Contact information
Facts and Data
- Duration: 4 semesters
- Degree Award: Master of Science
- Language: English
- admission limited
- Special admission requirements
News
Earlier deadlines will likely apply for the winter semester 2024/25 application procedure. Please check the current status at the Master’s application deadlines overview page.
Digitalised Energy Systems - Master's Programme
To mitigate climate change and thus as a matter of urgency, the energy transition represents one of the greatest technological and societal challenges of our time. The main challenge for a reliable, economically and ecologically feasible energy supply lies in the efficient, secure and reliable digitalisation of a technical system that integrates a huge number of fluctuating energy generation, consumers, storage facilities and grid components that are difficult to forecast into a technically stable and financially viable overall system. In addition, the energy system is a critical infrastructure – the lifeline of modern societies. The failure or impairment of such a system would result in long lasting supply bottlenecks, significant disruptions to public safety or other dramatic effects.
This degree programme enables graduates to conduct research at research institutions or universities on the still missing elements of a successful digitalisation of the energy domain and thus on the implementation of the energy transition; or to occupy diverse positions in the energy industry due to the high practical relevance of the study content.
Orientation and Goals
The Master's programme DES offers a focused scientific study programme based on a completed Bachelor's degree in computer science or a closely related subject. The study programme offers an interdisciplinary approach to the development and analysis of the system intelligence required for energy supply in the future energy grid.
In addition to a clear understanding of the fundamentals, principles and methods of computer science in its applications to energy systems, graduates of this degree programme will have a deeper insight into methods, problems and findings from the latest research in energy informatics. They can assess methods for developing and analysing the required system intelligence, and select and apply them appropriately in order to solve problems. They have in-depth knowledge of algorithms for adaptive control as well as for control and continuous dynamic optimisation of the complex and very extensive (European) power supply system. To this end, the students possess, in particular, competences for complexity control through decomposition and abstraction, for the identification of and focus on generalisable principles, the search for decoupling points for the simplified control of the complex overall system.
Study Design and Contents
The degree programme consists of a compulsory part, which teaches core competences in the field of designing and engineering of cyber-physical energy systems. These competences reflect the diversity of energy informatics systems and their fields of application and, together with various thematic specialisation options, allow for a meaningful deepening and specialisation with respect to individual interests. Different domain-specific application perspectives are taught independently so that a broad application knowledge that goes beyond the specific energy system class is acquired. Societal and socio-technical issues are also represented as a cross-sectional topic.
The degree programme is divided into the following areas:
- Fundamental Competences with a scope of 54 CP, which teaches basic competences from the areas of computer science, automation and electrical engineering.
This area is subdivided into "Automation and Electrical Engineering" and "Computer Science and Energy Informatics" to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the degree programme, which maps the aspects that are required to develop and analyse necessary system intelligence in the energy system. The courses from both areas are therefore also strongly interlinked in terms of content in order to bring together practical skills from computer science, electrical engineering and an engineering approach in designing cyber-physical energy systems right from the start.
- Foundations of Digitalised Energy Systems with a scope of 36 KP, which aims to impart competences and knowledge in the future field of digitalised energy systems.
This area is subdivided into "Digitalised Energy System Automation, Control and Optimisation" and "Digitalised Energy System Design and Assessment" in order to take into account the different technical system classes with their respective specific design and analysis methods. The third subsection "Innovation Topics and Smart Grids" reflects the different domain-specific application perspectives and offers insights into current developments and research topics.
- Master's thesis module (30 CP)
Reasons for Studying
Digitalisation in the energy industry meanwhile permeates all professional fields in the most diverse energy industry business areas – starting from the operation of generation plants (e.g. power plant and wind farm operators), the operation of facilities, grids and infrastructures (e.g. grid operators, communication service providers), energy services (e.g. portfolio management, electromobility, energy forecasts) to consulting and sales.
The degree programme provides an interdisciplinary approach to the development of safety-critical, interactive and adaptive control and communication systems in the complex system of energy supply with special consideration of continuous dynamic optimisation and thus opens up a wide range of career prospects for graduates.
Foreign Language Skills
German language skills are not required for admission.
In order to study this course at the University of Oldenburg, you need an adequate knowledge of English.
English Language Proficiency see admissions regulations
- Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Level B2
- if applicants have a university degree in an English-language degree programme obtained in a country with English or German as the official language (within the last two years)
The proof of language proficiency must be presented for the enrolment.
For other proof possibilities see: Language requirements
Careers and Areas of Employment
This Master's degree programme qualifies students for a wide range of occupational fields in energy management business areas.
Graduates are able to assess theories and methods, process models, tools and systems according to scientific criteria and apply them to solve practical problems in the energy industry. They have qualified knowledge of the design, specification, implementation, optimisation and validation as well as the operation and further development of complex energy information systems. for communication (measurement, control and regulation) and automation and can use such systems or manage their use. They are trained to design new algorithms in this field of application, to realise them ICT-based and to assess them with regard to their properties. They have qualified knowledge of current methods of developing complex software solutions in teams.
Graduates possess the ability to act responsibly and with discernment in their profession and are aware of the social effects of informatics in this safety-critical field of application. They know the requirements for working in groups as well as for the convincing presentation of their own or others' work results and are prepared to take on leadership positions in teams and companies.
All of the chairs involved in the degree programme as well as the affiliated institute OFFIS offer the opportunity to pursue a doctorate in order to ensure a scientific follow-up consolidation.
Target Group/Admission Requirements
- A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent degree in computer science, business information systems, engineering, electrical engineering or a suitable previous information technology degree programme with a predominantly technical and information technology component, or a comparable degree programme with a minimum of 180 credit points at a German university or at a university belonging to one of the Bologna signatory states.
- Technical aptitude is demonstrated by:
- Knowledge in object-oriented modelling and programming (minimum of 5 CP)
- Information processing (minimum of 5 CP)
- Mathematics, esp. linear algebra and analysis (minimum of 10 credits)
- Proven English language skills on at least level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
For more details see Foreign language skills on this page.
Application/Admission Procedures
Overview application deadlines Master's programmes