Master's program with a focus on Facility Design for the Life Science Industry

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The Master's program "Facility and Process Design" (FPD) has been offered at Albstadt-Sigmaringen University since 2009 (previously as "Facility Design and Management", FDM). In addition to the specialization "Facility Design and Management," with the focuses "Planning of Production Facilities" and "Planning of Large Kitchens," there is the specialization "Product and Process Innovation."

Starting from the summer semester 2024, the current Master's program with two specializations will be divided into two independent Master's programs. The two new Master's programs are:

– Life Science Engineering (LSE) with a focus on Facility Design and Technical Management for the Life Science Industry
– Life Science Innovation (LSI) with a focus on Product and Process Innovation for the Life Sciences

The highly application-oriented Life Science Engineering (LSE) program is unique in its focus on Facility Design for the Life Science Industry. Graduates will be qualified to work in specialized planning companies or offices for the Life Science Industry or to take on technical management tasks in the field of Life Sciences (food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, medical devices). This program is offered partly in English and partly in German and concludes with the degree Master of Engineering (M. Eng.). For this program, a "Professional Master’s Program" is being promoted, in which students gain initial work experience part-time in a planning company while studying in the LSE Master's program. The partner company offers a position with increasing project responsibility and accommodates the study-related requirements. Presence at the university is only required during one on-campus week per semester, during exam periods, and on certain dates. The master's thesis is usually carried out full-time at the partner company. The program comprises four semesters of full-time study instead of the usual two, plus one semester for the final master's thesis.

The Life Science Innovation (LSI) program is research-oriented and aims to enable graduates to undertake research tasks within product and process innovation in the Life Sciences. This program will be offered entirely in English to be attractive to applicants from abroad. It concludes with the degree Master of Science (M. Sc.). Close integration with activities at the Innovation Campus Sigmaringen (https://innovationscampus-sigmaringen.de) is planned. Students can be involved in ongoing research projects, either as part of an innovation project or their master's thesis. After completing the master's program, there is also the possibility of pursuing a doctorate there.

Both programs each have 90 ECTS credits and a standard duration of 3 semesters. The study program, consisting of 12 modules worth 5 ECTS credits each, can be completed full-time in two semesters. The master's thesis can be completed in the 3rd semester. In part-time studies, such as the previously described "Professional Master’s Program," the duration of the first two semesters is extended accordingly.