Brewing and Beverage Technology

The art of brewing beer has been taught at Weihenstephan for over 150 years. This traditional knowledge makes our graduates sought-after experts in their field worldwide. The special feature of the Master's program in Brewing and Beverage Technology is the combination of this in-depth knowledge of beer production with modern, innovative processes and the enrichment through interdisciplinary knowledge.

The degree program has two focuses: on the one hand, process engineering and process automation, and on the other hand, subject-specific specialization, in this case brewing technology, on a scientific basis. Starting from a wide range of electives, you can follow your interests and identify an individual focus for your studies. Whether international brewing processes, renewable energies, or comprehensive business management knowledge – develop your profile in the areas that inspire you! You can also choose your Master's thesis to complement the subject matter.

In addition to the theoretical lectures in the lecture hall, you will also attend practical courses. Sometimes you will go out into the field, sometimes into the laboratory, and you will work on sensor-supported precision plant cultivation, observe computer-controlled processes in animal husbandry, learn how to decode the genome of plants and animals, investigate interactions between plants and fungi or learn about physiological processes in our farm animals. In any case, it will always be exciting!

After completing your Master's degree, a global job market with excellent career prospects is open to you. You will find interesting jobs primarily in the brewing and beverage industry, but also the food industry, plant engineering, and construction or chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Thanks to their broad-based education, graduates can be employed in a wide variety of fields. The following fields of activity are possible for you:

• Development of new, innovative, sustainable products and processes
• Planning and development of new production facilities and manufacturing processes
• The organization, monitoring, and optimization of production processes
• Quality assurance during ongoing production operations
• Monitoring of beverage production processes
• Operational control, production management or technical management in beverage and food manufacturing companies
• University or industrial research and development
• Purchase and evaluation of raw materials
• Logistics and warehouse management

You can also continue your academic career with a doctorate after your studies.

Compulsory modules in engineering include rheology, hygienic processing, and scientific-technical computing. The scientific specialization deals, for example, with beverage bottling plants, beverage process engineering, and selected chapters of brewing technology. This is where the process engineering and beverage technology content crystallizes as a combination.

50 of your 120 credits can be earned through elective modules – this allows you to develop your interests. These credits can be earned not only through lectures, but also from a wide range of lab practices to gain a practical understanding of the theory.

Besides this, an elective internship gives you valuable insights into possible future fields of activity. It is part of your practical training and contributes to your individual profile development. You will gain deep insights into the food industry and get to know different work processes.

At the end of your studies, you will write your Master's thesis on a topic of your choice.

Interested? Just take a look at an exemplary curriculum!

The Master's program in Brewing and Beverage Technology follows directly on from the Bachelor's program in the same subject at the TU Munich, enabling you to expand and deepen the scientific and beverage technology foundation gained in the Bachelor's program or to specialize in a particular subject area. For example, you will learn how to develop new production processes and to optimize existing production methods. You will also learn how to introduce and control quality assurance methods. The analytical control of product properties also plays an important role. Knowledge of product properties and production processes will help you to develop innovative products, processes, and technologies independently. Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important in the brewing and beverage industry.

With your Bachelor's degree, you already have a sound mathematical and scientific education and knowledge in the field of process engineering and brewing and beverage technology. In the Master's program, engineering science and process engineering play a large part. You will learn essential process engineering operations such as the supplied equipment of industrial companies as well as the planning and implementation of brewery plants. You systematically go through the individual process steps – from beverage production to filling and packaging, and look at how the product can be protected from environmental influences.

At the same time, you will deepen your specialist knowledge in the field of brewing and beverage technology in the Master's degree program. In brewing technology, the initial focus is on the characterization and production of beverages. Seminars and practical courses will give you practice in the microbiological, chemical-technical, and sensory evaluation of products. You will apply different fermentation technologies and monitor the brewing process. The production processes  aren’t the only focus here, but also how economical certain beverage production processes are.

Through elective modules, you can enrich your study profile with further knowledge from areas such as biotechnology, energy supply, or economics.

These modules will also strengthen your knowledge of scientific work so that you are well prepared for a future career in research and science.

The TUM website on the application process provides a general overview. The following sections contain information specific to this degree program.

Application Requirements and Eligibility

Qualifying Degree

To apply for this Master’s program, you need to provide a qualifying Bachelor's degree of at least six semesters or an equivalent degree. Your degree can be obtained from either a domestic or a foreign university. It must belong to the field of food technology, pharmaceutical bioprocess engineering, brewing and beverage technology, or a comparable degree program.

Minimum Credits

At the time of application, you don’t need a fully completed qualifying Bachelor's degree. For a Bachelor's degree program with six semesters of regular study duration, you are required to submit a transcript of records with modules of at least 120 credits with your application; for a seven-semester Bachelor's degree program, modules of at least 150 credits, and for an eight-semester Bachelor's degree program of at least 180 credits.

Verification of Language Skills

The language of instruction in this degree program is German. Therefore, it is necessary to prove sufficient German language skills with your application. Please check whether you need a language certificate and which types are accepted.

Preliminary Documentation (VPD)

NEW from winter semester 2025/2026 on:Applicants who have obtained their previous academic education (e.g., Bachelor's degree) not at a German university require a preliminary documentation (VPD). First, you must apply for the VPD at uni-assist, and second, upload it with your application to your applicant account (see section “Online application” below). 

Please find further critical information on the TUM website for international applicants.

Application Period and Start of Program

The application period is from 1 April to 31 May each year for the following winter semester. We strongly recommend that international students apply as early as possible. You can start this program only in the winter semester. Please find the semester dates on the TUM website.

Semester fees and tuition fees at TUM

All students pay a semester fee for the Studierendenwerk.

Online Application

You can only apply online via our application portal in TUMonline. There, you set up an applicant account (manual). Please upload all required documents to your applicant account by the end of the application period. Documents issued in languages other than German or English must be translated into German or English by a sworn translator. Both the original document and its translation must be uploaded as one PDF file. 

Aptitude Assessment

As part of the aptitude assessment, the Aptitude Assessment Commission checks whether you have acquired the relevant skills and abilities for the degree program.

In the first stage of the aptitude assessment, your professional qualifications are examined. In the so-called curricular analysis, the modules of your Bachelor's degree are compared with the corresponding modules of the B.Sc. in Brewing and Beverage Technology of TUM. A maximum of 30 points are awarded for the professional competencies. Another 30 points can be achieved via the grade of the relevant modules.

The following areas are included in the curricular analysis:

• Chemistry (comprises organic, inorganic and biological chemistry)
• Calculus incl. statistics
• Microbiology
• Physics
• Hygienic Design and Hygienic Processing
• Fluid mechanics
• Engineering mechanics
• Thermodynamics
• Beverage technology
• Yeast and beer technology
• Raw material technology
• Wort technology

For this stage, please enter the modules completed in your Bachelor's program into the Curricular Analysis Portal and generate a PDF file from it, which you then upload to your applicant account in TUMonline. You will find the link to the Curricular Analysis Portal and the required application number (1-00xxxxxx) in your TUMonline account. At the portal entrance, you will receive detailed instructions on completing the curricular analysis.

The overall evaluation of the first stage results from the sum of the calculated score of the curricular analysis: 

• If you achieve 35 points or more, you will pass the aptitude test and receive admission to the degree program.
• If you achieve less than 25 points, you will not pass the aptitude test and be rejected.

Applicants who have received between 25 and 34 points in the first stage of the aptitude test will be admitted to the second stage. The Assessment Commission will invite the applicants to an aptitude assessment interview, which will last 30 minutes and take place online. Applicants will receive the date for the interview by e-mail at least one week prior.

The entire application procedure is described in detail in Appendix 2 of the Academic and Examination Regulations for the degree program (in the menu “Examination matters” towards the bottom of this website; only available in German).

Enrollment

As soon as you have received a letter of admission for this degree program, you accept your study place in your applicant account. You then upload the remaining documents for enrollment and pay the semester fees. All relevant steps will be displayed in your TUMonline account. Additionally, you can learn the details of the enrollment procedure.

Questions

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the student advisor (see end of this page).

• Curriculum
  • Curriculum 20221
  • Curriculum 20191 (expiring)
    The degree chart gives you an overview and recommendation, which modules you should take in which semester according to academic and examination regulations (FPSO).
     
• Timetable (TUM ID required for login):
  This timetable is intended to give you an overview of the planned compulsory and elective modules of a semester. It is for orientation purposes only and will not be updated during the semester! 
  
  Via TUMonline you can have a timetable created for each semester according to FSPO.
  
  You can also create your own individual timetable, which can contain not only the dates of the selected courses, but also your personal appointments.
  
  First steps with TUMonline

• General Academic and Examination Regulations at TUM (APSO)
• Academic and Examination Regulations (FPSO)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20221 (from start of degree program WS 22/23)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20191 (from start of degree program WS 19/20)

• Examination dates & registration via TUMonline
  In TUMonline you can register for the module examinations that accompany your studies. 

  Important: You can only take most of the exams if you have actively registered yourself via TUMonline within the registration period. The registration and deregistration period will be displayed at the exam date.

• Further examination matters
  • Academic progress check
  • Examinations
  • Recognitions
  • Theses
• Board of Examination
  The board of examination is a committee consisting of university professors and lecturers of the degree program. The chairperson of the board of examination of your degree program is Prof. Dr. Ing. Thomas Becker. Applications to the board of examination are received by the secretary and submitted to the board of examination for decision. You can reach the secretary by sending an email to examination.co(at)ls.tum.de.