Degree Programs Wels

The agricultural sector is in upheaval. The trend towards sustainable, ecological production and the increasing societal interest in the origin of food products are causing far-reaching changes in the agricultural sector. Intelligent robot technology, smartphones and satellite control enable us to use our resources for agricultural production efficiently. Efficient product marketing, yield optimisation, animal health, food quality and sustainability form the focus of this study programme. Graduates therefore combine technical and economic knowledge that qualifies them to make agricultural companies as well as those in the food and agricultural technology sectors better able to compete internationally.

Energy consumption is rising worldwide. Sustainability is the key in the future, especially when it’s a matter of the use and consumption of energy. This degree programme is all about the efficient and sustainable production, storage and use of energy (for electricity supply and heating). Photovoltaic, solar heat, hydro- and wind power, biomass and the improvement of the efficiency of industrial processes, production plants and buildings are the focus of the degree programme. Ecological, energy-efficient building, heating and cooling complete the fields of study.

Automation Engineers develop, optimise and automate equipment. Or in other words: by means of sensors and special software they cause machines to perform intelligently. For example, they ensure cash machines dispense the right amount of banknotes, engines are high-precision and airbags are sure to open in a crash. Eco-engineers develop environmentally-optimised solutions for production plants, electric vehicles or solar- and wind power stations. Wels students recently invented Austria’s first pizza dispensing machine. They also recently programmed a regulation system for the hybrid drive of the BRP CanAm Spyder, a guidance system for single-track railways.

The Bio- and Environmental Technology degree programme unites chemistry and biology with the engineering sciences of biotechnology and environmental technology. The combination of Biotechnology and Environmental Technology offers a unique possibility to study two future technologies simultaneously. Biotechnologists work on the engineering applications of biology. They produce medicines, biological fertilizers, biofuels and biogas. Biotechnology is very important in medicine for the regeneration of tissue, the treatment of infections or the diagnosis of illnesses. Environmental Technologists purify waste water or air, clean up contaminated sites and reduce current and future pollution in their planning of industrial plants.

Civil Engineers are experts on the subject of buildings, from planning to construction, renovation to demolition. Civil Engineers are in demand: they plan, design, perform specific calculations and coordinate as construction team leaders. In contrast to the architect, for whom functionality and design are in the foreground, the civil engineer learns to evaluate his ideas mathematically in the areas of safety, functionality and costs. Using construction measurements and knowledge of building automation, civil engineers optimise new and existing building stock.

One of the leading trends today is the change to an environmentally friendly electrical power supply. This degree programme focuses on the design, operation and production of equipment for modern electrical power supply, electrical power distribution and transport, and energy conversion. This includes components for smart grids, the use of renewable energies and electric cars. The aim of the Electrical Engineering course is to provide graduates with the skills and know-how to meet the requirements of international electrical power engineering in the future. Our program is very practice-oriented and includes an internship, excursions to reputable companies, as well as the possibility of an exchange semester with one of our international partner universities.

Food of the future should be of high quality, contribute to people's health and at the same time be produced sustainably. You’ll acquire a good understanding of nutrition as well as scientific and technical background of food production. This solid scientific basis will enable you to develop healthy and sustainable food – which will play a key role in our future!

Global challenges such as climate change, sustainability, circular economy, waste management, soil erosion and industrial pollution require solutions that can only be tackled with thorough knowledge in science and engineering. In our internationally accessible degree programs → Agricultural Technology and Management → Bio and Environmental Technology → Food Technology and Nutrition you will become part of the solution with employment opportunities in Europe and beyond. The Green Science program offers students without German language skills the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc) at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. The Green Science program builds on a solid natural science foundation with indepth knowledge of many aspects of engineering and technology.

New products do not come to life by coincidence or spontaneous flashes of inspiration. They require innovation, product & engineering managers who find ideas tailored to customer requirements, evaluate and select them correctly, and support their successful implementation. Their work is the key to success, and their creative minds are therefore in great demand in companies. They work at the interfaces between marketing, design and technology – turning ideas into successful products.

Intelligent Production Engineering offers a specialization in automation technology in the field of modern manufacturing processes and materials technology. In addition to the general technical content, the courses and company projects cover in-depth knowledge of manufacturing processes, planning and operation of production systems including robots, production engineering, company organization and mechatronic systems. The course is organized in a part-time, work-integrated form from the 3rd semester onwards. Students spend at least 3 days at the university and the rest of the time, including lecture-free periods, at the partner companies.

In view of rising fuel and energy costs and the carbon dioxide problem, motor vehicles and aircraft must use less fuel in future. The rotor blades of wind turbines, various sports equipment such as tennis rackets, skis or Formula 1 cars (fibre-carbonmonocoque) must also be lighter but at the same time measure up to the highest safety standards. Lightweight construction will be the central concern in industry in the future. Everywhere where material is moved in large quantities e.g. in robotics or plant construction, lightweight construction developments will play a role in order to save costs. The job prospects for graduates in this field are commensurately promising.

High-quality aircraft-, vehicle- or engine parts, hard-wearing sports equipment, long-lasting and perfectly-shaped consumer goods all beg the same question: Which materials or combinations of materials are the most suitable? How can such products be produced and their quality and characteristics reliably checked? These are the questions which students of this degree programme must answer. Because choosing the right material is essential for all products: the function, safety, design and longevity are all determined by them. In this practice-orientated and researchfocused degree programme students put their knowledge of chemistry and physics into practice and develop metals, composites or plastics and their processing processes further.

Mechanical Engineering is ubiquitous in our modern world. We move around in motor vehicles, trains and aircraft. The manufacture of all our utility goods is achieved by means of machines which are in turn designed, developed and optimised by mechanical engineers using the latest methods of calculation, CAD, materials science, thermodynamics and simulation for their creative work. Mechanical Engineering graduates are highly sought-after in industrialised Upper Austria.

International companies need more industrial engineers who can solve problems related to engineering and economics. This degree programme is aimed at people in work with the academic standard for university entrance. Suitable HTL graduates with several years of career experience can join the degree programme in Semester 2. Large parts of the degree programme can be integrated with work.

Process Engineering is the practical application of basic physical and chemical principles for the industrial production of solid, liquid and gaseous substances. Process Engineers work on the plants and processes. They are concerned with physical, chemical and biological steps – they crush, mix, modify, separate and purify raw materials – and thus create new products. They ensure that pills contain enough active ingredients or that the ingredients of yoghurt, lipstick, fuels or building materials are correctly mixed. Their knowledge and competence ensure that production processes are configured in an environmentally-friendly and energyefficient way.

The work of graduates of this degree programme is to design new user-friendly technical products for a target group and to make complex facts easily comprehensible. Alongside a comprehensive education in technical communication students learn how to design mechatronic and software products and sound knowledge of the ergonomics and user-friendliness of technical products. This degree programme offers with its optimal mix of theory and practice both a fundamental education and a higher qualification in an interdisciplinary field. For more detailed information on this degree programme, see the German page.

In an era defined by rapid technological advancements, smart engineering integrates latest technology with traditional engineering principles to design solutions that are efficient, sustainable, and groundbreaking and thus becomes the foundation of a modern society. Robotics and automated production are key enabling technologies for the next decade and require a sound academic qualification. The international friendly bachelor’s degree program Smart Engineering offers the unique opportunity to acquire not only a cutting-edge engineering degree but also German language skills and the possibility to enter the European high tech job market. The program offers two German taught specializations in: automation engineering and mechanical engineering as wells as an English taught specialzation in branch electrical engineering.

If you want to shape real sustainability, you need to have expertise in many areas. That's why our Sustainable Solutions course is interdisciplinary from day one. And theory is immediately brought to practical life: concrete projects and real challenges - here we work on meaningful solutions for "the real world". Sustainability experts examine value creation processes in companies, i.e. the path from the development of a product to marketing and recycling. They find and develop opportunities for improvement. In doing so, they have no fear of contact with business administration, technology or aspects of society as a whole, but really flourish in the intersection of disciplines. This makes them sought-after designers of a sustainable future.

The Master’s degree programme Eco-Energy Engineering offers specialisation in the conversion, distribution and optimised, environmentally-friendly use of energy in industrial plants and buildings. The main areas of emphasis, solar technology and building optimisation, focus on the functionality, planning, construction and operation of plant and buildings. Learning is project-based, ensuring relevance to practice and the opportunity for students to determine their own additional areas of interest.

Digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence have become indispensable in today's industry. Automation technology is a strong beneficiary and at the same time innovation driver behind these technologies - also in Austria! The master's degree program in automation technology enables students to specialize individually in their later working life or field of interest through elective courses. Special emphasis is placed on the proximity to companies and also to research. Starting in the 2nd semester, students can work at least 2 days a week in addition to their studies and put their ideas into practice. In addition to the elective subjects, the necessary cornerstones of a modern automation solution are anchored in the curriculum with the topics of digital factory, control technology and IT security.

Rapid developments in vehicle engineering have led to a merging of Mechanics, Electronics and Informatics fields. One cause of this is that vehicles meet customer demands through the optimal interplay of various mechanical and electronic components. Many functions in the areas of comfort, safety and efficiency are only made possible by mechatronic systems. In this context, specific expertise in the mechatronic disciplines, combined with social and business economics competences, will be central requirements of future employees and managers in the motor vehicle industry. Precisely these requirements are the focus of the new master’s degree program, Automotive Mechatronics and Management.

The Bio-and Environmental Technology Master’s degree programme offers students the opportunity to specialise in either biotechnology or environmental science. Central to this degree programme are environmental process engineering and biotechnology, plant planning and plant engineering with (bio-)analytics, the technology of food production and quality management. ’Soft skills‘ such as language skills, personality, academic and business economics competences enable a smooth transition into work. Independent of their chosen specialisation all graduates gain a common understanding of both of the core technologies our future depends on.

The Master’s study programme Civil Engineering in Building Construction offers a comprehensive post-graduate degree in the field of civil engineering with a focus on building construction. In addition to an extensive, in-depth education in construction engineering, students may choose elective subjects from two different course pools. Together this enables graduates of this programme to hold management positions upon completion of their studies.

New technologies such as electric cars or renewable and ecological power supply systems require fundamental research in electrical (energy) engineering. DC grids (used in batteries, hydrogen systems, or to distribute and transport electrical energy), and power electronics are the latest technologies aiming to provide a green and environmentallyfriendly energy supply. Introducing SMART technology into our power supply reduces costs as well as increasing reliability and accessibility for the end-consumer. This program will educate the experts needed to make electrical energy supply sustainable and future-proof. They will be pioneering the future!

Food Technology is an interdisciplinary technological career field with interwoven areas of knowledge. In the foreground are the new- and further development of technologies and products. Conservation of natural resources, process optimisation and efficiency of production are the driving forces in the food industry in order to be able to offer products at competitive prices and of simultaneous high quality.

Today, if a company wants to succeed internationally, it must be capable of innovation. This can only be achieved by treating innovation as a process. What characterizes such a process of innovation leading to sustainable success? Holistic integration of marketing, design and technology, combined with strategic thinking, is the only way to develop product and service innovations in a sustainable way. This is the main focus of this master’s degree program. In an interdisciplinary training concept, the various aspects of integrated innovation and product management are taught both theoretically and practically. This degree program provides a comprehensive education in Mechatronics, Innovation Management and Marketing, complemented by the know-how delivered in two specialisations, namely “Product Concept Design” and “Development Process Engineering”.

In view of rising fuel and energy costs and the carbon dioxide problem, motor vehicles and aircraft must use less fuel in future. The rotor blades of wind turbines, various sports equipment such as tennis rackets, skis or Formula 1 cars (fibre-carbonmonocoque) must also be lighter but at the same time measure up to the highest safety standards. Lightweight construction will be the central concern in industry in the future. Everywhere where material is moved in large quantities e.g. in robotics or plant construction, lightweight construction developments will play a role in order to save costs. The job prospects for graduates in this field are commensurately promising.

The economical, ecological and targeted use of materials and their efficient processing represent an essential competitive factor for Austrian industry. In view of the increasing quality requirements in production and in the use of new materials, more and more experts are required who are familiar with the specific requirements in processing and using these materials. The required quality of many products can only be achieved with appropriate processing technologies and their specific effects on the characteristics of materials. There is no comparable FH degree programme in all of Austria.

Mechanical engineering is a tried and tested study programme that has its finger on the pulse of the times with its many modern trends such as simulation, lightweight construction or bionics. The development of increasingly lighter and at the same time highly stressed components in automobiles, aircraft or also in the manufacturing or plant industry requires the use of sophisticated, innovative calculation, simulation and analysis methods. This degree opens the door to the fascinating world of modern mechanical engineering research and development.

Work in companies of the mechatronics industry has changed enormously because of the increasingly dynamic and complex business environment. The need for industrial engineers with interdisciplinary skills is growing continuously. This degree programme aims to meet this need by offering a higher qualification in selected fields of Mechatronics and Business Economics and also development and management competence.

Lead and manage international plant construction projects, coordinate multinational teams and become a sought-after expert in the dynamic project business. As a project manager, you are the leading interface between customer and suppliers who realize complete or partial plants. Whether planning, automation, process engineering, procurement, transportation, assembly or the legal department – you ensure that every cog in the machine meshes efficiently. Your 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. And how? By studying a mix of engineering, business administration and business law specially tailored to the international project business, so that as a future project manager you can realize the plant construction projects of tomorrow.

Robotics has become an indispensable part of the current production world and is also leading to disruptive developments and enormous progress in other sectors such as agriculture or medical technology. However, robotics is only half the story. In order to develop an intelligent system, not only the machine itself is required, but also state-of-the-art sensor technology and a great deal of computer science. Robotic Systems Engineering offers an optimal education in the areas of the latest software algorithms and technologies for the implementation of complex automation tasks with robots. Holistic engineering approaches are taught, which digitally support man, machine, software and hardware from the first idea to the running operation.

Sustainability is the key driver of our future development, especially when it comes to energy utilization and consumption. As natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce or more expensive, the sustainable use of energy is becoming more and more important. This degree program combines education in energy systems with regard to sustainable energy resources (solar, wind), hydrogen and battery technology and applications, e-mobility, energy efficiency, the decarbonization of the traditional energy system as well as the management of international energy-related projects. Special emphasis is placed on learning and working in multicultural teams.