Interdisciplinary Engineering

The networking of disciplines is a fundamental building block for creating new knowledge in science and research. Many applications would be inconceivable without close cooperation between different disciplines. The same is increasingly true in business and industry. Only by bringing together many different types of knowledge and ways of thinking and by exploiting synergy effects we can achieve a high level of innovative strength and ultimately a competitive advantage. Thinking outside the box is in demand! The "Master of Science – Interdisciplinary Engineering" degree programme picks up on this development and trains experts who are exceptionally capable of integrating existing and new specialist knowledge in complex contexts, even across disciplines. Content from the fields of electrical engineering, mechanical and automotive engineering, and building, supply, and energy technology is combined and supplemented by interdisciplinary (team) projects and seminars that promote methodical and social competence as well as analytical skills. Graduates thus acquire the necessary tools to become involved in innovative interface areas. The programme offers excellent career opportunities in business and research and entitles graduates to embark on doctoral studies. The Master's degree programme in "Interdisciplinary Engineering" combines competencies from the fields of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering as well as building, supply, and energy engineering. The standard period of study is three semesters (90 ECTS). Students who have completed a six-semester Bachelor's degree programme can acquire an additional 30 ECTS within the framework of an enrolment catalogue up to the registration of the Master's thesis in order to achieve the 300 ECTS required for a Master's degree. This may extend the duration of study. As part of the admission process, the core discipline applicable to the degree programme is determined for each student. As a rule, it is identical to the subject area of the first university degree. In addition, students can choose a focus deviating from the core discipline during the course of study if they complete at least 20 ECTS of the teaching modules as well as the final thesis in a specific subject area. The programme is divided into teaching modules (45 ECTS) and independent work (45 ECTS). Students must earn at least 15 ECTS in Master's modules from a discipline that differs from their Bachelor's programme (supplementary discipline). Students have the opportunity to combine courses from different disciplines in order to gain a broad base in an application field: For the application field "electromobility", for example, this could mean choosing modules from electrical engineering (theory of drive technology, control engineering, learning systems), mechanical engineering (energy-efficient vehicles, vehicle technology, vehicle safety), and building, supply, and energy engineering (regenerative energy systems, smart grids, grid integration of renewable energies) in order to cover all aspects of electromobility. Not only the division of the teaching modules but also the organisational and content-related design of the modules in independent work emphasises the interdisciplinary character of the study programme. Thus, an interdisciplinary (team) project and an interdisciplinary seminar are scheduled in the second semester. In this way, students can sharpen their individual interdisciplinary profiles. The degree is completed with the Master's thesis (30 ECTS), in which students demonstrate that they are able to deal scientifically with problems and present results. The academic degree of "Master of Science" (MSc) provides access to doctoral studies and qualifies for activities in research and development.