Sustainable Resource Management

The pressure on natural resources, which are the basis of our lives, is continuously increasing due to human activity. Soil, water, air and biological diversity are the source of food, raw materials and energy. They are living and recreational space and serve as sinks for harmful emissions. Suboptimal use creates social and economic problems: The global climate is changing dramatically. Environmental problems, soil degradation and species loss are increasing. Biodiversity suffers. Competition for use and conflicts of interest arise.

The purpose of the master’s program is to educate students to innovative and analytically-sharp thinking sustainability generalists, who will develop comprehensive, scalable and resilient solutions for the sustainable management of our natural resources. Explore concepts for sustainable management, consider social and political aspects, apply appropriate management methods, and discuss possible solutions with your fellow students from all over the world.

This international Master’s opens up new horizons for you! Each year, about 100 students from more than 30 different countries worldwide start their studies here. The proportion of international students is around 75% – intercultural exchange is very important to us.

Global environmental and climate changes require widespread adjustments and reorientation of current forms of economy and life. Sectors geared to sustainable development are gaining in importance and show increasing employment figures worldwide.

With your Master's degree in Sustainable Resource Management, you have the opportunity to take on management tasks in large companies, take on positions in national and international governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or to work in environmental consulting.

Your profound knowledge of foreign languages and the social and intercultural skills that you have acquired during your international studies will be helpful. You can advise companies and organizations in the fields of sustainable development, resource use and management based on your scientific knowledge. In addition, the fields of science, education, ecosystem protection and management are open to you.

The four-semester Master’s program consists of compulsory modules (20 credits), elective modules (70 credits), and a master’s thesis (30 credits).

The first semester consists of four compulsory basic modules to bring all students to the same well-founded level of knowledge, to impart basic skills, and to facilitate entry into the degree program for international students. In addition, you choose your first elective modules.

During your studies, you will choose elective modules out of nine science topics. In each science topic we have at least four elective modules (5-6 credits each) and you have to earn at least 45 credits in total from the science topics. You can choose from the following topics:

• Climate, Air and Water
• Economic and Political Dimensions of Sustainability
• Landscape Management
• Management and Protection of Forest Ecosystems
• Material and Waste Management
• Renewable Resources
• Soils and Soil Management
• Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Products
• Wildlife and Protected Area Management

By choosing modules from the nine Science Topics, you create your own individual profile. In addition, you can take further free elective modules, which you can choose from a wide range of subjects according to your own interests and preferences (up to 25 credits). The free elective modules also include a general education subject (e.g. language courses) or a professional internship of at least seven weeks in the field of resource management.

During the internship, you can gain valuable initial experience, get an insight into the wide range of employment opportunities in your subject area and make contact with potential employers. You can complete the internship in Germany or abroad. In order to receive your 10 credits for the internship, you are required to write an internship report. In the fourth semester, you will complete your studies by writing a Master's thesis on a topic of your choice.

Interest aroused? Just take a look at an exemplary curriculum!

After successfully completing your studies, you will have a broad overview of the field of sustainable resource management. You will understand the ecological, economic and socio-political significance of natural resources and the conflicts that can arise from improper use. Sustainable management and action is just as much a focus for you as the sustainable management of natural resources and the associated social aspects.

You will have learned to analyze and evaluate production chains, material flow systems, technical processes and human activities with regard to sustainability. You are well versed in the use of suitable analysis tools. Building on this, you can derive solutions, develop concepts for implementation, and identify and involve key stakeholders. You will also take into account the socio-political and economic developments associated with this.

In addition to the basic knowledge in the field of sustainable resources and their management, you have been able to hone your own interests and develop an individual profile depending on your chosen scientific topics.During your studies, you learn to work in a scientifically and professionally sound manner and to communicate the results of your work in a suitable way. Due to the international nature of the program, you will have developed a high level of social and intercultural competence in addition to excellent foreign language skills, which will be helpful working in an international environment.

All students have to pay a semester fee for the student union (Studierendenwerk).

++ NEW ++ International students from third countries, i.e. countries that do not belong to the European Economic Area, will be charged tuition fees as of winter semester 2024/25.
All information on fee levels, waivers and scholarship programs can be found on the website on tuition fees for international students.
 

Application requirements and eligibility

The prerequisite for the application is that you hold a qualified bachelor's degree of at least six semesters or an at least equivalent degree in engineering, natural sciences, economics or social sciences or comparable courses of study, which you have acquired at a German or foreign university.

Important: The bachelor's degree must already be available at the time of application and must be submitted until the end of the application deadline at the latest (31 May). Your application will not be valid without proof of successful completion of studies (i.e. submission of a final transcript of records with degree date stated, or, if this is not yet available: submission of a certificate of completion of studies together with preliminary transcript).
 

Semester fees and tuition fees at TUM

All students have to pay a semester fee for the student union (Studierendenwerk).

++ NEW ++ International students from third countries, i.e. countries that do not belong to the European Economic Area, will be charged tuition fees as of winter semester 2024/25. All information on fee levels, waivers and scholarship programs can be found on the website on tuition fees for international students.
 

Application period and start of studies

The application period is from 01 January to 31 May each year for the following winter semester. Start of the degree program is only possible in the winter semester. See here for semester dates.

For international students, we strongly recommend to apply as early as possible, ideally before 31 March.
 

Online application

Application is only possible via our online application portal, where you need to set up an applicant account. You find instructions for your online application here.  You do not have to submit any hardcopies before your application is reviewed and you receive an offer of admission. Please upload all documents to TUMonline before the end of the application deadline. Documents submitted via email cannot be processed.

Depending on your nationality and the country where you obtained your Bachelor’s degree, you will have to submit the following documents via our online application portal. Please check, which documents are necessary in your case and make sure, you have them ready for your online application. Documents issued in German or English need not be translated. Documents not issued in German or English must be translated by a sworn translator into either German or English. Please merge both the original and the translation and upload them as one PDF file. Be aware of specific regulations for certain countries and see glossary of documents for details on the requested application documents:

·        Passport

·        Complete and current résumé (CV) in English

·        Preliminary review documentation (VPD). Attention: you have to first apply for the VPD at uni-assist and then upload the VPD with your application at TUM. Note that processing your VPD by uni-assist can take 6-8 weeks. Be sure to apply for it as early as possible, at the latest before the TUM application deadline. If you apply late in the application period, you have to expect delays in handling your application at TUM. We can only handle your application once all documents are complete, which includes the VPD.

·        Subject and grade transcript of studies to date. If your transcript is not yet final and does not show your graduation date, attach a certificate of completion of studies from your Examination Office. The certificate must contain a seal, it must state that you have fulfilled all requirements of your degree and give the date of the last achievement in your studies.

·        English language certificate. See here for accepted English language certificates. If you can provide evidence of examinations in your undergraduate degree program amounting to at least 60 ECTS in English-language examination modules or if your complete undergraduate program was taught in English, this also counts as proof of English language proficiency. In this case, the language of instruction must be clearly stated in your application documents (transcript of records or diploma supplement).

Optional documents:

·        Evidence of extracurricular activities

·        Written statement in English of the reasons for choosing the degree program (max. 1 page DIN A4)

Please note: We can only consider your application if you upload all required documents and submit the complete application within the application period.
 

Aptitude assessment procedure

Only online applications that are complete and formally correct, will be further processed. In our 2-stage aptitude assessment procedure, we will check whether you have the necessary qualifications and prerequisites for the degree program. The admission process is described in the appendix 2 to the Academic and Examination Regulations of the program.

First stage:

Your application will be assessed and evaluated by the Aptitude Assessment Commission according to the following categories (weighting in parentheses):

·        Final degree grade (43%)

·        Performance assessment in the form of an online aptitude test (57%)

Your final degree grade will be converted by the TUM Center for Study and Teaching to the German grading system using the Bavarian Formula.

The performance assessment (online test) for the Master's program Sustainable Resource Management is offered once per application period. The test will take place mid of June 2025 for the application for the winter semester 2024/25. The exact date will be announced in time.

At the latest 1 week before the test date, you will receive an invitation to the online test via email with all information about the test procedure. It is very important that you have a stable internet connection for the test and that your IP address remains the same during the test.

The online test will be a test in written form and in English (multiple choice test format; duration: 40 minutes). It covers the following areas:

·        General and interdisciplinary basic knowledge with regard to global challenges of resource management, research methods and general knowledge of sustainability (75%; 30 questions).

·        Specific knowledge on one of the fields of engineering, natural sciences, economics or social sciences (25%; 10 questions).

The total score for the first stage of the aptitude assessment is the sum of the calculated final grade point total (max. 30 points) and the performance assessment score (max. 30 points).

Outcome of the first stage:

·        Applicants who have achieved at least 52 out of 70 points have passed the aptitude assessment and are offered a place of study.

·        Applicants who have achieved less than 46 out of 70 points have not passed the aptitude assessment and applications are rejected.

·        The remaining applicants with 46 to 51 points will be invited to an admission interview (second stage).

Second stage:

If you should have to go through the second stage of the aptitude assessment, we will invite you to an admission interview of 20-30 minutes via Zoom. The interviews are scheduled from end of June to around mid of August, depending on the number of candidates. We will announce your interview date at least one week in advance. The interview held by two interviewers from the Aptitude Assessment Committee will focus on the following topics (see Examination Regulations, Annex 2, point 5.2.2):

·        Exceptional motivation for the degree program

·        Individual aptitude parameters

·        Ability to communicate in English

You can get max. 20 points per category from each interviewer. Values are averaged over interviewers and over categories, thus you can obtain 20 points in total. To these points the points for your Bachelor’s grade (see first stage) are added.

Outcome of the second stage:

·        If you reach 59 points or more, you will be offered a place of study.

·        If you reach less than 59 points, you failed the aptitude assessment.
 

Enrollment

Once you are admitted to this program, you have to accept your study place in your applicant account. Subsequently you have to submit your certified paper copies for enrollment and pay the semester fees and, if applicable, the tuition fees. All relevant information will appear in your TUMonline applicant account. See here for details on the enrolment process and here for the glossary of documents.

Please note that from the time where you receive admission, we will only contact you via your tum.de/mytum.de email address, that you find in your applicant account. Make sure that these emails can be received by you. See here for instructions how to set up your email address at TUM.

• Curriculum
  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 20241 (from start of degree program WS 24/25)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20231 (from start of degree program WS 23/24)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20201 (start of degree program from WS 20/21 until WS 22/23)
  • Academic and Examination Regulations 20151 (until 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 Apl. Prof. Dr. rer. silv. Gabriele Weber-Blaschke. 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.

Start of degree program until WS 23/24:

In order to successfully complete your studies, you must complete a 8-week subject-related internship (12 ECTS). The internship delivers insights into various fields of business activities concerning sustainable resource management and into specific operation procedures of enterprises or organizations. It provides the possibility to explore your career options and to contact potential employers.

The internship can be divided into several sections. Please note, however, that an internship section shorter than 4 weeks cannot be credited. Students have to look themselves for an internship and to plan it without getting in conflict with the lecture time. The recommended period for the internship is the lecture-free time between the 2nd and 3rd semester (August – October). An internship report must also be prepared.

Further details can be found on the website of the “Praktikantenamt Weihenstephan”. Please contact the Praktikantenamt before you sign contracts and make sure that your internship can be accepted at TUM.

Start of degree program until WS 23/24:

An internship during your studies is no longer compulsory. However, you can complete a 7-week, subject-related internship (10 ECTS) as part of the free elective modules You can read the other information on completing the internship in the first paragraph (start of studies until WS 23/24).

More information about

• Internships
• Excursions