As a graduate of the Master’s in Mechanical Engineering with a specialisation in Design & Manufacturing, you can look forward to great career opportunities. You will be perfectly prepared for a job within the manufacturing industry as well as other fields. You could also opt to further develop yourself by following a PhD- or EngD programme, or what about starting up your own business?
Type of degree
When you have completed this Master’s with the specialisation in Design & Manufacturing, you will receive a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Also, you can title yourself Master of Science (MSc) or use the Dutch title Ingenieur (Ir.). Your specialisation will be mentioned specifically on your diploma supplement, highlighting your specialised knowledge and skills in the field of design and manufacturing.
Job opportunities
Thanks to the broad knowledge and skillset you will have acquired, as well as the applied nature of this specialisation and close links to the industry, you will have an excellent starting position in the job market. From the heavy machinery industry to the aerospace sector to the consumer goods industry: many organisations will be eager to onboard you as they are in great need of academically trained engineers that can combine in-depth technical skills with a broader, systematic view. Companies you could work at include Philips, Apollo Vredestein, ASML, Thales, VDL, Dutch Railways (NS), Gazelle, GKN/Fokker, Voortman Steel Group, Huisman Equipment, and AWL, to name just some of the numerous examples.
In your future career, you could fulfil the role of a product developer, manufacturing engineer, process manager, systems engineer, automation engineer, project manager, simulation engineer, and the list goes on. You might focus on broader process optimisation in terms of efficiency and circularity, but you could also become an in-depth specialist on certain topics like additive manufacturing or composite materials. Or what about pursuing a job in consultancy, or working at a research institute?
Start a business
At UT, we highly encourage entrepreneurship. The University of Twente is the birthplace of a large number of high-tech spin-off companies that market developed technologies. You could use your research or even inventions stemming from your master’s thesis and/or your PhD research to start up your own innovative company as well! UT has been voted the most entrepreneurial university in the Netherlands four times in a row. We have a unique approach of putting scientific knowledge to practical use and turning our expertise and yours into solutions that people and society actually need. As a catalyst for meaningful entrepreneurship, we offer you the Novel-T foundation and the start-up hub on campus.
Companies launched at UT
Did you know that the engineering firm Demcon was once started-up by graduates of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Twente? Just like EAZ wind, a start-up that designs and develops windmills and other sustainable energy packages for farms. Other examples of start-ups by ME-graduates include simulation software companies Aniform (focused on the forming processes of composite materials) and Triboform (focused on tribology, friction, and lubrication in metal-forming processes). Will you be next to start up your own company?
Post-master opportunities
Instead of pursuing a professional career right away after obtaining your Master’s degree, you can also opt for a more academically oriented career, by pursuing a PhD or EngD. An EngD programme is more practically oriented, aligned with the direct problem-solving or design needs of the industry, whereas a PhD programme is more focused on research. You can follow both types of programmes at the Twente Graduate School (TGS).
Continue as a researcher: obtain a PhD
A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) involves spending four years of in-depth studying and researching in a particular area. You can do this within one of our research groups or in one of our structured PhD programmes. An integral part of a PhD is writing your PhD thesis at the end and then presenting and defending your research in public. Obtaining your PhD earns you the title of Doctor (Dr).
Follow an EngD programme
Other than obtaining a PhD, you can also opt to follow an EngD programme after graduation. Such a programme usually takes two years and is aimed at you becoming a high-level technological designer. Upon successful completion, you will receive a certified diploma and the academic degree Engineering Doctorate (EngD).