Electrical engineering master part-time
The master is not an extension of the bachelor, it is a change of direction. Here is which bachelor leads in, what the ECTS question means in practice and which step actually pays. The subject itself is covered on the electrical engineering overview page.
When the master fits, and when it does not
Three clear reasons for the second level, and one common fallacy.
In electrical engineering the master pays off above all when you want to move from application into development. Designing drives, circuits or control algorithms, or working in advanced development, needs a depth a bachelor does not deliver. The second reason is formal: the German senior civil service and many corporate career tracks presuppose a master, regardless of how well you know your plant. The third is doctoral study, for which a master is the usual entry.
The fallacy is that more degree means more value. If you look after plant, commission systems or run projects on site, two additional years of study generally bring less than two years of practice in exactly that field. In this industry demonstrated responsibility counts, and it is earned on projects.
And the distinction I have to clear up most often: the MBA is not a technical master. It adds no depth in electrical engineering. If you want to run teams and budgets it is the right choice, if you want technical depth this is. More in MBA or master.
Which bachelor leads in, and which does not
At master level it is no longer work experience that decides, but your first degree.
A related bachelor is the standard requirement, so electrical engineering or a closely neighbouring field. From mechatronics, information technology or technical physics the move often works, mostly with conditions of one to three modules. From a business bachelor the route rarely leads in: these masters build on field theory, signal processing and control engineering. An industrial engineering master or an MBA is then more realistic.
The second hurdle is the credit total. A master's degree is expected to total 300 ECTS across first and second studies. With a bachelor carrying 210, a 90 ECTS master fits; with 180, one carrying 120. Anyone choosing the short variant will as a rule receive conditions. Those cost time and therefore belong before the application, not after it.
Without a bachelor it hardly ever works. The few routes that exist, and their conditions, are set out in master without a bachelor. What work experience is worth at this point is covered in master after career experience. If you are still at the beginning, the route is on the page about the bachelor in electrical engineering.
How long it actually takes
Shorter than the bachelor, denser in content, and the thesis is underestimated.
The arithmetic is straightforward. A master with 120 ECTS at 15 ECTS per semester takes eight semesters, so four years. A 90 ECTS programme takes six semesters, so three years. At 10 ECTS per semester, often more honest alongside standby duty and travel, you land at six and four and a half years respectively.
Credit transfer plays a smaller role here than at bachelor level: technician and master craftsman qualifications cover bachelor level, not master level. What does count are university certificates at master level and modules from earlier studies, assessed individually rather than as a block. More in ECTS credit transfer and on the page about credit for work experience.
The bigger time trap is the thesis, at 20 to 30 ECTS or 600 to 900 working hours, and it comes at the end when motivation is thinner. Anyone who links it to a topic from their own company saves the run-up and gains an advocate in house. Providers can be compared with sources on Hochschulnavigator.
The four levels in this subject
Side by side, so you can see where the master sits.
| Level | ECTS | Duration alongside work | Admission | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University certificate | 5 to 30 | 1 to 2 semesters | often without formal university entrance qualification, work experience frequently suffices | close one specific gap or test out studying |
| Bachelor | 180 to 210 | 4 to 9 years, depending on load and credit | A-levels, technician, master craftsman or training plus practice | first academic degree, entry into engineering roles |
| Master | 60 to 120 | 2 to 4 years | related bachelor, often with an ECTS condition | specialisation, development, research, senior civil service |
| MBA | 60 to 120 | 2 to 4 years | first degree plus several years of work experience | leadership and business administration, no subject depth |
Anyone without a first degree starts with the bachelor. How the levels and their titles relate is covered in academic degrees at a glance. What applies to this level in general is on the page about the part-time master.
Which step is realistic
The master shifts the kind of work, not only the box in the org chart.
I see three steps regularly. The first goes from application into development: away from running existing plant, towards designing new. The second goes into technical leadership, where you have to judge other people's results and need their depth for it. The third leads into regulated fields in which approvals, standards and evidence set the pace, such as rail technology, medical technology or energy infrastructure.
The honest limit: the master does not make you a manager. In many companies it is the entry ticket, but selection is decided on projects you have run. Anyone aiming purely at staff responsibility is usually better served by an MBA or targeted continuing education.
And on salary the same as at every level: the qualification alone does not change it, the changed position does. In organisations bound by collective agreements the grading may be tied to the degree, in others it is not. Ask about that specifically. More in salary after your degree.
Master in electrical engineering
The questions that come up about this level in almost every consultation.
Can I enter an electrical engineering master with an unrelated bachelor?
Usually only to a limited extent. These masters build on field theory, signal processing and control engineering, which cannot be made up in two bridging modules. From mechatronics, information technology or technical physics the move often works with conditions. From a business bachelor the realistic route is an industrial engineering master or an MBA.
What happens if my bachelor only carries 180 ECTS?
A master's degree is expected to total 300 ECTS across first and second studies. With 180 from the bachelor a 120 ECTS master fits. If the university only offers 90, it will as a rule require additional coursework. Admission itself depends on the qualification you can demonstrate, not on the credit total alone.
Specialise or broaden, what is worth more?
That depends on your goal, not on the programme. If you want development, design or research, you need depth in one field such as drive, energy or automation technology. If you want to run projects, budgets and teams, a broader profile serves you better. Doing both at once rarely works, and the choice is made with the programme.
Can I do a doctorate after the master?
As a rule yes, a master's degree is the usual route into doctoral study. Acceptance is decided by the awarding university under its own doctoral regulations, sometimes with conditions for a university of applied sciences master. If that is your aim, settle it before choosing the programme and look for a research-oriented profile.
Is the master worth it if I want to stay in application?
Often not. If you look after plant, commission systems or run projects on site, work experience usually brings more than two further years of study. The master pays off where it is a formal requirement: development, research, the senior civil service and many corporate career tracks.
Which level holds up in your case
Admission, conditions and the right level clarified in one conversation.
The information on this page is general in nature and based on my advisory practice (last updated 31.07.2026). It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the respective university and is not legal advice. Specific decisions are made by universities, the ZAB (Germany), the BMBWF (Austria), or the SBFI (Switzerland). I clarify binding next steps with you in the initial consultation.