Master in Sustainability and Plastics Management

Master in Sustainability and Plastics Management is one of 12 English-taught Sustainable Development programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 9 institutions. 10 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 1,453 a year. 7 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

The Master's degree in Sustainability and Plastics Management at Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) mixes plastics engineering with business and management. It is taught in English and runs over four semesters for 120 ECTS, awarding an MSc. The programme builds on the JKU Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Polymer Engineering & Circular Economy and adds new content on Transformative Changes.

What you study

The curriculum is split into subject areas. You take Advanced Polymer Technologies (24.5 ECTS), Introduction to Management (12 ECTS) and Advanced Management (15 ECTS). Advanced Electives in Sustainability and Plastics Management make up 29 or 11.5 ECTS, depending on your undergraduate degree. There is also Autonomous Coursework (12.5 ECTS) and the Master's thesis with seminar and examination (27 ECTS).

Depending on your first degree, you either take a bridging subject, Fundamentals of Polymer Technologies (0 or 17.5 ECTS), or a different number of ECTS in the advanced electives. The programme covers testing and processing polymer materials, polymer product engineering and managing sustainable development. You work with experimental, empirical and computational methods across polymer engineering, business and technology management, and transformative change. Supply chain management with sustainability and circularity requirements in the polymer industry is part of the content too.

How the programme is organised

It is a full-time degree at the Linz campus. The design is flexible: you choose how much emphasis to put on management and how much on plastics engineering. Several elective courses give you deeper science and technology, and you can take part in research projects through your Master's thesis. Internships within industry are named as a way to build collaboration and communication in an international industrial and scientific setting. The LIT Factory network at the JKU is the learning and research factory for smart polymer processing and digitalisation.

The programme is international and moves in a global direction. International students learn about the European perspective on technology and management, while Austrian students and JKU faculty study and teach in a multinational environment.

Who it suits

It suits people who want to solve problems at the meeting point of engineering and business. The programme describes itself as transdisciplinary, aimed at addressing social challenges with technical plastics solutions. That makes it different from the JKU Master's in Polymer Engineering & Sciences, which is mainly technical. If you want a rounded mix and the freedom to lean towards management or towards plastics engineering, this is the one. If you want a purely technical, scientific profile, look at the other programme.

Admission, language and next steps

You need English at level B2, with language certification. Graduates of the JKU Bachelor's in Sustainable Polymer Engineering & Circular Economy are admitted with no restrictions. Graduates of Mechanical Engineering, Medical Engineering, Chemistry and Mechatronics Bachelor's programmes may be admitted with a small number of conditions. Applicants from other institutions in Austria or abroad can be admitted if their studies are similar in scope and content to the JKU Bachelor's; supplementary examinations of up to 40 ECTS may be required by the end of the second semester.

There is no central application portal. You apply directly to the JKU, and the programme page and the Admissions Office give the application period and the documents. The teaching language is English. As a public university, JKU charges no tuition to EU/EEA and Swiss students within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester. Contact the Office of Student Information and Academic Advising (SIBS) with questions.

The range of courses offered in technology, engineering, and management complement one another, preparing you to expand on innovative approaches that address challenges in industry, business, and sustainable development. The programme provides you with the qualifications needed to pursue senior positions in the plastics industry, whether in Austria or abroad.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Johannes Kepler University Linz. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: No. 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.