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AL2608 Life Cycle Assessment 7.5 credits

Administer About course

Products, services, and infrastructure systems generate environmental impacts throughout their entire life cycle—from raw material extraction and production to use and end-of-life management. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a standardized method for systematically quantifying these impacts and for identifying key environmental hotspots, helping to avoid problem shifting between different life-cycle stages.

In this course, students gain both theoretical and practical competence and skills in LCA as a decision-support tool for technology development, industrial applications, and urban planning. The course covers core LCA methodology and the use of professional LCA software and databases. Students apply life-cycle thinking to complex systems through collaborative project work, including a self-chosen specialization area and case studies inspired by real-world applications.

Through theory lectures, hands-on exercises, project work, and guest lectures from industry, students train systems thinking and learn to conduct, critically review, and communicate LCA studies. By the end of the course, students will be able to independently perform and report an LCA, evaluate uncertainties and data quality, and present results both orally and in writing—skills that are essential for informed environmental decision-making in industry and public planning.

Information per course offering

Termin

Information for Autumn 2026 Start 26 Oct 2026 programme students

Course location

KTH Campus

Duration
26 Oct 2026 - 11 Jan 2027
Periods

Autumn 2026: P2 (7.5 hp)

Pace of study

50%

Application code

11920

Form of study

Normal Daytime

Language of instruction

English

Course memo
Course memo is not published
Number of places

Min: 20

Target group
Open for all students at KTH provided that the course can be included in their programme.
Planned modular schedule
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Schedule
Schedule is not published

Contact

Examiner
No information inserted
Course coordinator
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Teachers
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Course syllabus as PDF

Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.

Course syllabus AL2608 (Autumn 2023–)
Headings with content from the Course syllabus AL2608 (Autumn 2023–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )

Content and learning outcomes

Course contents

The course covers:

  • LCA methodology
  • LCA tools and - databases
  • Specialisation of life cycle impact in a specific field that the students choose independently
  • Lecture from industry with examples of use of LCA for decision making

Intended learning outcomes

The general aim of the course is to develop the student's ability to assess environmental impact of complex systems in technology and urban planning based on a life-cycle perspective by giving theoretical and practical skills in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

After passing the course, the students should be able to:

  1. Give an account of the aim applications of the LCA method.
  2. Explain the analytical phases and central concepts of the LCA method.
  3. Apply the analytical phases and central concepts of the LCA method on complex systems in technology and urban planning.
  4. Identify uncertainties in LCA method and data and evaluate how these influence the results.
  5. Report in writing the completed LCA study according to ISO's standard for LCA.
  6. Use LCA software.
  7. Give an account of the results orally of the completed LCA the study.
  8. Work in a collaborative project setting
  9. Report in writing and give an account of a critical review orally of an LCA report.

Literature and preparations

Specific prerequisites

Admitted to Master's Programme, Sustainable Technology (TSUTM) or Master's Programme, Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure (TMHIM) and completed course AL1301 or equivalent knowledge in environment and sustainable development.

Others: Degree of Bachelor or Degree of Bachelor of Science in Engineering or other corresponding technical, natural or other science degree at first cycle academic education of at least 180 higher education credits or equivalent.

Courses from upper secondary school corresponding to the courses Eng B/6 according to the Swedish upper secondary school system or equivalent.  Completed course AL1301 or equivalent knowledge in environment and sustainable development.

Literature

You can find information about course literature either in the course memo for the course offering or in the course room in Canvas.

Examination and completion

Grading scale

A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Examination

  • PRO1 - Project work, 5.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
  • TEN1 - Home exam, 2.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

Examiner

Profile picture Anna Björklund

Ethical approach

  • All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
  • In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
  • In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

Further information

Course room in Canvas

Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.

Offered by

ABE/Sustainability and Environmental Engineering

Main field of study

Environmental Engineering

Education cycle

Second cycle