Systems Engineering (Industry Master)

Systems engineering is a recognised method for developing systems in aerospace, maritime, healthcare, energy, communication and manufacturing. This master's at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) in Kongsberg trains you to lead and innovate in the creation of complex products, systems and services. It is an industry master: you study while working in a company.

What you study

The programme builds on systems thinking. USN describes this as seeing a system as a combination of system elements, and working through discovery, learning, diagnosis and dialog. That leads to sensing, modelling and talking about the real world so you can better understand, define and work with systems. A systems thinker knows how systems fit into the larger context of day-to-day life, how they behave, and how to manage them. The degree is interdisciplinary and 120 ECTS over two years.

How the programme is organised

This is the industry master variant, made for people who have just finished a bachelor's degree and do not have a job. You hold a temporary paid part-time job in a company alongside your studies, working 50% as an engineer on the same terms as permanent employees. USN arranges company placements through its partner companies. The partner list spans national and international high-tech firms, including Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Kongsberg Maritime, GKN Aerospace, Siemens Energy, Hitachi Energy, Aker Solutions, Aibel, DNV, TechnipFMC, Tomra and Nammo Raufoss, among many others. You can also apply with your own workplace, but that company must enter into a partnership agreement with USN for you to be admitted.

USN publishes a study plan and a study model showing which courses are taught each term, with links to each course plan and its reading list. The plan for the coming autumn is not published yet, so the page shows a previous year's plan as an indication of the structure. You can take parts of the programme abroad; USN has agreements with foreign universities, colleges and internships adapted to your studies, and there is an exchange arrangement for Systems Engineering (Industry Master and part time).

Who it suits

It suits someone at the start of their career who wants an interdisciplinary master's and real engineering work at the same time. USN says graduates will be attractive to employers because of extensive work experience combined with the degree, and that students are well prepared for positions as project leaders. If you are already working as an engineer, USN points you to the Systems Engineering (Executive Master) or to single courses in Systems Engineering instead.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a completed and passed bachelor's degree in engineering, natural sciences or equivalent. Other natural science or technological bachelor's degrees may qualify if they include at least 20 credits in mathematics and/or statistics or physics. You must meet the English language requirement, and you must have a job offer from a relevant company that fits the industrial master's programme.

With your application you upload a diploma and transcript of records (even if you are a student at USN), a CV, and an open application of no more than three quarters of a page about who you are and why you are applying. You also fill out an online form. USN forwards these documents to its partners before the interview rounds. Applicants without a permanent residence permit will not be considered for an interview, because admission to this programme does not provide grounds for a student visa; visa questions go to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI). The programme is taught in English. Check the programme page for application deadlines and the application system, which USN sets.

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. 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.