MSE Master of Science in Engineering

The Swiss engineering master's degree


Each module contains 3 ECTS. You choose a total of 10 modules/30 ECTS in the following module categories: 

  • 12-15 ECTS in technical scientific modules (TSM)
    TSM modules teach profile-specific specialist skills and supplement the decentralised specialisation modules.
  • 9-12 ECTS in fundamental theoretical principles modules (FTP)
    FTP modules deal with theoretical fundamentals such as higher mathematics, physics, information theory, chemistry, etc. They will teach more detailed, abstract scientific knowledge and help you to bridge the gap between abstraction and application that is so important for innovation.
  • 6-9 ECTS in context modules (CM)
    CM modules will impart additional skills in areas such as technology management, business administration, communication, project management, patent law, contract law, etc.

In the module description (download pdf) you find the entire language information per module divided into the following categories:

  • instruction
  • documentation
  • examination 
Lifecycle Management of Infrastructures (FTP_Life)

In this module, students are introduced into basic concepts of lifecycle management of infrastructures with respect to costs vs benefit. Established cost and benefit models of infrastructures are discussed. Based on lifecycle costs analysis, we introduce different methods for the assessment of maintenance strategies, and for decision making with respect to construction, preservation, and replacement. The cost-based approaches are complemented with methods for the analysis of reliability, availability, and risk.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge in mathemetics (introductory lecture in analysis and linear algebra)

MS Excel (implementation of formulae, graphs)

Learning Objectives

  • the students understand the function and the benefit of infrastructures, and their effect on society, economy, and environment
  • the students are familiar with the challenges for sustainable development of infrastructures
  • the students are familiar with concepts for deriving requirements for infrastructures, their verification and validation. 
  • the students are familiar with the most important methods for decision making in infrastructure management, and are able to apply those methods in concrete cases; for example the calculation of life cycle costs or socio-economic impact, or the simultaneous minimization of costs and risks. 
  • the students are familiar with the different maintenance strategies (reactive, preventive, condition-based)
  • the students know different models of failure and wear behavior, and can apply them
  • students know the concepts of reliability theory
  • the students are familiar with the method of risk-based maintenance, and can apply this method for maintenance management 

Contents of Module

  • basic concepts
    • introduction into the infrastructure networks of electricty, water, road, and rail
    • concepts of cost and benefit assessment
    • standards for life cycle management
  • infrastructure costs
    • life cycle costing
    • maintenance and replacement strategies for cost minimization
  • assessment methods
    • cost-benefit analyses
    • monetary models of benefit and their limits
    • utility analysis
  • Basic concepts of maintenance
    • Reliability and availability
    • failure and degradation behavior of systems and components, and modeling
    • Basic maintenance strategies and associated processes
  • Maintenance management
    • decision making in maintenance
    • condition based maintenance
    • Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)
    • Risk based maintenance
    • Maintenance management in large asset portfolios

Teaching and Learning Methods

Lecture: Introduction in the relevant concepts with examples

Exercises: applications and use cases

 

Literature

Supplementary publications.

Note: Since part of the module content is based on Swiss standards, some literature is provided in German/French only. 

Download full module description

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