Table of Contents

Master's degree 2
Networked Production Engineering • RWTH Aachen University • Aachen 2

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Master's degree
Networked Production Engineering
RWTH Aachen University • Aachen

Overview

Degree Master of Science (RWTH Aachen University)

Teaching language
English

Languages Courses are taught entirely in English.

The RWTH International Academy encourages and supports students to learn German during their
studies.

Programme duration 4 semesters

Beginning Winter semester

Application deadline Non-EU applicants can submit their applications until 1 March for the following winter semester.
German and EU citizens can submit their applications until 15 July. However, we strongly
recommend that German / EU citizens also apply before March.

Tuition fees per semester in 4,500

EUR

Additional information on Tuition fee: 4,500 EUR per instalment (18,000 EUR in total, conveniently payable in four
tuition fees instalments)

Combined Master's degree / No

PhD programme

Joint degree / double degree No

programme

Description/content The term "Industry 4.0" entails a digital transformation of economy and society. This change is
displayed in an ever-increasing fusion of the physical and virtual worlds: innovative technical
solutions and new technologies like the “Internet of Things” or machine-to-machine
communication can increase efficiency in production and service considerably and make
tailored customer solutions possible.
In an increasingly networked world of work, future graduates in specialised fields of employment
are immensely sought after. Through three individual specialisation courses, prospective students
can obtain technology-related qualifications in a highly interdisciplinary Master's programme at
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 RWTH Aachen University.
The course "Networked Production Engineering” (NPE) includes three focus areas (tracks), which
offer students the opportunity for specialisation in their field of interest:
• Additive Manufacturing
• Smart Factory
• E-Mobility

Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing processes are among the major future topics in production technology that
will significantly change the processes of product development and production, as previously
unattainable additive manufacturing methods can innovate production chains.
There is a high level of industrial, intersectional and international significance attached to additive
manufacturing processes in production technology, which is closely linked to a strong demand for
qualified personnel in this area.

Smart Factory

The digitalisation of production in "Smart Factories" focuses on the long-term goal of networking
all plants, products, and processes of a self-organising factory. As a central component of the
future-oriented project "Industry 4.0", it will be used in numerous sectors, such as chemistry,
automotive, electrical, and mechanical engineering. Through this, an estimated additional 80
billion EUR in net product will be created by 2025 in Germany alone.
The implementation of Industry 4.0 requires skilled workers that are adapted to current as well as
future requirements of digital production. Within these future production networks, qualified
employees will play an important role as problem solvers, bearers of experience, and decision-
makers and will be essential as developers of new products and work processes.

E-Mobility

The electrification of propulsion systems has developed into a global, future-oriented trend, which
extends from container ships to aircraft and the automotive industry. From a production point of
view, the challenges and opportunities along the way to e-mobility are very diverse – an integrated
product and production development for new vehicle concepts are key elements.
With mechanical engineering as one of the key players in technological change, automotive
suppliers and original equipment manufacturers will need skilled engineers with interdisciplinary
expertise in the interface to e-mobility.

Course Details

Course organisation Educational organisation at RWTH Aachen University

Teaching in the Master's degree programme takes place in various forms: lectures, exercises, and
practicals. Lectures are usually taught via presentation of the relevant teaching material. Some
professors might also ask questions and encourage interaction with the students. In the
corresponding exercises, the teaching material will be actively applied by the students, e.g., via
calculation tasks. Practicals are also a more application-oriented form of teaching and can take
place in labs, for example.
To achieve a Master of Science in Networked Production Engineering, students have to complete
the following compulsory modules as well as one track chosen as a focus area:

(1) Compulsory Courses – Programme Specific

Students will complete five compulsory track modules that will be taken over the first three
semesters:
• Mechatronics and Control Techniques for Production Plants
• Manufacturing Technology I
• Manufacturing Technology II
• Production Management B
• Quality Management

(Please visit the programme website for a full overview of the courses.)

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 (2) Compulsory Courses - Track Specific
Depending on the chosen course track, the students take four to five compulsory modules in the
respective specialisation field; the CP scope remains the same despite the different number of
modules.

(3) Elective Courses

The compulsory elective courses allow students to complete a total of 21 CP, according to their
individual interests. These compulsory elective areas are defined as "track specific".

(4) Practical Experience or Elective Courses

To promote and encourage work experience during the study programme, the third semester
includes a mobility window. Students can use this window to complete a voluntary internship for a
total of 12 weeks. Since the internship is not compulsory, additional modules amounting to 12 CP
can alternatively be completed from the comprehensive electives.

(5) Language Course and Master's Thesis

Since the course of study is mainly aimed at international students, language courses amounting to
6 CP are compulsory within the first three semesters. For international students in particular, these
language courses are obligatory German courses. Students who are already proficient in the
German language can instead gain in-depth knowledge of another foreign language (a different
language other than English).

Types of assessment Written and oral examinations

International elements
Integrated study abroad unit(s)

Integrated study abroad The programme takes place in Aachen (Germany). The study-integrated elective industrial
unit(s) internship and/or the Master's thesis can be completed in other countries.

Integrated internships Students can choose to do a 12-week, elective industrial internship.

Course-specific, integrated No
German language courses

Course-specific, integrated No
English language courses

The course of study can be No

taken entirely online

Digital learning and teaching

Virtual classrooms
modules

Description of e-learning All courses are linked to a virtual classroom on the Moodle online learning platform.
elements

Participation in the e- No
learning course elements is
compulsory

Can ECTS points be acquired No

by taking the online
programmes?

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 Can the e-learning elements No
be taken without signing up
for the course of study?

Costs / Funding

Tuition fees per semester in 4,500

EUR

Additional information on Tuition fee: 4,500 EUR per instalment (18,000 EUR in total, conveniently payable in four
tuition fees instalments)

Semester contribution All students at RWTH Aachen University are subject to the current semester fee of approx. 280 EUR
per semester. It includes, among other benefits, a "semester ticket" covering public transport in
the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany as well as the region of South Limburg in
the Netherlands.

Costs of living The average cost of living and studying, including food, accommodation, personal and social
expenses, and study-related costs, amounts to 800-900 EUR per month.

Funding opportunities Yes

within the university

Description of the above- A limited number of scholarships from various organisations are available to help students finance
mentioned funding their studies. Please see the following website for a list of exchange programmes, scholarships, and
opportunities within the grants as well as specific application requirements and conditions: http://www.rwth-
university aachen.de/scholarships
Alternatively, students can contact the International Office directly for advice and assistance.

Requirements / Registration

Academic admission A Bachelor of Engineering or a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering or a related

requirements discipline, such as automotive, aerospace or energy engineering, manufacturing, structural,
industrial, or production engineering, awarded by an internationally recognised university-
level institution
Fundamental knowledge in the fields of engineering, mathematics, and natural science
that should be covered within the following modules: mathematics, mechanics, materials
sciences, thermodynamics, informatics/programming/computer science, physics, technical
drawing, and CAD
Furthermore, knowledge in the following courses is requested: fluid dynamics, automatic
control, design engineering, production management, machine tools, manufacturing
technology, electrical drives, quality management, fluid techniques, and materials
techniques.
In addition, students should have gained relevant work experience of no less than 12
months (as a rule) during or after their Bachelor's degree programme.
The GRE must be presented as an application document. The minimum requirements are as
follows: verbal reasoning 145 points, quantitative reasoning 160 points, analytical writing 3
points. (Applicants from the EU, EWG, and "Bildungsinländer" are exempt!)

Language requirements If you want to attend an English-taught Master's degree programme, you must be fluent in English
(oral and written) in order to understand lectures, textbooks, and manuals and to participate in lab
projects, industrial internships, and examinations.
One of the following certificates must be submitted:

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 TOEFL Internet-based: minimum of 90; paper-based: minimum of 577
IELTS test: minimum overall band 5.5
Cambridge Test - Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
First Certificate in English (FCE), completed with B
placement test of RWTH Aachen University's Language Centre - only available for students
already enrolled at RWTH Aachen University

Applicants who graduated from their Bachelor's programme in the USA, UK, Canada (English-
speaking part), Ireland, New Zealand, or Australia do not need to submit language certificates.
Certification of German language proficiency is not necessary in order to apply for an English-
taught RWTH Master's degree programme.

Application deadline Non-EU applicants can submit their applications until 1 March for the following winter semester.
German and EU citizens can submit their applications until 15 July. However, we strongly
recommend that German / EU citizens also apply before March.

Submit application to Please use the RWTH Aachen University online application portal and submit your electronic
application via: https://online.rwth-
aachen.de/RWTHonline/ee/ui/ca2/app/desktop/#/login/ee/ui/ca2/app/desktop/#

Services

Possibility of finding part- Students enrolled at RWTH Aachen University have the opportunity to find a job on campus and
time employment work for up to 19 hours per week. This also allows students to become more familiar with the
university institutes and take part in projects related to their field of study. The maximum working
limit for off-campus work is 120 days per year for non-EU students.

Accommodation The RWTH International Academy staff offers support in finding accommodation in either a student
residence or a private apartment.
RWTH Aachen University has a limited number of dorm rooms and studio apartments. However,
there are usually waiting lists for these rooms, and students will probably need to find private
accommodation first. RWTH International Academy also has its own boarding house for its
students. There are a number of options for finding private accommodation in and around Aachen,
and the International Academy can provide students with information beforehand and after arrival.
For short-term accommodation, there are many hotels and two youth hostels.
Further guidance on student housing in Aachen can be found at:
https://www.academy.rwth-aachen.de/en/education-formats/msc-degree-
programmes/pse/accommodation

Career advisory service Our Career Services offer support for students looking for internships or full-time employment.
Among other things, students can make use of CV checks, LinkedIn profile upgrades, assessment
centre training, and interview preparation. Furthermore, we organise excursions to companies and
factories regularly so that our students gain first-hand insight into the industry. Our graduates have
overwhelmingly positive prospects, as on average they:

find a job within six months after graduation (90%),

receive a job offer from companies directly after finishing an internship and before
submitting their final Master's theses (21%), and
stay in Germany to pursue their career (70%).

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 Student Testimonial |
RWTH International Academy RWTH International
Vinayak Pattanshetti Academy - René, Fidel,
MSc Mario, and Yoen
In our first video contest, we were
looking for video testimonials from
„Pursuing an MSc in the Networked students enrolled in our programmes
Production Engineering programme who talk about their experiences at
has provided me with a great start to RWTH Aachen University. This is the
my career. I now have a very fabulous outcome! Thank you so
interesting position in the automotive much, René, Fidel, Mario, and Yoen!
industry.“

more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=roMIuuekpnw

RWTH Aachen University

RWTH Aachen University

© RWTH International Academy

With 260 institutes in nine faculties, RWTH Aachen University is one of Europe's leading institutions for science and research. Currently,
more than 44,500 students are enrolled in 144 academic programmes. More than 8,500 of them are international students hailing from 130
different countries. The scientific education students receive at RWTH Aachen University is firmly rooted in real-world application. As a
result, our graduates are highly sought after by businesses to work as trainees and fill executive positions. National and international
rankings show that our graduates have a high aptitude for managing complex tasks, constructively solving problems in teams, and taking
on leadership responsibilities. Thus, it should come as no surprise that one in five board members of German corporations is an alumnus of
RWTH Aachen University.
Work conducted in the research centres at RWTH Aachen University is strongly oriented towards the current needs of industry, commerce,
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and the professions. This has resulted in numerous innovations, patents, and licences. The individual competence centres at RWTH Aachen
University collaborate effectively across departments and faculties in interdisciplinary groups and forums, while still maintaining a strong
focus on their own department specialisation. For instance, the computer science and biology departments - and even the social sciences -
all have a clear connection to the school's engineering focus. This has been a crucial factor in motivating multinational corporations such as
Philips, Microsoft, and Ford to locate their research institutions in the Aachen region.
Excellence in teaching and research constitutes the basis from which RWTH Aachen University works with other leading institutions and
technical universities around the world.

University location
As Germany's westernmost city, Aachen is located on the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands. Its population is about 260,000. Aachen's
historic centre around the distinctive cathedral (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is characterised by a student lifestyle. At the city's doorstep,
the hilly Eifel landscape with its rivers, lakes, and forests offers a picturesque countryside for outdoor recreation.
Aachen benefits from its central location in the heart of Europe!

Contact
RWTH Aachen University
RWTH International Academy

Lisa Schmidtfall

Campus-Boulevard 30
52074 Aachen

Tel. +49 2418027633

[email protected]
Course website: https://www.academy.rwth-aachen.de/en/education-formats/msc-degree-programmes/npe

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Last update 31.07.2020 13:31:18

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