The master's programme in Railway Engineering explores railways from a systems perspective, blending mechanical, civil and electrical engineering.

You will study at KTH and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and learn to design vehicles, infrastructure and control systems for safe, efficient and sustainable transportation. Investments in railways are rising worldwide to decarbonise passenger transport and freight, creating a vast 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.

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 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.

Career:

The technical challenges associated with meeting the growing demand for railway transportation in an efficient and sustainable manner require a considerable number of engineers with an education in the field of railways worldwide.

A large percentage of railway industry engineering staff are nearing retirement; consequently, there is a strong and growing demand for graduates with an education in railway engineering. With one focus of the programme being system aspects, it is foreseen that many graduates will hold management positions in the organisations they work in.

The programme provides an excellent basis for pursuing a career in the global vehicle industry, at consultancy companies, research institutes, and universities. The cooperation between the Swedish industry and the Department of Engineering Mechanics is very close. There are several major ongoing research programmes in which KTH, key manufacturers and the transport administration are involved. Both universities also offer the possibility of continuing as a PhD student. Graduates from the master's programme in Railway Engineering are strong candidates for the limited number of positions available.