Study programme - Courses | BSc Mechanical Engineering

a challenging programme for hard workers with strong analytical abilities and plenty of resourcefulness.

In order to feel at home in the field of mechanical engineering, you need to love technology, be versatile and keen to solve the challenges that people and society face today. Throughout this programme, you will become an expert in designing, improving and maintaining all kinds of machines, devices and installations, as well as structures and processes. We will equip you for a very broad field of work, teaching you to contribute to many different kinds of innovations and improvements. Some examples include: 3D-printing a ship propeller; making a power plant sustainable; building a window-cleaning robot, or an exoskeleton for rehabilitation processes; developing and applying new materials for lighter, stronger aeroplane wings; contributing to the development of the self-driving car, or the magnetic glider train

With this Bachelor’s you will become an academically educated and highly resourceful mechanical engineer – an independent thinker who understands the technology our society relies on, now and in the future.

Modules Mechanical Engineering

During this three-year Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, you will follow twelve modules: four modules per year. Each module covers a theme and brings together all the main aspects of your studies: theory and practice, research and solution design, self-study and teamwork.

Overview modules

Year 1EC
- Module 1 | Design & Manufacturing15
  In the first project you will work together with your team on designing an original, not-yet-existing mechanical tool, for example, a solution for reducing the volume of plastic waste, or a volleyball cannon. You will invent and design the product, manufacture the different components, and then assemble them in our workshop. You will learn everything you need for this in lectures on subjects such as mathematics, statics, manufacturing systems and technical drawing.
- Module 2 | Energy & Materials15
  The second project focuses on energy and materials. Together with your project team, you will analyse an existing energy system from material and thermodynamic perspective. This module begins with a strong emphasis on thermodynamics and materials, giving you acquired knowledge you will need to start on your project. On top of that, you will have lectures on mathematics and, just like in the other first-year modules, modelling and programming.
- Module 3 | Energy & Sustainability15
  In this module, you will go deeper into the theory you explored during the second module. An added theme is sustainability; during these lectures, you will learn about life-cycle analysis. In your team project, you will re-design the energy system from Module 2, taking into account technological and environmental aspects. As in the other modules in the first and second year, we will also work on your overall academic training.
- Module 4 | Design & Mechanics15
  During the fourth module’s project, you will be challenged to design a construction, finding the right balance between geometry, the materials and its strength. Again, throughout this module, the lectures are closely related to the project, so there will be subjects like mathematics, the strength of materials, machine parts, and modelling and programming. By the end of the fourth module, you will have completed your first year.
Year 2EC
- Module 5 | Dynamic systems15
  During the second year’s first project, you will learn to analyse dynamic systems. Think, for example, of moving structures, such as a crane, an elbow, or an electrical toothbrush. The focus is on the structure’s movement in one direction. You will have lectures on mathematics, dynamics, system analysis and design principles for dynamic systems.
- Module 6 | Product design15
  In the project you will design a consumer product, working together with students from Industrial Design Engineering and Industrial Engineering and Management. Some examples of consumer products are a robot vacuum cleaner, a wine cooler for a café and a coffee machine. The theory for this project will be covered in lectures on subjects such as the theory of elasticity, tribology, and the processing and properties of polymers.
- Module 7 | Fluid mechanics & Heat transfer15
  The second year’s third project in Module 7 is about fluids engineering. You will be challenged with quite complex assignments, like ice melting on the wings of an airplane during a flight or designing a heat shield for a spacecraft. The theory for this project is taught in the lectures fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
- Module 8 | Mechatronic design15
  In Module 8, you will go deeper into the theory you explored in Module 5. Having looked at a construction that can move in one direction, you will now learn to analyse and (re)design a complex multi-functional system. This could be a fuel pump, a cruise control system, or a wind turbine. You will gain the necessary theoretical knowledge in lectures on continuous dynamics, buckling, system and control engineering.
Year 3EC
- Modules 9 & 10 | Electives15
  The first semester of the third year (30 ECs) consists of elective space, in which you can choose various options. We also encourage our students to spend this time abroad. Here are some options:
  You can take modules that give you more in-depth knowledge of your field, such as aeronautical engineering or (bio)robotics. You can also take modules from other programmes that broaden your knowledge, like Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Design Engineering or Industrial Engineering and Management.
  There is also the option of studying abroad or at another Dutch university.
  Do a pre-master’s course to prepare for a Master’s other than Mechanical Engineering.
  Join one of our student teams, like the Green Team, the Solar Team or the Electric Superbike Team.
  Is your ambition to teach? Choose the minor Learn to Teach and get a second-degree teaching qualification. This allows you to work as a teacher at secondary school level.
- Module 11 | Production systems engineering15
  To finish off your studies you will perform a technical scientific research project in one of the Mechanical Engineering disciplines. You will carry out your research with one of our research groups, learning how to set up and conduct research and how to critically study the results. In Module 11 you will start your research project with the course Academic Research & Skills by writing a research proposal. At the same time, you will take the courses Introduction to Finite Element Methods and Statistics, and carry out a project in the field of Production Systems Engineering. In this project, a complex production system will be designed in a realistic situation. Besides the project assignment, the project consists of the courses Systems Engineering and Production Management.
- Module 12 | Bachelor's assignment15
  The last module is fully dedicated to your final Bachelor project. You will carry out the research as described in the proposal in the previous module. Next to performing the research project itself, you will also look at the social embedding of your research project. You finish off this project and the Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering with a research paper and presentation on the research you have done. After completing this Bachelor’s you are admissible to the Mechanical Engineering Master’s, in which you can pursue further specialisations.

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Smooth transition into mechanical engineering

The transition from pre-university education to the Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering has its challenges. To help you overcome them, we offer a balanced introduction programme: Twente Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, or ‘TIME’ (we’re the only Bachelor’s in ME in The Netherlands that does this). TIME will help you convert your knowledge of mathematics and physics to mechanical engineering from the very first week. You will soon feel perfectly at home with the problem-solving mindset that is essential in this field of study. The TIME programme increases your chances of succeeding in your studies. It also gives you a quick overview of the learning trajectories that run through this course, such as Mechanics, Materials, Energy, Design and Academic Skills. You will discover how to study in a way that allows you to remember tomorrow what you learn today – a vital ability in Mechanical Engineering, as you will need the knowledge you gradually acquire over and over again.

First time at university

When you are a first-year student, you experience many new things. Here we start explaining at least a few of them.

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 points - 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.

You will receive credits for every study unit you pass. Your programme assigns fixed numbers of hours to each study unit. In the first year, you need to get at least 45 out of 60 credits to be able to continue to the second year. If you have less than 45 EC you have to quit the programme.

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 quit the programme.

Do personal circumstances such as illness or problems interfere with your study performance? Please contact the study adviser.

Study overview of Mechanical Engineering

Modules Mechanical Engineering

Overview modules

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Smooth transition into mechanical engineering

First time at university