Study Building Services and Supply Engineering in Germany

In addition to ensuring security of supply, professionals in the field of building services and supply engineering also play an active role in the energy transition. They develop innovative and connected solutions for buildings and supply technology that enable the sustainable use of energy. “Smart” buildings and the advancement of intelligent supply networks in cities are some of the latest buzzwords in this field.

The field of building services and supply engineering not only looks at the distribution within buildings, but also deals with the supply up to the building (of electricity, gas, water, etc.) as well as the disposal of exhaust air and wastewater. Therefore, graduates in this field are also active in the planning and optimisation of power plants, sewage treatment plants, and other supply networks.

During the first few semesters of your degree programme, you will learn the scientific and technological basics that then allow you to specialise in, e.g., environmental technology or firing technology in later semesters. Economic and legal modules (in logistics, real estate law, etc.) complement the course of study, as they may be useful in your future career. Computer science is also becoming increasingly relevant in this field, as buildings become ever more digitalised.

You should have a good understanding of technical, mathematical and physical topics as well as an interest in building culture and environmental protection. A creative approach to innovations can also help you to complete your studies successfully.

In addition, you can look forward to a high level of practical focus: most degree programmes have fixed practical units, which can sometimes take the form of shorter compulsory internships but can also take entire practical semesters. Laboratory units are also common in the field of building services and supply engineering studies.

By the way: Many higher education institutions also offer this field of study as a dual study programme. With a dual study programme, you should expect a somewhat longer standard period of study, but in return, you can gain more experience in working for a company.

In order to be eligible to apply to a degree programme in building services and supply engineering, you need a general or subject-specific higher education entrance qualification or a university of applied sciences entrance qualification. An equivalent qualification, e.g. from abroad, is also accepted. If you do not have a higher education entrance qualification, you are still eligible with completed vocational training and work experience: these are recognised by several higher education institutions as alternative admission qualifications.

Even though many courses of study are free of admission requirements, a pre-study internship or initial practical experience is often expected. The pre-study internship can often be completed in the first semesters of the degree programme.

However, there are also degree programmes which restrict admissions, e.g. by using a numerus clausus (NC) which is a minimum grade average, or by asking for a letter of motivation or a self-assessment test. If the degree programme is held in English, proof of language skills must also be provided.

The costs of studying depend on various factors and are also influenced by your personal financial possibilities and preferences. When calculating your costs, there are a few points you should keep in mind:

• Most public higher education institutions are tuition-free. However, be aware of exceptions in this regard.
• You usually have to pay semester contributions at public higher education institutions. These range from 100 to 400 euros. Sometimes your semester contribution covers a ticket for local public transport or you can purchase a discounted ticket. Depending on where you study, this may be valid for the city, the region or even for all of Germany. Ask your higher education institution whether such an offer is currently available.
• Practical semesters, laboratory work or learning materials may be associated with extra costs. However, these are usually moderate.
• For your living expenses, you should not only plan for food, clothing or drugstore items, but also for mobile phone and internet bills or health insurance contributions, for example.
• Rent will probably be your biggest expense. That’s why it’s also worth saving money here: Rents vary depending on the city you want to study in. In large cities, housing is often scarce and expensive, while in smaller cities it is comparatively affordable. In any case, student halls of residence are usually your cheapest option. As soon as you have decided on where you want to study, you should start looking, as halls of residence can fill up quickly. Here, you can find information on local halls of residence and the respective application process for most cities.

To finance your studies in Germany, you should also find out about scholarships. There are many different scholarship programmes and excellent grades are not the only deciding factor. You can learn more about scholarships here and find suitable programmes directly on My GUIDE.

With a degree in building services and supply engineering, you can pursue various activities in different professional fields: For example, you can find work in planning, construction management, project and operational engineering, but also in production, sales or building management. It is also possible to work in the laboratory or in a development department. Potential sectors can be:

• Construction and real estate industry
• Engineering and planning offices
• Public service (e.g., building administration and building offices) or public utility companies (e.g., municipal providers or gas and water works)
• Companies in the heating, air-conditioning or sanitary industry
• Companies for technical and electrical building equipment
• Companies for energy consulting and energy management, e.g. with regard to environmental processes or environmental measurement technologies or regenerative energy systems (green building engineering)
• Energy consulting as an independent engineer

With a degree in building services and supply engineering, you have a very good and future-proof career and salary prospects. If you want to take on a management position later, you should think about aiming for a Master’s or a PhD degree.