Master in Plant Construction Management

Master in Plant Construction Management is one of 32 English-taught Business Administration programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 19 institutions. 29 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453; this programme lists EUR 727 a year. 18 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

Plant Construction Management at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria is a master's degree for people who want to run large industrial plant projects. The campus is in Wels, the degree is 120 ECTS over four semesters, and you finish with a Master of Science in Engineering (MSc). The programme is taught in German and English: the full-time track runs in English five days a week, the part-time track runs in German three days a week. Check which track and which parts fit your language skills before you apply.

What you study

The programme mixes engineering, business administration, business law and project management, all aimed at international project business. The stated focus areas are plant construction, project execution, project management, business law, project cases and social skills. You look at the whole chain of a plant project: planning, automation, process engineering, procurement, assembly and the legal side. The goal is to implement the scope of supply and services in a plant construction contract while keeping to costs, deadlines and performance guarantees.

Teaching is hands on. Lecturers are a mix of professors with practical experience in project business and external lecturers who work full time in plant engineering companies, for example as department managers, senior project managers, consultants, purchasing managers or managing directors. Cooperation with plant construction companies in Upper Austria brings real project work into the course.

How the programme is organised

Full-time students are on campus five days a week. Part-time students attend three days a week, and the timetable is built for working people: classes run Thursday from 6 pm online, Friday from 2 pm in person and Saturday from 8 am in person, with a full-day block week each semester starting on Wednesday. The teaching year runs from the beginning of October to mid July. The programme says it enables people to combine a 20 or 40 hour job with the degree.

There are more than 100 partner universities abroad, and a semester or internship abroad is supported. Relevant courses from earlier study can be credited, checked case by case.

Who it suits

It suits graduates of a relevant technical or technical-economic bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS or equivalent, or a higher-level degree. Examples given include architecture, civil engineering, construction management, project management, industrial engineering and technology, chemical or process engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and automation engineering, mechatronics, robotics, environmental technology and production management. Each degree is assessed individually.

It also suits people already working in international project business who want to sharpen their know-how and see the business from the angles of contractors, clients and subcontractors. Students come from many companies and industries, and the exchange in class is interactive. The programme says it values diversity in nationalities, gender and cultural backgrounds.

Admission, language and next steps

You need one of these English certificates: TOEFL iBT with at least 78 points, academic IELTS with an overall score of at least 6.0, or a Cambridge B2 Certificate. The process is an online application through the programme's Apply now button, a pre-check and pre-selection, a personal interview via MS Teams for shortlisted candidates, then selection and an admission letter. Academic performance and the interview are the selection criteria, and professional experience can also count.

Applications go straight to the institution, not through a central portal. The programme page gives the application period: 30 June for EU/EEA citizens, holders of a valid residence permit and those who can enter visa-free, and 31 May for applicants who need a visa. Start of studies is subject to approval of the degree programme. For costs, see the institution's information on tuition and the ÖH student union fee.

As a project manager, graduates are the leading interface between customer and suppliers who realize complete or partial plants. Whether planning, automation, process engineering, procurement, assembly or the legal department, they ensure that every cog in the machine meshes efficiently. The mission: to implement the scope of supply and services stipulated in the plant construction contract in a targeted manner while adhering to costs, deadlines and performance guarantees.

In der Organisationform „Vollzeit“ ist die Unterrichtssprache Englisch.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. Universities of applied sciences set their own application periods and admission procedures, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: Admission procedure. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.