Humanitarian Engineering
Empower communities worldwide with innovative, sustainable solutions by combining engineering expertise with sociocultural knowledge.
You might for example have a background in Civil Engineering and work on meaningful projects on disaster-resilient housing or infrastructures. Or you might have completed a Bachelor’s in the field of Biomedical Engineering and want to contribute to health-related projects in low-income countries, like building medical devices suited for low-resource settings. Or perhaps you are an electrical engineer and you are devoted to improving the connectivity or energy resources for off-grid communities. If you have a background in social sciences, you could – depending on your background – also be admitted into the Master’s in Humanitarian Engineering, as knowledge in social sciences is highly relevant in developing appropriate solutions addressing the underserved. You might then, for example, focus on engineering projects combined with sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship.
In this two-year, English-taught master’s, you will develop an eye for the needs of underserved and marginalised communities in order to find and adapt technical solutions to suit their needs. Because without awareness of the local context, stakeholders and resources, engineering solutions may fall short of being effective or sustainable. So next to building technological knowhow, you will learn to integrate cultural, social, and economic factors into your design process, ensuring that the technologies are both practical and impactful.
- ECTS transcript – If you are still completing your Bachelor’s degree, upload an ECTS transcript showing the subjects you have studied, your grades, and the number of credits awarded. Your Bachelor’s diploma must be uploaded later, as soon as you receive it.
- Bachelor’s diploma – If you have already graduated, upload your Bachelor’s diploma. A separate ECTS transcript is not required.
Note: Your Bachelor’s degree must be in the same or a related field as the Master’s programme you are applying for. The university will check whether you have completed enough relevant subjects and ECTS credits.
Important! View the full requirements on the university’s official website. Requirements may vary depending where you completed your bachelor education.
Applicants have to prove their English language skills either by an internationally recognized language test or upon previous studies. Usually English language skills can be proved by the following documents:
- TOEFL iBT*
- IELTS Academic
- A Cambridge English qualification
- Higher education degree completed in English
- Secondary education completed in English in a country or school qualification accepted by the university
- An English subject and grade on your secondary school leaving certificate that meet the university’s requirements
- Other
Important: Accepted methods and minimum results depend on study programme and the country where you completed your education. Check the official requirements for your chosen study programme.
*Use the Kastu promo code LTU1000102 when registering for TOEFL iBT and receive a 5% discount.
Bachelor of Science, or equivalent, in programmes with relevant and sufficient coverage of subjects such as mathematics or statistics.
- CGPA of at least 75% of the maximum score, or your country's equivalent
- Course descriptions
- English summary of thesis (BSc or MSc)
- Motivation letter (max. 2 pages)
The demand for engineers with a commitment to social impact is growing as pressing global challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, poverty, hunger, conflicts and population displacement increase. So, with a Master’s degree in Humanitarian Engineering you have excellent prospects for a meaningful career in various fields, both nationally and internationally.
There is need for humanitarian engineers both in the public and private sector, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international bodies. Of course, you can also continue with a PhD after your master’s and pursue a career as a researcher, at UT or any other university worldwide, or at a research institution. Or what about starting up your own social business and launch an innovative solution to address humanitarian challenges? The choice is up to you!
