Course Contents

Focus areas

• Construction technology
• Energy supply
• Operation management
• System technology
• Management
• Interdisciplinary project
• Compulsory module

Compulsory modules

The compulsory modules of the Master programme include the following topics:

• Planning and production in railway operation
• Law and authorities in the railway industry
• Specialisation business administration and lifecycle analyses
• Interdisciplinary project
• Innovation management and research
• Master's thesis 

Compulsory elective-subject areas: individually chosen

At the beginning, students can choose one of the following five compulsory elective-subject areas. The modules of an elective subject comprise approximately half of the study.

• Vehicle technology, energy technology, signalling technology: ideally suited to becoming active as an engineer or project manager in the railway industry or railway companies.
• Management, market, systems technology: optimal preparation for management activities in railway companies rendering services and optimising processes.
• Construction technology: the classical preparation, e.g. for project managers in railway construction who can understand the overall system and coordinate specialist disciplines.
• Management, energy technology, systems technology: the right place for whoever wants to climb the career ladder into management of the railway-system industry on the basis of sound technical know-how.
• Vehicle technology, market, signalling technology: very good preparation for interface functions, e.g. in railway companies, in the procurement of vehicles or in the vehicle industry in the contact with customers.

Interdisciplinary project

In the second and third semesters, you will work on a project from the railway sector in its entirety, from the initial idea through technical approaches to the profitability analysis and the marketing concept. Topics we currently deal with include:

• Salzburg Airport Link
• Express Tram Großenzersdorf
• Koralmlink
• Future Freight Terminal

In the course Transport Performance in the fourth semester, you slip into the role of a young railway entrepreneur. Key tasks include the design and implementation of realistic business ideas of a new railway company including business plan.

Master thesis

Students are required to write a thesis in semester four, which they present in the master examination.

Topics of successful master theses (a selection) 

• Electrification of the Graz East Railway
• Investigation of the usability of earthen structures as sound barriers along railway tracks
• Design of an optimized test track for test runs with passenger rail vehicles

Cooperations: Strong partners

Instructors from partner companies in the railway industry bring top expertise and the latest developments to the courses. We organise excursions in cooperation with top companies that offer internships as well as the supervision of master theses.

Current foundation-cooperation partners are: