Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering Technical University of Darmstadt

The aerospace industry is a steadily growing field, and it is thus an extremely important and decisive global economic factor. Aerospace science and technology drives innovations in multitudes of disciplines and thus must be regarded as a pioneering technology field. The Technical University of Darmstadt focusses its long-standing and broad expertise in this field in order to establish a dedicated modern Aerospace Engineering education in the framework of a Master‘s degree programme. Due to its international and global character and relevance, this Master‘s degree programme is offered by internationally renowned aerospace engineering experts in English.

The Master‘s degree programme in "Aerospace Engineering" is the link between engineering tradition and technological future. Consequently, the curriculum touches upon important and essential basics as well as modern and forward-looking technological aspects of aerospace engineering sciences in order to convey competences for prospective students for the establishment of engineering system solutions. Preparing the students for the scientific orientated Master’s thesis at the end of their studies, a broad range of courses are offered, from traditional basics (e.g. structural mechanics, fluid dynamics, flight mechanics) and applied disciplines to innovative and modern teaching forms such as face-to-face tutorials in very small groups on topics such as the field of additive manufacturing or cockpit design.

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To find out more about the content of the programme, please click the tab titled "course details".

Compulsory Elective Courses Ia – Fundamentals (1/3 ):

• Machine Dynamics (in German)
• Sustainable Systems Design
• Transport Phenomena

Compulsory Elective Courses Ib – Digitalisation (1/3):

• Digitalisation in Production (in German)
• Machine Learning Applications
• Smart Products, Engineering & Services

Compulsory Elective Courses II – Core Electives from Aerospace Engineering*

• Advanced Fluid Mechanics I
• Avionics System Safety
• Composite Structures
• Compressible and Irrotational Flow
• Flight Mechanics II: Dynamics
• Flight Propulsion
• Foundations of Space Systems
• High Temperature Materials Behaviour
• Introduction to Turbulence
• Laser Measurement Technology
• Lightweight Engineering I
• Lightweight Engineering II
• Mechatronic Systems I
• Mechatronic Systems II
• Modelling of Technical Turbulent Flows
• Space Systems and Operations

Compulsory Elective Courses III – Electives from the Natural Sciences d Engineering in the field of Aerospace Engineering*

• Aerodynamics II
• Compressor Technology
• Finite Element Methods in Structural Mechanics
• Fundamentals of Navigation I
• Fundamentals of Navigation II
• Future Air Transportation Systems
• Global Satellite Navigation Systems and Orbit Determination
• High-Accuracy Methods for Computational Fluid Dynamics
• High Temperature Materials Behaviour II
• Lightweight Construction Materials
• Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis in Lightweight Design
• Space Debris – Risks, Surveillance and Mitigation
• Space Flight Mechanics
• Structural Integrity and Fracture Mechanics
• Systemic Evaluation of Air Transportation
• Virtual Testing for Lightweight Structures

The compulsory elective areas offer a wide range of different topics. The programme offers the following elective areas:

• Advanced Design Project (team work on recent research topics)
• External Project Work (conduct a project at an industry partner for 12 weeks)
• Laboratory Tutorial
• General Studies (take courses from other departments)
• Master's thesis (six months, full-time)

*It is possible to choose a further course in the Mechanical Engineering Department. Information on our website. Please note that offered lectures might change in time. Detailed module descriptions in the download section 

External Project Work

The internship serves to increase the understanding of knowledge already acquired in lectures from the Bachelor's degree programme in a practical environment. In this way, the internship allows students to gain insight into various activities in the working world. It thus serves as preparation for possible future fields of work. The project work aims at the individual activity of the students. The students perform a practice project within a company. The project as well as the company is chosen by the students.

Duration: The project has a duration of 180 hours, and it has to be done within the scope of a full-time occupation of at least 12 weeks.

An overview of all application deadlines is on the website.

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or an equivalent

The registration fee totals about 380 EUR per semester. This includes administrative fees and the semester ticket ("Deutschlandticket"). The area of validity of the semester ticket will be extended to all transportation organisations and lines participating in the "Deutschlandticket" offer throughout Germany.

Registration fees

Estimated living expenses are about 700 EUR to 900 EUR per month. Please note that these costs are just a rough estimation and can vary greatly depending on your way of life, your accommodation, etc.

Costs and budget

Students can be employed as tutors or student researchers, for example.

Jobs & part-time work
Jobs @ Department of Mechanical Engineering

Financial Funding for international students in their final study phase: An application for “Leistungsorientierte Studienabschluss-Förderung” can be submitted twice a year. The application periods are as follows: 1 to 15 April and 1 to 15 October.

Deutschlandstipendium: The Deutschlandstipendium has been supporting outstanding students at universities with one year of financial assistance since 2011. An application is only possible once enrolled.

Please find more information on this website and also here.

TU Darmstadt's International Affairs Department assists international students in their search for accommodation through its Housing Assistance Office. A major science hub, Darmstadt is home to multiple research institutions, three universities, and many high-technology companies, all of which attract people from around the world. A wide variety of accommodations that vary in size, furnishing, and rent are available in Darmstadt and its vicinity. As the university does not own or manage student housing, we support students in finding housing in private and public student dormitories or on the private market. In order to improve your chances in finding the optimal place to live, we recommend that you start your search early. We are happy to assist you in this process. Please make sure to register online on the housing assistance website for international students.

Our services include the distribution of an “Accommodation Guide” that includes links to private and public student dormitories, hotels and youth hostels, and a “Housing Guide” that provides tips on how to search for accommodation in Darmstadt.

TU Darmstadt

By choosing TU Darmstadt, you are making an investment in your personal and professional future. Committed to academic rigour, cutting-edge research, and interdisciplinary collaboration, TU Darmstadt provides its community with an environment that sparks innovation. Our challenging 113 academic programmes allow students to gain international experience at an early stage while preparing them for successful careers in research, education, and the private sector.

In addition to its acclaimed strengths in engineering and technology, TU Darmstadt offers prospective students a wide range of study programmes in the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

Our subject profile:
50% Engineering
35% Natural Sciences
15% Humanities

Founded in 1877, TU Darmstadt is one of Germany's leading universities of technology and a member of TU9, a network of the most distinguished German institutes of technology. TU Darmstadt is also the coordinator of the European University UNITE! (University Network for Innovation, Technology and Engineering) – an alliance of nine leading European universities of technology.

Our home is the metropolitan region Frankfurt-Rhine-Main. With our partners in the alliance of Rhine-Main universities – Goethe University Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz – we further the development of this globally attractive science location.

TU Darmstadt has a global reputation for outstanding technology transfer through industrial partnerships, award-winning teaching facilities, and highly ranked research output. Its distinct focus on interdisciplinary cooperation works as a catalyst for innovative approaches to technology in research and everyday life applications.

Committed to an international orientation in teaching and research, as well as the promotion of values like open-mindedness and mutual respect, TU Darmstadt is home to a diverse community of students and researchers from 120 countries. With more than 300 partner universities around the globe and 40 double degree programmes as well as a strong network of industrial partners in the region, our alumni are sought-after professionals on the local, national, and international level. The QS Graduate Employability Ranking regularly ranks TU Darmstadt among the best universities in the world.

At TU Darmstadt, it is our priority to support international students in navigating this new environment. The International Student Services (ISS) team is happy to assist you before and during your stay.

With around 160,000 inhabitants and well over 40,000 students (roughly 26,000 of whom are at TU Darmstadt), the science city of Darmstadt offers a high quality of life as well as numerous cultural and tourist attractions in the immediate vicinity. Due to the city’s location in the centre of the dynamic Rhine-Main region and an excellent public transportation system, Darmstadt is well connected to destinations in Germany and around Europe.

A metropolitan high-tech centre in the heart of Europe, Darmstadt is the birthplace of numerous inventions that have changed our daily lives: from the radio-controlled clock, Plexiglas®, and the first enzyme-based washing agent to the liquid crystals in our mobile phones and notebooks. As the home of Art Nouveau, the internationally renowned European Space Agency, and research facilities like Fraunhofer Institutes, Darmstadt offers a creative and innovative milieu for living, studying and conducting research.

• Getting around: All TU students will be equipped with a semester ticket ("Deutschland Semester Ticket" in German). The "Deutschlandticket" entitles students to use all public transport in Germany.
• The University Sports Centre at TU Darmstadt gives students the opportunity to find a healthy balance between work and personal life. There are also plenty of opportunities to participate in activities at the university stadium or swimming pool. Entry is free of charge to both facilities. During the ongoing pandemic, students have the option of taking online classes.
• Finally, TUtor International is a project at TU Darmstadt supporting international students culturally, academically and socially. Our aim is to assist international students with their orientation and integration into student life and German society. As a multicultural and international team, we are well aware of the differences in cultural backgrounds, and we are here for you as companions and friends. 
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