Sustainable Resource Management

Soil, water, air, and biodiversity are the basis of our security and prosperity; unsustainable use of natural resources poses existential dangers. Students of the English-taught Master’s degree program Sustainable Resource Management (M.Sc.) therefore learn to develop and implement strategies for ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable resource management.

The degree program is highly interdisciplinary. It combines natural sciences with sustainability theories, management strategies, and social science perspectives. Students learn to analyze and evaluate production chains, material flow systems, technical processes, and human actions in terms of their sustainability. They acquire the necessary skills to identify interest groups, understand conflicting goals, and develop and implement appropriate solutions. Depending on their interests and talents, they can specialize in the areas of Climate, Air and Water, Economic and Political Dimensionsof Sustainability, Landscape Management, Management and Protection of Forest Ecosystems, Material and Waste Management, Renewable Resources, Soils and Soil Management, Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Products, or Wildlife and Protected Area Management. A compulsory eight-week work placement promotes the transfer into practice.

Graduates of the degree program are innovative and analytically sharp-minded generalists in sustainable resource management. They are able to develop and implement comprehensive, scalable, and resilient solutions for the sustainable management of natural resources. This makes them just as well qualified to continue their academic work as part of a doctoral thesis as they are for responsible positions in large companies, environmental consulting, national and international non-governmental organizations, or public administration.

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

• Degree program documentation for the Master’s program in Sustainable Resource Management (PDF) 

The four-semester Master’s program consists of compulsory modules (20 credits), elective modules (70 credits), and a Master’s thesis (30 credits).

The first semester consists of four compulsory basic modules to bring all students to the same well-founded level of knowledge, to impart basic skills, and to facilitate entry into the degree program for international students. In addition, you choose your first elective modules.

During your studies, you will choose elective modules out of nine science topics. In each science topic we have at least four elective modules (5–6 credits each) and you have to earn at least 45 credits in total from the science topics. You can choose from the following topics:

• Climate, Air and Water
• Economic and Political Dimensions of Sustainability
• Landscape Management
• Management and Protection of Forest Ecosystems
• Material and Waste Management
• Renewable Resources
• Soils and Soil Management
• Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Products
• Wildlife and Protected Area Management

By choosing modules from the nine Science Topics, you create your own individual profile. In addition, you can take further free elective modules, which you can choose from a wide range of subjects according to your own interests and preferences (up to 25 credits). The free elective modules also include a general education subject (e.g. language courses) or a professional internship of at least seven weeks in the field of resource management.

During the internship, you can gain valuable initial experience, get an insight into the wide range of employment opportunities in your subject area and make contact with potential employers. You can complete the internship in Germany or abroad. In order to receive your 10 credits for the internship, you are required to write an internship report.

In the fourth semester, you will complete your studies by writing a Master’s thesis.

In detail:

• Overview Degree Program Structure (PDF 126 KB)
• Module Catalog: Description of Program Content (German)

Required language skills for admission:

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

You can also prove your language competencies if you have taken examinations worth at least 60 ECTS in English-language examination modules in the undergraduate degree program or if English was the language of instruction in the undergraduate degree program.

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.  

Language of instruction:

The language of instruction for this program is English.

• Contact Examination Board

  • see degree program website, section „Examination matters“

• Contact BAföG confirmations

  • bafoeg.cospam prevention@ls.tum.de

• Information on exams
• Information on studying abroad
• Information on internships

The tuition fees for international students from third countries for this degree program are 4,000 euros per semester.

Many international students can have their fees waived or receive scholarships to finance them. You can find all information on waivers and scholarships here.

Please note: The semester fee as a contribution to the student union must be paid additionally. It varies depending on where you are studying. You can find all information on the semester fee here.

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 gives the TUM School to which you are applying the opportunity 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.

In detail:

• Applying for a Master’s program: Application, admission requirements and more
• Important information about your application from the TUM School of Life Sciences

• Degree Certificate and Diploma or Subject and Grade Transcript of Studies to Date
• Transcript of Records
• Proof of English Language Proficiency
• Complete and Current Résumé
• Passport
• if applicable: Proof of Internships or Professional Experience (optional)
• Preliminary Documentation (VPD) if the qualification for graduate studies (e.g. a bachelor’s) was obtained outside the EU/EEA (from winter semester 2025/26: outside Germany)

• Written statement in English of the reasons for choosing the degree program (optional, max. 1 page DIN A4)

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 (certified copy)
• Transcript of Records (certified copy)
• 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.

Important info from TUM School of Life Sciences on the application process: 

The Bachelor’s degree must already be available at the time of application and must be submitted until the end of the application deadline at the latest (31 May). Your application will not be valid without proof of successful completion of studies (i.e. submission of a final transcript of records with degree date stated, or, if this is not yet available: submission of a certificate of completion of studies together with preliminary transcript).

Application period for winter semester: 01.01. – 31.05. 

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.

Information about applying for a higher subject semester

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

In the first stage, the grades you obtained during your Bachelor’s program and your performance in an online aptitude assessment test will be evaluated using a point system. Depending on the number of points accumulated, applicants are either immediately admitted, rejected, or invited to an admissions interview (stage 2). 

The aptitude assessment test (online test) in stage 1 of the aptitude assessment procedure is offered once per application phase. The date and time will be announced on the TUM School of Life Sciences’ website. At least one week before the test date, you will receive an invitation to the online test by e-mail with all the information about the test procedure.

For more information, please visit the TUM School of Life Sciences’ course homepage.

In detail: 

• Aptitude Assessment for Master
• Information on the Aptitude Assessment (see Appendix 2) (PDF 159 KB)