Aerospace Engineering – (M.Sc.)

Contents

Programme structure and description of the basic constituents

The master programme Aerospace Engineering has a common outline for all Tracks. Each Track is composed of Core, Profile and Elective courses, a Master Orientation Project or Literature Study, an Internship and the Thesis project, all with a fixed size.

The Core courses enable you to develop a broad view over an identifiable field of aerospace engineering that spans across the expertises of the Track and are essential for the Profiles in the Track. All Tracks contain the common course Ethics for Aerospace Engineers which is a nontechnical course about the awareness of the technical and social implications of aerospace engineering. The Core courses form a solid package of appx. 15 EC without a choice.

The Profile courses are essential for the field of expertise of the Section and enable you to develop a thorough and detailed knowledge of that field. Profile courses can also be produced by other Sections or faculties. The courses have a study load of appx. 17 EC and leave you no choice. The sum total of Core and Profile courses has a study load of appx. 32 EC.

The Elective courses provide the flexibility for you to meet specific interest in a specialisation in (sub)field of expertise or add multi-disciplinary elements, repair your deficiencies, or add a personal interest. The Elective courses are selected by you in consultation with the professor. The minimum study load of the Electives is 14 or 20 EC, depending on the choice of a Master Orientation Project or Literature Study. You can also fill part of the Elective space by courses abroad (Exchange programme).

A Profile contains a Master Orientation Project or a Literature Study, or offers both possibilities so that you have the freedom of choice. The Master Orientation Project is primarily for those of you who do not want to develop into a researcher, but who want to be an engineer. The project objectives are the development and application of research skills, and familiarization in a field of expertise to get a sneak preview of what it means to perform independent research on a day to day basis in one specific field of expertise. The project assignment practices the theory on research methodologies, taught in the course Research Methodologies. The deliverable report of the project is assessed by the project supervisor (content) and the instructor of the course Research Methodologies (method). The project is supervised and coached by PhD students. The deliverable and assessment criteria are equal for all students, no matter in which Profile the project is done. The Master Orientation Project prepares you for the choice of the subject of his master thesis. It has a fixed study load of 6 EC.

The Literature Study is a preparatory research in relation with the Thesis project, with the aim to achieve maximum depth in the thesis in the second year. You practice the theory on research methodologies, taught in the course Research Methodologies. The Literature Study in the first year has a fixed study load of 12 EC. The deliverable is a Literature Study report that is assessed by the supervisor (content) and the instructor of the course Research Methodologies (method). The study is supervised, coached and assessed by the future Thesis supervisor. For those of you who follow a Master Orientation Project in the first year, the Literature Study forms part of the Thesis project in the second year. In that case, the planning, deliverable, assessment and study load (typically 7 EC) are variable and subject to the agreement between the student and the Thesis supervisor.

The course Research Methodologies is obligatory for all students and focuses on the key questions what research is and how to systematically perform scientifically correct research; which research methods exist and what can be the differences and similarities in research projects? The theory is directly applied in the “Master Orientation Project” or “Literature Study”. The deliverable output of this course is contained in the Master Orientation Project resp. Literature Study report. You can also deepen in research methodologies in an elective practical.

The Internship exposes you to a real work environment for a period of 12 weeks on a fulltime basis (nominal study load of 18 EC). It is a 'learn and explore' kind of internship, enabling you to acquire professional skills different from those taught in the programme and has three main elements:

1. Company assignment (as usual)
2. Dedicated assignment about the Engineering Profession
3. Personal reflection on performance in the internship

The master is concluded by a Thesis project (42 EC). The Thesis is always an individual indepth research or expert design project in the field of expertise of the Profile. For those of you, who did not take a Literature Study in the first year, can take it as part of your Thesis project. In this case the outcome of the literature study is assessed as part of the Thesis project. The Thesis includes a workshop about “Thesis Research Planning” where you learn how to design and plan the MSc thesis project. This workshop of two half days is compulsory and scheduled four times a year for all students enrolled in the MSc Aerospace Engineering.

You can choose to take an in-depth mono disciplinary thesis project or link your thesis to a multidisciplinary project that runs with contributions and support from various sections. In that case the thesis project has its main point in one specialisation but it crosses over with another one. The thesis work is supervised by the chair who is owns the specialisation, and the project coordinator.

Accreditation

NVAO independently assesses the quality of higher education in Flanders and the Netherlands. All of TU Delft’s educational programmes are accredited by NVAO and therefore meet the European quality standards. Alongside the national accreditation system, many of TU Delft’s education programmes are recognized as substantially equivalent to the best programmes in the USA by the American Board of Engineering & Technology (ABET).

Funding details

TU Delft offers an array of scholarships, ranging from (partial) tuition waivers to full scholarships covering tuition and living expenses. Some MSc programme-specific scholarships may only be announced on their respective websites.

TU Delft Excellences Scholarships are awarded to admitted students with exceptional promise and outstanding academic achievement. There is typically no separate application procedure. Selected scholarship recipients will be notified directly by the university.