Master’s in European Railway Systems (M.Sc.)
This international continuing academic education program is run jointly by the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt and St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences (Austria) in cooperation with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW, Switzerland). This 4-semester, fee-based degree program in "European Railway Systems" is designed to be taken part-time and follows a blended learning concept involving face-to-face and distance learning phases. This model also takes into account the additional work experience gained during the 4 semesters.
The goal is to provide employees in companies and public authorities in the railway and transport sector with opportunities to pursue a railway-specific degree course that will foster staff loyalty and career development. It aims to train and qualify future management personnel in the railway sector. As a result, we hope to be able to assist the transport and railway industry in meeting the demand for future managerial staff.
Special features of the degree program
- unique degree course with a trinational profile (Germany - Austria - Switzerland)
- it brings together the expertise of the three cooperating universities: FH St. Pölten, FH Erfurt, ZHAW Winterthur
- Duration: 4 semesters, on-campus courses alternating between St. Pölten, Erfurt and Winterthur (1 week per semester)
- high level of market orientation, especially due to incorporating the wishes/needs of ÖBB, DB and SBB when designing the program
- part-time study alongside work (blended learning)
- strong practical orientation
Curriculum
1st semester:
- Infrastructure Management I
- Management of Railway Operations I
- Railways as Part of the Transport System
- Project
2nd semester:
- Infrastructure Management II
- Management of Railway Operations II
- Practical Project on International Strategies
- Project
3rd semester:
- Railways and the Environment
- European Transport Policy
- Rolling Stock and Interoperability
- Project
4th semester
- Field trips
- Master's thesis and colloquium
Downloads
Overview
The Master's program is designed to be taken alongside your work, with a combination of face-to-face teaching phases and self-study units (blended learning approach). This continuing education Master's program also takes into account the additional professional experience gained during the four semesters of the course.
Relevant professional experience is a prerequisite in order to obtain the 24 ECTS credit points and complete the degree program. This admission requirement will be verified prior to the degree program (work experience certificate/report and interview).
In semesters 1 to 4, 24 ECTS credit points are awarded per semester, of which 6 ECTS must be earned in semesters 1, 2 and 3 during professional experience (project work).
In total, the students will have approximately 67 days of face-to-face teaching over a period of 24 months.
Target group
The international Master’s in “European Railway Systems” is aimed at:
- graduates of the cooperating universities (FH Erfurt, FH St. Pölten und ZHAW Winterthur),
- interested employees in the transport sector,
- German-speaking graduates from other universities.
Entry requirements
The entry requirements for admission to the International Master's degree program "European Railway Systems" are:
1. Undergraduate degree or similar from a state or state-recognized college of cooperative education in the field of Railway or Transport Engineering (or comparable degree program) and
2. At least 2 years of relevant practical experience (please also refer to the provisions in the program regulations for the Master's).
Please note: In addition to 1., we also encourage applications from certified master craftsmen (IHK/chamber of industry and commerce) or transport technicians from state-recognized technical colleges. These students may be admitted to this degree program if they pass an additional entrance examination.
Tuition fees
The tuition fee of approximately €19,500 cover the entire degree program (€4,875 per semester)
The following are not included in the tuition fee:
- travel and accommodation
- teaching materials and field trips
- charges for resitting exams
The universities are happy to help students find suitable and affordable accommodation.
Enrolment / Registration
This degree program is offered at both the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt and St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences. This is a joint degree program between the two universities (with the involvement of ZHAW Winterthur).
Students can decide for themselves whether they prefer to enrol at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt or St. Pölten UAS.
Applications for our 7th intake can be submitted up until 15 June 2024.
If you are interested, please email: weiterbildung@fh-erfurt.de or lebs@fhstp.ac.at
You can find the Application for Enrolment at FH Erfurt here.
Please note the privacy policy of FH Erfurt.
A draft timetable for the degree course will be available here soon.