Program structure

By studying the master's degree program in Engineering Structures, you will be scientifically trained to become a specialist in the typical professional fields of structural engineering, building materials technology and geotechnics.

The master's degree program comprises 120 credit points and is divided into a profile course, a supplementary course and the master's thesis.

In the profile part of your studies, you choose one of the following study profiles:

• structural engineering
  
• modeling and simulation in civil engineering
  
• structural maintenance, building materials and building physics
  
• geotechnics
  

Each profile consists of two compulsory electives. Five specific basic modules are defined in one elective subject. In the other compulsory elective subject, seven specialization modules must be selected from the respective module catalog. All modules in the master's degree program are assigned to these study profiles. The supplementary study part comprises the two compulsory subjects Profile Supplement and Interdisciplinary Qualifications. All modules not yet selected or specified as Profile Supplement can be freely selected as supplementary modules.

You complete your studies with a master's thesis, which takes 6 months to complete and consists of a written paper with a final presentation.

Depending on your career goals and personal interests, a master's degree will qualify you for management positions at a construction company, engineering office or public building authority for tasks in construction management, construction planning or design. Civil engineers with a master's degree have excellent career prospects and many fields of activity; they can be found in management positions in the following sectors: Structural and civil engineering, in engineering offices, public administration, consulting firms, railroads, postal services, insurance companies, the energy industry, software companies and several others. In this profession, you mainly design, plan, calculate, build and manage residential, commercial, administrative and industrial buildings, transportation routes (roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, hydraulic structures (locks, dams, reservoirs, etc.), power plants, environmental protection facilities (irrigation and drainage systems, sewage treatment plants, waste incineration plants), civil protection structures and much more.

If you have scientific ambitions and a good master's degree, then it could also be interesting to pursue a doctorate and a subsequent career at a university or research institution.

Characteristic features of Engineering Structures M.Sc. at KIT

• future-oriented engineering degree program
  

• study in small, well-supervised groups
  

• research-oriented teaching through active involvement in research projects and engineering projects
  

• integration into the Eucor university network enables participation in courses at the universities of Freiburg, Basel, Strasbourg, Colmar and Mulhouse
  

What KIT has to offer

• central campus close to the city forest and right next to the city center
  
• 24-hour library offering single and group working places
  
• wide range of inexpensive catering options (dining hall, cafeteria, Koeri and Pizzawerk)
  
• numerous interdisciplinary offers for personal and professional development, e.g. Lernlabor, Schreiblabor and Perspektivenlabor
  
• study abroad, e.g. via Erasmus
  
• excellent university sports facilities with a large selection of sports
  
• comprehensive cultural offerings with university orchestras, choirs and theater groups
  
• extensive support for career entry and self-employment
  
• internationally oriented degree programs and diverse exchange programs
  
• modern laboratories and practical teaching methods
  
• Lernraum app
  
• diverse student initiatives, clubs and opportunities to actively participate in campus life
  
• stay in touch after graduation via the alumni network
  

Admission requirements

The requirements for admission to the master's degree program in Engineering Structures are based on the current admission regulations:

• bachelor's degree
  a successfully completed bachelor's degree (or at least an equivalent degree) in Civil Engineering (or a course with essentially the same content) at a university, university of applied sciences, university of cooperative education or at a foreign university. The program must have been completed within a standard period of study of at least three years and with a minimum number of 180 ECTS credits.
  
• minimum knowledge and minimum achievements in the areas of
  • statics and mechanics amounting to at least 30 CP
    
  • mathematics to the extent of at least 20 LP
    
  • building materials and constructions of at least 18 CP
    
  • structural engineering of at least 10 CP
    
  • geotechnical engineering of at least 10 CP
    

  The above-mentioned study and examination achievements can only be taken into account once when calculating the credit points required for admission.

  In the case of missing minimum achievements, admission can be granted on the condition that you successfully complete these missing achievements by the end of the first semester of the master's degree program. Proof that the condition has been fulfilled must be provided by the time you re-register for the 3rd semester at the latest. Conditions are set by the admissions commission and will be communicated to you as part of the admission process.
  

Language requirements and certificates

For the master's degree program in Engineering Structures, you need sufficient knowledge of the German language. Your German language skills must correspond to at least level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Proof of sufficient German language skills

Your school-leaving certificate is sufficient proof of your German language skills if

• you obtainted it at a German-speaking school in Germany or abroad
• you are a graduate of a bilingual secondary school in Germany or abroad and have passed a bilingual German examination, such as the AbiBac or the Gemischtsprachiges International Baccalaureat (GIB)
• you obtained your degree at a foreign school, but there is another official agreement with the respective country on the recoginition of your school-leaving certificate or language certificate as proof of language proficiency for university studies in Germany

A complete list of foreign school-leaving and language certificates that are recognizes as proof of sufficient German language skills can be found on the webste of the Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany).

If you have not obtained your higher education entrance qualification (HZB) at one of the above-mentioned institutions, you must provide a separate language certificate - regardless of your nationality. Only the following are accepted

• the passed „Prüfungsteil Deutsch“ of the Feststellungsprüfung,
• the passed DSH with an overall result DSH-2,
• the passed TestDaF level 4 in all four parts of the examination (reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, oral expression)
• a comparable, recognized certificate of sufficient German language skills

To find our which other recognized certificates can be accepted by KIT as comparable, please contact

• as a German or German-equivalent applicant: Studierendenservice
• as an applicant with non- EU citizenship: International Students Office

Please note:
Language certificates are extremely important application documents that can prevent your enrollment if you do not submit them on time. Therefore, check early on in the application process whether you have the necessary language certificates for your degree program and, if necessary, plan to take one of the language tests mentioned above. The deadline by which you must submit language certificates corresponds to the enrollment deadline stated in your admission offer. In justified cases, you can apply for an extension of this deadline. The extension can be granted until the start of the lecture period at the latest.

Weitere Ansprechpersonen:

• KIT-Fakultät für Bauingenieur-, Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften
• Fachstudienberatung
• Prüfungsausschuss
• Informationen zum Auslandsstudium
• Fachschaft Bauingenieurwesen

Teaching calendar

Course catalog

• Course catalog current term
• Course catalog current term PDF (English)
• Archive of previous catalogs