Master's in Civil Engineering
Structural Engineering and Building Maintenance
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 discipline "Structural Engineering and Building Maintenance" provides students with expertise in the design, calculation and construction of buildings and civil engineering structures as well as in the renovation and maintenance of existing buildings, in particular historical buildings.
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. Every 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.
The Department of Civil Engineering has well-equipped laboratories for building materials, road construction, foundation engineering and hydraulic engineering, as well as a laboratory hall with building physics and building technology facilities, in which part of the training is supervised by experienced laboratory engineers. The high-performance computer pools, BIM lab and geodetic lab also make it possible to offer a large proportion of modern IT-related course content.
Structural Engineering and Building Maintenance
In the specialization “Structural Engineering and Building Maintenance”, students expand the knowledge and skills they acquired in the Bachelor's program and, if applicable, during prior engineering experience. The focus is on methods in structural engineering, especially concrete, steel and timber construction as well as on the surveying, diagnostics and renovation of existing buildings. 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, Mathematics in Structural Engineering, Mechanics, Prestressed Concrete Construction, Structural Surveying and Diagnostics, Compulsory Elective 1
2nd Semester: Digital Design and Construction and Project Management, Steel/Composite Steel Construction, Building in Context I, Timber Construction, Building in Context II, 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 and Building Maintenance" can only be admitted to the Master's program "Structural Engineering and Building Maintenance" if they have achieved the above-mentioned final grades.
Students can apply for admission to the consecutive Master's program in Civil Engineering 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. The examination board determines which 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.
