MSc Railway Engineering
Stockholm, Sweden
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
SEK 342,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EU/EEA/Swiss is 342,000 SEK.
Introduction
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.
Curriculum
Year 1
Compulsory course given at UIUC the first year:
CEE409 Railway Track Engineering, 8 ECTS credits (Autumn Term, p1-p2)
Mandatory courses + conditionally elective courses = at least 44,5 ECTS credits.
Conditionally Elective courses studied online at UIUC the first year. *Among CEE408 and CEE472 at least one course has to be studied.
*CEE408 Railroad Transportation Engineering, 8 ECTS credits (Autumn Term, p1-p2)
*CE472 Stuctural Dynamics I, 8 ECTS credits (Autumn Term, p1-p2)
CEE410 Railway Signalling and Control, 7,5 ECTS credits (Spring Term, p3-p4)
Mandatory courses
- Theory and Methodology of Science (Natural and Technological Science) (AK2030) 4.5 credits
- Electric Traction (EJ2400) 6.0 credits
- Sustainable development and research methodology in engineering mechanics (SA2002) 3.0 credits
- Rail Vehicle Technology (SD2307) 7.5 credits
- Rail Vehicle Dynamics (SD2313) 8.0 credits
Year 2
Autumn semester year 2 is studied at UIUC (exchange semester).
Compulsory course
CEE412 High-Speed Rail Engineering, 7,5 ECTS credits
Conditionally elective courses. At least 22,5 cr has to be studied.
CEE408 Railway Transportation Engineering, 8 ECTS credits
CEE498 High-Speed Rail Planning, 7,5 ECTS credits
CEE509 Transportation Soils, 8 ECTS credits
CEE472 Structural Dynamics I, 7,5 ECTS credits
CEE491 Decision and Risk Analysis, 7,5 ECTS credits
CEE512 Logistics, 10 ECTS credits
CEE598 Railway Terminal Design and Operations, 10 ECTS credits
CEE491 Concrete Materials, 10 ECTS credits
Some courses have 7,5 ECTS credits and 10 ECTS credits versions for increased flexibility.
Available courses can change depending on the year of studies.
The final curriculum is agreed with the faculty at UIUC.
Mandatory courses
- Degree Project in Rail Vehicle Engineering, Second Cycle (SD231X) 30.0 credits
Program Outcome
Sustainable development
Graduates from KTH have the knowledge and tools for moving society in a more sustainable direction, as sustainable development is an integral part of all programmes. The international environment of the master's programme in Railway Engineering provides different societal perspectives that will be very helpful for understanding the challenges of global sustainability. The three key sustainable development goals addressed by the programme are:
- 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 13 Climate Action
Due to the inherent climate-positive qualities of railway systems, all courses incorporate sustainability-related knowledge. You will acquire a systems perspective that forms the basis for rethinking transportation while allowing you to design and create innovative solutions for problems that will appear in the future. With this expert knowledge and the technical breadth and international experience that you will acquire, you will learn how to contribute towards global sustainable development.
The broad array of courses in the programme will engage you in different technical and societal aspects directly related to sustainability, such as designing technical solutions with demands on energy and material consumption, or human-centred aspects such as comfort, interoperability and friendly transport system environments. In the master’s degree project you will expand your knowledge about technological development and project management in relation to sustainability.
Railways will play an important role in the sustainability of our societies as we know them. As a railway systems expert with a strong international perspective, you will be able to join any workgroup around the world, work with other experts in adjacent fields, and lead the development of technical innovations that contribute towards a sustainable infrastructure system, energy-efficient transportation and climate-friendly technical innovations.
Sustainable development
Graduates from KTH have the knowledge and tools for moving society in a more sustainable direction, as sustainable development is an integral part of all programmes. The international environment of the master's programme in Railway Engineering provides different societal perspectives that will be very helpful for understanding the challenges of global sustainability. The three key sustainable development goals addressed by the programme are:
- 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 13 Climate Action
Due to the inherent climate-positive qualities of railway systems, all courses incorporate sustainability-related knowledge. You will acquire a systems perspective that forms the basis for rethinking transportation while allowing you to design and create innovative solutions for problems that will appear in the future. With this expert knowledge and the technical breadth and international experience that you will acquire, you will learn how to contribute towards global sustainable development.
The broad array of courses in the programme will engage you in different technical and societal aspects directly related to sustainability, such as designing technical solutions with demands on energy and material consumption, or human-centred aspects such as comfort, interoperability and friendly transport system environments. In the master’s degree project you will expand your knowledge about technological development and project management in relation to sustainability.
Railways will play an important role in the sustainability of our societies as we know them. As a railway systems expert with a strong international perspective, you will be able to join any workgroup around the world, work with other experts in adjacent fields, and lead the development of technical innovations that contribute towards a sustainable infrastructure system, energy-efficient transportation and climate-friendly technical innovations.
- Vehicle or track design engineer
- signalling engineer
- procurement or maintenance engineer at an operator
- researcher or railway consultant
Scholarships and Funding
KTH offers four different scholarship opportunities for master's studies. The KTH Scholarship covers the tuition fee of a one or two year master’s programme. The KTH One-Year Scholarship is aimed at current KTH master's programme students and covers the tuition fee of the second year of studies. The KTH Joint Programme Scholarship is aimed at students in certain joint programmes and covers the tuition fee for the study period spent at KTH. The KTH India Scholarship is aimed specifically at students from India.
- KTH Scholarship
- KTH One-Year Scholarship
- KTH Joint Programme Scholarship
- KTH India Scholarship
Swedish Institute
The Swedish Institute (SI) offers a number of scholarships for students from targeted countries coming to Sweden.
KTH associated scholarship organisations
KTH cooperates with the following organisations providing scholarship opportunities for prospective KTH students.
- COLFUTURO (Programa Crédito Beca) for students from Colombia
- LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) for students from Indonesia
- FUNED for students from Mexico
Scholarship portals
IEFA database
The IEFA database offer a comprehensive scholarships search, grant listing and international student loan programmes.
Studyportals
The Studyportals scholarship database lists over 1,000 scholarship and grants for students worldwide applying for studies in the EU.
Scholars4dev
Scholarships for Development is a database of scholarships open to students from developing countries.
WeMakeScholars
WeMakeScholars helps students from India secure education loans from banks and NBFCs. They also lists more than 26,000 international scholarships from different trusts, foundations and govt. bodies.
Deferment of student loans in the United States
KTH is an accredited institution at the US Department of Education and holds a Title IV 'Deferment Only' status (OPE ID 03274300). US students may defer payments on existing federal student loan accounts while enrolled in a master’s programme at KTH. The 'Deferment Only' status does not allow students to take out federal student loans for enrolment at KTH. However, the accreditation facilitates grant and loan opportunities for US students as many private student loan institutions in the US use this designation as a requirement to grant new loans. Students who wish to defer payments must contact their lending institution in the US.
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the institute website for more information.
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
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Career Opportunities
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.
After graduation
Vehicle or track design engineer, signalling engineer, procurement or maintenance engineer at an operator, researcher or railway consultant.
Student Testimonials
Program Admission Requirements
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