There are various fields within the Master’s Program of Systems and Control in which you can specialize. At the start of the first year, you choose your specialization. You will be assigned to one of the four research groups that conduct research into one of these areas. The education guide* contains more information about this process. The various research groups are presented in the slider below.
Program
After choosing your specialization, you compile your own program together with your mentor. In the first year, you take several core courses, specialization courses and electives. In the second year, you do an internship and work on your final project. Here, you also pave your own pathway, with the mentor providing the necessary program-related guidance. This could be in choosing your courses, finding an internship or exploring possible thesis topics.
| Year 1 | Core program | 25 EC |
| Specilisation courses | 20 EC | |
| Electives/homologation courses | 15 EC | |
| Year 2 | Internship | 15 EC |
| Graduation project | 45 EC |
Core program
The core program of 25 EC is mandatory for all students in this Master’s Program of Systems and Control. You learn the basics in the core program: an important starting point for the rest of the Master’s Program of Systems and Control. The compulsory courses are:
- Control Engineering: analyzing and designing control systems based on frequency response functionalities;
- System theory for control: the fundamental concepts for controlling linear systems (state-space models);
- Modeling Dynamics of Multi-body and Non-linear Dynamics: the most important modeling principles based on physical laws and first analysis methods of non-linear systems;
- System Identification: the core issue addressed here is how you can modify data into a reliable predictive model;
- Integration Project S&C: in a project group, you learn how to combine and apply the knowledge you have acquired in the core courses in existing controller designs for a practical system.
Specialization courses
With specialization courses you develop your in-depth knowledge or broaden your knowledge. In close consultation with your mentor, you choose your specialization courses from a list of over 30 courses. These are organized around five specialization subjects:
- Fundamentals;
- Mechatronics and robotics;
- Automotive control;
- Process and energy; and
- Cyber-physical
These courses offer plenty of possibilities for specialization in many fields. For example, you can specialize in control technology, optimization, artificial intelligence, machine design and many other topical themes. This way, you are in control of your master’s program. The full list is presented in the education guide*.
Electives
Similar to the specialization courses, you are able to choose your own electives, and there are plenty to choose from. You can, for instance, take courses, join an internal research project or extend your internship.
You are not limited only to topics focused on system and control technology in your electives. You can also choose non-technical subjects such as philosophy or business. This way, you perceive your study area from a completely different angle. You can also take these courses at the University of Twente or Delft University of Technology.
Homologation courses are also considered electives. These are courses where you work on potential knowledge deficiencies (for instance programming in Matlab/Simulink or Dynamics of Mechanical Systems). We offer these homologation courses because students who start out on this master’s program often have diverse academic backgrounds.
Internship
An internship or research internship is worth 15 EC. This is equal to a full-time job for approximately ten-and-a-half weeks. The key objective of this internship is to develop your scientific research skills. The most important goal during your internship is to develop your scientific research skills, while at the same time applying theory to practice. In close collaboration with your mentor, you choose the topic and location of your internship, to make sure it is well-aligned with your specialization.
You do your internship at TU/e, a company, a research institute or another university in the Netherlands or abroad. We recommend Dutch students to pursue an internship abroad, since international work experience is very valuable. You can also extend your internship with five credits in the elective space.
Graduation project
For most of the second year, you will be working on your graduation project. This project can be wholly theoretical or fully experimental, or both. You gain experience in modeling, analyzing and/or designing a new operating system or exploring innovative research questions. You achieve successes and face challenges when researching unknown territories. You also learn that abstraction and simplification are key tools for success.
You conduct your research at one of the Systems and Control research groups at TU/e, at a company or at a research institute. TU/e also has contacts at Dutch companies and with knowledge institutes such as ASML, Canon-Océ, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Sioux, Philips, TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) and many other international corporations.
After a preparation phase of two to six weeks during which you write a project plan, the final project takes a minimum of six months. You then hand in your report and present your results. You are assessed on your project, your independence, your analytic capabilities and your creativity.
Curriculum
Consult the Education Guide* for detailed information about the degree structure.
*Note: The Education Guide is used by current students as a source of information. It contains detailed, practical information that is important during the study program. Prospective students can consult this guide for additional information.