The Joint Master's programme has a scope of earning 120 ECTS points / 213 IITM credits in total. It consists of three semesters of course work with 90 ECTS points / 159 IITM credits in total and a fourth semester of thesis of 30 ECTS / 54 IITM credits. Each semester consists of 30 ECTS points / 54 IITM credits of course work with courses of 5 or 7.5 ECTS points. 30 ECTS (approx. 51 to 54 IITM credits) per semester may change according to the agreed schedule (see programme timeline table). Coursework consists of mandatory and elective courses, which are offered equally by all three partner universities and sum up to 30 ECTS points / 53 IITM credits provided by each partner university. The programme enables to define up to 30 ECTS points / 53 IITM credits elective courses.

Study contents of RWTH Aachen University, Germany

• Climate Adaptation in Coastal & Hydraulic Engineering
• International Project Management
• Technological Modernisation and Globalisation
• Flood Protection
• Environment, Local Economies & Resource Conflict
• Geographic Information System in Water Management I
• Hydrodynamic Simulation
• Hydraulic Engineering
• Numerical Modelling in Water Resources Management
• Global Changes and Sustainable Development
• Geographical Information Systems in Water Management II
• Flood Risk Management
• Sediment Transport and Morphodynamics
• Industrial Waste Water Treatment
• Sanitary Engineering in Developing Countries

Study contents of Indian Institute of Technology Madras IITM, India

• Physics-Chemical Processes for Water & Wastewater Treatment
• Sustainability in River Basin Management
• Water, Health and Hygiene
• Water Resources Planning & Management
• Contaminant Transport Modelling
• Ocean Environment Policy & Coastal Zone Management
• Technology & Sustainable Development
• Coastal Engineering
• Numerical Techniques in Ocean Hydrodynamics

Study contents of Dresden University of Technology TUD, Germany

• Ground Water
• Urban Water Management
• Water Extremes — Risk Management and Adaptation
• Hydraulic Engineering
• International Water Issues
• Climate Systems and Climate Modelling
• Natural Forest Management & Restoration in the Tropics
• Environmental Perspectives on Resource Nexus (UNU-FLORES)
• From Concept to Policy and Practice Impact: Advancing the Resource Nexus (UNU-FLORES)

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
Dresden University of Technology

Admission to the programme may be granted to applicants who have received a Bachelor's or comparable degree that fulfils the following conditions:

• The qualifying degree needs to have a major focus in one of the academic subjects listed below:
  • Civil Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Hydro Science Engineering
  • Water Resources Engineering
  • Computational engineering
  • Agricultural or Landscape Engineering
• The qualifying degree needs to encompass a minimum workload of 180 ECTS points or must have been awarded by a higher education institution officially recognised by at least one of the following institutions: AICTE, AIU, ACU, IAU, Central Office for Foreign Education.
• The accumulated grade point average of the qualifying degree shall not be below 60% aggregate marks or “first class”.

• Fees at IIT Madras — 36,400 INR per semester
• Fees at TUD — 287 EUR per semester
• Fees at RWTH — 358 EUR per semester
• Total per semester: 645 EUR + 36,400 INR

Note: Medical insurance is inclusive with IITM fees. For the proposed period of stay in Germany, students need to acquire insurance. Accommodation, living, and travelling costs are not included in the fees.

Dresden and Aachen (as well as Chennai) offer high quality of living at very moderate costs. Currently, students should expect to pay around 850 EUR per month including rent, food, insurance and basic expenses. This figure is relatively low compared to other big German cities.

In order to top up their budgets, some students may want to look for temporary work in Dresden and Aachen. If so, different regulations apply for students from EU member states, countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and students from outside the European Union and the EEA area. In addition, restrictions on the duration of employment may apply. Professors, lecturers and group leaders involved in the Master's programme may offer students the possibility of working as academic assistants. However, living expenses can be financed only partially through a job as an academic assistant.

The RWTH Aachen University Career Centre offers support by providing opportunities that strengthen your professionalism and exercise your individual skills in the application process. All enrolled RWTH Aachen University students can participate in the seminars at the career centre. Please find more information online: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/studium/nach-dem-studium/~ejx/karriere/?lidx=1.

Availability of university accommodation in Aachen is limited. Therefore, participation in individual allocation procedures is usually required. Because of the demand for university accommodation, it can be necessary to switch to the private accommodation market. Especially family and couples apartments are very high in demand, so that accommodation from the private market is seemingly mandatory. The majority of RWTH Aachen University's students are committed to the private accommodation market. There are a number of options for finding private accommodation in and around Aachen; the International Office can provide students with information beforehand or upon their arrival.

Prices for university accommodation vary between 300 EUR and 500 EUR per month, accommodation on the private market is priced between 350 EUR and 600 EUR per month, of course depending on the size and the number of rooms.

For short-term accommodation, there are many hotels, a few youth hostels, and a boardinghouse located in and around Aachen (reservation is recommended).

Please visit https://www.rwth-aachen.de/housing for further information.

With 290 institutes in 10 faculties, RWTH Aachen University is one of Europe's leading institutions for science and research. Currently, more than 44,000 students are enrolled in 190 academic programmes. More than 15,000 of them are international students hailing from 141 different countries. The scientific education students receive at RWTH Aachen University is firmly rooted in real-world application. As a result, our graduates are highly sought after by businesses to work as trainees and fill executive positions. National and international rankings show that our graduates have a high aptitude for managing complex tasks, constructively solving problems in teams, and taking on leadership responsibilities. Thus, it should come as no surprise that one in five board members of German corporations is an alumnus of RWTH Aachen University.

Work conducted in the research centres at RWTH Aachen University is strongly oriented towards the current needs of industry, commerce, and the professions. This has resulted in numerous innovations, patents, and licences. The individual competence centres at RWTH Aachen University collaborate effectively across departments and faculties in interdisciplinary groups and forums, while still maintaining a strong focus on their own department specialisation. For instance, the computer science and biology departments — and even the social sciences — all have a clear connection to the school's engineering focus. This has been a crucial factor in motivating multinational corporations such as Philips, Microsoft, and Ford to locate their research institutions in the Aachen region. Excellence in teaching and research constitutes the basis from which RWTH Aachen University works with other leading institutions and technical universities around the world.

As Germany's westernmost city, Aachen is located on the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands. Its population is about 260,000. Aachen's historic centre around the distinctive cathedral (UNESCO world heritage site) is characterised by a student lifestyle. At the city's doorstep, the hilly Eifel landscape with its rivers, lakes, and forests offers a picturesque countryside for outdoor recreation. Aachen benefits from its central location in the heart of Europe!