One of the greatest technological and social challenges is the so-called energy transition. The main challenge for a reliable, economically and ecologically justifiable energy supply lies in the efficient, secure and reliable digitalisation of a technical system for integrating a large number of fluctuating generators, consumers, storage facilities and grid components that are difficult to forecast into a technically stable and financially viable overall system. The energy system is one of the critical infrastructures. These are the lifelines of modern societies, the failure or impairment of which would result in lasting supply bottlenecks, significant disruptions to public safety or other dramatic effects.

At first glance, future electrical energy systems - so-called smart grids - are about the communicative networking of relevant (operating) units (generators, consumers, grid operating equipment, etc.) to optimise and monitor these interconnected parts in order to realise efficient and reliable system operation, whereby an increasing number of decentralised, renewable generators (especially photovoltaics, wind energy and biomass) must now be integrated. The overall challenge, however, is considerably greater, because only an integrated consideration of all influencing factors, such as user acceptance, CO2 emissions, sector coupling or safety of this socio-technical as well as cyber-physical system in the field of tension between economic efficiency, reliability and ecological sustainability, can produce practically implementable solutions that sufficiently take into account the complex interrelationships. In this context, the thematic environment of digitalisation in particular plays a major role and requires extended competences.

The Master's programme "Digitised Energy Systems" offers an in-depth scientific study programme on the basis of a completed Bachelor's degree in computer science, business informatics, electrical engineering or a suitable previous information technology degree programme with predominantly technical and informatics components.

Graduates of this degree programme possess, in addition to a clear understanding of the fundamentals, principles and methods of computer science and its applications in energy systems, in particular an 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 to solve problems. They have in-depth knowledge of algorithms for adaptive control as well as regulation and continuous dynamic optimisation of the complex and very extensive (European) power supply system, as well as the creation of overall system competence and orchestration. For this purpose, the students possess, in particular, competences for complexity mastery through decomposition and abstraction, for the identification of and focus on generalisable principles, the search for decoupling points for effective governance and the avoidance of bottlenecks.

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 implement them on the basis of ICT and to assess their properties. They have qualified knowledge of current methods of developing complex software solutions in teams. They have the ability to act responsibly and responsibly in their profession and are aware of the social impact of informatic action 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.