Graduate Specialisation:
Smart Energy Systems
Learn to model and plan energy systems that run on renewables, with the same tools and projects the laboratory uses in its research. Two years and 120 ECTS within the Graduate Study in Mechanical Engineering at FSB Zagreb.
Smart Energy Systems Specialisation
The Energy Systems specialisation places the energy transition at the centre of your studies, inside a working research laboratory. Part of the Graduate Study in Mechanical Engineering at FSB, it is delivered within the Smart Energy Systems Laboratory, where students join researchers on funded EU projects alongside their coursework.
Strong technical foundations are applied to real energy system planning, market economics and the modelling tools used by the European Commission. From early on, students take part in active research projects, co-author publications, and complete placements with partners such as AVL, HEP, REGEA and the Croatian Ministry of Economy.
Why Choose This Specialisation?
Six senior researchers, including three on Stanford's World Top 2% Most Cited Scientists list. Cohort sizes are small; students work directly with supervisors on research problems.
Horizon Europe and Interreg projects are conducted in the same building. Students contribute to running scenarios, data processing and project deliverables, typically from the second semester onward.
See active projects →H2RES, Gurobi, AVL FIRE, MATLAB, Python, QGIS, on a 128-core HPC cluster. Students use these on actual research problems within funded projects.
Through the lab's partners in energy, industry and the public sector, students can complete internships and placements, and courses include site visits to plants and facilities. It's a chance to see real operations and build contacts before you graduate.
Over 90% of graduates are employed within six months. Graduate employers include HEP, INA, Končar, EU institutions and international consultancies.
Where alumni work →Active Erasmus+ agreements with Aalborg University, TU Munich and other partner institutions. Exchange semesters and thesis co-supervision with partner laboratories.
Approx. 50 doctoral graduates since 1998, over 10% of all graduates. Supervisors, infrastructure and EU project funding for continuation are available within the laboratory.
Courses
Courses in the Smart Energy Systems specialisation that are taught by PowerLab researchers. Core courses are mandatory; electives are chosen from the wider programme pool. Full programme with all courses: ISVU: Smart Energy Systems 2026/2027 →
What Two Years Here Look Like
From your first courses to the master thesis, here is how a typical two years unfold. Tap a stage to see the detail.
You start with Energy Management as the core course, alongside electives in smart energy systems, smart cities, transport and offshore wind. From the first weeks you have access to H2RES, MATLAB and GIS, and you can begin assisting on active Horizon Europe projects.
Core courses cover energy systems in industry and energy economics, with student training in a company. Electives let you focus on GIS, thermochemical conversion, technical gases or smart islands. In September, the SDEWES Summer School in Dubrovnik adds five days of H2RES workshops with an international group.
You take advanced electives in energy markets, storage or biorefineries and choose a thesis topic, often one tied to a live project. This is also where an Erasmus+ semester at Aalborg, TU Munich or a partner lab fits well.
The final semester is built around your thesis. Because topics are often tied to active EU projects, you work with real data and real stakeholders, and your results can actually be put to use. It is also a strong first line on your CV when you apply for jobs or a PhD.
Open Master Thesis Topics
These are the research areas in which master theses are supervised. The list below shows the topics currently on offer, with the supervisor for each and an application deadline where applicable.
Explore Past Student Theses
Browse bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral theses supervised by our senior researchers. Each link opens that supervisor's theses in the FSB Repository, in a new tab. The data comes directly from the Faculty repository.
How to Write Your Thesis
Formatting rules, templates and submission deadlines are set by the Faculty. Start here for the official guidelines, then agree a topic and supervisor within the laboratory.
Master's Thesis (diplomski rad)
Guidelines, templates and deadlines for the master's thesis on the Graduate Study in Mechanical Engineering.
Faculty guidelinesSDEWES Summer School
Five days of hands-on energy-system modelling with real tools and an international cohort, co-organised each year within the SDEWES network.
What you'll do
- Lectures on smart energy systems & planning
- Hands-on workshops in H2RES and LEAP
- Group work building a 100% renewable scenario
- Present your case study to international lecturers
Who it's for
- Graduate students, PhD candidates & early-career researchers
- Priority to applicants with energy-planning background
- Bring your own research topic to develop all week
- Accommodation at IUC / student dorms available
Erasmus & Internship Stories
During the programme you can spend a semester abroad or take an internship, and often both. The partner universities you exchange with, like Aalborg and TU Munich, are places we genuinely collaborate with, so the semester counts toward your degree and the internships lead to real project work. Here is what that looked like for some of our students.
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"The semester at Aalborg changed how I think about energy planning. Problem-based learning meant working in small teams on real district-heating cases, not just sitting in lectures. I came back with a thesis topic and a network I still rely on."
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"Munich pushed me technically. The modelling courses were demanding, but presenting my results next to PhD students gave me confidence I didn't have before. Honestly, the hardest part was leaving at the end of the semester."
"My internship at Jiaotong University in Xi'an was one of the most valuable experiences of my studies. Working in an international team of students gave me the opportunity to learn in a completely new environment, exchange ideas, and collaborate with colleagues from different parts of the world. During the internship, I had the opportunity to learn about the work of laboratories dedicated to developing new waste-management solutions and to visit a modern energy plant that converts coal into liquid fuel. However, the value of this internship extended beyond the professional knowledge I gained. Discovering a new culture, working together on a daily basis, and building friendships with colleagues from around the world made this experience truly invaluable."
What Happens Next
Work Across Europe
Over a quarter of graduates work internationally: EU institutions, research labs in Germany, Austria, Denmark and the UK, or energy companies across borders.
Lead Croatian Energy
HEP, Elektroprojekt, Ekonerg, Plinacro. Croatia's energy infrastructure companies recruit directly from this programme. Demand has accelerated with the energy transition.
Stay in Research
47 alumni completed doctorates, above FSB average. Many now hold positions at Aalborg University, Lund, UCL, Vienna and DLR Stuttgart. The infrastructure and supervisors are here if you decide to continue.
Start Something New
Some graduates launch their own ventures: energy consultancies, engineering firms and cleantech startups, often building on the projects and networks formed during the programme.
In Their Own Words
Stories from mi-energetičari.fsb.hr, the alumni community built by graduates of this programme.
"Energy Engineering was unique: we studied and spent time together as a group, which created a genuinely stimulating atmosphere. Today I teach students about something that has purpose, that can change the future. I made the right choice."Read full story →
"It's a fascinating field with constant change: decentralised energy systems, optimisation, programming. Modern energy engineering combines rigorous technical depth with problems that actually matter. And we were surrounded by exceptional people."Read full story →
"A PhD at FSB, then immediately co-leading a Horizon Europe project worth €9.7M. Climate change and green energy are my career path. These are the technologies that can actually save both the climate and civilisation."Read full story →
Quiz: Which Energy Career Suits You?
A quick seven-question quiz, no wrong answers. We'll point you toward the research area and career path that fits you best.
Explore Other Programmes
Our researchers also teach and supervise on other study programmes. Here's where else you'll find them.
Energy & Environment Specialisation
Semesters 5–6 at FSB. The specialisation that feeds into the graduate track: core thermodynamics, energy systems and modelling.
View programme →University of Zagreb · Šibenik Campus
Undergraduate engineering study at the Šibenik campus of the University of Zagreb, with focus on sustainable technology and maritime energy.
Visit campus →Postgraduate Programme
PowerLab members supervise doctoral candidates in the FSB postgraduate programme. Positions open through individual research projects, contact us directly.
Programme details →