Frequently Asked Questions

We begin every academic year with around 300 first-year students.

There are about ten girls for every hundred students. We would love to welcome more female students. They actually always do very well! Just take a look at Mirjams story here.

About 1/3rd of all first-year students go on to the second year without falling behind.

No, not automatically. In the Netherlands we work with a binding study advise. This means that you will have to obtain at least 75% of the 60EC during the first year. If not, you will not be able to register for the second year of the programme. 

Yes, the Mechanical Engineering programme is quite challenging and (on average) students have to put in at least 40 hours a week to be successful in this programme. This includes contact hours as well as self-study hours. 

The Mechanical Engineering programme at Twente is unique because of its project-based education, personal approach, focus on application and attention for design, production methods and materials.

Just like similar programmes, there is a relatively large amount of mathematics in the curriculum – and, of course, a lot of science subjects, like mechanics, fluid Mechanics and heat transfer, materials and engineering thermodynamics.

The main difference is the level. A university programme is more abstract and the teaching pace is higher. Also, you learn to reflect on the solutions you have found. You learn to think about questions like: Why is this the best solution? Is there an alternative? Can it be improved? Can it be more efficient? A university of applied sciences is more geared to practice.

About 40 percent are international students.

You can always take a look at the website for current students – the so called educational pages. If you have a specific question about a subject, please contact us. We will be happy to help!

Mechanical Engineering is a science degree. This means mathematics plays an important role in all subjects.

The programme is taught in English, and all the textbooks, readers and materials are in English. So good knowledge of the English language is therefore necessary when you start studying.

On top of tuition and textbooks there are other costs if you want to study. For example, one extra cost is that you will need a laptop. Sometimes you have to print project reports and posters for certain courses. You might also have travel expenses, and if you don't live at home then you need to think of other costs, like rent and food. 

Yes, the way we teach at the university makes a laptop indispensable. For Mechanical Engineering we even recommend that you buy a high-end laptop with a lot of computing power and a strong graphic performance. We have an attractive deal for students who purchase their laptops via the University of Twente.

All lectures are taught in English.

Of course! At university you are expected to be independent and take care of things yourself. But not everything is self-explanatory, especially when you are just starting out. You can always go to a study adviser if you have questions. At the UT, first-year Mechanical Engineering students also are assigned a teacher mentor. He or she is the first person you can go to with problems or questions.

Yes, that is possible. There are various ways of giving your studies an international flavour. For example, you can participate in international design competitions or follow a summer course at a university abroad. But another possibility is to do the first half of your third year abroad, taking some subjects at a foreign university. Most students opting for this will go to a university with which our Mechanical Engineering programme has a student exchange agreement.

Visit the FAQ's on the website of Student Services.