Advanced Materials Justus Liebig University Giessen

This degree programme can be completed

• entirely in English, or
• mostly in German (only with a few modules in English)

Which material properties can extend the service life of an electric car battery? Which coating is suitable for increasing the efficiency of a solar cell? Which materials are suitable for implants so that they are not rejected by the human body? These are the questions addressed by the Master's degree programme in Advanced Materials at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU).

Advanced materials are modern functional materials that have been modified at the molecular level in order to optimise them for specific applications. Today, these specially developed materials are of immense importance in all high-tech areas such as medicine, mobility, communication, energy supply and aerospace. For the development of advanced materials, interdisciplinary knowledge from chemistry and physics is used to understand and change the interplay of material properties as well as creativity and a spirit of discovery in their practical optimisation in the laboratory.

The research-oriented Master's degree programme in Advanced Materials provides you with the theoretical and practical knowledge to tailor materials for future applications and develop them further in a professional environment. The scientific degree programme is firmly integrated into current materials research in Giessen with its focus on high-performance materials and energy materials. This gives you the opportunity to work on current research projects. You can also set a clear focus in your studies by choosing a specialisation.

If you are passionate about science, enjoy working experimentally and are looking for a Master's programme with excellent career opportunities, then this is the place for you!

This degree programme also offers the unique opportunity to obtain a double degree, e.g. with Osaka University (Japan), Kansai University (Japan) and the University of Padua (Italy).

All applicants: 15 June 

Applicants with a foreign Bachelor’s degree: Application at www.uni-assist.de starts on 1 May. Please note that the revision period by uni-assist lasts two to four weeks. Application documents have to be received by our university by 15 June.

Applicants with a German Bachelor's degree: The JLU online portal opens on 1 June.

Please note: This information refers to the English-language option of the degree programme. Deadlines for the German-language option can be found here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/studium/studienangebot/master/mawi/

The Master's degree programme in Advanced Materials has a duration of two years and comprises 120 ECTS credit points. It starts with core modules that introduce you to the subject of the programme, namely

• Functional Solid-State Materials,
• Functional Soft Materials,
• Technical Basics of Advanced Materials,
• Renewable Energies.

It allows you to choose a specialisation right from the start so that you can build on your previous knowledge and pursue your own interests. Specialisations are offered in:

• Electrochemical materials research
• High-performance materials
• Materials analysis
• Theoretical materials research
• Sustainable inorganic materials
• Organic materials synthesis

Building on this, you will work theoretically and practically on a research question from this area in a research module.

At the end of the programme, you will demonstrate what you have learned by writing a Master's thesis.

This degree programme offers the unique opportunity to obtain a double degree. Double degree programmes are available with Osaka University (Japan), Kansai University (Japan) and the University of Padua (Italy).

JLU's numerous partnerships and cooperation agreements also provide you with various programmes through which you can organise a study stay or an internship abroad, e.g. ERASMUS+.

No tuition fees

402 EUR (winter semester 2025/26, varies slightly with each semester)

The current semester contribution can be found here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/org/admin/departments/b/5/studoffice/sc.

Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree in Advanced Materials with at least 180 ECTS-points including a scientific thesis (Bachelor's thesis).

The examination board may also recognise other relevant, professionally qualifying university degrees (e.g. in materials science, materials engineering, biomaterials, energy materials, materials engineering) on a case-by-case basis.

The admission may include additional coursework of up to 18 CP, which must be completed within the first two semesters.

Admission may be dependent on passing an entrance examination. The skills and knowledge required for the Master's degree course are examined based on the aforementioned requirements for the prerequisite university degree. Applicants will be given an examination notice of at least three weeks.

Applicants must provide proof of sufficient knowledge of written and spoken English (GER B2). Accepted proofs of language proficiency:

• TOEFL Test ITB (Internet-based test) with at least 72 points or IELTS-Test with at least grade of 5.5 in the academic test
• or: Proof of obtaining a local higher education entrance qualification in one of the following countries: Australia, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, USA, United Kingdom, South Africa
• or: Proof of a Bachelor’s degree in English in one of the following countries: Australia, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, USA, United Kingdom, South Africa
• or: Proof of the UNIcert II certificate

Other language certificates may be accepted following a case-by-case assessment.

All applicants: 15 June 

Applicants with a foreign Bachelor’s degree: Application at www.uni-assist.de starts on 1 May. Please note that the revision period by uni-assist lasts two to four weeks. Application documents have to be received by our university by 15 June.

Applicants with a German Bachelor's degree: The JLU online portal opens on 1 June.

Please note: This information refers to the English-language option of the degree programme. Deadlines for the German-language option can be found here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/studium/studienangebot/master/mawi/

Financial Aid for International Students (Bachelor's, Master's or state exam programmes) at JLU in the Closing Phase of Their Degree: partial scholarship for three to six months: 300 to 450 EUR per month (funding phase starting April or May every year). A Presidential Commission will decide on the awarding of the scholarships based on academic achievements, indigence, social or intercultural commitment, recommendations from academic staff and compliance with formal requirements. More information: https://www.uni-giessen.de/international-pages/study/grants/closingphase

Students may apply for a room in a shared flat or a single room in the halls of residence or search for private accommodation. More information via www.uni-giessen.de/acc

Career Service and special opportunities for international students: www.uni-giessen.de/en/faculties/research-centers/zfbk/career_services/

For information for international students regarding culture, sports, language courses, shopping, mobility, medical treatment, etc., click here.

Founded in 1607, Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), Germany, is a comprehensive university with a longstanding tradition which attracts around 26,000 students. JLU offers the full range of traditional and modern subjects with top-level teaching and research ‒ extending from classical natural sciences, law and economics, social and educational sciences, linguistics and cultural studies to a unique selection of life science subjects such as human and veterinary medicine, agricultural, environmental and nutritional sciences and food chemistry. The leading personae who carried out research and taught at JLU include a number of Nobel Prize winners, such as Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901) and Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize in 2004). Since 2006, research at JLU has received continuous funding from the Excellence Initiative schemes and the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal Republic and Federal States.

With around 94,000 inhabitants, Giessen has one of the highest student densities throughout Germany. Four higher education institutions with altogether 40,000 students provide a unique college-town atmosphere. The city offers plenty of leisure options for students, such as canoeing on the Lahn river, walks and picnics in its multiple green areas, cinemas with student concession tickets, the municipal theatre with a programme consisting of plays, opera and ballet as well as swimming pools and sports facilities, and a variety of pubs, restaurants and night life venues. The great thing about Giessen is that it's an easy place to navigate and, when the mood takes you, to escape into the picturesque surrounding countryside or the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, which is about 60 kilometres away.