Nachhaltigkeitstechnologie (M.Eng.)
DIPLOMA Hochschule Hamburg · Hamburg, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Sustainability Technology elective module (Wahlpflichtmodul) in the Master’s programme in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Sustainability (M.Eng.) helps you specialise in intelligent technical systems and apply automation concepts with sustainability goals in mind.
You build skills to evaluate options and develop intelligent automation system concepts, including how to integrate cyber-physical systems and consider the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in sustainability contexts.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Build fundamentals needed to understand intelligent systems in the context of sustainability
- Develop competence in analysing and translating requirements into technical specifications
- Start applying systems thinking for sustainable automation and production solutions
- Engage with the learning components that form the basis for the later specialisation module content
- Focus on intelligent systems for sustainability assurance
- Learn to design and concept intelligent automation systems under sustainability constraints
- Work with project-oriented, application-focused learning in the sustainability technology specialisation track
- Develop a critical understanding using current methods and engineering knowledge
- Complete application-oriented projects in the field of automation systems and sustainability technology
- Consolidate engineering and sustainability-related competencies through guided project work
- Strengthen your ability to evaluate opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence in automation contexts
- Prepare for the final master thesis through master-level academic work
- Complete the Master Thesis with a scientific topic connected to engineering, economics, and sustainability contexts
- Demonstrate your ability to apply sustainability technology knowledge to a concrete master-level research question
- Close the program with the thesis assessment and completion requirements
Curriculum
The 120 ECTS curriculum combines sustainability science, automation and production systems, management, research and innovation, sustainable organisational development, intelligent systems and strategic decision-making. This curriculum follows the Nachhaltigkeitstechnologie elective pathway and concludes with a 30 ECTS master's thesis and colloquium.
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS / CP | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | 3 modules | Nachhaltigkeitswissenschaft | 10 | 30 ECTS |
| Simulation digitaler Automatisierungssysteme | 10 | |||
| Produktionsautomatisierung | 10 | |||
| Semester 2 | 3 modules | Unternehmensführung | 10 | 28 ECTS |
| Forschung und Innovation | 8 | |||
| Intelligente Systeme | 10 | |||
| Semester 3 | 3 modules | Nachhaltiges Change-Management | 9 | 32 ECTS |
| Entscheidungsprozesse | 11 | |||
| Nachhaltigkeitstechnologie | 12 | |||
| Semester 4 | 1 final module | Master-Thesis und Kolloquium | 30 | 30 ECTS |
| Total | Nine taught and elective modules plus the master's thesis and colloquium | 120 ECTS | ||
Career outcomes
- You graduate with a master-level engineering focus on sustainability technology and intelligent automation systems, helping you qualify for roles where companies are actively modernising production and operations.
- You build job-ready competence to translate system requirements into specifications and to choose suitable technologies while weighing alternatives under sustainability constraints.
- You develop a practical ability to plan and evaluate cyber-physical systems for sustainability contexts, which supports career paths in industrial technology and automation projects.
- You strengthen critical, engineering-based decision-making by applying current methods and engineering findings, helping you handle real technology trade-offs in production and management settings.
- You gain skills that support progression to responsible and leadership tasks, including guiding application-oriented projects and taking on supervisory functions.
Employability rate
Graduates with engineering-focused sustainability and automation specialisation in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 85% and an unemployment rate of about 15%, reflecting continuing hiring demand for technical sustainability expertise.
Together, these figures point to a stable career outlook with reliable opportunities in engineering, industrial technology, and sustainability-related roles.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Relevant first university degree | Applicants must have successfully completed a relevant first professionally qualifying university degree worth at least 180 ECTS credits. Accepted qualifications include the DIPLOMA Bachelor of Engineering in Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen, a Bachelor or Diplom in an engineering field leading to a Bachelor of Engineering, or a qualification in a field that does not differ substantially from these disciplines. |
| Comparable foreign qualification | A foreign degree may qualify when it does not differ substantially from the specified German Bachelor or Diplom qualifications under the principles of the Lisbon Recognition Convention. DIPLOMA assesses the academic and subject-level comparability of the qualification individually. |
| Minimum previous-study credits | The qualifying Bachelor, Diplom or comparable foreign degree must comprise at least 180 ECTS credits. |
| Required subject competence | Applicants whose previous degree is not in Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen are assessed individually for sufficient engineering and business-related comparability. Missing business competencies may have to be completed through bridge courses specified by DIPLOMA. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen | Direct match | A successfully completed Bachelor of Engineering in Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen with at least 180 ECTS directly matches the stated subject requirement. |
| Engineering & Technology | Direct match | A Bachelor or Diplom in an engineering discipline leading to a Bachelor of Engineering may qualify when the programme is not substantially different from the required academic background and comprises at least 180 ECTS. |
| Mechanical Engineering | Partial match | Admission may be possible following an individual comparability assessment. Where business-related competencies are missing, DIPLOMA may require bridge courses in Rechtslehre, Grundlagen der Wirtschaftsinformatik, Personalmanagement, and Produktion und Beschaffung. |
| Electrical Engineering | Partial match | Admission may be possible following an individual comparability assessment. Where business-related competencies are missing, DIPLOMA may require bridge courses in Rechtslehre, Grundlagen der Wirtschaftsinformatik, Personalmanagement, and Produktion und Beschaffung. |
| Mechatronics | Partial match | Admission may be possible following an individual comparability assessment. Where business-related competencies are missing, DIPLOMA may require bridge courses in Rechtslehre, Grundlagen der Wirtschaftsinformatik, Personalmanagement, and Produktion und Beschaffung. |
| Automation Engineering | Partial match | Admission may be possible following an individual comparability assessment. Where business-related competencies are missing, DIPLOMA may require bridge courses in Rechtslehre, Grundlagen der Wirtschaftsinformatik, Personalmanagement, and Produktion und Beschaffung. |
Language requirements
The programme is taught in German. Applicants with foreign educational qualifications must provide recognised evidence of sufficient German-language proficiency. DIPLOMA's current guidance for studying in Germany states a minimum level of B2 for proof of German or English proficiency; because this programme is German-taught, applicants should submit an appropriate German-language certificate. The university lists recognised German university-entry tests such as TestDaF and DSH as possible forms of qualified language evidence.
Exam / assessment
| Component | Required? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Classification interview with the selection committee | conditional | Applicants whose qualifying degree has a German-equivalent final grade of 3.6 or lower may be admitted if they successfully demonstrate their suitability for the master's programme in a classification interview with the selection committee. |
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | EUR 397 / per month | For the Master-Fernstudium Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen mit Schwerpunkt Nachhaltigkeit (M.Eng.), tuition is shown as monthly instalments with multiple rate models; one published model is 397 € per month plus a separate one-time examination fee. |
| Examination fee | EUR 985 / one time | One-time examination fee is listed for the Master-Fernstudium Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen (M.Eng.). |
Proof of financial resources
Bangladeshi applicants normally require a German national student visa and must demonstrate that their living costs are secured. Germany's official federal guidance states that the standard proof for a study visa in 2026 is at least EUR 11,904, unless sufficient financing is demonstrated through another officially accepted method.
- A blocked account containing at least EUR 11,904 for 2026.
- A recognised scholarship that sufficiently covers living expenses.
- A formal declaration of commitment submitted by a person with sufficient income or assets in Germany under sections 66 to 68 of the German Residence Act.
- Evidence of the parents' income and financial circumstances, where accepted by the responsible German mission.
- An annually renewable bank guarantee issued by a bank in Germany.
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A | N/A |
| Semester begins | October 01, 2026 | April 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | N/A | N/A |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | October - Winter intake | April - Summer intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Check eligibility for international applicants
Review the programme’s entry requirements for Master’s admission with foreign qualifications. Ensure your previous degree is recognised as equivalent in the same or related field, and confirm your completion status. If your grade is below the stated threshold, check whether the assessment interview route applies to your situation.
Prepare your application documents
Collect your identity document (passport) and your academic records for your previous degree. Make sure you can provide proof of the passed degree and include the most relevant transcript documents for your application. Prepare any required translations and certified copies as requested by the admission process.
Submit your application online during the admission window
Complete the application online on the university’s official application flow for this Master’s programme. Upload your required documents in the format requested by DIPLOMA and submit before the deadline for your chosen start date. After submission, monitor your inbox for any requests for missing documents or follow-up steps.