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KTH Royal Institute of Technology MSc in Naval Architecture
KTH Royal Institute of Technology

MSc in Naval Architecture

Stockholm, Sweden

2 Years

English

Full time

Aug 2025

SEK 342,000 / per year *

On-Campus

* non-EU/EEA/Swiss is 342,000 SEK.

Introduction

The master's programme in Naval Architecture provides a strong foundation in Naval Architecture while delivering in-depth skills through specialisations in Lightweight Structures, Fluid Mechanics and Management. Students gain knowledge in the complete processes of designing, modelling, constructing and operating boats, ships, marine installations and systems. Graduates face careers in the maritime sector, related fields or academia.

Naval Architecture at KTH

The programme consists of a core track of studies and three optional tracks. In the core, you develop your general knowledge and skills in ship design, systems engineering, and a theoretical foundation in ship hydrostatics and stability, resistance and propulsion, waves, seakeeping, manoeuvring and ship structures. By choosing one of the tracks, you have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding and skills in lightweight structures, fluid dynamics and management. There is also room for elective courses, where you can broaden your education or specialise further in your chosen track. It is also an opportunity to study underwater technology and high-speed craft or other areas suitable for your interests and career goals.

During the first year, you build your naval architecture foundation in the three core courses ship design, marine structures, and marine hydromechanics. In parallel, you specialise in the three courses within your chosen track. In the second year, you can develop your individual profile by, for example, going deeper in the area of your selected track or naval architecture by studying underwater technology or high-speed craft. Alternatively, you can broaden your education by taking courses from the other tracks or on other topics. Another option could be to take an exchange semester at another university. The programme is finalised with a degree project which can be a small research project, an advanced engineering analysis or a design project. It may be performed at a university or a company.

Lightweight Structures

In the Lightweight Structures track, you have the opportunity to combine fundamental principles of naval architecture with knowledge about modern composite materials and sandwich structures and related design principles and manufacturing methods. Sweden has been a forerunner in the application of such material concepts in large ship structures, and KTH has internationally acclaimed research in this area. What you learn in this track enables work with ship structures as well as with aerospace, automotive and other kinds of lightweight structures.

Fluid Mechanics

The Fluid Mechanics track develops your fundamental understanding and working skills in incompressible fluid mechanics, which is the basis for the flow around ships, boats and marine installations. The governing set of partial differential equations, the Navier-Stokes equations, are derived, dissected, simplified and solved. The fundamental principles of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and modern computational tools are introduced. In hands-on projects, you will work with modelling and solving real fluid mechanics problems. The knowledge you gain in this track is applicable in ship hydromechanics as well as in general fluid mechanics problems.

Management

The Management track allows you to complement your technical skills with knowledge of financial, organisational and managerial aspects and develop your understanding of the concepts of sustainable development from environmental, social and economic viewpoints. Emphasis is on the ability to manage and control projects, strategies for sustainable development, and management tools and systems analysis methods. The track gives a good foundation for employment as a manager for companies and projects within the maritime sector and other sectors.

This is a two-year programme (120 ECTS credits) given in English. Graduates are awarded the degree of Master of Science. The programme is given mainly at KTH Campus in Stockholm by the School of Engineering Sciences (at KTH).

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Program Admission Requirements

Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.

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