# Sustainable Biotechnology (MSc) at RWTH Aachen

The renamed Sustainable Biotechnology master (formerly Molecular and Applied Biotechnology) combines advanced biotechnology with sustainability, teaching protein design, metabolic engineering and bioprocess development for a climate-neutral circular economy. Located in the Rhenish Mining Area transformation region, it targets bio-based production, biocatalysts and sustainable pharmaceuticals.

University: RWTH Aachen University (Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen) (https://studygermany.dev/universities/rwth-aachen.md)
City: Aachen (https://studygermany.dev/cities/aachen.md)
HTML page: https://studygermany.dev/programmes/rwth-aachen-msc-sustainable-biotechnology/

## At a glance

- Degree: MSc
- Language of instruction: English and German
- English requirement: English proficiency for the language of instruction at enrolment, per the examination regulations. Third-party sources cite IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 95 — not confirmed against the examination regulations, so no threshold is asserted here.
- German requirement: German proficiency required for the language of instruction at enrolment, per the examination regulations. No specific level is published.
- ECTS: 120
- Duration: 4 semesters
- Intake: Winter & summer
- Tuition: €0 per semester (public university)
- Semester contribution: €375.19
- Semester ticket included: yes (Deutschland-Semesterticket)

Fee notes: €0 tuition for all students including non-EU/EEA — RWTH is an NRW public university and states it does not charge tuition to international students from non-EU countries. Semester contribution €375.19 for WS 2026/27 (Mobilitätsbeitrag €234.57 including the Deutschlandsemesterticket plus the Zuid-Limburg/NL extension, Sozialbeitrag €128.00, Studierendenschaftsbeitrag €12.62). This WS 2026/27 total is reconstructed from official components rather than published by RWTH as a single figure; the fully confirmed figure is €338.05 for WS 2025/26 (RWTH Amtliche Bekanntmachung 2025/177). Semester ticket included: the mobility component funds the Deutschlandsemesterticket plus Arriva buses and regional trains in South Limburg (NL).

## Admission requirements

- Prior degree: First university degree in biology, biotechnology, chemistry or a related subject, per the examination regulations
- Minimum grade: Open admission (no NC); the examination board decides
- Prerequisite credits: Molecular biology plus bioengineering or process background per the examination regulations
- Also required: Renamed from "Molecular and Applied Biotechnology" — older listings may still use the previous title. Master's applicants — EU and non-EU alike — apply directly via RWTHonline. RWTH verifies foreign documents internally: no uni-assist, no VPD, no application fee. Applicants may apply to at most 10 Master's programmes. APS certificate required for applicants from China, India and Vietnam.

## Application deadlines

- Non-EU applicants, winter semester: 2026-03-01 (PASSED as of the last site build; the window usually repeats next cycle). Non-EU / foreign-degree applicants. Supporting-document deadline for restricted-admission subjects: 1 August.
- EU / German-degree applicants, winter semester: 2026-07-15 (PASSED as of the last site build; the window usually repeats next cycle). EU/EEA applicants, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree.
- Non-EU applicants, summer semester: 2026-09-01. Non-EU / foreign-degree applicants. Supporting-document deadline for restricted-admission subjects: 1 February.
- EU / German-degree applicants, summer semester: 2027-01-15. EU/EEA applicants, current RWTH students and holders of a German degree.

## How to apply

- uni-assist required: no
- Application portal: https://online.rwth-aachen.de/
- Official programme page: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/boss?lidx=1

## External resources

- [Official programme page](https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/boss?lidx=1)
- [DAAD — Nachhaltige Biotechnologie](https://www.daad.de/en/studying-in-germany/universities/all-degree-programmes/detail/rwth-aachen-university-nachhaltige-biotechnologie-w8503/)
- [Apply via RWTHonline (no uni-assist)](https://online.rwth-aachen.de/)


## Focus areas

- Industrial Biotechnology
- Bioanalytics
- Structural Biology
- Molecular Immunology and Medicine
- Environmental Biotechnology
- Genetics
- Phytopathology

## Provenance

Last checked: 2026-08-09

- RWTH Aachen — Sustainable Biotechnology M.Sc. official programme page (proficiency in German and English): https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/boss?lidx=1
- DAAD — RWTH Aachen Nachhaltige Biotechnologie: https://www.daad.de/en/studying-in-germany/universities/all-degree-programmes/detail/rwth-aachen-university-nachhaltige-biotechnologie-w8503/
- Inferred — IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 95 seen in third-party sources but not confirmed in the examination regulations; not published as a threshold: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/boss?lidx=1
- AStA RWTH Aachen — Semesterbeitrag / finance (WS 2026/27 components; WS 2025/26 total €338.05 confirmed): https://www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/en/about-us/finance/
- RWTH Aachen — Master's application route: direct via RWTHonline, no uni-assist, no VPD: https://online.rwth-aachen.de/
- Inferred — WS 2026/27 semester contribution €375.19 reconstructed from official AStA components; not published by RWTH as a single figure. Confirmed fallback €338.05 (WS 2025/26). Verify before publishing a hard number.: https://www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/en/about-us/finance/