MSc Photovoltaics Engineering Science Anhalt University of Applied Sciences

• Solar Cell Technologies: silicon and wafer manufacturing, solar cell manufacturing, types of crystalline Si solar cells, advanced concepts and future developments, overview of thin-film technologies
• Renewable Energy Technologies and Applications: overview of renewable energy technologies and their possible applications, PV and its complementary renewable energy sources
• Solar Modules: module types, design, production, materials (polymers, interconnects, glass) and components (bypass diodes, junction box, cables, mounting)
• Power Converters: power electronic devices, concepts of converters (DC/DC, DC/AC, AC/DC), types of PV inverters, MPP tracking, power optimisers
• Energy Storage Systems: rechargeable batteries (lead, lithium, future systems), battery control, alternative storage systems (hydrogen, methane, electrolysis, pumped water storage)
• System Design, Yield and Performance Analysis: PV system design, monitoring systems, yield calculation, performance analysis
• Electric Grids and Solar System Integration: overview of electric grids, transmission and distribution grids, PV generator integration issues, reactive power management, smart grids
• System and Component Reliability and Assessment: test standards, failure mechanisms, light induced degradation, potential induced degradation (PID), polymer degradation, mechanical tests

In addition, for every semester, one elective subject has to be chosen: Machine Learning and AI, Internet Security, Solar Cell and Material Diagnostics, Real Time Systems, German for Professional Practice I & II.

While mass production of solar modules has largely shifted abroad, Germany remains a global powerhouse in PV research, system engineering, and project development. Our Master's programme is designed to put you at the forefront of this evolution. For those looking to build a career in Germany, the outlook is exceptional. The country’s ambitious energy transition ("Energiewende") has created a massive demand for skilled engineers in system design and project management. With a persistent shortage of qualified specialists, your skills will be the engine driving the renewable energy economy. However, in a global perspective, this programme is ideal for students planning to return to their home countries. You will graduate with the high-level expertise needed to spearhead the solar revolution and drive PV expansion on an international scale.

Detailed information about the Master's programme can be found here: www.hs-anhalt.de/mpv.

Summer semester:

• Solar Cell Technologies
• Renewable Energy Technologies and Applications
• Solar Modules
• Power Converters
• One elective subject: Machine Learning and AI, Internet Security, German for Professional Practice I

Winter semester:

• Energy Storage Systems
• System Design, Yield and Performance Analysis
• Electric Grids and Solar Energy Integration
• System and Component Reliability and Assessment
• One elective subject: Solar Cell and Material Diagnostics, Real Time Systems, German for Professional Practice II

All technical courses comprise lectures, exercises, and practical laboratory work.

Some lectures will be given by scientific experts from the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) or other partners from science and industry. 

Excursions to PV companies, the university test site and the Intersolar fair accompany the university courses

The programme can be started either in the winter or in the summer semester.

The third semester is a research semester for the Master’s thesis. It can be carried out in PV related companies or research institutes in Germany or worldwide. However, Anhalt University and the Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP) frequently offer topics in their research projects.

To fully unlock the potential of the German job market, acquiring German language skills is a significant advantage. You can begin developing these skills during your studies to ensure you are "career-ready" for top-tier employers upon graduation.

Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP,  Halle (Saale) and regional industrial partners

Optionally, students can apply for internships in companies during the semester breaks.

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electrical and information engineering, physics, engineering physics, materials science or similar subjects.

Other degrees can be accepted upon individual check. The assessment whether this is the case is done by the study adviser ("Studienfachberater").

A minimum of seven semesters or 210 ECTS credit points is required.

Applicants with a Bachelor's degree of less than seven semesters duration (or less than 210 ECTS credit points) can be admitted, if they have a sufficient knowledge of the basic subjects. This will be assessed according to the individual situation of the applicant by the study adviser (Studienfachberater). 

The university at which the Bachelor's degree was attained must be rated H+ according to the anabin list, and the programme should include a final thesis, in which the applicant shows that he/she is able to work according to scientific methodology and knows how to write a scientific paper.

The total grade of the Bachelor's degree must be at least 2.5 according to the German grading system (conversion by the Bavarian formula — Bayerische Formel).

A participation in the pre-assessment process is strongly recommended before you apply via uni-assist. For this process, submission of a complete up-to-date CV, transcript of Bachelor's results, motivation letter (at most one page) and summary of final thesis (one page plus references) to mpv@hs-anhalt.de is necessary.
(For further details, see: www.hs-anhalt.de/mpv.)

From the winter semester 2026 onwards, the semester contribution is 322.80 EUR in total. The semester contribution consists of 96 EUR administrative costs and 226.80 EUR for the semester ticket for regional buses and trains. Please visit www.hs-anhalt.de/mpv for the latest updates.

Student life at Hochschule Anhalt remains accessible and affordable:

• University cafeteria meals: approx. 4 EUR
• Semester contribution: 322.80 EUR (includes transportation across most regional trains, trams, subways, and buses in Germany)
• Student dormitories: 250-320 EUR per month
• Health insurance costs: 140 EUR per month

Local student jobs are open to international students, as are student tutor positions at Anhalt University (depending on qualifications and job availability).

If the third semester (research for the Master's thesis) is done at a company (or at some research institutes outside the university) payment may be arranged on an individual basis (if applicable, likely roughly 400-500 EUR).

The university's Career Service offers our international students a wide range of tailor-made services for a successful career start in Germany. It guides students in designing a professional curriculum vitae, supports with further qualifications and helps to develop new career perspectives. The Career Service is also a contact point for companies and institutions looking for highly qualified staff with an international background and wanting to establish contact with students at an early stage. To find a job in Germany, German language skills at level B2 or better are usually needed.

Accommodation is available through the Student Services Office ("Studentenwerk Halle") or on the private market. Rent for a single room in a student residence on campus from Student Services Office is approx. 250 to 300 EUR (including all additional costs and electricity). A private rental is approx. 400 to 500 EUR (including all additional costs and electricity).

Student Services runs an online application portal for student housing. Only online applications are accepted. Applications need to be submitted to https://tl1.eu/SWHAL/#home.

For further information, see: http://www.hs-anhalt.de/international/international-students.html.

With its sites at Bernburg, Dessau, and Köthen, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences can call upon proud traditions in science, innovation, and cultural cosmopolitanism. These traditions guide us in research and teaching and are the backbone of our commitment in the central German region of Anhalt.

Since its foundation, Anhalt University has established close links with both national and international research institutions as well as industry partners.

In 2021, the site at Köthen celebrated its 130th anniversary of engineering education.

Every subject at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences has been developed with the emphasis on practical training and a high standard of education. Project work based on practical application, international practical semesters, and practice-oriented final year theses are part and parcel of day-to-day course work. Students' ideas are directly implemented in practice. New forms of teaching and e-learning, small study groups, excellent research, and first-class contacts offer ideal conditions for a good start to a career either at home or abroad.

In the field of research, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences occupies a premier position among German universities of applied sciences and is well placed for attracting third-party funding. Successful application-oriented and transfer-oriented research projects extend their reach across central Germany. Furthermore, thanks to close industry contacts, many research results are employed directly in practice by small and medium-sized companies.

In the field of photovoltaics, Anhalt University has been very successful in raising funds for research projects in recent years. About 12 third-party financed PhD students have finished or are currently pursuing their research at Anhalt University in photovoltaics.

Due to their strength in scientific research, all three professors of the photovoltaics group at Anhalt University are members of the PhD programme centre for Engineering and Information Technology of Universities of Applied Sciences of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, which entitles them to act officially as supervisors of PhD theses performed in the field of photovoltaics at Anhalt University.

The main topics of research at Anhalt University are bifacial modules, performance and technology comparison at our university test site, reliability of cells and polymers, agri-PV, and performance analysis by LED sun simulators.

Professor Dr Ralph Gottschalg, the chair for Photovoltaic Energy Systems at our university, is also co-director of the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (CSP). This is one of the leading PV research institutes in Germany, which covers many further fields of research in PV metrology, diagnostics, reliability, materials, process and system technology. 

Although it is a small town of roughly 25,000 inhabitants, Köthen (Anhalt) offers a wide range of places of interest. Many sights in the historical town centre are worth a visit. Examples of sights include the castle with its newly designed event centre, the St Jakobs Church with its double towers that serve as the town's landmark, the historical council chamber in the town hall that is over a hundred years old, and many other buildings and memorials as well as the pleasant parkways. Moreover, there is also a range of internationally well-known people whose steps can be retraced here in town.

First of all, there is the composer Johann Sebastian Bach, whose work in Köthen gave the town the nickname Town of Bach. He worked as "Hofkapellmeister" (court conductor) for prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen and created many of his famous compositions here in Köthen, such as the Brandenburg concertos. The life and work of the composer have been celebrated in Köthen with events such as the Bach festival and the Bach Competition for young pianists, which alternate annually.

Additionally, well-known people are connected with Köthen in the field of homoeopathy. The founder and developer of modern homoeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, spent his most productive years in Köthen. The town appropriately preserves its national heritage even today. This was demonstrated by the opening of the European library of homoeopathy in Köthen in October 2009. The European library of homoeopathy is an institution of the German central association of homoeopathic doctors.

Köthen has good railway connections to other cities, and, therefore, it offers a lot of opportunities for weekend trips. Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden are easily reached by train. Other nearby destinations include Magdeburg (the capital of Saxony-Anhalt) with its famous Gothic cathedral (with the grave of Otto I "the Great", co-founder of the first German empire), Halle (Saale) with the Leopoldina (German National Academy of Science), Dessau with its world-famous Bauhaus, the Harz mountains with many hiking trails, Quedlinburg with its picturesque old town and castle (the castle church features the grave of Heinrich I, co-founder of the first German empire together with his son Otto I), Wörlitz with its gardens, Wittenberg with its Luther memorial sites, and other sites that offer many historically or culturally interesting places to be discovered.