Achieved a Dutch degree and wish to follow the master's in Mechanical Engineering? Find out if you need to follow a pre-master's first.
After you have sent in your application for the Master's in Mechanical Engineering, a committee will check your eligibility. An outcome of this assessment may be that you first have to complete a pre-master's before being admitted.
What is a pre-master's?
A pre-master's is a transfer programme for students of a Dutch university of applied sciences ('hbo' in Dutch) or a Dutch research university who cannot be admitted directly to the master's they wish to follow. The goal is to bridge the gap between your current bachelor's (in a related field) and your future master's. Learn more about pre-master's in general.
A small-scale event about transferring from hbo to university
WHAT APPLIES TO YOU?
Do you want to get insights into the pre-master's? The programme you need to take, depends on your previous or current education. What kind of education do or did you follow?
University of applied sciences (Dutch HBO) As a bachelor's student from a Dutch university of applied sciences (HBO), it is mandatory to follow a pre-master's first to prepare you for this master's. You can start the pre-master's during your bachelor's as a transfer minor or after obtaining your bachelor’s degree. During the pre-master's you are taught various scientific research skills and your knowledge in mathematics and statistics is raised to an academic level.
Contents
The content of the pre-master’s is the same for all specialisations of the Master’s in Mechanical Engineering:
Contents of pre-master's for Mechanical Engineering
During or after your HBO
You have the option to follow the pre-master's during your current HBO bachelor's within a transfer minor. It's an option worth considering as it saves you time and money: the programme of 30 EC fits within your minor space and you do not incur any extra costs because you have already paid tuition fees for your bachelor's. A second option is to first get your bachelor's degree and then transfer to this Master's via the Pre-Master's.
Study load
The pre-master's is a 49 EC full-time study programme, which you must complete within one academic year and with a maximum of two exam opportunities per course.
If you follow the pre-master's during your HBO bachelor's transfer minor, you must complete an additional 19 EC of pre-master's courses during your master's programme.
Admission deadlines
Before starting the application procedure you should always check the application deadlines.
Costs
You pay a fee per EC. Each academic year, the amount per EC will be reassessed. Visit the tuition page for the current fees.
If you choose to fit your pre-master's into your current HBO bachelor's, you can avoid extra costs; after all, you already pay tuition fees for your current bachelor's.
Technical bachelor's at a Dutch research university (Dutch WO) As a bachelor's student of a technical university or other Dutch research university, you might not be directly admissible for this Master's. Find out here if you are directly admissible or whether you have to take a pre-master's first.
You can start the pre-master's during your bachelor's as a (transfer) minor or after obtaining your bachelor’s degree.
Contents
The content of the pre-master’s is the same for all specialisations of the Master’s in Mechanical Engineering:
Study load
Depending on your pre-education, the pre-master's is a 15-60 EC full-time study programme, which you must complete within one academic year and with a maximum of two exam opportunities per course.
Application deadlines
Before starting the application procedure you should always check the application deadlines.
Costs
You pay a fee per EC. Each academic year, the amount per EC will be reassessed. Visit the tuition page for the current fees.
If you choose to fit your pre-master's into your current bachelor's, you can avoid extra costs; after all, you already pay tuition fees for your current bachelor's.
As a student holding a foreign degree, you can only apply for this Master’s directly and do not have the option of participating in a pre-master's.
Get in touch with us if you have additional questions.
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU?
The pre-master's is designed not only to address any deficiencies in your prior knowledge, but it is also an effective way to find out whether studying at a research university is right for you. Therefore, the following rules apply:
- You have to complete the pre-master’s successfully within one academic year.
- There is a maximum of two exams per course.
CONTACT
For questions about your admission to this pre-master's, contact the coordinator mentioned below. For general information about the Master's in Mechanical Engineering, you can contact our Study Information Centre.
