Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology

Sustainable infrastructure solutions, drinking water safety, or climate-neutral energy sources – geotechnical engineers and hydrogeologists have a pivotal role to play in the development and application of technological solutions to some of the pressing problems of the 21^st century. Students of the Master’s degree program Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology (M.Sc.) learn to tackle geological and technical problems with scientific and engineering expertise.

The degree program is located at the interface of natural and engineering sciences. Its students deepen their knowledge of applied geology and deal with geological, mineralogical, and petrographic methods, particularly against the background of issues in civil engineering, environmental engineering, surveying, and mechanical engineering. They learn to explore and investigate the natural subsurface, evaluate the properties of rocks and mountains, and determine the hydrochemical and hydrogeological properties of water. They can specialize in engineering geology, alpine natural hazards/engineering geomorphology, hydrogeology, or geothermal energy.

Graduates of the degree program are experts in the geologically and hydrogeologically sound design of a wide variety of infrastructures and assessing hazards of geosphere-human interaction. They know how to plan and implement measures in traffic route construction, special civil engineering, tunnel and cavern construction, geothermal plants, and alpine natural hazards in a sustainable and low-risk manner. This qualifies them for responsible jobs in engineering offices, construction companies, or public administration, as well as for continuing their scientific work within the framework of a doctorate.

For a comprehensive description of the program, please refer to the degree program documentation:

• Degree program documentation for the Master’s program in Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology (German) (PDF)
   

The first three semesters cover discipline-specific fundamentals in the areas of engineering geology and hydrogeology. These are accompanied by laboratory and project work. Additionally, in the second and third semesters, elective modules provide the opportunity to specialize on an individual basis.

The fourth semester is devoted to the Master’s thesis, in which students’ acquired knowledge and methodological competencies converge.

• Overview degree program structure (German) (PDF 552 KB)

Required language skills for admission:

You need sufficient German and English language skills if you wish to apply for this program. Evidence of your proficiency in both languages has to be submitted before the end of the application deadline. Learn more about recognized certificates and other ways to prove your language skills.

This evidence of your language proficiency confirms that you comply with the minimum language requirements for admission to the program. Depending on the program and your individual background, it may be necessary for you to keep working on your language skills during your studies. Be sure to take a look at the services of our Language Center.  

Languages of instruction:

The languages of instruction for this program are German and English. This means that you need to complete modules in both German and English in the course of your studies.

• Information on exams
• Contact Examination Board
• Information on studying abroad
• Information on internships

Minimum requirements to apply for a Master’s program at TUM are a recognized undergraduate degree (e.g. a Bachelor’s) and the successful completion of the aptitude assessment procedure. The aptitude assessment allows the TUM school or department to which you are applying to evaluate your individual talents and motivation for study.

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents.

Here you will find detailed information on the requirements for the documents you need to upload for application and admission to TUM.

Generally, applicants with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a Bachelor’s) obtained outside of Germany must have their documents reviewed in advance through uni-assist (Preliminary Documentation).

In detail:

• Applying for a Master’s program: Application, admission requirements and more

• Degree Certificate and Diploma or Subject and Grade Transcript of Studies to Date
• Transcript of Records
• Proof of German Language Proficiency
• Proof of English Language Proficiency
• Certification of Internship / Work Experience / Vocational Training
• Statement of purpose (Letter of Motivation)
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Passport
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) if the qualification for graduate studies (e.g. a Bachelor’s) was obtained outside Germany)

We may require additional documents depending on your educational background and your country of origin. Complete the online application to receive a comprehensive list of the required documents.

• Application for Enrollment (signed)
• Degree Certificate and Diploma (authentic document)
• Transcript of Records (authentic document)
• Most Current Photo (as for ID)
• Digital notification of your health insurance status from a German public health insurance provider (requested by applicant)

We may require additional documents depending on the type of educational background you earned and your country of origin. After accepting an offer of admission in TUMonline, you will receive a list of documents you must submit to TUM in hardcopy for enrollment.

Application period for the winter semester: 01.04. – 31.05.
Application period for the summer semester: 01.11. – 15.01.

During the application period, you must apply through the TUMonline application portal and upload your application documents. Please be aware that we can only process your application if you upload all required documents within the application period.

We will review your application as soon as it is complete. Please check your TUMonline account regularly, to see if we have any queries to your documents or if you have to amend one or more documents.

After receiving admission, you will see in TUMonline which documents you have to submit for enrollment, and in which form. 

We recommend that you submit the documents for enrollment as soon as possible after receiving admission. If individual documents are not available by then, you can submit them up to 5 weeks after the start of the lecture period. You will, however, only be enrolled once we have received all documents.

You can check the status of your application at any time in your TUMonline account.

Selection takes place through an aptitude assessment procedure. Aptitude assessment is a two-part procedure after the submission of an official application to a program. In this procedure, the TUM school or department determines whether you meet the specific requirements for its Master’s degree program.

In the initial stages, the grades you obtained during your Bachelor’s program, as well as your written documents, will be evaluated using a point system. Depending on the amount of points accumulated, applicants are either immediately admitted, rejected, or invited to an admissions interview. 

• Aptitude Assessment for Master
• Description of the Aptitude Assessment (appendix 2; German) (PDF 492 KB)