Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen)
English
15 March 2026
The Joint Master's programme in Water Security and Global Change offers a truly international learning experience, welcoming applications from all nationalities. This programme immerses students in a dynamic educational environment that addresses the urgent and vital issue of water security, bridging perspectives from both the global South and global North. Drawing on the collective expertise of all partner institutions, the new Master's programme adopts an integrated and comprehensive approach to meet the needs of regional, national, and international stakeholders.
Building upon existing modules, the programme features a modular structure with opportunities for study abroad and specialisation. Student mobility is coordinated as part of this collaborative effort, alongside the development and implementation of communication, dissemination, and marketing strategies. Courses are taught by experts from the participating institutions, ensuring a high standard of education.
Internships and Master's theses are conducted in close collaboration with selected companies, governmental agencies, and NGOs, providing students with practical experience and real-world connections. Through a jointly developed and operated curriculum, the programme is established across three degree-awarding universities (RWTH Aachen, IIT Madras, TU Dresden), with two associated partners (UNU Flores and AIT Bangkok). Upon completion, students receive a joint degree. Accreditation is pursued independently through the participating universities.
What does this programme offer?
The Joint Master's programme has a scope of earning 120 ECTS points / 213 IITM credits in total. It consists of three semesters of course work with 90 ECTS points / 159 IITM credits in total and a fourth semester of thesis of 30 ECTS / 54 IITM credits. Each semester consists of 30 ECTS points / 54 IITM credits of course work with courses of 5 or 7.5 ECTS points. 30 ECTS (approx. 51 to 54 IITM credits) per semester may change according to the agreed schedule (see programme timeline table). Coursework consists of mandatory and elective courses, which are offered equally by all three partner universities and sum up to 30 ECTS points / 53 IITM credits provided by each partner university. The programme enables to define up to 30 ECTS points / 53 IITM credits elective courses.
Study contents of RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Study contents of Indian Institute of Technology Madras IITM, India
Study contents of Dresden University of Technology TUD, Germany
This programme facilitates students' mobility across three universities as a unified cohort. Students commence their academic journey at IIT Madras around August for approximately nine months, followed by five months at TU Dresden and another five months at RWTH Aachen. The Master's thesis is executed at any of these locations for five months.
At IIT Madras, five courses are offered (four mandatory and one elective), while TU Dresden and RWTH Aachen provide six courses each (three mandatory and three elective). The final semester focuses on the Master's thesis, supervised by advisers from one or more partner or associated universities.
Note:
Medical insurance is inclusive with IITM fees. Students need to acquire insurance for the proposed period of stay in Germany. Accommodation, living, and travelling costs are not included in the fees.
Dresden and Aachen (as well as Chennai) offer high quality of living at very moderate costs. Currently, students should expect to pay around 850 EUR per month including rent, food, insurance and basic expenses. This figure is relatively low compared to other big German cities.
Admission to the programme may be granted to applicants who have received a Bachelor's or comparable degree that fulfils the following conditions:
Students who have not completed their graduate study in English must pass either of the following recognised English tests.
15 March 2026
In order to top up their budgets, some students may want to look for temporary work in Dresden and Aachen. If so, different regulations apply for students from EU member states, countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and students from outside the European Union and the EEA area. In addition, restrictions on the duration of employment may apply. Professors, lecturers and group leaders involved in the Master's programme may offer students the possibility of working as academic assistants. However, living expenses can be financed only partially through a job as an academic assistant.
It is still relatively easy to find affordable accommodation in Dresden. Accommodation is available either via the "Studentenwerk Dresden" or on the private market. Rent for a single room in a student residence is approx. 250 EUR per month.
Private housing can be found online. We recommend that you move into a hall of residence at the beginning of your stay in Dresden. Subsequently, you can look for a place on the private market or in a shared apartment, which is known as a "Wohngemeinschaft" in German.
TU Dresden and RWTH Aachen offer plenty of counselling and training within its Career Services to help students with finding professional orientation. They offer workshops to equip students with professional skills and aid to optimise their CV. Furthermore, they support students who want to connect with potential employers.
Additionally, there are special workshops for international students to get to know the German and Saxon job market and network.
TU Dresden is one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany and is among the top universities in Europe: strong in research, it offers first-rate programmes with an overwhelming diversity, with close ties to culture, industry and society. As a modern comprehensive university with five schools (17 faculties), it offers a wide academic range of programmes. With around 29,000 students (20% international) TU Dresden is the largest technical university in Saxony. It enjoys an outstanding national and international reputation for research in natural and engineering sciences.
One of the most prominent characteristics of TU Dresden is its dynamic development – a process that has been going on for years and will continue into the future. As a "synergetic university", TU Dresden closely cooperates with external research institutions as well as cultural, industrial, and social organisations. Students also benefit from interdisciplinary collaboration with a focus on practical outcomes. Teaching and research follow the principle of involving both students and graduates into current research early on.
The capital of the Free State of Saxony, Dresden, stands majestically on the river Elbe. The fourth-largest city by area in Germany, Dresden is home not just to riverside palaces, Baroque churches and world-class museums but also to a proud history of science and technology. This finds continuity into the present with the DRESDEN-concept, an alliance of 41 research institutions in and around Dresden of which TUD is a proud and prominent member. Whether you are interested in theatre, opera, cabaret or cinema, or if you enjoy a stroll through museums or a night out at the pub, Dresden has something to offer for everyone. Students also get an opportunity to be active in the many sports facilities in Dresden, including TU Dresden’s own, or in the surrounding nature of the Elbe landscape, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains (Elbsandsteingebirge) or the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge). The surroundings of the city have plenty to offer and the city is an excellent hub from where to explore Berlin, Prague, Leipzig and Wrocław.
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