M.Sc. Resilient Civil Engineering

Experience a unique fusion of civil engineering and architecture with our novel M.Sc. Resilient Civil Engineering (M.Sc. RCE) and become an expert in structural aspects of resilient infrastructures, sustainability in construction and digital planning. Participate in interdisciplinary research activities in two practical project modules, training you to tackle 21st century’s progressive urbanization in combination with extreme climate conditions.

Study format:
Master’s Degree Program
Duration:
2 years | 4 semesters | full time
Teaching:
Winter Semester 2024/25
Credit Points:
120 ECTS
Course fees:
24,000 €
Qualification:
M.Sc., awarded by RWTH Aachen University
Language:
English

Take your Civil Engineering skills to the next level

The highly practice-oriented M.Sc. RCE explicitly takes up the concept of resilience and sustainability for infrastructures and complex building systems and integrates this basic idea holistically into design, construction and planning. A unique combination of study topics from the fields of civil engineering and architecture along with lectures in structural mechanics enables you to formulate comprehensive concepts for a building or infrastructure project ensuring its resilience and improving functionality. In innovative courses such as Green Construction, you will also be introduced to sustainable building designs using upcycled building materials or emission-free and renewable raw materials. In addition, the digitalization in the construction industry is of particular interest during the M.Sc. RCE. Therefore, you will learn the process of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and the use of IoT technologies to increase the efficiency of a construction project. This exclusive fusion of key disciplines provides the qualification and specialization needed to exercise interdisciplinary approaches, methods and procedures in structural engineering and thus addressing the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s built environment.

As an M.Sc. RCE student, you will learn to

  • design, plan and construct resilient and sustainable infrastructures and complex building structures
  • understand planning under the aspect of defined sustainability goals, as a cooperative process
  • use building information modelling (BIM), simulation, automation and cost calculation for a construction project
  • develop solutions for building sustainability performance optimization using cutting edge technologies
  • implement structural control and health monitoring systems for important civil engineering structures

The RCE program is under the academic direction of the Faculty of Civil Engineering / Chair of Structural Analysis and Dynamics with the architecture modules conducted by the Faculty of Architecture / Academic and Research Department for Building Design and Realization. In addition, the program benefits from a close cooperation with the Center for Wind and Earthquake Engineering (CWE) of RWTH Aachen University. The CWE offers an excellent and longstanding expertise in structural dynamics and runs comprehensive efficient and highly specialized testing facilities. This unique multidisciplinarity of three institutions is reflected in the curriculum ensuring application-related lectures and the most up-to date expert knowledge.


Become a specialized Civil Engineer

The M.Sc. RCE comprises of three semesters of lectures, exercises and practical courses, followed by the fourth and final semester to write your Master's thesis. You will start the first semester with core courses from all topics to ensure a good professional basis. In semester two and three you will either choose a project module in civil engineering or architecture and experience highly practical lectures. Five specific topics from the fields of civil engineering and architecture such as planning, materials or sustainability form a unique curricular throughout the whole program, training you to become an expert in resilient construction.

Check out the detailed module manual for M.Sc. RCE.

Compulsory Courses

Elective Projects

Language Courses

Master Thesis


Explore your future career

The demand for qualified and highly specialized civil engineering professionals is growing significantly due to global initiatives proclaiming clean energy, sustainable cities and climate protection measures. As a graduate of this novel program, you can take up advanced roles in the industry or find suitable positions in research institutions and develop and implement solutions for above-mentioned goals, geotechnical events or emerging natural and man-made threats.

Upon successful completion of the M.Sc. RCE, you

  • have an in-depth understanding of the design, planning and construction of resilient and sustainable infrastructure and complex building structures
  • gained extensive expertise on the behavior of engineering materials under extreme conditions
  • have expertise in the principles, standards and approaches for sustainability modelling and optimization in the built environment
  • can formulate concepts for current and future sustainability scenarios on material, building systems or building processes
  • are able to work on versatile tasks in the interdisciplinary fields of civil engineering and architecture considering technological, sustainable and socio-economic parameters

Find out what fields our graduates can work in …

 


Your path to success

We want you to be successful - right from the start! Even before you begin your studies, we plan your course schedule with you and agree on goals that you want to achieve in each semester. Regular meetings and proactive academic advising during your time with us will help you identify your strengths and continually develop them. Our comprehensive career program and intensive individual advice and support, will equip you to graduate with honors and give you a head start for a unique career in Germany, Europe or worldwide.


Your way to us

Do you want to take your career to the next level with a Master's Degree at RWTH Aachen University? Start preparing your application now and discover how you can experience a successful start at RWTH Aachen University.

To become a RCE student you must fulfill the following admission requirements:

1. A Bachelor Degree

2. Relevant Work Experience

3. Fundamental knowledge in the following subjects

Application Period

  • Non-EU applicants: December 4 to March 1
    (Applicants who are citizens of a country outside of EU/EEA)
  • EU applicants: December 4 to July 15(Applicants who are citizens of a EU/EEA country, applicants who are currently enrolled at RWTH Aachen and applicants who are degree holders of a German University)

Any further questions?

We will be happy to answer your questions about the curriculum, our admission requirements, our scholarship opportunities, and whatever else is on your mind. Just write us an e-mail and we will get in touch with you.

Book a digital one-on-one appointment

Would you like to speak with our Student Advisor directly and benefit from a personal consultation?

Please book your personal one-on-one appointment anytime and we will assist and guide you the best we can.