The Executive Master
Executive
Executive program targeted to professionals in the built environment.
Blended
Online live sessions
(Mon to Wed 6-8:30 pm)
Onsite 3-day meetings in Madrid, Budapest and Paris
Joint Diploma
An institutional master’s degree jointly issued by leading European Civil Engineering universities.
Project Based
Join the digital revolution in civil engineering with our Joint Institutional Executive Master in Digital Twins. Co-funded by the EU and organized by some of the most prestigious European Civil Engineering universities, and part of the Advanced Digital Skills – Digital Europe Programme.
Designed for professionals and engineers with a passion for digital transformation in civil engineering, smart cities and related fields, our program provides comprehensive training in the key digital technologies used in digital twins for infrastructures, the ability to conceive digital twins to address specific challenges in infrastructure planning, design, construction, operation, and management, and the skills to identify business opportunities created by digital twins.
Benefit from blended online and in-person learning, weekly conferences with industry experts, and recreation of capstone projects mentored by our partnering top industrial and public companies and directed by academic coordinators of our universities.
The Joint Institutional Executive Master diploma will be issued by the leading European engineering universities UPM, ENPC and BME. This diploma is equivalent to a “Máster en Formación Permanente” (Spain), “Diplôme d’établissement” (France), and an official qualification as an “Infrastructure and Urban System Information Technology Engineer” (Hungary). ITU is expected to obtain its formal accreditation to the joint degree in 2025.
(*) Pending accreditation by ITU for the edition 2024-25
Target Students
Our joint institutional Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities is designed for professionals with an engineering or architecture degree or equivalent and a few years of experience in construction, civil engineering, architecture, transportation, and related fields. This includes civil engineers, urban planners, architects, construction and asset managers, building operators, infrastructure owners and operators, service providers and consultants.
The program is also suitable for young engineers looking to specialize in digital twins at an early stage of their career.
Some background in programming is preferred (no particular language), and the admissions comittee will take it into consideration, since many of the courses will comprise the development of hands on projects with embedded programming.
Whether you want to enhance your skills, expand your career opportunities, or make a difference in the digital transformation of infrastructure systems, our master’s degree will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities you need to succeed.
We welcome applications from motivated and talented candidates from all over the world who share our vision of a smarter, more sustainable, and more connected future.
Program
With our joint institutional Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities, you will
LEAD
Identify business opportunities created by digital twins and develop the skills to lead digital transformation teams at your companies
LEARN
Learn the basic skills required for the development of digital twins, and the applications to your particular area of the Built Environment.
NETWORK
You will have the opportunity to network with international professionals and with experts from our universities and partners.
Our faculty of leading professors from top European universities and our partnering companies will guide you through three main modules and weekly conferences, culminating in a 60 ECTS degree that combines online and in-person training with a learning-by-doing approach.
Sessions will be regularly held online (live sessions) during the program during the evening of weekdays (regularly Mon to Wed between 6pm and 8:30pm CET). The onsite events will consist of 2-3 days workshops, conferences and networking events that will take place in November, February and June/July.
2024-25 EDITION KEY DATES
Start Date: 16th September 2024
End Date: 27th June 2025
Online live classes: Mon to Wed 18-20h CET
Attendance to the online live classes is mandatory. Likewise the students will be expected to attend to at least two of the three workshops that will be held at the campus of our universities
(*) Pending accreditation by ITU for the edition 2024-25
DIGITAL SKILLS:
During the first part of the program, students will acquire learning on digital disciplines that are required for the development of digital twins. We have structured the courses into three modules:
Digital models and design of networks for Digital Twins. Courses on BIM, GIS and digitalization of infrastructures and systems at different complexity levels, and a course on the design of networks and 5G.
Programming and software development. Programming courses (Python) adapted to the background of each student, from basic to advanced levels, a course on design of SQL databases, and a course on design and application of IoT devices.
Data Science and AI Applied to Digital Twins. Courses covering the main aspects of Data Analytics, training on the latest advances in Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity and on the application of Artificial intelligence to Digital Twins, particularly in Machine Learning and Ontology
The courses are adapted to the different backgrounds of the students, who need to choose at least 27 credits of the offer of 36 total credits.
APPLIED DIGITAL TWINS TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT:
Throughout these courses you will learn from experts in the industry and academia on the implementation, operation and the organization of digital technologies and digital teams and the application to different disciplines of Civil Engineering and Urban Development.
Management of Digital Twins and Innovation module:
A set of compulsory courses (9 ECTS) that will guide you, on a practical and learning-by-doing basis, through the different phases to design, implement, validate and operate digitally virtualized infrastructures and systems. The courses have a managerial perspective, considering that most of our students are expected to manage teams of specialists in the different technologies that compound a digital twin
Applications of Digital Twins:
The students will apply the learnings acquired in the previous and parallel phases of the program to some specific fields of civil engineering, with a compendium of elective courses on applied digital twins, structured in three specialties:
- Transport and Mobility
- Water management and Energy
- Urban Development and Smart Cities
Students will choose between 3 of the 9 courses of applied technologies, with flexibility to select courses of different specialities.
CONFERENCE CYCLES:
The conference cycles are a series of weekly online events where experts in different areas of civil engineering will discuss the application of digital twins in their respective fields. These events are designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field and gain a deeper understanding of how digital twins are being used to transform the civil engineering industry. The weekly conferences will run from November to June and will cover a wide range of topics related to digital twins applied to areas such as port infrastructures, railways, geotechnical engineering, material science, nuclear and renewable energies…
ONSITE EVENTS:
The three onsite workshops are an essential part of the master’s program, as they provide a unique opportunity for students to put their knowledge into practice and learning-by-doing, while also building their professional networks. During the onsite workshops, students will work in teams on the development of their capstone projects, mentored by industry experts and coordinated by professors of the universities. The workshops will also include keynote lectures by leading experts in the field, providing valuable insights into the latest trends and developments in digital twins and civil engineering. In addition, the workshops will offer a chance for students to network with their peers and professionals from various parts of the world, building relationships that can be beneficial to their future careers. The onsite workshops are designed to be intensive, immersive, and collaborative, creating a dynamic and stimulating learning environment that will help students to achieve their full potential.
CAPSTONE PROJECTS
The capstone project is a hands-on, real-world experience where you will work in teams to design and develop a digital twin for a real-world civil engineering project. You will be mentored by industry experts and guided by professors from the participating universities. This project will give you the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired throughout the program and will be an excellent addition to your professional portfolio. You will also have the chance to network with industry professionals and fellow students, creating valuable connections for your future career.
At the final onsite workshop, each group will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative digital twin projects to leading experts, faculty, and fellow students at the Paris onsite event.
List of courses
A series of courses to acquire the basic concepts in the disciplines required in the construction and operation of digital twins.
Structured in 3 separate modules, each of them running on different days (ie learners with a solid background in BIM, for example may not take courses lectured on Mondays):
- Digital Models and Design of Networks (Mon)
- Programming and Software Development (Tue)
- Data Science and AI for Digital Twins (Wed)
All courses are elective, and students must choose at least 27 ECTS out of the 36 ECTS offered to complete the Digital Skills module.
| Modules | Coordinator | Subject | ECTS | Lead University |
| Digital Models and Networks for DT | UPM | Principles of BIM and GIS | 3 | UPM1 |
| GIS in digital twin cities | 3 | ITU | ||
| Advanced BIM | 3 | BME | ||
| Network design for digital twins | 3 | UPM2 | ||
| Programming and Software Development | BME | Introduction to programming | 3 | UPM3 |
| Python programming | 3 | ITU | ||
| IoT and signal processing | 3 | UPM2 | ||
| Relational databases and SQL | 3 | ITU | ||
| Data Science and AI for DT | UPM | Big Data technologies and applications for DT | 3 | ITU |
| Cloud computing and cybersecurity | 3 | UPM3 | ||
| Knowledge representation and semantic interoperability | 3 | UPM3 | ||
| Machine learning and data analysis | 3 | UPB |
UPM1 – School of Civil Engineering
UPM2 – School of Telecommunication Engineering
UPM3 – School of Computer Science Engineering
Management of Digital Twins and Innovation (9 ECTS)
Core courses that will guide learners, on a practical and learning-by-doing basis, through the different phases to design, implement, validate and operate digitally virtualized infrastructures and systems. A combination of managerial and technical skills that will help our students to adapt and better understand the digital transformation of the industry:
| Modules | Coordinator | Subject | ECTS | Lead University |
| Management and Innovation of DT | ITU | Design and deployment of DT | 3 | UPM |
| Innovation and industry 5.0 | 3 | ENPC | ||
| Validation and usage of DT | 3 | ENPC |
Applications of Digital Twins (6 ECTS)
Students will apply the learnings acquired in the previous phases of the program to specific fields of civil engineering, with a compendium of elective courses on applied digital twins, structured in three specialties. Students will choose 3 of the 9 courses of applied technologies, with flexibility to select courses of different specialties if preferred:
| Modules | Coordinator | Subject | ECTS | Lead University |
| DT for Transport and Mobility | BME | Intelligent transport systems | 2 | BME |
| Mobility data analysis | 2 | Nommon | ||
| DT of railways and roads | 2 | BME | ||
| DT for Energy and Water Management | UPM | DT for depuration of water | 2 | UPM |
| DT for energy generation | 2 | ENPC | ||
| DT for management of water resources | 2 | UPM | ||
| DT for Urban Design and Building Management | ENPC | Smart building management | 2 | ENPC |
| Smart cities design | 2 | ENPC | ||
| Structural sensing and monitoring | 2 | UPM |
Faculty
The Executive Master in Digital Twins is led by a team of experienced and distinguished faculty members from some of the top universities in Europe. Our professors are experts in the fields of Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Telecommunications, etc. with extensive knowledge and practical experience in the application of digital twins to the industry. They are passionate about teaching and guiding the next generation of engineers to become leaders in the field. Meet our team of exceptional faculty members who will be teaching and directing in the program.
| Daniel Garijo Verdejo | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Pablo Calleja | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Sonia Frutos Cid | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Sandra Martínez Cuevas | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Yolanda Torres Fernández | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Ömer Faruk Beyca | Istanbul Technical University | |
| Esteban González Guardia | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | More information |
| Piroska Laky | Budapesti Muszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem | |
| Diego Manzanal | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | More information |
| Angel Yagüe | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Javier Naranjo | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Rubén Muñoz Pavón | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Raúl García Castro | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Eva Orozco | Typsa | |
| Arpad Jozsef Somogyi | Budapesti Muszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem | More information |
| Natalia Sobrino | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Juan Nicolás Gonzalez | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Miguel Picornell | Nommon | |
| Luis Willumsen | Nommon | |
| Kornél Almássy | Budapesti Muszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem | |
| Olivier Celnik | École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées | |
| Rosa Arce Ruiz | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Cristina López García de Leániz | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | More information |
| Jaime H Garcia Palacios | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Javier Fernando Jimenez Alonso | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Javier Naranjo Pérez | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Carlos Martin de la Concha Renedo | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| José Manuel Soria Herrera | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid | |
| Gonzalo Sanz-Diez de Ulzurrun | Universidad Politécnica de Madrid |
CAPSTONE PROJECTS AND Industrial Partners
The Executive Master in Digital Twins is proudly supported by some of Europe’s top public and private industry leaders, as well as a number of innovative mid-cap and emerging companies that are disrupting the market with their fresh ideas and cutting-edge developments.
The capstone projects will be mentored by professionals of our industrial partners and be based on real cases that will be further developed and tested by our students.
Capstone projects are one of the highlights of the program, representing an opportunity for both the learners and the companies to work on real cases of application of digital twins.
These are the capstone projects that are being developed by the 2023-24 cohort of learners:
| Capstone Project Description | Supporting company |
| Development of Dams Digital Twin for safety management and operation | Ayesa |
| Scan2bim: Build the BIM representation of a 3D scan, applied to the French railway infrastructure | Altametris – SNCF Réseau |
| Reliability of asset data through remote multi-source measurements: Application to electricity transport networks | Eurobios |
| Optimising Port operations with a Digital Twin: a study case of the Roll-on/Roll-off Terminal of Huelva’s Port | Ineco |
| Digital Twin of a bike sharing service: optimising operations through the use of artificial intelligence | Nommon |
| Design of a digital twin of an off-shore wind farm | Siemens – Gamesa |
These are some of the companies that support the master’s program, participating in the cycle of conferences, facilitating the participation of experts as lectures and/or mentoring groups for the development of capstone projects based on real cases. Many others will be published shortly:
Entry Requirements and Application Process
Entry requirements to the Executive Master in Digital Twins:
-
- Availability to attend to the online sessions and to the three workshops that will be held in November (Madrid), February (Budapest) and June/July (Paris). Note that participation in at least two of the workshops is mandatory.
- Candidates shall hold a bachelor’s degree of at least 240 ECTS issued by a recognized University in the field of Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Engineering, or Architecture, or any similar STEM degree.
- Alternatively, candidates holding a bachelor’s degree of 180 ECTS of similar nature will be eligible with a previous working experience of at least 2 years in any field of the built environment.
- English language skills equivalent to a minimum of IELTS 6.5 with 5.5 in each subtest, or TOEFL 80 or any other test or evidence to accredit an English level of at least B2.
- Candidates should have basic skills in any programming language. Otherwise, they will be advised to attend to free online programming courses before the start of the course.
- Previous working experience is not required (save for candidates holding a BSc of 180 ECTS), but will be valuable for the acceptance committee. A minimum of 3 years experience is preferred.
Application Process. It will consist of two steps:
Step 1: Selection process
Candidates will be required to complete a preselection form. Each candidate shall submit the following documentation:
- Accredited degree certificate (Diploma) or proof of having applied for a certificate. Additionally, graduates from a university not belonging to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA, click here to see the members of the EHEA), are required to submit duly legalized university degree certificate before December of the academic year. This certificate can be obtained as follows:
- By means of the Hague Convention Apostille if the graduate comes from signatory countries of the Apostille of the Hague (click here for the signatory countries). In this case, the authorities of the certificate-issuing country accredit that it is a valid degree certificate and has been issued by the competent authority.
- By a legal stamp of the Embassies and Consulates of Spain in the country of issue, for graduates from non-signatory countries of the Apostille of the Hague. In this case, the diploma and records can be legalized by the stamp of the Embassies and Consulates of Spain in the country of issue of your diploma that certifies it is an official university degree. For more information look at the question “Legalization of foreign documents abroad via diplomatic channels” in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ web (click here to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ web).
- Transcript of university academic records and diplomas, translated to English, French or Spanish.
- Proof of English language skills (TOEFL, IELTS or similar, taken in the last 2 years), or alternatively a written statement proving that the candidate meets the required English level. The language skills may be evaluated lately in a personal interview with candidates. and a personal interview.
- Curriculum Vitae in English.
- Copy of official identification (national ID or passport)
- A short video in English of 3 minutes max, summarizing your interest in the program.
Step 2: Admission
If a candidate is confirmed to have been preselected to the master’s program, he/she will be asked to provide, within 10 days, the following documentation:
- Proof of payment of the admission fee (1500€). This payment will be transferred to the Fundacion Agustin de Betancourt, a university foundation associated to the UPM. It will be fully reimbursed in case that the course is cancelled for whatever reason.
- At least one reference/recommendation letter from academia or industry
Once that the admittance process has been completed, the candidate will be confirmed to participate in the Executive Master
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees for the 2024/25 edition are as follows:
| Tuition Fee (euro, net of VAT) |
Early Bird Fee (euro, net of VAT) |
|
| Financed by applicant or by a partner institution (*) | 8,500 | 7,000 |
| Financed by a non-partner institution | 9,750 | 8,000 |
Early bird will apply for admitted applicants with complete registration requests received before June 15th, 2024.
Tuition fees are inclusive of a discount of €2,000, as part of the mobility grant financed by the European Union and the universities under the project DIGITWIN4CIUE.
(*) Partner institutions include members of the DIGITWIN4CIUE project, institutions participating in the executive program with lectures, capstone projects or conferences or any institution financing more than one student.
FAQ
What is the expected duration of the course?
The executive master’s program will have a duration of 9 months. The Edition 2024-25 will start on September 16th and will finish at the end of June with the presentation of the capstone projects at the Paris onsite event
What is the number of credits of the Master?
The executive master requires the completion of 60 ECTS:
The program offers ordinary courses for a total of 63 ECTS. Learners are required to complete courses representing 42 ECTS: 27 ECTS from the Digital skills modules and 15 ECTS from the Applied digital twin courses. Learners are invited to attend and participate in all courses, even if they have not officially registered at them.
Additionally, 18 ECTS will be obtained with the development of the capstone project, the related group thesis and the attendance to the conference cycle.
How are the online courses structured? Will they be recorded?
Classes are lectured online in the afternoons of Monday to Wednesday. They are taught on live sessions through the Zoom platform of the master program, promoting interactivity with the students and with a practical learning approach.
All classes are recorded and can be revisited at any time in the Moodle site of each course.
Are there any early-bird discounts for registrations?
Yes, there will be early-bird discounts for students registered before June 15th 2024.
Please review the Tuition Fees section for more information.
Are there any other costs associated to participating in the course?
Students will participate in three physical events in European cities (Madrid, Paris, Istanbul and or Budapest), of a weekend each. Travel and accomodation expenses shall be paid by the students. The final gala dinner will be fully covered by the master.
The tuition fee is inclusive of a lump sum grant of euro 2,000 provided by both the European Union and the organizing universities to cover the mobility costs. Additionally, the organization of the master will facilitate the travelling and accommodation arrangement of the students.
Will I get an institutional title from any of the universities involved in the Master?
You will receive a joint executive master diploma issued by UPM, ENPC and BME. This diploma is equivalent to a “Máster en Formación Permanente” (Spain), “Diplôme d’établissement” (France), and an official qualification as an “Infrastructure and Urban System Information Technology Engineer” (Hungary). ITU is expected to obtain its accreditation to the joint degree in 2025.
How many students do you foresee for the next edition of the Master?
It is expected that this edition will hold around 50 students. Students will be geographically distributed, gender balanced and will have background on different areas of the built environment.
More importantly, the capstone projects will be developed by groups of 4 students, who will be mentored by experts from our supporting partners and by faculty of the universities. This way we ensure that students receive both individual attention and valuable exposure to teamwork and collaboration.
Will there be any exam?
The educational methodology of the Master is centered around project-based learning. Therefore, there will be some tests during the first modules and continuous checkpoints by mentors and coordinators during the development of the capstone projects. Finally, the students shall prepare a master thesis in groups that will be based on the capstone project.
Can I participate in the Master part-time?
The Executive Master is targeted to professionals. Hence, we have structured the master with evening classes to facilitate the professional conciliation. Nevertheless, we expect students to be able to finish the Master in one academic course.
When should I register and which documentation will you be asked for?
Admission period for the 2024-25 edition starts in April 2024
The Entry requirements section contains all relevant information about the admissions process and the documentation that needs to be provided.
Additional information
Please fill in this form if you want to receive detailed information about the Executive Master in Digital Twins and to register your interest.