Smart Electrical Networks and Systems (SENSE)
SENSE is a joint master's programme, run by eight European universities, which develops your skills in electrical power engineering, innovation processes and entrepreneurship in the emerging field of Smart Grids. As always within EIT, the programme combines excellent research with an emphasis on skills applied in industry.
Career prospects
The international environment of SENSE prepares you for a global career in electrical power engineering, especially in the growing field of restructuring existing power grids into smart grids.
SENSE provides you with the in-depth knowledge and broad competence you need for a professional industrial career in electric power development, production, system design and grid operation. Industrial partners supporting SENSE have indicated a strong need to recruit new employees with the competences provided by the programme. Just as importantly, SENSE also prepares you for continued research studies at higher academic institutions.
What’s more, the programme will prove invaluable to entrepreneurs wanting to turn good ideas into commercial products or services. The mandatory country mobility also strengthens your credentials on the international market and close interaction with industrial partners opens up many interesting job opportunities.
Programme outline
SENSE is a two-year master programme with a mandatory change of study country between the first and second year. The first year of study has a strong focus on fundamental courses like power system analysis, power electronics, electrical machines, high-voltage engineering, etc. The joint course ‘smart electrical networks and systems’ is also included in your studies. This introduces you to the novel aspects and challenges of smart grids and it is also the main platform for interaction between the students in the programme and teachers from all partner universities and special industrial activities.
The second year of studies is more directed towards specialisations where the following are available:
- Energy Management in Buildings and Power Grids (INP)
- Electrical Energy Systems and Electricity Market (KIT)
- Intelligent Transmission Networks (KTH)
- Power Distribution (KUL)
- Power Electronics as Enabling Technology for Renewable Integration (UPC)
- Storage (Uppsala University)
- Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems (TU/e)
KIC InnoEnergy and SENSE both focus strongly on entrepreneurship and creating businesses from innovations. In SENSE, a number of activities are integrated in the joint course ‘Smart electrical networks and systems’. Other events like study tours and seminars are provided on several occasions within the course. In addition, two summer schools are arranged between the first and second year: one focused on smart grid innovations and one on entrepreneurship and business creation.
On fulfilling all degree requirements, a Master of Science degree will be awarded from the universities where studies were performed during year 1 and year 2, i.e. a double-degree. Students will also receive a certification of having studied an EIT-accredited programme.
Degree project
The final degree project is worth 30 higher education credits, corresponding to five months of full-time study. The project is summarized in a written report and presented at a seminar. It should be relevant to smart grid concepts and have a clear orientation towards innovative solutions relevant to electric power. You present your end-of-project results at the SENSE summer school as, for example, a seminar session or a joint poster session.
More information
Read more about the programme, application and admission and fees and scholarships.
