Contents

The Master's degree program Mechanical Engineering lasts two years. Each year consists of 60 EC (European Credits Transfer System). These credit points are subdivided as follows:

First year

- Elective courses (75%)
- Internship (25%)

Second year

- Individual space (25%)
- Graduation project (75%)

Elective courses

The first step is to choose a graduation track and a graduation professor. In consultation with this graduation professor, the student chooses a set of 15 elective courses (45 EC), with subjects that link up with his or her own specific knowledge and interests, such as Management or Sustainable Energy. In general, a student chooses a sufficient number of courses within the chosen track. Additionally, the student can choose courses from other tracks, from other departments or even from other Universities. A list of the elective courses per track can be found at the wesbite: www.tue.nl/masterprograms/mech.

Intership

During the internship that you follow in the first year of the Master´s program, you will be able to put what you have learned up till then into practice, and to see for yourself how mechanical engineering works in daily professional practice. TU/e has close working relationships with many hightech companies and institutes in the Eindhoven region, such as Philips, ASML, Océ and Paccar/DAF. A number of professors are affiliated partly to the department and partly to businesses. This strengthens the contacts between the university and the businesses.

Individual space

With the so-called "Individual Space" (15 EC), it is possible to adapt the Master program more to the needs of the individual student. In consultation with his or her gradution professor (and ultimately approved by the Examination Committee), the student chooses the content of the Individual Space. The specific content can be adapted to the needs of the individual student. Extra attention can go to the areas where the students lacks experience, skills or knowledge. The student can do for instance an extensive literature survey, follow additional elective courses, a combination of both or an individual or team project.

Graduation project

Most of the second year of this program you will be carrying out your own innovative research in one of these tracks. You will gain considerable in-depth scientific knowledge and competences. This project can be carried out in one of the research laboratories of the Department (generally in close cooperation with a Ph.D. student) or in industry. During this Graduation Project, the student must learn to apply a scientific way of working, in a creative manner, to the solution of problems, all based on and/or extending the expertise and skills acquired so far. The Graduation Project should not be regarded as a straitjacket for life, since, during their careers, graduates will usually also work in fields differing from their specific track and Graduation Project. The topic of the Graduation Project will lie within the field of research of the section concerned.