Master's in Civil Engineering
Interdisciplinary Timber Engineering
The 3-semester Master’s program builds consecutively on the 7-semester Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and leads to a second professional qualification. The program "Interdisciplinary Timber Construction" is aimed at students with a special interest in the resource-efficient planning and construction of timber and engineered timber structures using an interdisciplinary approach. The discipline specializes students in the design, calculation and construction of structures with a special focus on timber construction, for complex civil engineering work in the renovation and refurbishment of existing, especially historic, buildings as well as the digital planning and management of construction processes and projects with a special focus on timber construction.
Upon successful completion of this degree program, graduates possess comprehensive professional knowledge and the specialist technical and conceptual skills for solving complex problems in the field of civil engineering. They are able to weigh up alternatives, even when faced with incomplete information, to develop new ideas or procedures, which they can then apply and evaluate. As part of their complex responsibilities, they can lead groups or organizations and present their work results with confidence and competence. They are able to foster the professional development of others in a focused manner and lead discussions both specific to and transcending their field.
The degree program concludes with the academic degree Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), which qualifies graduates to pursue doctoral studies and enter the higher levels of public service.
Course Contents
The consecutive Master's program teaches in-depth academic knowledge and practical skills. The degree course is modular in structure, with each module lasting one semester. Each module is allocated a number of credit points as a measure of the students' average workload. 30 credit points (ECTS) are allocated per semester. Each semester, students can select an individual compulsory elective module in addition to their compulsory modules. The students are also required to work on a project spanning all semesters. The topic can be developed in cooperation with companies from the field or chosen from research projects at the university.
Interdisciplinary Timber Engineering
"Interdisciplinary Timber Construction" focuses on collaboration in so-called project studios. This entails working on study projects in innovative timber construction together with students on the Master's degree program in Architecture. The projects are designed to take students through the various planning steps involved in designing and constructing a building in a hands-on work situation. In addition, students are supported by lecturers from the departments of Architecture, Forestry and Building Services Engineering in order to provide a comprehensive picture of the development process and the environmental impact of buildings.
In this discipline, students deepen and expand the knowledge and skills they acquired in the Bachelor's degree program and, if applicable, in prior professional experience in engineering. There is particular focus is on the "Wood Urban" and "Wood Technology" modules, which impart timber-specific skills in the areas of construction and dimensioning, building law, fire protection, building physics and life cycle assessments. Furthermore, students obtain the expertise and skills required to consider societal, economic and environmental needs while undertaking and managing projects with a responsible and future-minded outlook.
In the 3rd semester, students learn additional soft skills. The students complete their studies by writing their Master’s thesis. 14 weeks are allocated for this process.
Program Structure
This degree program starts every summer semester. You will find the annual semester dates on the right-hand side under “Information on your Studies” / “Semester Dates at FH Erfurt”. The 3-semester Master’s program is structured as follows:
1st Semester: Geotechnical Engineering III, Wood Urban, BIM I, Building Surveying and
Building Diagnostics, Elective 1, Compulsory Elective 1
2nd Semester: Digital Design and Construction and Project Management, Wood Technology, Building in Context I, Timber Construction, Elective 2, Compulsory Elective 2
3rd Semester: Communication, Master's Thesis
Information on your studies
- Academic Regulations
- Student Admissions Office
- Semester dates at FHE
Applications
Please apply online through the applications portal of the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt (see “Links to Applications” / “Applying to FHE” on the right-hand side). You can find the current application deadlines here. Further documents must then be submitted to the Student Admissions Office by post.
Entry requirements
Admission to the Master's program in Civil Engineering is open to students who hold an undergraduate degree in the field of Civil Engineering from a higher education institution or state or state-recognized university of cooperative education, in which they achieved at least 210 credit points and above-average examination results (at least equivalent to the German "gut").
Those who have passed the specialist examination in the Bachelor's program in Civil Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt with at least the grade "gut" and achieved at least "befriedigend" in their Bachelor's examination can also be admitted to the Master's program in Civil Engineering. Graduates of the Bachelor's specialization "Structural Engineering" can only be admitted to the Master's program "Interdisciplinary Timber Engineering" if they have achieved the above-mentioned final grades.
Admission to the consecutive Master's program in Civil Engineering can be applied for after successful completion of a 6-semester Bachelor's degree at another higher education institution or university of cooperative education. It is possible to be admitted on the condition that the modules still required to achieve 210 credit points from the Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering will be completed by the time of admission to the Master's thesis. Students who are lacking credit points are encouraged to obtain them by doing an engineering placement in a company or planning/engineering office with a special focus on timber construction. The examination board determines which other modules are to be taken on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the individual student's academic performance so far and the objectives of the Master's program.
