Electric Po-wer Engineering MSc
Why Choose This Program?
At the Iceland School of Energy at Reykjavik University, you’ll learn electric power engineering the way it’s practiced: by working directly with the systems that keep modern societies running. You’ll study how to design, model, and operate reliable power systems as electrification and renewable integration continue to grow. Courses in High Voltage Engineering, Power System Operation, Stability and Control, and Smart Grids give you the technical foundation to build and manage the grids of the future, while electives allow you to shape your own specialization.
Iceland offers a learning environment found nowhere else. Its islanded, 100% renewable grid, shaped by natural hazards and geographic isolation, demands resilience and robust engineering. As the world’s largest green energy and electricity producer per capita, Iceland provides an ideal real-world setting. You’ll model these conditions, study system behavior, and design protection and resilience strategies using real operational data. Through close collaboration with Landsnet and other energy partners, your projects will reflect real constraints and industry needs.
Your learning extends beyond the classroom with laboratory work, industrial site visits, and research collaborations with faculty and industry experts. Graduates move into careers in transmission system operation, consulting, renewable integration, and technology development, with others continuing to PhD studies or founding their own companies. If you’re ready to power the systems that power the world, this is where it starts.
How You'll Learn
You’ll learn through projects, research, and hands-on experience that connect the classroom to the real world. This is about building both a strong theoretical foundation and the ability to solve problems that matter. Courses combine lectures with group work, labs, and opportunities to collaborate with faculty and industry.
Each MSc in engineering has four core courses that build the skills you need for professional practice. They’re designed by faculty and informed by industry and graduates, keeping your learning connected to real challenges. They cover four key areas:
- Research Methods — You prepare for your thesis by learning how to frame questions, choose appropriate methods, analyze critically, and communicate results with clarity and impact.
- Data Science — You learn to program, manage data, and apply machine learning to uncover patterns and make predictions that guide engineering designs and decisions.
- Innovation & Entrepreneurship — You brainstorm novel ideas, test feasibility, and explore business models to turn technical concepts into solutions people need and value.
- Project Management — You practice planning, coordination, and teamwork while balancing scope, schedule, budget, and risk to deliver successful projects.
More details can be found in the Structure section and the Course Catalogue.
Careers and Outcomes
Graduates of the MSc in Electric Power Engineering at RU are prepared for advanced roles across a wide range of fields. Career pathways include:
- Power systems design, planning, and grid studies
- Grid operations, stability, protection, and real-time control
- High-voltage engineering and substation systems
- Renewable energy integration, storage, and flexibility solutions
- Energy markets, forecasting, and power trading analytics
- Consulting, regulatory compliance, and technical advisory
- Research and development roles; pathways to PhD study
Structure
The master’s program is a two-year, 120 ECTS degree structured around four semesters of study. Students typically complete 30 ECTS each semester. Courses begin in August, and graduation takes place in June.
With your advisor, you’ll build a study plan that combines:
- Core Courses – required at both the department and program level.
- Specialization Courses – electives within your chosen focus area.
- Recommended Electives – additional courses that broaden your skills and connect your studies to related fields.
In the second year, students continue coursework and complete a master’s thesis. Students complete a one-semester, 30 ECTS thesis, while those with strong research interests may apply for a two-semester, 60 ECTS thesis in place of additional coursework.
Prerequisites for admission are outlined in the Take The Next Step section, and full course descriptions are available in the course catalogue.
Applications
- Non-EU/EEA
- Opens: October 5, 2025
- Deadline: January 31, 2026
- EU/EEA
- Opens: February 5, 2026
- Deadline: April 30, 2026
Language of Study
- English
Any Questions?
Where You’ll Learn
As an engineering student at Reykjavík University, you have access to specialized labs, workshops, and student spaces that support hands-on learning, research, and project development.
Take the Next Step
Applying is straightforward, but we want to make sure you have the right background to succeed. Below you’ll find the key requirements, what documents you’ll need to prepare, and details on prerequisite courses for applicants from other fields.
