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Master’s · Energy, Environment & Sustainability

Sustainable Development Management M.A.

Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences · Kleve · Official programme page

20 facts from 8 official pages · last checked 14 November 2026

Reviewed by Dennis Maaß, admission and immigration expert
Published 8 November 2026 · Last reviewed 8 November 2026

Key facts

Length, deadlines and costs

Language
English
Source
“Language of instruction English”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/sustainable-development-management-ma · checked 14 November 2026

Study mode
On campus
Source
“All courses are offered at the designated campus.”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/sustainable-development-management-ma · checked 14 November 2026

The page names one physical campus and offers no online or distance variant; HSRW publishes no online-only degree programme.

Attendance
Full-time
Source
“Study mode Full-time”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/sustainable-development-management-ma · checked 14 November 2026

Length
3 or 4 semesters
Source
“Standard study duration 3 semesters”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/sustainable-development-management-ma · checked 14 November 2026

Three semesters for applicants with 210 ECTS. The examination regulations set a standard duration of four semesters for applicants admitted with a 180-ECTS (six-semester) bachelor's: "Further clarifying Section 5 (2) RPO, the standard duration of study for applicants with an undergraduate degree of 180 ECTS credits (or six full-time semesters) is four semesters." This is the only HSRW master's that builds the extra semester into the programme.

Credits
90 ECTS
Source
“Den Modulen eines Masterstudienganges sind nach Maßgabe des § 6 Absatz 5 in der Summe 90 Kreditpunkte zugeordnet.”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Rechtl_Akadem_Angelegenheiten/Regelungen_der_zentralen_Ebene/NGF_RPO_idF_d._4.%C3%84S_v._02.04.2024.pdf · checked 7 November 2026

Institution-wide figure from the General Examination Regulations (RPO); the programme pages give only the standard study duration of three semesters and no credit total.

Intakes
Winter, Summer
Source
“Start of studies 1 September 1 March”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/sustainable-development-management-ma · checked 14 November 2026

Non-EU deadline
15 Jan 2027 (summer 2027)15 Jul 2027 (winter 2027)
Source
“Winter semester: 15 July Summer semester: 15 January”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/sustainable-development-management-ma · checked 14 November 2026

HSRW publishes one deadline for all nationalities; there is no separate non-EU deadline. The selection and admission statutes make 15 July (winter) and 15 January (summer) binding cut-off dates, with documents submitted late still considered until 20 July and 20 January respectively.

Non-EU tuition
None
Source
“For the 2026/27 winter term, the termly fee is €365.10. The termly fee comprises several components: Social contribution: €120.00 Student Union fee: €15.30 Deutschlandticket: €226.80”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/study/all-about-university-life/costs-and-funding/tuition-fees · checked 14 November 2026

None of the components of the termly fee is a tuition fee, and HSRW's fee statute (Hochschulabgabensatzung) sets no tuition and no surcharge for non-EU students. The DAAD International Programmes entry for every Rhine-Waal programme states "No tuition fees". North Rhine-Westphalia charges no tuition for first degrees.

Application fee
€75 one-off uni-assist handling fee for the first chosen course of study, per semester€30 one-off uni-assist handling fee for each additional chosen course of study in the same semester
Source
“Cost for the first chosen course of study: EUR 75.00 For each additional chosen course of study: EUR 30.00”

www.uni-assist.de/en/how-to-apply/apply-online/pay-submit/ · checked 14 November 2026

HSRW charges no application fee of its own: its fee statute lists none, and applicants with a German qualification apply free of charge through the university portal. The fee is uni-assist's, which is the compulsory route for everyone whose university entrance qualification was obtained outside Germany; it is charged again for a new semester. Marked appliesTo "non-eu" because the uni-assist route follows from a foreign qualification, not from nationality.

Places
Restricted (limited places)
Source
“Entry requirements Restricted”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/sustainable-development-management-ma · checked 14 November 2026

A fixed number of places (örtliche Zulassungsbeschränkung / Numerus Clausus): "Restricted admission, on the other hand, means that there are usually more applicants than places available. Once the application deadline has passed, applicants are selected according to specific criteria, often based on the Numerus Clausus (NC), i.e. their final school-leaving grade." HSRW publishes no current NC value: "The NC is set anew each year; figures from previous years serve as a guide." The number of places is set each year in the Zulassungszahlensatzung and is not published on the programme pages.

Places for non-EU applicants
Separate quota · Section 5a of the selection and admission statutes applies: third-country nationals are ranked separately, primarily by the average grade of the first degree, and may be grouped into country sub-quotas (Länderproporz). Holders of a scholarship from a German merit-based programme get their ranking grade improved by 1.0, capped at the best German mark of 1.0.
Source
“The selection process described in Section 5a of the Selection and Admission Procedure Regulations for Restricted-Admission Degree Programmes applies with regard to the admission of applicants from non-EU countries. Applicants from non-EU countries who hold a scholarship from a German organisation that is offered as part of a merit-based programme which furthers the qualification goals of this degree programme will receive an immediate”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Rechtl_Akadem_Angelegenheiten/Pr%C3%BCfungsordnungen/PO_Fakult%C3%A4t_G%C3%96/Master/Sustainable_Development_Management/en/2026-01-15_Exam_Regulations_SDM_1st_AS.pdf · checked 7 November 2026

The sentence continues "improvement of 1.0 to the average grade that is calculated to establish their ranking in the selection process; the improved grade cannot exceed the best possible German mark of 1.0." on the next page of the PDF. This is the only English-taught HSRW programme whose own regulations spell out the non-EU selection route; no share is stated.

Admission

What you need to apply

3-year bachelor’s
Accepted with conditions
Source
“Further clarifying Section 5 (2) RPO, the standard duration of study for applicants with an undergraduate degree of 180 ECTS credits (or six full-time semesters) is four semesters.”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Rechtl_Akadem_Angelegenheiten/Pr%C3%BCfungsordnungen/PO_Fakult%C3%A4t_G%C3%96/Master/Sustainable_Development_Management/en/2026-01-15_Exam_Regulations_SDM_1st_AS.pdf · checked 7 November 2026

A 180-ECTS bachelor's is admissible under RPO Section 4a (4) with a Learning Agreement for the missing credits (at most 30 ECTS, to be proven before admission to the master's thesis). Uniquely among HSRW's master's programmes, those applicants study four semesters rather than three, so the missing credits are built into the standard duration instead of being taken on top.

Subject background
A first degree in economics or the social sciences, in particular regional economics, political science, social science, business economics, interdisciplinary studies with an economic or social-science emphasis, industrial engineering with a business-economics emphasis, or another engineering discipline with an industrial-engineering emphasis. The examination board may approve other interdisciplinary sustainability degrees with a social-science emphasis. Analytical skills and basic knowledge of quantitative methods are expected.
Source
“A professionally qualifying undergraduate degree in a relevant field is defined as a degree in economics or the social sciences, particularly in one of the following fields: regional economics, political science, social science, business economics, interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on economics or the social sciences, industrial engineering with an emphasis on business economics, or a different engineering discipline with an emphasis on industrial engineering.”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Rechtl_Akadem_Angelegenheiten/Pr%C3%BCfungsordnungen/PO_Fakult%C3%A4t_G%C3%96/Master/Sustainable_Development_Management/en/2026-01-15_Exam_Regulations_SDM_1st_AS.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

Minimum grade
At least 2.5 on the German grading scale, or an "A" or "B" on the ECTS grading scale, in the first degree.
Source
“A cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on the German grading scale, or alternatively an A or B on the ECTS grading scale, must have been awarded for the applicant’s qualifying undergraduate degree per subsection (2).”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Rechtl_Akadem_Angelegenheiten/Pr%C3%BCfungsordnungen/PO_Fakult%C3%A4t_G%C3%96/Master/Sustainable_Development_Management/en/2026-01-15_Exam_Regulations_SDM_1st_AS.pdf · checked 7 November 2026

How your grade is converted
No conversion formula is published. The only grade adjustment in the regulations is a bonus of 1.0 on the ranking grade for non-EU applicants holding a scholarship from a German merit-based programme, capped at the best German mark of 1.0.
Source
“Applicants from non-EU countries who hold a scholarship from a German organisation that is offered as part of a merit-based programme which furthers the qualification goals of this degree programme will receive an immediate”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Rechtl_Akadem_Angelegenheiten/Pr%C3%BCfungsordnungen/PO_Fakult%C3%A4t_G%C3%96/Master/Sustainable_Development_Management/en/2026-01-15_Exam_Regulations_SDM_1st_AS.pdf · checked 7 November 2026

The sentence continues "improvement of 1.0 to the average grade that is calculated to establish their ranking in the selection process; the improved grade cannot exceed the best possible German mark of 1.0." on the next page of the PDF.

English
Level B2. IELTS 5.5 · TOEFL iBT 72 · PTE 59. Cambridge: Preliminary English Test (PET) with Distinction, or First Certificate in English (FCE) grade B or C. B2 column of the institution-wide table: IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 72 (or 4 as of 21.01.2026), PTE Academic 59-75, TOEIC Listening and Reading 785-944 (Speaking 160-179, Writing 150-179), telc B2-Zertifikat, UNIcert II, Cambridge PET with Distinction or FCE grade B/C, BEC Vantage, ILEC, ICFE, Cambridge IGCSE 1st or 2nd Language with a B2 average. A secondary school diploma or a completed degree from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or a few Caribbean states is also accepted. Duolingo and TOEFL Home Edition are not listed in the table.. Exemption: None stated. The examination regulations say only "English proficiency requirements are defined in Section 4a (6a) RPO", and that RPO clause requires a B2 certificate without granting any exemption or any procedure for requesting one. The institution-wide "Accepted English Language Proofs" table also accepts, in place of a test: a German university entrance qualification with English on the final diploma and at least the grade "ausreichend", or confirming B2 or B2/C1 skills; an IB Diploma including the subject "English" with at least 5 points; a secondary school diploma or a completed degree from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or a few Caribbean states; and, subject to approval, a completed degree in the subject "English Language".
Source
“Category: B2 C1 … IELTS IETLS Academic IETLS Academic (minimum score: 5.5) (minimum score: 7.0) … TOEFL iBT (minimum score: 72 or 4 as … PTE Academic (score 59 - 75)”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Studierendenangelegenheiten/Studierendenservice/Accepted_English_Language_Proofs__15_.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

Scores come from HSRW's institution-wide "Accepted English Language Proofs" table, which has one B2 and one C1 column. The table does not mention Duolingo or the TOEFL Home Edition, and no HSRW page says whether either is accepted, so neither is recorded as accepted or rejected. RPO Section 4a (6a) sets B2 for every English-taught master's programme and lets the individual examination regulations ask for C1 instead: "Für Masterstudiengänge, die in englischer Sprache stattfinden, ist die erforderliche Sprachkenntnis durch ein Zertifikat der Niveaustufe B2 gemäß Common European Framework (CEF) nachzuweisen. Die Prüfungsordnungen können ein höheres Sprachniveau mit Stufe C1 fordern."

German
Not needed when applying
Source
“Proof of German language proficiency is not required for English-taught degree programmes.”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/en/study/before-starting-university/application-process/guide-for-international-applicants · checked 14 November 2026

HSRW sets no German level for its English-taught programmes at application, during the degree or at graduation; German courses are optional and offered by the Centre for Internationalisation and Languages.

Selection
Restricted admission: places are allocated by the average grade of the first degree. For applicants from non-EU countries the regulations apply Section 5a of the selection and admission statutes, under which third-country nationals are ranked primarily by their qualification and may be grouped into country quotas (Länderproporz); holders of a German merit scholarship get a 1.0 grade bonus in that ranking.
Source
“The selection process described in Section 5a of the Selection and Admission Procedure Regulations for Restricted-Admission Degree Programmes applies with regard to the admission of applicants from non-EU countries.”

www.hochschule-rhein-waal.de/fileadmin/upload_redaktion/Dezernate/Rechtl_Akadem_Angelegenheiten/Pr%C3%BCfungsordnungen/PO_Fakult%C3%A4t_G%C3%96/Master/Sustainable_Development_Management/en/2026-01-15_Exam_Regulations_SDM_1st_AS.pdf · checked 14 November 2026

This is the only English-taught HSRW programme whose own regulations spell out the non-EU selection route; the underlying Section 5a applies to all restricted-admission programmes.

India, Pakistan, Nigeria

Rules for applicants from India, Pakistan and Nigeria

English test waiver
Not stated by the university
4 pages checked, 14 Nov 2026

The examination regulations say only "English proficiency requirements are defined in Section 4a (6a) RPO", and that RPO clause asks for a B2 certificate without stating any exemption or any procedure for requesting one, so HSRW states nothing either way for applicants from India, Nigeria or Pakistan.

Rules that name these countries
None named on the pages checked

The rules for your country across all universities, and the visa rules on English tests, are on the India, Pakistan and Nigeria pages.

More on this programme

Every value was read on an official page and is stored with a verbatim quote; open “Source” to see it. “Not stated by the university” means none of the pages we checked says, and lists those pages. Rules change: confirm with the university before you apply or pay.