Master in Civil and Mechanical Engineering

What you study

The Master in Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) is a two-year full-time programme taught in English. It leads to the protected title “Sivilingeniør”, a recognised quality mark in the Norwegian labour market. The programme gives you advanced calculation and simulation skills and an interdisciplinary profile.

In the first semester, you take obligatory courses in automatic control, modelling of dynamic systems, scientific calculation, project management and cost estimation, and advanced dynamic analysis of pipes and structures. You learn to use modern calculation and simulation tools that are standard in industry.

In the second semester, you choose a specialisation: structural engineering or planning and infrastructure engineering. In structural engineering, you focus on life cycle analysis and materials technology, advanced fatigue and fracture design, and advanced calculation and simulation methods. In planning and infrastructure engineering, you focus on modelling of water and wastewater systems and advanced transport technology, plus life cycle analysis and materials technology.

In the third semester, you take research seminars and projects, combined with elective courses such as industrial optimization, machine learning and sensor technology, offshore wind power, fluid mechanics simulations (CFD) or energy technology perspectives. The fourth semester is the master's thesis (30 credits), an independent engineering project under supervision.

How the programme is organised

Teaching combines lectures, practical laboratories, computer simulation lab, project work, group work and presentations. From the first semester, you work with real-life challenges through project assignments, laboratory work and simulations. Guest lecturers from industry give insight into practice and can become your first professional contacts.

You can write your master's thesis in collaboration with a company or the public sector. USN has close contact with regional players in infrastructure, building, construction and industry, and many students get their first job through the network they build during their studies.

You can spend part of your studies abroad. All or part of the third semester can be completed at a partner university through Erasmus+ or other exchange schemes.

Who it suits

This programme suits you if you want to design structures that withstand extreme loads, lead large construction and infrastructure projects, or advise on sustainable solutions for future cities. It is for engineers who want to specialise in either structural engineering or planning and infrastructure engineering, and who enjoy working with advanced calculation and simulation tools.

You should have a Bachelor's degree in engineering in civil or mechanical engineering, or a related field such as process and environmental engineering, energy technology or renewable energy, with at least 5 ECTS of Statics and Mechanics of Materials. You also need at least 25 ECTS in mathematics, 5 ECTS in statistics, 7.5 ECTS in physics, and you must meet the English requirement.

Admission, language and next steps

Admission requires a completed and passed Bachelor's degree in engineering in line with the National Curriculum Regulations for Engineering Education in Norway in civil engineering or mechanical engineering. Related programmes may be accepted if you can demonstrate at least 5 ECTS of Statics and Mechanics of Materials. All applicants need at least 25 ECTS in mathematics, 5 ECTS in statistics and 7.5 ECTS in physics. You must also fulfil the English requirement.

Application deadlines: non-EU/EEA applicants may apply from 1 October to 15 November. EU/EEA applicants may apply from 1 February to 15 April. Check the programme page for details on the application process. Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland are normally exempt from tuition fees at state institutions; other degree students normally pay a fee set by the institution.

A completed master's degree qualifies for admission to doctoral studies (PhD) both at USN and other universities in Norway and abroad. At USN, you can apply for admission to the PhD programme in technical and natural sciences at the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences.

Master’s applications go straight to University of South-Eastern Norway, not through the national admission service (NUCAS). Study in Norway states that you need a bachelor’s degree comparable to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS), including courses equal to at least one and a half years of full-time study relevant to the programme. The institution lists its deadline as: Closing dates: Non-EU/EEA applicants may apply from 1 October to 15 November. EU/EEA applicants may apply from 1 February to 15 April. The register shows 15 November 2026 as a deadline date for this programme. Deadlines are set by each institution for each programme, so confirm yours. Entry requirements and language tests are also set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, study permits and housing.