MSc Railway Engineering

The master's programme in Railway Engineering covers all aspects of railways from a systems perspective, integrating elements from both mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. It is given together with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Students learn how to design vehicles, infrastructure and control systems that perform optimally together. The importance of the railway in the transition to sustainable transport drives the demand for skilled railway engineers.

Railway Engineering at KTH

Railway transport is experiencing a worldwide renaissance. It offers substantial economic benefits, energy efficiency, and environmental and safety benefits compared to road transport. Railway transport can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, one of the primary sources of global warming. As a result, passenger railways such as trains, trams and subways are being built in many regions of the world to meet the growing demand for mobility, sustainability and increasing urbanisation. At the same time, the European Commission has set targets to shift more road freight to rail transport to reduce emissions and congestion. This move towards railways has created a substantial demand for engineers with an integrated knowledge of railway subsystems (infrastructure, vehicles and traffic control) who understand how to maximise the performance of the whole system.

The master's programme in Railway Engineering is among the very few programmes in the world that cover all aspects of rail engineering, and none offers the international perspective afforded by this one. KTH offset the programme in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where all students in the programme spend one semester.

The programme focuses on the system aspect, which is extremely important in railway systems. Vehicle, infrastructure and control systems have to be designed to work optimally together. Therefore, the programme contains courses in mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. The programme starts with mandatory courses during the autumn semester. You will meet different active researchers in the field in the seminar-based course on research methodology with a connection to sustainable development for a climate-neutral society. You will also gain a solid understanding of the system as a whole, mixing online courses from UIUC and onsite courses at KTH, combining the best aspects of these universities. For example, you will learn the fundamental economics of rail transportation, decision-making and optimisation, consideration of railroad rolling stock design, running gear and other mechanical components, such as the train braking system, and design a commuter-type train in project task. During the first spring semester, there is a mix of mandatory and conditionally elective courses in which you can start to tailor your path. During the third semester, particular emphasis is placed on the unique engineering elements of high-speed railway engineering technology. At UIUC, you are allowed to continue forming and strengthening your path, selecting conditionally elective courses that will eventually end up in the last semester's thesis work. As field trips and design and analysis tools for rail systems are a natural part of the programme, you will have a solid base when starting your master's’s degree project in the last semester.

The programme is mainly based on classes, with lectures, assignments and exams, but also includes projects and individual studies. All teachers are active researchers and will include new research trends in their course content. During the final semester, you will carry out a master's’s degree project. Many students carry out their degree projects in industry with a railway operator or a consultancy company.

This is a two-year programme (120 ECTS credits) given in English. Graduates are awarded the degree of Master of Science. The programme is given mainly at KTH Campus in Stockholm by the School of Engineering Sciences (at KTH).

Collaboration with the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC)

About half of the courses are given by the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) and KTH, respectively, and the programme includes international mobility. At least 15 ECTS credits must be taken on-site at the partner university. Many courses for this programme are taught online by KTH and UIUC exclusively. Please note; due to US visa regulations, there is no guarantee that fee-paying students can study in the US. If the visa is denied, these students will be offered an alternative study plan.

KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm is one of Europe’s leading technical universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden’s largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers, and faculty from around the world dedicated to advancing knowledge.

History

KTH is a university with a rich history of pioneering ideas and innovation that dates back to 1827. For nearly 200 years KTH has educated students who have gone on to influence our present and make the technological advances that define modern society. Still today, KTH shapes the talents that will find the solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.

Research

KTH is working with industry and society in the pursuit of sustainable solutions to some of humanity’s most significant challenges: climate change, future energy supply, urbanisation, and quality of life for the rapidly-growing elderly population. We are addressing these with world-leading, high-impact research and education in natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as in architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history, and philosophy. Almost two-thirds of the SEK 4 billion turnovers are related to research.

Basic and applied research is performed side-by-side at KTH and interdisciplinary research is conducted in parallel with work in specific fields.

Career

KTH maintains close relationships with an expanding network of international companies and the industrial community in a number of fields, and working and studying here provides access to this network.

The latest career report shows that 94 percent of those who graduated from KTH 2010-2012 have been employed since they finished their degree and a remaining 6 percent have gone on to Ph.D. studies. Of the international student population, 30 percent go on to Ph.D. studies at KTH or other renowned universities. 32 percent of KTH Alumni leave Sweden for work or studies abroad. 13 percent lead others in their work, and 13 percent have already received their first managerial position.