Railway System Engineering M. Sc.
Why?
Railway traffic and local public transport (LPT)are significant factors in the intended mobility turnaround. In order to make travel and freight transport more sustainable, more traffic needs to be relocated from road to rail. As a result, the demand for railroad engineers is currently strongly growing.
And yet, the railway system is very complex: infrastructure, vehicles, and railroad operationsinteract with each other. The railway is efficient, very safe, and powerful; however, due to the strong interactions between the components, it can easily go off the rails, so to speak. The challenge for railway system engineers is to master these interactions and work towards a resilient system. The Railway Systems Engineering degree program provides skills and systemic knowledge appropriate for the complexity of railways and local public transport.
What?
In the master's program, general engineering modules provide the scientific foundation for our training. The subsequent modules allow our students to specialize their knowledge in the following areas:
- Railway systems and railway construction (planning, design, and construction of railway systems),
- Railway safety and telematics (safety in railway traffic, safety technology, and process control techniques),
- Railway operations (the planning and implementation of railroad operations) or
- Local Public transport (the planning and implementation of the operation of local transport systems).
Alternatively, modules of several or all of these areas can be attended in order to acquire a broader knowledge of the field. As the program is taught in German, a sufficient knowledge of the German language is required (according to the rules of admission).
Who?
The master programme was initiated by the Institute of Railway Systems and Public Transport that is concerned with research in the fields of operation and infrastructure of guided transport systems. The master program Railway Systems Engineering is geared to all graduate students of engineering (Bachelors, Masters, and ‘Diplom’-Engineers), in the fields of
- Engineering,
- Computer Science,
- Physics or
- Mathematics
who would like to continue their university education in the area of railway systems. Graduates of economic sciences are usually not eligible (except graduates of transport and transportation economics). In individual cases, exceptions can be granted upon proof of eligibility.
How long does it take?
The master program lasts four semesters. The curriculum of the first three semesters consists of in-person lectures and tutorials and independent study. The last semester is dedicated to the master thesis. Altogether, the master program equals 120 credit points. As it is a demanding in-person program with courses from Monday through Friday, it is not suitable for avocational studying.
What is it made of?
The master programme Railway Systems Engineering includes the following modules:
|
Semester |
Mandatory modules |
|---|---|
| 1 | Applied Computer Science |
| 1 | Electric Railways |
| 1 | Railway Transport Facilities |
| 1 | Safeguarding Railway Operation |
| 1 | Operations Management of Railway Traffic |
|
1 |
Operational Planning in Public Passenger Transport |
| 1 | Fundamentals of Rail Vehicle Technology |
|
2 |
Numerical Analysis in Traffic and Transport Sciences |
|
2 |
Traffic Flows Science and Modeling |
|
2 |
Vehicle Dynamics |
|
3 |
Advanced Seminar |
| Subject | Elective modules (selection) |
|---|---|
| Logistics & Operation Research | Traffic and Logistics, Traffic Flows Management of Land Transport, Special Problems in Traffic Flow Science and Logistic, Planning and Management of Transport and Logistics processes, Pricing and Revenue Management, Material Flow Accounting and Optimization |
| Electrical engineering | Theory of Electric Traffic Systems, Electric Urban Transport Systems, Contact Lines |
| System engineering | Project Management in Plant Engineering and Construction, Quality and RAMS Management, Circuit Technology and Railway Telematics Components, Railway Telematics Architectures, Model-Based System Development in Railway Traffic |
| Infrastructure | Design of Construction- and Safetytechnology of Railway Systems, Planning of Railway Systems, Railway Construction, Building Information Modeling for Transportation Infrastructure, Planning, Construction and Operation of Local Traffic Systems Construction in railroad operation |
| Control and safety technology | Railway Signalling, Signalling Technology and Level Crossing Control, Train Control and Track Safety Systems, Digital Rail Summer School |
| Railway Operations | Railway Operations Management, Operational Processes and Operational Planning in Railway Systems, Market-Orientated Design of Rail Freight and Passenger Transport, Railway Vehicle Scheduling |
| Public Transport | Operational Planning and Operational Management in Public Transport, Operation of Urban and Regional Public Transport, Traffic Management in Public Transport |
| Vehicle technologie | Railway Vehicle Bogies, Brake Technology and Brake Operation |
| Transport planning | Transport and Infrastructure Planning, Fundamentals of Traffic Modeling, Transport Ecology |
What is the difference to the diploma course in Traffic Engineering (Diplomstudiengang Verkehrsingenieurwesen)?
The degree program Transport Engineering is a diploma course (5 years) divided into basic studies (two years) and main studies (three years). In the first two years, you will concern yourself with general engineering knowledge and a comprehensive overview of traffic and transport science before you are able to choose an area to specialize your studies for the next three years.The master program in Railway Systems Engineering assumes that students have acquired a sufficient basic knowledge of engineering in their previous studies. A specialization on traffic and transport science is not necessary.
Is it possible to study part-time?
The master program will be offered as part-time study from October 2023. This means that it is possible to study the entire degree program (or only selected semesters) part-time at about 50% which will double the standard period of study. Shortening or stretching the workload of semesters is possible to a limited extent: as with any degree program, it is possible to study up to four semesters longer. The degree program largely consists of in-person lectures and tutorials, only a few modules can be partially attended and completed remotely. Therefore, part-time studies are only suitable if you relocate to Dresden or the surrounding area during your studies, or if your job allows you to be in Dresden on some weekdays. The courses take place within the lecture periods (October to mid-February and April to mid-July) and are usually spread over all five weekdays (three or four weekdays are realistic). The order of some modules can be changed.
Why study in Dresden?
- The "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences in Dresden is the largest facility focused on the area of traffic and transport in higher education in Germany
- The courses are challenging but designed with a practical orientation .
- There are no tuition fees.
- Dresden is an appealing city with lots of cultural opportunities.
Details?
Further information on enrollment as well as the necessary documents are available on the website of the faculty and the study information system of the TU Dresden. As the language of the master degree is German, most of the documents are only available in German.
Questions?
TU Dresden’s hotline for all questions concerning your application:
+49 351 463-42000
If you have specific questions about your enrollment, please contact the Matriculation Office or the International Office.