KTH Royal Institute of Technology
MSc Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure
Stockholm, Sweden
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
SEK 360,000 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for non-EU/EEA/swiss | no tuition fee for citizens of EU/EEA country or switzerland
Key Summary
The master's programme in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure equips students with interdisciplinary tools to solve future environmental problems and prepare them for careers as environmental engineers. Students gain knowledge of the properties and functions of water and ecosystems, learn how to assess the local and global environmental impact of human activities, and apply advanced methods and modelling tools to define and solve environmental problems.
Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure at KTH
In a world facing urgent challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and rapid urbanisation, the master’s programme in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure equips students with the interdisciplinary skills to build sustainable solutions. The programme does not follow fixed tracks, offering you significant freedom to choose courses that suit your interests, provided you meet the specific course prerequisites. To help guide your choices, you can select one of seven competence profiles, each containing a sequence of courses designed to build a coherent knowledge base aligned with your career goals.
The competence profiles are:
- Water Technology: water systems, hydropower, the effects of climate change
- Environmental Geology and Hydrogeology: contaminated sites, environmental geology, and geotechnical aspects
- Water and Wastewater Technology: managing drinking water and wastewater
- Environmental Information Analysis and Management: environmental monitoring and measurement techniques
- Sustainable Infrastructure: managing infrastructure and resources sustainably
- Environmental Systems Analysis: environmental systems and life cycle analysis
- Sustainable Societies: social and economic factors influencing sustainability
The programme ends with a degree project that allows you to thoroughly investigate a problem under the supervision of experienced practitioners and researchers. The topic for the degree project should be within the programme's scope and relate to knowledge acquired through the courses. The degree project is carried out in Sweden or abroad and can be oriented towards research, technological development at a company or organisation, or a combination of both.
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 Architecture and Built Environment (at KTH).
The courses in the programme cover topics such as water technology, environmental geotechnology, water and wastewater engineering, environmental management and information, sustainable infrastructure, environmental systems analysis and sustainable societies.
Year 1
Mandatory courses
- Theory and Methodology of Science with Applications (Natural and Technological Science) (AK2036) 7.5 credits
Conditionally elective courses
- Environmental Measuring and Monitoring (AE2104) 7.5 credits
- Water and Wastewater Handling (AE2304) 7.5 credits
- Strategic Environmental Assessment (AE2507) 7.5 credits
- Applied Hydrology (AE2610) 7.5 credits
- Hydraulic Engineering (AE2612) 7.5 credits
- Urban Infrastructure (AG2141) 7.5 credits
- Governance of Land and Water (AG2148) 7.5 credits
- Natural Resources Management Tools (AL2300) 7.5 credits
- Environmental Dynamics/Physical Processes (AE2201) 7.5 credits
- Environmental Impact Assessment (AE2501) 7.5 credits
- Environmental Data (AE2503) 7.5 credits
- Environmental Chemistry and Risk Assessment (AE2801) 7.5 credits
- Political Economy for Environmental Planners (AG2142) 7.5 credits
- Sustainable Rural and Urban Development (AG2143) 7.5 credits
Year 2
Conditionally elective courses
- Modelling of Water Systems (AE2107) 7.5 credits
- Water Treatment Processes and Technology (AE2302) 7.5 credits
- Engineering Geology (AE2401) 7.5 credits
- Global Development and Political Ecology (AL2121) 7.5 credits
- Applied Hydrogeology (AL2301) 7.5 credits
- Resilience Thinking in Sustainable Planning (AL2511) 7.5 credits
- Life Cycle Assessment (AL2608) 7.5 credits
- Degree Project in Hydraulic Engineering, Second Cycle (AF283X) 30 credits
- Degree Project in Urban and Regional Planning, Second Cycle (AG212X) 30 credits
- Degree Project in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Infrastructure, Second Cycle (AL230X) 30 credits
- Degree Project in Strategies for Sustainable Development, Second Cycle (AL250X) 30 credits
KTH Scholarships
KTH offers four different scholarship opportunities for master's studies. The KTH Scholarship covers the tuition fee of a one or two-year master’s programme. The KTH One-Year Scholarship is aimed at current KTH master's programme students and covers the tuition fee of the second year of studies. The KTH Joint Programme Scholarship is aimed at students in certain joint programmes and covers the tuition fee for the study period spent at KTH. The KTH India Scholarship is aimed specifically at students from India.
- KTH Scholarship
- KTH One-Year Scholarship
- KTH Joint Programme Scholarship
- KTH India Scholarship
Swedish Institute
SI Scholarship for Global Professionals
The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals covers the tuition fee for a master's programme and also includes living costs. It is open to students from 33 countries with previous work and leadership experience. You apply directly to SI after completing your application to KTH.
SI Scholarship Pioneering Women in STEM
The SI Scholarship Pioneering Women in STEM covers the tuition fee of a selection of master's programmes at KTH and also includes living costs. It is open to female students from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand or Vietnam. You apply directly to SI after completing your application to KTH.
KTH associated scholarship organisations
KTH cooperates with the following organisations, providing scholarship opportunities for prospective KTH students.
- COLFUTURO (Programa Crédito Beca) for students from Colombia
- LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) for students from Indonesia
- FUNED for students from Mexico
- MESCYT for students from the Dominican Republic
- ANII for students from Uruguay
Scholarship portals
- IEFA database: The IEFA database offers a comprehensive scholarship search, grant listing, and international student loan programmes.
- Studyportals: The Studyportals scholarship database lists over 1,000 scholarships and grants for students worldwide applying for studies in the EU.
- Scholars4dev: Scholarships for Development is a database of scholarships open to students from developing countries.
- WeMakeScholars: WeMakeScholars helps students from India secure education loans from banks and NBFCs. They also list more than 26,000 international scholarships from different trusts, foundations, and the government. Bodies.
Deferment of student loans in the United States
KTH is an accredited institution at the US Department of Education and holds a Title IV 'Deferment Only' status (OPE ID 03274300). US students may defer payments on existing federal student loan accounts while enrolled in a master’s programme at KTH. The 'Deferment Only' status does not allow students to take out federal student loans for enrollment at KTH. However, the accreditation facilitates grant and loan opportunities for US students, as many private student loan institutions in the US use this designation as a requirement to grant new loans. Students who wish to defer payments must contact their lending institution in the US.
Our society faces significant challenges in managing a changing climate, ensuring good water quality, creating systems for recycling materials and nutrients, and developing renewable and environmentally sustainable energy solutions. Therefore, the demand for environmental engineering expertise is nearly unlimited, and the job market is diverse. Graduates are increasingly sought after in fields like climate adaptation planning, blue-green infrastructure, circular economy systems, nature-based solutions and ESG consulting.
Graduates will be able to work in both the private and public sectors, including environmental consultancies, with contractors, water and wastewater companies, or government agencies, both in Sweden and abroad. Examples of employers for programme graduates include SWECO, Stockholm Vatten, WSP, Swedish EPA, Tyréns, Geosigma, COWI, Vattenfall, SIDA, and several international organisations. Some graduates from the programme also go on to doctoral studies at KTH or other universities worldwide.
The courses offered within the programme are based on a combination of theoretical and practical approaches, both in the field and laboratory, using tools such as GIS, different computer models, and tools for decision support. For instance, students might conduct fieldwork using geophysical survey techniques to determine underground rock mass properties, use GIS to visualise various environmental datasets or use numerical models to evaluate water management under climate change scenarios.
Students gain practical skills in tools like ArcGIS Pro, SWMM for geophysical and hydrological modelling, and SimaPro for life cycle assessment.