Master in IT and Automation

The Master in IT and Automation at the University of South-Eastern Norway is a two year, 120 ECTS engineering degree taught in English. It leads to the protected title Sivilingeniør. The programme sits where engineering cybernetics, modelling, data science and artificial intelligence meet, and it takes you from implementing basic technology to designing and leading advanced autonomous systems.

What you study

The programme gives you broad knowledge in monitoring, control and optimisation of technical and industrial systems, built on cybernetic methods and computer engineering. You learn to develop and apply mechanistic (physics based) and statistical mathematical models for monitoring and control. You also learn to collect measurement data from sensors, store it in process databases, and program algorithms that analyse the data and calculate control signals.

Key programming tools named on the programme page are MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW and various object oriented languages. The programme introduces IoT and Industry 4.0 and focuses on open standards. Topics covered include:

• Sensors and measurement systems
• Data analysis
• Computer program design and programming
• System design
• Automation systems
• Mathematical modelling and simulation
• Control algorithms
• Advanced control, including model based predictive control (MPC)

The key technical fields are process control, robotics and industrial cybernetics; applied AI and machine learning for decision support; industrial IoT, embedded systems and cyber security; and advanced software and systems architecture.

How the programme is organised

The local business community is involved throughout. Guest speakers come from partnering institutions, and students visit relevant companies in the area. The majority of the bigger projects are done in close partnership with a company or inside one. USN holds career days on campus every year with visits from local businesses, and several partners offer summer jobs to students.

You can take parts of the programme abroad through exchange agreements with foreign universities, colleges and internships adapted to your studies. A study plan and course plans set out the content, structure and reading lists, and a study model shows which courses are taught each term.

Who it suits

This suits someone with an engineering bachelor who wants to move beyond general operations and standard development into senior technical, design and management work. You should be comfortable with mathematics, statistics, physics and programming, and keen to work on real industrial problems with company partners. The programme also prepares you for doctoral studies at USN or at other universities and colleges in Norway and abroad.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a completed and passed bachelor's degree in engineering in line with the National Curriculum Regulations for Engineering Education in Norway, in electrical engineering, mechatronics engineering or computer science. Related programmes may also be accepted. All applicants also need at least 25 ECTS in mathematics, at least 5 ECTS in statistics, at least 7,5 ECTS in physics and at least 5 ECTS in a programming language, plus the English requirement.

USN does not pre approve courses or previous education. Your qualifications are assessed only after you submit your application. The programme may be covered by export control regulations, and USN may evaluate certain applicants specifically. 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 the full admission process before you apply.

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: 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.