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MSc Vehicle Engineering

The master's programme in Vehicle Engineering covers all aspects from vehicle design, functions and dynamic properties, to systems for safety and comfort, and vehicles as part of the transport systems. Students can specialise in Automotive or Railway Engineering. Graduates have global career opportunities and the skills to contribute to innovative and sustainable solutions that minimise the vehicle industry's environmental impact.

Application deadlines for studies starting 2023

17 October (2022): Application opens
16 January: Last day to apply
1 February: Submit documents and, if required, pay application fee
30 March: Admission results announced
August: Arrival and study start

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Vehicle Engineering at KTH

Vehicle Engineering is a broad area of engineering science driven by an ever-increasing degree of mobility in the world. Transport, however, must face the challenge of minimising its environmental impact, requiring new, innovative solutions and capable engineers. This field will continually demand specialists to make the transition to sustainable road and rail transport in the future.

The master's programme in Vehicle Engineering deals with vehicle design, functions, requirements and the evaluation of different types of road and rail vehicles. Vehicle dynamics properties and the interaction with the road or track, as well as active systems for safety, monitoring and comfort, are essential topics within the programme. The programme also deals with vehicles as part of transport systems and the interaction with society.

The programme includes two specialisations: Road Vehicles and Rail Vehicles. The Road Vehicle specialisation focuses on all road vehicles, concentrating mainly on cars, trucks and buses. In the Rail Vehicle specialisation, the system aspect is very important, as the different parts of a railway system – vehicle, track, electrification and signalling – all strongly influence each other.

The programme is based on lectures, assignments, simulations, experiments and team-based project work. The first year focuses on providing a common base in vehicle engineering, including some mandatory courses for all students and mandatory courses for each specialisation. In addition to the mandatory courses, you can choose several conditionally elective courses to create your own profile, for example, related to vehicle design, functional design, structural design, control theory and transport systems.

The second year consists mainly of elective courses, a project course and the final master's degree project, which can either be undertaken at a university or, more commonly, a company. The student is encouraged to search for a suitable project in the industry, and KTH will provide assistance and suitable points of contact.

This is a two-year programme (120 ECTS credits) given in English. Graduates are awarded the degree of Master of Science. The programme is given mainly at KTH Campus in Stockholm by the School of Engineering Sciences (at KTH).

Topics covered

Vehicle systems and their components, vehicle-road/track interaction, dynamics, modelling and simulation, analysis, control, validation, experiments and team-based project work.

​​​​​​ Courses in the programme

Students

Find out what students from the programme think about their time at KTH.

Alafiya from India

"There are only a handful of universities in the world that offer automotive/vehicle engineering, KTH being one of them. I chose to do the programme because I'm passionate about cars, and I aim to have a successful career in the automotive industry."

Alafiya from India

Meet the students

Career

The master's programme in Vehicle Engineering provides an excellent basis for pursuing a career in the global automotive and rail vehicle industry, at consulting companies, transportation authorities, fleet operators, and universities and institutes active in this field. Vehicle engineering is a research-intensive area in which graduates from the programme work with, for instance, design, development, calculation and testing of vehicles, vehicle components and active vehicle systems. Graduates also work with systems analysis and energy and environmental assessments of vehicles and transport systems. The cooperation between the Swedish vehicle industry and the Division of Vehicle Engineering and Solid Mechanics is very close. There are several major ongoing research programmes in which KTH, key manufacturers and the transport administration are involved. Graduates from the programme work at companies such as Volvo Cars, Scania, Volvo Group Trucks Technology, Bombardier Transportation, NEVS, CEVT, Daimler, BMW, Williams, Altran, Semcon, SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit, TÜV Süd, Öhlins, Continental, Bosch and many more.

After graduation

Design, development, calculation and testing of vehicles. Development of vehicle components and active vehicle systems. Systems analysis, energy and environmental assessments.

"There’s no doubt that KTH has helped me find my current job. I’m working in Automobili Lamborghini, where I completed my master’s degree project."

Andrea Macaluso, Automobili Lamborghini

Meet the graduates

Sustainable development

Graduates from KTH have the knowledge and tools for moving society in a more sustainable direction, as sustainable development is an integral part of all programmes. The three key sustainable development goals addressed by the master's programme in Vehicle Engineering are:

Sustainable development goal 3. Good Health and Well-Being
Sustainable development goal 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Sustainable development goal 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

Within the master's programme in Vehicle Engineering, you will gain knowledge that will allow you to participate in solving the challenges facing vehicles and transport systems of the future in relation to, for example, sustainable development goals such as good health and well-being, industry, innovation and infrastructure, and sustainable cities and communities. You will learn about the role of vehicles in transport systems and society, their subsystems, structures and functions, how to design, construct and evaluate their characteristics for different transport tasks, and how these affect factors such as safety, economy, energy efficiency and environmental aspects.

New, innovative technical solutions and knowledgeable engineers are needed to enable a transition to sustainable road and rail transport. As a vehicle engineer, you will be able to work within global companies on, for instance, design, development, environmental aspects, calculation, testing and assessment of vehicles and transport systems, with sustainability representing an important part of the work. With your acquired vehicle engineering knowledge, you will be able to contribute to the development of environmentally friendly, resource-efficient, smart and safe vehicles and mobility solutions, which are essential components of an integrated transport system for a sustainable society.

Faculty and research

The division of Vehicle Engineering and Solid Mechanics is responsible for the master's programme in Vehicle Engineering and most of the courses in the programme.

Faculty and research in Vehicle Engineering

Virtual campus tour

Siwat from Thailand is a student at the School of Engineering Sciences (at KTH). In the virtual tour he and some other KTH students will show you around the campuses.

Next step

Explore KTH

Visit our campuses through an immersive digital tour where our students guide you through their favourit KTH spots.

Ikon med mobiltelefon och brev. Grafisk illustration.

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