Study overview BSc Creative Technology

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Challenging problems, practical solutions. Learn to convert the needs of end users into working products.

You will use your technological expertise to come up with smart, practical solutions designed to make life more comfortable, easier, better and sometimes even completely different. You will be taught in modern labs by top scientists eager to share the latest scientific developments with you.

Modules Creative Technology

From the very start, you will be putting what you learn into practice. You will work with others in multidisciplinary teams, research and analyse until you have found the core of the problem. Then you will move ahead to develop solutions that will make a real difference. In the past, CreaTe students have come up with designs for a walker frame for children, a sweatshirt that displays the mood you are in, and an Internet of Things Escape Room, among many other things. Just like them, you, too, will soon be creating tech solutions that are smartly thought-through, creatively designed and socially relevant.

Overview modules

  • Year 1EC
    • Module 1 | We create Identity15

      The first module is an introduction to Creative Technology as a discipline and as a subject. You will learn: to describe various aspects typical of the field of Creative Technology (example products, societal context, processes and issues in the field, techniques for creative thinking), to a certain extent, to describe your own position in this field (“Me as a Creative Technologist”),  to work in a project (first encounter with planning, collaboration, communication and organisation), to describe, and apply to yourself, possible roles that one can take in a project or creative development process, and to apply a first set of skills and insights in the various thematic subfields underlying the curriculum (Smart Technology, Interactive Media, Computer Science and Engineering, (Visual) Storytelling, Programming)

      Modules 1-8 have time dedicated to professional development which you will use to broaden and deepen your knowledge and skills in the field of Creative Technology, and develop yourself as a professional.

    • Module 2 | Smart Environments15

      In the Smart Environments module students learn various techniques from different disciplines that are needed to invent, design and realize a (prototype of) a smart environment. The module is a mix of smart technology, additional knowledge and skills from other disciplines and a project in which the students apply the skills they just learned. The smart technology components in the module are "Sound & Circuits", "Programming and Physical Computing", "Smart Environments" and the module’s project. These courses deal with (distributed) electronic and digital systems in increasing complexity and with increasing interaction with the physical environment. An important part of the module is programming these (sub-)systems. To be able to invent, design and realize smart environments, knowledge from other disciplines is necessary. "Introduction to Mathematics and Modelling" provides the students with basic mathematical skills, while "Sketching" teaches the students how to sketch and make a design. Some generic skills like collaborating in a team are essential.

    • Module 3 | Living & Working tomorrow15

      As an independent creative professional, it is necessary that you develop skills to generate ideas (ideation), explore and tinker. It is also necessary that you can imagine, realize, present and evaluate ideas in the context of an external assignment.

      One of the main attributes of a creative engineer is visualising and concretising ideas, both as an independent professional or by external assignment. These ideas need to be presented in a way that allows for tinkering, tweaking, playing and testing - before they are ready for market or production. There are many ways for visualising or realising ideas in such a way that they can be presented to and discussed with others. This process of choosing a representation, tinkering and explorative research is the bottom-line of this module.

      Central topic in the module is assignments by external clients. The assignments deal with both technology (smart products, electronics, new media) and design aspects. Students have to make a well-balanced choice in the tools they use for visualising and discussing their solutions (mock-ups, prototypes, simulation, 3D visualisation, movie) and evaluate the work that has been realised (discuss evaluation criteria, produce and evaluate measurement results, discuss their choices in shape and design and used methodology).

    • Module 4 | Art, Impact & Technology15

      Can you develop human feelings of pity in an artificial, lifeless installation? Can you make music with light? In Module 4, during the “Have fun & play!” project you will design and realise an interactive installation for Gogbot, a local art and technology festival. You will use and integrate methods and techniques you familiarised yourself within the previous modules.

      You will tell the story, both visually and textually, behind the (creation of) your installation and place it in its context, for a variety of audiences. The module is organized in cooperation with the GOGBOT festival, an international festival in Enschede, held in September. The focus of the festival is on multimedia, art, music and technology. High-quality installations are invited to exhibit at GOGBOT (in addition to the course project exhibition).

      To predict the impact of the interactive installation you will have to reflect on the theoretical concepts of interactive art and consider how your design will influence the experience of the spectator.

  • Year 2EC
    • Module 5 | Specialisation15

      This module is an elective module. The subjects in these three sub-modules vary, but both will offer you the fundamental knowledge of tools you will frequently use when you carry out your profession. 

      Smart Technology (systems, signals, smart environments)
      In the Smart Technology specialisation, you will learn about systems, signals and smart environments. You will be thought the processes behind filters, amplifiers, step responses, sensors, and control systems. This theory will then be applied in lab sessions where you will be able to work  with these concepts. Additionally, you will receive the mathematics which is necessary to understand systems and signals. A Smart Tech Hackathon will mark the end of the specialisation. In this hackathon you will build installations in small groups with the knowledge you have acquired during the specialisation.

      Interactive Media (internet, games, visualisation)
      In the Interactive Media specialisation you will learn what is needed to animate movies and games. You will work with concepts such as the analysis and synthesis of sound, game theory, and 3D visualisations and animations. Additionally, you will learn to use virtual reality and augmented reality. All the acquired knowledge in this specialisation will be combined into a final project. In this project you will create an interactive experience or 3D game in pairs.

      Humane by design
      Humane by design is offered by VU Amsterdam. This specialisation focuses on raising awareness of the consequences of technology for people and society as a whole.

    • Module 6 | Intelligent Interaction design15

      How does Artificial Intelligence work, and how do you apply it? What do we need in order to improve AI? Which factors should you consider in the interaction between people and technical systems? In this module, you will design low fidelity and high fidelity prototypes of an interactive, intelligent system and evaluate it with potential users.

      Next to that, you will also learn the main AI techniques concerning search, Bayesian networks and machine learning. You will practice these skills and learn to implement algorithms in an object-oriented programming.

    • Module 7 | From Ideas to Society15

      Always wanted to know how big firms introduce radical, ground-breaking innovations to the market? Or how entrepreneurs turn a fantastic idea into their own startup? Then this module is up your street. In this module, you will discover that entrepreneurship is more than starting up a company. That it is primarily about a specific mindset. In this module, you learn basic entrepreneurial theories, models and skills. You develop a(social/sustainable) business idea into a business. You will also validate your idea and prototype with (potential) customers. Next to that, you will learn to understand which external (e.g. international) environmental conditions are important for an innovative organization. In this course, you will experiment with entrepreneurship and innovation with cases of existing companies as well with “your own” start-up. After all, your design will never reach the production stage without a positive, properly developed business plan! You will also learn how to design a good questionnaire and experiment and how to analyse data gathered from potential customers. Furthermore, you will discover the ethics and philosophy of technology.

    • Module 8 | Data: from the Sources to the Senses15

      Module 8 centres around the Hybrid Worlds project, in which you will build an installation that showcases the interplay between the physical world and the digital world using an interactive data physicalisation. You will, for example, might come up with an interactive installation, such as a table-top screen that can display a three-dimensional, colour-lit bar chart presenting the migration flows in a given country. 

      You will draw on all the knowledge and skills you acquired in previous modules. The goal is to use and process data from various sources, and to present them in a physical, interactive installation.

  • Year 3EC
    • Modules 9&10 | Electives30

      Modules 9&10 are electives, these are your options:

      - Do a pre-master’s course to prepare for a master’s programme.
      - Spend half a year (a semester) studying at a university abroad.
      - Do an internship at a company, and discover your added value as a Creative Engineer.
      - Is your ambition to teach? Choose the Education minor and get a second-degree teaching qualification, which will allow you to work as a teacher at high-school level.

      Or choose another module at the UT (see all minors).

    • Modules 11&12 | Bachelor's Assignment30

      In the second half of your third year, you get to choose from a number of electives in the fields of human technology interaction, ethics and professional conduct. You will also take (compulsory) subjects, including Academic Writing and Reflection. These are designed to help you to successfully complete your graduation assignment. Throughout these last six months, you will be busy with your graduation assignment, solving a current issue in a scientific way.

      Before you start, we will discuss with you the research question you want to focus on. You can carry out your project at UT, in the business world or, for example, at a government organisation. Upon completion of your graduation thesis, you will receive your bachelor’s diploma and you can officially call yourself Bachelor of Science (BSc).

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First time at university

As a first-year student, you will face a lot of new experiences. We’d like to explain a few of them to you.

  • You complete modules

    During your three-year bachelor's programme, you will take 12 modules (4 modules per year). Each module, you will address a theme that is hot in society, business or industry. This theme will bring together all the components of your study: theory and practice, research, designing solutions, self-study and teamwork.

    A fixed part of every module is the team project, in which you and your teammates apply the knowledge you have acquired to a current challenge and design a workable solution. This learning method is part of the Twente Education Model (TOM): an innovative approach to studying that you will only find at the University of Twente.

  • Study credits - how do they work?

    Student workload at Dutch universities is expressed in EC, also named ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System), which is widely used throughout the European Union. In the Netherlands, each credit represents 28 hours of work. You need to acquire 60 credits each year.

    Your programme assigns fixed numbers of hours to each assignment, project report or exam. In the first year, you need to get at least 45 out of 60 points to be able to continue to the second year.

  • Did you get 45 EC or more? Then you can enter the second year

    Our aim is to get you in the right place as soon as possible, which is why we use the principle of a binding recommendation. You will receive a positive recommendation if you have obtained 45 or more of the 60 EC in the first year. A negative recommendation is binding and means you have to leave the programme. Under certain circumstances, we may give you a positive recommendation despite a low score. For example, if we are confident that you are in the right place.

    Do personal circumstances such as illness or problems interfere with your study performance? Student Affairs Coaching & Counselling (SACC) is there to support you. 

Study adviser

As a student, you can always contact a Study Adviser. Study Advisers know all about your study programme and can guide you through your academic career. You can also contact your Study Adviser for advice and guidance on how to tackle your studies, study planning, the choice of subjects and your study progress. Private matters affecting your studies, such as motivation, doubts and falling behind due to personal circumstances, can also be shared with as Study Adviser. For example, in some situations, you might want to discuss with your Study Adviser whether you need extra help from a UT psychologist or a student counsellor from Student Affairs Coaching & Counselling (SACC).

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