MSc Energy for Smart Cities (SMCS)

Energy for Smart Cities at KTH

Combine urban planning, energy management, in-depth engineering skills, leading-edge mobility solutions and innovation management techniques. The joint master's programme in Energy for Smart Cities enables students to play a critical role in shaping a rapidly urbanising world, and explore how to create smarter, more sustainable and resource-efficient communities.

The programme has strong partnerships with internationally renowned businesses, smaller companies and a network of start-ups, who actively participate in the programme to ensure it remains current and relevant to their needs – and to yours.

Partners are involved in curriculum design, internships, support for Master’s theses, and job opportunities. Experts from the private sector, municipalities and other government bodies also give guest lectures and even participate as jury members to assess students' entrepreneurial initiatives.

Year 1

For the first year of the programme, you can choose to attend either KU Leuven in Belgium or KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. In your first year, you will combine electrical and mechanical engineering courses with energy-related socio-economic subjects. Students choosing KU Leuven for their first year will have a more in-depth focus on electrical engineering topics. Therefore, a solid background in the field is recommended.

Year 2

In the second year, you choose to attend one of the following institutions:

• KU Leuven in Belgium
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden
• INP: Grenoble Institute of Technology in France
• UPC: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Spain

You will have the opportunity to take general and option-specific elective courses that enable you to specialise in areas that interest you most ranging from power electronics to energy efficiency in buildings, electrical machines, strategies, city networks, automation for energy efficiency, lighting systems, aerodynamics, electromobility and more. The choice of courses in the second year will determine which university you attend.

Master's degree project

During your second year, you will also undertake a research project on electrical or thermo-mechanical energy, or on one of the energy’s technical-economic aspects for your degree project. During your project, you will learn to integrate and apply the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme. Each year, the programme team and the directors of EIT InnoEnergy Benelux award a prize for the best degree project on innovation and the best on entrepreneurship.

The programme takes you across Europe to explore the future of urban living and the resources that will support it. In particular, you will gain:

• Deep knowledge of electrical energy processing, mechanical technology, and applied thermodynamics, plus the design and operation of electrical and mechanical energy systems.
• Understanding of wider socio-economic contexts and insight into ethical, social and economic frameworks for sustainable energy in the smart-city context.
• Communications skills that allow you to discuss ideas with non-technical audiences and present ideas and innovative solutions in a structured way.
• Executive, management and entrepreneurial skills and an understanding of where and how to use them.