University of Freiburg

Master of Science in Sustainable Systems Engineering

The Master´s Programme

Science and engineering are basic tools to achieve sustainable development, not only in technology, but also in domains such as ecology, economics and society. The international Master's programme Sustainable Systems Engineering (SSE) provides in-depth knowledge in fields such as sustainable materials, energy systems, renewable energies, resilience, sustainable economy, as well as technology and society. The successful completion of the Master's programme qualifies for a further career in state-of-the-art and application-oriented research. Moreover, it will prepare graduates for leading positions in conventional and renewable energy companies as well as supply chain and infrastructure operators active in fields such as mobility or energy.

The Master's programme in SSE is designed for highly qualified graduate students holding a Bachelor‘s degree in engineering or science. An SSE student will have the opportunity to:

• be involved in cutting-edge research with internationally renowned professors;
• benefit from state-of-the-art equipment and research facilities of a modern university campus and the five Fraunhofer research institutes in Freiburg/Germany;
• live in one of Germany’s most appealing and green cities.

The Curriculum

SSE is an interdisciplinary programme that builds on basic knowledge in electrical and mechanical engineering and informatics. In the first year, you will participate in compulsory courses in all areas which provide you with fundamental knowledge in sustainability engineering. From the second semester on you can specialise in two of three technical specialisation areas and select interdisciplinary profile modules.

Semester 1

Six mandatory modules:

• Fundamentals of Resilience
• Solar Energy
• Material Life Cycles
• Control and Integration of Grids
• Energy Storage
• Computational Materials' Engineering

Semester 2

• Power Electronic Circuits and Devices
• Design of Large Infrastructures
• Security and Privacy in Resilient Systems
• Technical Specialisation modules (student’s choice)
• Interdisciplinary Profile modules (student’s choice)

Semester 3

• Technical Specialisation (student’s choice) in
      - Energy Systems – for example:
               Characterization of solar cells
               Electromobility
               Photovoltaic Laboratory
               "Off-Grid" Power Supply Systems
      - Sustainable Materials – for example:
               Bioinspired functional materials
               Continuum mechanics
               Mechanical Properties and Degradation Mechanisms
               Particle Methods in Engineering
      - Resilience Engineering – for example:
               Functional Safety: Active Resilience
               Quantification of Resilience
               Reliability Engineering
               Structural Robustness: Resilient Designs
      - Information Processing Technologies – for example:
               Introduction to Embedded Systems
               Security technologies in the information society
               Wireless Sensor Networks
               Cyber-Physical Systems
  
• Interdisciplinary Profile (student’s choice)

Semester 4

• Master Project
• Master Module

About the Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH)

The Institute of Sustainable Systems Engineering (Institut für Nachhaltige Technische Systeme - INATECH) was founded by the University of Freiburg in October 2015. The aim was to connect teaching and research in the field of sustainable systems and to complement the University with an engineering research facility for sustainability research. Together with the Institute of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) and the Institute of Computer Science (IIF) it builds the Faculty of Engineering.

In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institutes in Freiburg, the following research emphases were conceptualized:

• Sustainable Materials - which can be produced and applied in an energy and resource friendly way;
• Energy Systems - which can provide a reliable and efficient supply and storage of renewable energies;
• Resilience - which can secure the robustness and adaptability of systems towards environmental disasters and climate change.

Other courses offered by University of Freiburg

M.Sc. Microsystems Engineering

M.Sc. Computer Science

M.Sc. Embedded Systems Engineering

About the University of Freiburg

Founded in 1457, the University of Freiburg is one of the most renowned universities in Germany. Its Faculty of Engineering focuses on higher education and research in key technologies, such as sustainable engineering, microsystems engineering, embedded systems and computer science. It does not only explore new ways in research, but it also has been awarded various prizes for striving to implement new methods and technologies in the teaching process.