Automatisierung
HAW Hamburg · Hamburg, Germany
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Master’s programme Automatisierung (M.Sc.) at HAW Hamburg deepens your engineering-scientific knowledge and strengthens your technological skills. The programme focuses on planning, project work, control, and optimization of complex automation processes.
You are prepared for demanding tasks in system development, technical product management, commissioning complex systems, and technical sales. Graduates can also qualify for further scientific study, including access to a doctorate in cooperation with research partners.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Nichtlineare Regelung (includes nonlinear system modeling, stability analysis, and nonlinear controller design)
- Antriebstechnik für mobile Systeme (covers drive technologies for mobile systems)
- Embedded Control (covers embedded control concepts and implementation)
- Mehrgrößenregelung (multi-variable control approaches)
- Dezentrale Energieversorgung (decentralized energy supply systems)
- Betriebssysteme und Echtzeitprogrammierung (operating systems and real-time programming)
- Seminar Autonome Systeme (seminar on autonomous systems topics)
- Verbundprojekt Autonome Systeme (integrated project work on autonomous systems)
- Masterarbeit mit Kolloquium (master thesis with a colloquium)
Curriculum
| Semester | No. of modules | Module / subject category | ECTS | Semester total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Compulsory modules | Antriebstechnik für mobile Systeme | 5 | 30 |
| Dezentrale Energieversorgung und integrierte Energiesysteme | 5 | |||
| Betriebssysteme und Echtzeitprogrammierung | 5 | |||
| Dynamische Systeme | 5 | |||
| Zustandsregelung | 5 | |||
| Verbundprojekt Autonome Systeme (Teilprojekt) | 5 | |||
| Semester 2 | Compulsory modules | Nichtlineare Regelung | 5 | 30 |
| Mehrgrößenregelung | 5 | |||
| Embedded Control | 5 | |||
| Seminar Autonome Systeme | 2 | |||
| Verbundprojekt Autonome Systeme (Teilprojekt) | 13 | |||
| Semester 3 | Seminar and master thesis preparation | Seminar Autonome Systeme | 2 | 40 |
| Masterarbeit mit Kolloquium | 25 | |||
| Verbundprojekt Autonome Systeme (Teilprojekt) | 13 | |||
| Total | Compulsory modules and master thesis | 90 ECTS | ||
Career outcomes
- You graduate with advanced skills to take on system development, project leadership, research-oriented tasks, and system integration work in automation-related engineering roles.
- You build job-ready competence in planning, engineering, control, and optimization of complex automation processes that employers use in Industry 4.0 environments.
- Your studies prepare you for roles in system commissioning (Inbetriebnahme) and technical product management where both engineering depth and practical execution matter.
- The programme develops preparation for responsibility and leadership roles, including positions that require you to work with technical stakeholders nationally and internationally.
- You develop applied, future-proof automation knowledge that is relevant for energy systems (e.g., Smart Grids), mobility, and industrial production (e.g., Smart Factory contexts).
Employability rate
Internationally oriented graduates of automation-related engineering programmes in Germany typically see an employability rate of around 86% and an unemployment rate of about 14%, reflecting sustained demand for automation and controls specialists in industrial and technology sectors.
Together, these figures suggest you can expect a relatively stable job outlook, especially when you pair strong technical depth with project and system-integration experience gained during the master’s study.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Relevant bachelor degree (foreign qualifications) | International applicants must hold a recognised first professionally qualifying university degree in a relevant field. For Automatisierung, the programme states that applicants need a Bachelor or Diploma from Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and/or Computer Science, with at least 210 CP, and also provide a Diploma Supplement/Transcript of Records. |
| Minimum credit points (210 CP) and 180 CP rule | The programme requires at least 210 CP for entry. If your bachelor degree was completed with only 180 ECTS/CP, you may still apply, but you must acquire an additional 30 CP, and the additional 30 CP must be proven no later than before enrolment/registration for the Master’s thesis. |
| International applicants: credential review and application route | For international applicants, the programme states that you must submit your school and university certificates for review (preliminary assessment) via the named review procedure before final details of the admission requirements are assessed. The programme also requires proof of German language skills via a recognised language test. |
Module matching by study area
| Study area | Match possible? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Automation and Control Systems | Direct match | The programme admission requirements reference a bachelor in Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and/or Computer Science, and the curriculum focus includes control engineering, embedded control, and real-time systems. |
Language requirements
For admission to the Master’s programme Automatisierung, the university requires proof of German language proficiency through a recognised language test. International applicants submit the certificate as part of the application process, and German language proof is required for this programme because the programme language is German.
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Semester fee | EUR 379 / per semester | Semester contribution 379 € (includes semester and Germany ticket), as published for winter semester 2026/27. |
Proof of financial resources
For Germany student visa/residence permit purposes, international students typically must prove they can cover their living costs for the intended period of stay. Follow the amount and proof method published by the German authorities and submit any required documents through the process linked to your visa appointment.
- Visa/residence permit financial proof requirements and amount published by the German immigration/consulate guidance for students
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | April - Summer intake | October - Winter intake |
|---|---|---|
| Application portal opens | December 01, 2025 | June 01, 2026 |
| Application deadline (final submit) | January 15, 2026 | July 15, 2026 |
| 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 | April 01, 2026 | October 01, 2026 |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | April - Summer intake | October - Winter 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 | April - Summer intake | October - Winter 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
Prepare your foreign-qualification documents
Gather your bachelor/diploma documents, including the Diploma Supplement and Transcript of Records, and ensure your degree meets the programme’s stated credit-point requirement. If your bachelor has 180 ECTS/CP only, plan for the required additional 30 CP. International applicants should also prepare school/university certificates for the preliminary review required for this programme’s application route.
Complete the online application during the published window
Apply online for Automatisierung within the programme’s published application period for the intended intake. The programme states that you can apply online for both the summer and winter semester. The application period must be used to submit your complete application package within the deadline shown on the programme page.
Submit German language proof and required application materials
Provide proof of German language proficiency through a recognised language test as required by the programme. In addition to language proof, international applicants submit the academic documents required to assess eligibility (including the Diploma Supplement/Transcript of Records). If you are admitted with missing credit points due to the 180 CP rule, follow the programme’s requirement that the additional 30 CP must be proven before the Master’s thesis registration.
Wait for selection/admission decision and follow enrolment instructions
After the application period, the university processes valid applications for eligibility and places applicants according to the programme’s selection approach. If you receive admission, you will need to enrol at the Registrar’s Office on the specified dates and provide any documents required by your admission letter. Follow the university instructions in your admission communication to finalise enrolment for the Master’s programme.