Master of Science in Microsystems Engineering

Program overview

This interdisciplinary master’s program trains engineers to design and fabricate highly miniaturised sensors and systems that are central to modern technology. Combining foundations from mathematics, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering and materials science, the curriculum prepares you to develop compact, powerful, connected and autonomous microsystems found across many products and industries.

Learning environment and facilities

You will study within one of the world’s leading academic centres for microsystems engineering, the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK). With around 440 students and 22 professors, the department offers close supervision and access to state-of-the-art equipment, including a dedicated clean room where you gain practical experience in specialised laboratory conditions. The programme emphasises hands-on project work and close interaction with faculty research groups.

Curriculum focus and career relevance

The taught component covers advanced topics in microsystems engineering and allows you to specialise in one of four subfields: Circuits and Systems, Biomedical Engineering, Materials and Fabrication, or Photonics. The compulsory master’s thesis is carried out as project work within a professor’s research group, ensuring direct practical exposure to the department’s microsystems infrastructure. Graduates are well placed for careers in sectors that rely on miniaturised devices—such as automotive, medical technology, communications and energy—where microsystems are integral to innovation.

Requirements (program components and expectations)

• Advanced coursework in microsystems engineering with a chosen concentration (Circuits and Systems; Biomedical Engineering; Materials and Fabrication; or Photonics)
• Completion of a master’s thesis based on project work conducted within a professor’s research group at IMTEK
• Practical laboratory experience, including work in a dedicated clean room using state-of-the-art equipment

Curriculum overview and study focus

The programme begins with a challenging first year that establishes the theoretical and practical foundations of microsystems engineering. Core courses cover Microelectronics, Micromechanics, the Microsystems Design Laboratory, MSE Technology and Processes, and Signal Processing — a mix that balances device physics, fabrication knowledge and hands‑on design work. This intensive start gives students the tools needed to analyse, model and prototype microscale systems.

In addition to the core units, students select five of eight advanced microsystems courses that extend expertise into specialised topics: Assembly and Packaging Technology, Micro‑optics, Modelling and System Identification, Probability and Statistics, Sensors, Biomedical Microsystems, Microactuators and Microfluidics. These options let you broaden your skill set across sensors, actuation, fluid handling, optics and statistical/system modelling within microsystems contexts.

From the second through the fourth semester you follow a chosen concentration — Circuits and Systems, Biomedical Engineering, Materials and Fabrication, or Photonics — taking focused courses that provide an in‑depth view of a subdiscipline. The degree culminates in a Master’s thesis carried out in the fourth semester as a project within one of the department’s 20 research groups, with full access to laboratory and cleanroom facilities. If your thesis topic falls within your chosen concentration, this specialisation is explicitly recorded on your degree certificate. Overall, graduates gain core theoretical knowledge, practical fabrication and lab experience, and supervised research competence in a chosen microsystems area.

Key requirements and milestones

• Complete first‑year compulsory courses: Microelectronics, Micromechanics, Microsystems Design Laboratory, MSE Technology and Processes, Signal Processing
• Choose and complete five of the eight Advanced Microsystems courses: Assembly and Packaging Technology; Micro‑optics; Modelling and System Identification; Probability and Statistics; Sensors; Biomedical Microsystems; Microactuators; Microfluidics
• Select one concentration area and complete concentration coursework across semesters 2–4: Circuits and Systems; Biomedical Engineering; Materials and Fabrication; or Photonics
• Submit a Master’s thesis in the fourth semester based on a project within one of the department’s 20 research groups
• Master’s thesis performed in the same area as the chosen concentration is noted as a specialisation on the degree certificate

Graduates are prepared to work across industries that rely on miniaturised sensors and systems — for example automotive, medical devices, communications, and energy — in roles such as microsystems design, MEMS fabrication, sensor development, product engineering and R&D. The programme’s strong lab and research orientation also provides a clear pathway to doctoral studies and research careers.

Hands-on coursework and a thesis project completed within a research group make alumni attractive for positions in development teams, test and manufacturing engineering, and interdisciplinary product innovation units where miniaturised systems and integration expertise are required.