Table of Contents
Structure of the Degree Program
The standard duration of the master's program in Risk and Safety is four semesters. The program can only be started in the winter semester. The number of credits to be earned is 120 (approximately 30 per semester). The credits are modular and are divided in the following fields of study each containing multiple modules:
- Fundamentals (10 ECTS)
- Risk & Society (12 ECTS)
- Risk in practice (15 ECTS)
- Risk methods & analysis (15 ECTS)
- Risk management (15 ECTS)
- General elective modules (23 ECTS)
- Master’s Thesis (30 ECTS)
The Master program educates experts who can analyse, assess and manage risks within an organization, a company, our society. It brings together instructors from engineering, the social sciences, mathematics and data science and management. The program offers students the flexibility to specialize in different applications domains. Students utilize transdisciplinary approaches to address today’s and tomorrow’s challenges in risk and safety.
Figure 1 shows an exemplary overview of the courses. All courses can be attended in any order; however, compulsory courses are strongly recommended to be taken in the first semester. A detailed list of all modules can be found in here.
Figure 1: Overview of the schedule.
Work Opportunities
The MSc prepares you for an exciting career as a risk and safety expert, e.g., in
- Manufacturers, e.g., in automotive, aerospace, medical technology
- Transportation and infrastructure operators
- Certification and safety assurance
- Engineering consultancies
- Government agencies
- Technology start-ups
- Insurance and reinsurance
- Research and development
Fees and Scholarships
For all questions regarding fees and scholarships please refer to the general information of TUM:
Tuition Fees for Students from Non-EU Countries - TUM
A short summary can be found here (status April 2024).
Application
To apply for the M.Sc. Risk and Safety, use the online registration.
Please find a step-by-step guide to applying for a Master at TUM here.
Overview on the procedure
- January to May: You apply for the degree program using the online registration.
- Your application will be processed and you and you will receive an answer as soon as possible. Please note: The sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive a response. This is especially important for students who need apply for a visa.
- You accept your study place and are enrolled (by October, at the latest November).
- Middle of October: You start your studies.
Application Documents
Please submit your application documents using the online registration. If your documents are complete, formally correct, and received by TUM by the deadline, you will take part in the application assessment.
The following documents are required:
- Degree Certificate and Diploma (certified copy)
Please find information regarding the translation and certification/ notarization of documents here: https://www.tum.de/en/studies/application/application-info-portal/notarization
„What's the difference between a diploma and a certificate?
- The diploma is an official document with a seal, confirming you have been awarded a particular academic title by a university.
- The certificate is an official document verifying that you have successfully passed your degree program examination and indicates the overall grade earned on the examination. It also states the topic of and overall grade for your thesis. In some cases, the certificate may also list your final grades in individual components of your degree program.
- Both of these documents must be submitted when applying for a master's degree program (see your document checklist in TUMonline). You can submit the diploma/certificate up to five weeks after classes begin, but please note that you will not be fully enrolled until these documents have been submitted.
Please note: In some countries a single document may act as both diploma and certificate, i.e. confirming your academic title as well as stating your grades.“ (https://www.tum.de/en/studies/support-and-advice/faq#c33594)
- Transcript of Records of a minimum of 140 Credits (certified copy)
Curriculum of the qualifying degree
Academic achievement overview form
Because there is no associated bachelor to the master Risk and Safety, students with various bachelors can apply. However, students are required to have a certain amount of credits regarding different fields of study. Table 1 shows the different fields of study and the maximum credits per fields of study. These numbers are maximum values that can be taken into account, meaning that it is also possible for students with less credits to apply for the master. Students are requiriered to perform an analysis of their successfully completed courses within their curriculum and allocate the courses to the fields of study shown in Table 1. A template to perform the analysis can be downloaded here.Fields of study
Maximum Credits
Engineering basics
20
Stochastic
10
Mathematics excluding Stochastic
10
Informatic
5
Management
10
Courses in social science and psychology with a connection to risk management
10
Table 1: Overview of the fields of studies required for application.
- Proof of English Language Proficiency
We accept "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (TOEFL) (min. 88 Points), "International English Language Testing System" (IELTS) (min. 6,5 Points), or "Cambridge Main Suite of English Examinations".
Alternatively, if the qualifying degree included a minimum 30 credits of English courses, this can also serve as proof of English language. - Proof of basic German Language Proficiency
The proof of basic German language proficiency is not compulsory within the application, however, recommended. - Letter of Motivation (in English)
The letter of motivation should- include a reasoning of the choice to study the master Risk and Safety
- illustrate the connection between personal interests and the content of the master
- demonstrate the candidates commitment
- be linguistically well written
- Complete and Current Résumé (in table format)
- Essay (in English, max. 1000 words)
The candidate can choose one of the following three topics:How should risks be communicated?
- How high should the reliability of a technical system be when failure of the system can lead to fatalities?
- Describe a specific risk and a possible strategy on how this risk could be addressed.
The essay should show a good understanding of the topic, be written according to scientific standards and demonstrate the usage of technical terminology.
- Proof of expert knowledge
Applicants with a Degree from Bangladesh, China, India, Iran, or Pakistan will have to submit a GRE (General) Test. For applicants from other countries the submission of a GRE is not needed.
The requiered scores are:- Verbal reasoning: (will not be taken into account)
- Quantitative reasoning: 157
- Analytical writing: 3,0
Alternatively, candidates can submit a score card of the Indian GATE test with the minimal qualifying score of the respective year.
You will also need
- A Passport (for the online application)
- Most Current ID Photo (for enrollment)
- Student Health Insurance Certificate (for enrollment)
After accepting an offer of admission in TUMonline, you will receive a list of documents you must submit to TUM in hardcopy for enrollment.
Further information on general documents can be found using the following link https://www.tum.de/en/studies/application/application-info-portal/glossary-of-documents#c47860
Application Assessment
The application assessment is split into two phase:
Figure 2 shows an overview of the application assessment.
Figure 2: Overview of the application assessment.
Phase I
In phase I, suitability will be judged based on:
- Professional knowledge (analysis of the curriculum) (max. 55 points)
- Bachelor’s degree grade (max. 20 points)
- Motivation letter (max. 10 points)
- Essay (max. 10 points)
Applications achieving
- more than 79 points are accepted.
- less than 75 points are rejected.
- more than 74 and less than 80 points enter phase II
Phase II
In phase II, suitability will be judged on an interview of 15-20 minutes about
- the motivation letter,
- the essay,
- the bachelor thesis
The interview gives a maximum of 20 points.
The points of phase I and II will be added. Applicants achieving
- more than or equal to 95 points are accepted.
- less than 95 points are rejected.
For details on the procedure, please refer to the statutes on application assessment (FPSO).