Sustainable Management — Water and Energy RWTH Aachen University

Maintaining 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 a key element of sustainable development.

By offering the Master's course of study in Sustainable Management, RWTH Aachen University is meeting the demand for interdisciplinary collaboration. The programme integrates disciplines from energy, civil, and environmental engineering; geography; business and economics; and the social sciences. Students gain specialised 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 the ability to work and research independently.

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

Students' interdisciplinary perspectives are carefully crafted from the first to the last semester. The programme begins with interdisciplinary units and then transitions to water and water management (at RWTH Aachen University). Next, it moves on to the field of energy and energy management (mandatory mobility window abroad at Politecnico di Milano), and it ends with a final semester dedicated to the water-energy nexus (at RWTH Aachen University). Students complete an independent research paper during this final semester as well.

Study plan and module handbook available at: https://www.fb3.rwth-aachen.de/cms/bauingenieurwesen/Studium/Studiengaenge/Masterstudiengaenge/Sustainable-Management-Water-und-Energ/~orrg/Studienverlauf/?lidx=1

Mobility window (mandatory)
During the mobility window, students complete courses with a focus on energy technology and energy management at Politecnico di Milano.

The prerequisites include a previously earned Bachelor's degree prior to entering this programme. Applicants are required to have a strong background in the natural sciences, hydraulics, and general engineering as well as degree-specific knowledge.

The applicants should have completed at least 19 ECTS credit points in the scientific fundamentals in at least three of the following topics: maths, statistics, chemistry, physics, ecology, informatics.

Additionally, at least 20 ECTS credit points in the engineering fundamentals, in at least three of following topics are required: mechanics, hydromechanics, water construction, thermal engineering.

Lastly, at least 20 ECTS credit points in the subject-related fundamentals in at least three of following topics are required: process engineering, power engineering, water management, energy raw materials, business administration, climatology, hydrology, environmental management, energy industry, urban water management, surveying.

If up to 20 ECTS credit points of the requirements are not fulfilled, students have to attend additional courses from the Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering/Environmental Engineering programme. These additional courses are only offered in German.

International applicants from non-EU/EEA countries additionally need to provide the evidence of a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.

Further information is available in the respective admissions regulations.

The exam board determines whether an applicant fulfils the entrance requirements.

All RWTH students must pay a social contribution for student services amounting to approx. 358 EUR per semester. This is not a tuition fee. Please visit our website for further information on how the fee is spent: http://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/Studium/Im-Studium/~egw/Rueckmeldung/?lidx=1.

The cost of living is approximately 1,132 EUR per month (including the social contribution fee for each semester).

International students may take up work in the private sector during the semester or in the semester breaks for up to three months without obtaining a work permit. Students thus may take up full-time work for 120 days or part-time positions for 240 days. This regulation is also stated on the residence permit. During the semester, students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week.

RWTH Aachen University offers a variety of scholarships. Please find more information online: http://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/dyiv/lidx/1.

The RWTH Aachen University Career Center 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!