Master Civil Engineering (MSE)
In the Master’s program in Civil Engineering, you will learn to design complex structures such as buildings, bridges, tunnels, geotechnical structures, roads, and hydraulic structures in a practical and interdisciplinary manner. You will also learn how to properly maintain existing structures, as the maintenance of existing structures is one of the most important tasks for civil engineers in the future. OST is one of Switzerland’s leading universities of applied sciences in the field of structural maintenance.
You will work on real-world projects as part of your specialization projects and master’s thesis. Your studies are practice-oriented: all your instructors have extensive experience in engineering practice, work closely with engineering firms and construction companies, and actively promote the transfer of knowledge between practice and research—you benefit from up-to-date course content. Your instructors provide you with personalized guidance.
You will also have access to the expertise and well-equipped laboratories of the Institute for Construction and Environment (IBU), as well as the infrastructure of our project partners, for your research and development projects.
Program at a Glance
Degree
Master of Science in Engineering with Specialization in Civil Engineering (90 ETCS)
Program Start
Spring semester: 22 February 2027
Autumn semester: 20 September 2027
Duration
3 semesters fulltime full-time or 5-6 semesters part-time
The degree program can be completed alongside professional employment.
Tuition
CHF 1,000 per semester
Campus
Rapperswil-Jona: Modules of specialization.
Zurich: Theory and Context Modules
Admission
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the field of Civil Engineering. Academic performance across the entire Bachelor’s program must correspond to an ECTS grade of A or B.
More Information on Admission
Accepted Bachelor's degrees:
BSc Civil Engineering
BSc in Geomatic
Admission Deadline
Spring semester: 30. November 2026
Autumn semester: 30 April 2027
Advantages of MSE Civil Engineering:
- Strong practical relevance: The project and Master’s theses are highly practical and focused on real-world applications. Students tackle real-world problems from the field of engineering and are therefore ideally prepared to take on challenging tasks in complex projects once they have graduated.
- Leading expertise in key specialist areas: The OST ranks among the leading universities in German-speaking Switzerland in several fields, including building maintenance, infrastructure construction life-cycle management, BIM, geotechnical engineering, the hydraulic engineering laboratory, sustainability and innovative building materials.
- Excellent connections to the industry: OST has excellent links with the construction and planning industry. This close collaboration ensures that current challenges from the field are incorporated into the degree programme and opens up valuable contacts for students’ future careers.
- Attraktive Anstellungsmöglichkeiten während des Studiums: During the Master’s programme, there is the opportunity to take up an attractive part-time position at the Institute for Construction and the Environment (IBU). This allows you to combine your studies, practical experience and financial independence in the best possible way.
- Advisor support: Academic supervision is provided directly by experienced and distinguished professors (advisors). This enables close support throughout the course of study, as well as high standards in teaching, project work and Master’s theses.
Structural Engineering
The specialisation in Structural Engineering teaches students how to design, model and analyse structural systems such as bridges, buildings and industrial halls. The focus is on practical projects with partners from the public sector and industry, modern methods such as BIM and virtual reality, and innovative building materials.
Building maintenance
The specialisation in Structural Maintenance teaches students how to safely assess and repair existing structures such as bridges, tunnels and buildings, and ensure they remain fit for purpose in the future. Practical projects carried out in collaboration with public authorities and engineering firms, modern testing methods such as ground-penetrating radar, FEM software and BIM, as well as collaboration with EMPA, ensure the programme is both practical and innovative.
Sustainability in Construction and Concrete Technology
In this specialisation, you will learn to take environmental and economic aspects into account in planning, project design and execution. You will carry out life cycle assessments and life cycle cost analyses, develop innovative concretes and new construction technologies such as 3D concrete printing, and put these into practice in the well-equipped OST construction laboratory. Interdisciplinary projects also encourage collaboration with students from other specialisations.
Geotechnical Engineering
In the Geotechnical Engineering specialisation, you will learn how to calculate, design and monitor complex structures such as foundations, dams and deep excavations. You will work with modern simulation programmes such as PLAXIS and OPTUM, and utilise innovative monitoring technologies such as fibre optics. OST’s superbly equipped geotechnical engineering laboratory enables practical work and research of the highest standard.
Hydraulic engineering
In the Hydraulic Engineering and Environmental Engineering specialisation, you will learn how to tackle current challenges such as flooding, low water levels and debris flows, and how to revitalise water bodies. You will gain practical experience working with 2D and 3D hydraulic and morphological models and will use OST’s state-of-the-art hydraulic engineering laboratory for your projects.
In the Building Information Modelling (BIM) specialisation, you will learn how to create digital twins of structures and how to simulate and optimise construction processes. You will gain practical knowledge of modelling, BIM processes and the relevant documentation for building and civil engineering projects.
Civil Engineering and Construction Technology
The specialisation in civil engineering and construction technology provides in-depth knowledge of the planning, design and construction of complex infrastructure projects such as roads and motorways. Students engage intensively with modern construction methods and materials. Particular emphasis is placed on digital methods such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), which enable efficient and networked project management.