Risk and Safety (MSc)

Overview

Risk management is central to both engineering practice and public decision-making. Demonstrating adequate safety is a prerequisite for deploying new technologies—everything from autonomous transport to sustainable energy systems depends on credible risk assessment. At the same time, managing risk is vital for designing and operating engineered systems, whether adapting the built environment to climate change, optimising aircraft maintenance programmes, or shaping public responses to epidemics and natural hazards.

This English‑taught Master of Science in the Industrial Engineering field trains students to evaluate, communicate and control risks across technical and societal domains. The curriculum brings together multidisciplinary coursework so graduates can analyse uncertainty with quantitative tools, understand how people perceive and react to risk, and implement practical measures and strategies to ensure safety.

Graduates are equipped to contribute in industry, government and research roles where decisions must balance performance, cost and safety—sectors include transportation, energy, infrastructure, aerospace, public health and emergency management. For full, official details consult the programme’s degree documentation (available in German).

Core facts and focus areas

• Degree: Master of Science (MSc) — Industrial Engineering
• Language of instruction: English
• Location: Munich, Germany
• Programme emphasis:
  • Domain‑specific engineering expertise
  • Stochastic modelling and computational methods
  • Risk perception and risk communication
  • Methods and tools for managing safety and risks

For a comprehensive description, please refer to the official degree programme documentation (Degree programme documentation for the Master's programme in Risk and Safety — PDF, German).

This master's curriculum is organised into three mandatory module blocks and three elective blocks, giving a balanced mix of core theory, societal context and hands‑on application. The compulsory blocks cover foundational concepts, the relationship between risk and society, and applied risk practice. Elective options let you tailor the degree through methodological courses, risk management topics, or broader subjects across the university's offerings.

The programme supports specialisation by offering a wide portfolio of courses drawn from many departments represented at TUM, so you can apply risk and safety approaches to different application domains. Project‑based learning is central to the degree, with strong emphasis on industry collaboration — for example, a dedicated practical module called “RiskLab” gives students experience working on real problems with external partners.

Core module blocks (compulsory)

• Fundamentals — builds the theoretical and technical bases for analysing risk and safety.
• Risk & Society — examines societal, ethical and regulatory dimensions of risk.
• Risk in Practice — focuses on applied work and translating theory into real‑world solutions.

Elective module blocks

• Risk Methods & Analysis — advanced analytical and quantitative techniques for risk assessment.
• Risk Management — strategies, tools and organisational approaches to control and mitigate risk.
• General elective modules — cross‑disciplinary courses from across the university to customise your specialisation.

Key learning outcomes

• Mastery of core theoretical principles and analytical methods used in risk and safety.
• Ability to evaluate social, legal and ethical implications of risk decisions.
• Practical competence in applying risk assessment and management techniques to real problems.
• Experience in project work and industry collaboration, including teamwork, communication and problem‑solving through modules such as RiskLab.
• Capability to specialise in an application domain by selecting relevant electives from the university’s broad course portfolio.

Graduates are prepared for roles that require assessing, managing and communicating risk across engineering and policy contexts. Typical positions include risk analyst, safety or reliability engineer, risk manager, and consultant in sectors such as transportation, energy, aerospace, construction, insurance, and environmental agencies.

The programme also provides a solid foundation for research or PhD studies in risk, safety engineering, stochastic modelling, or related interdisciplinary fields, enabling careers in academia, research institutes, and industry R&D.