During the programme
The courses of the Master Next Level Engineering (NLE) programme are Data Science, Systems Engineering and Complex Systems & Organizations. You will develop your professional skills, learn more about performing research and engineering fundamentals. The knowledge and skills you obtain in the programme are related to important current themes. These themes concur to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals such as health technology and affordable and sustainable energy.
The programme is meant to expand your engineering know-how as well as developing your analytical skills in order to create solutions for problems of today and tomorrow. During the courses and the projects, you will notice that your previous skills and knowledge can differ from others. Therefore, we expect you to assist your fellow students on subjects that are new to them. You will benefit from their knowledge and experience in return.
Content of the Master Next Level Engineering
During the first ten weeks, you will have courses on Systems Engineering and Professional Skills. You will start on your Interdisciplinary Project and get to know your Learning Team. This team will stay the same for the whole programme.
Getting started
In order to design complex systems, products and processes you will learn to analyse profoundly and apply the obtained knowledge.
You will actively learn how to ask better questions and how to communicate about complex matters. This is both useful while working in the learning teams and in your possible future role as a technical consultant.
You will work in an interdisciplinary project team on an applied research project. For example the project of the Framerunner (in Dutch). You will work on this project during block A and B.
Your learning team will consist of a group of fellow students. Together you will study and experience how to function as a multidisciplinary team and learn from each other.
By this time, you know how to study and work together during this intensive programme. While the Learning Teams continue, the interdisciplinary project will be finished. Together with your team you will present your findings and advise the principal researcher on their problem. You will follow the courses Engineering Fundamentals and Complex Systems & Organisations. The first course will focus on maths, physics and programming skills. The latter will focus on complexity science. In the meantime, you start with the acquisition of a thesis project. You need to search for a company or organisation where you will perform your master research in order to write your thesis.
The challenge begins!
You study physical systems using experiments and mathematical modelling to determine impact of design decisions and predict behaviour of those systems.
In a complex reality, a system cannot be understood by adding up the sum of parts; different lenses are needed to analyse or provoke changes in that system.
Your interdisciplinary project team continues to work on their applied research project. By the end of this course, you will finish the research project and present the results to the research group.
The Learning Teams will continue to function. Your team members will support you in the search for a thesis project.
During block C, the courses are designed to carry out master level research. In the course Applied Science & Research you will learn about research methods and statistics, and you practise writing and evaluating a research paper. In the course Data science, you will learn to handle large data sets. In your Learning Team you will actively and practically prepare your research for your thesis project.
Applied research
You will learn to perform applied research, write about the results in a concise way and review others' research papers.
You will learn to use different techniques of finding patterns in Big Data. You will also use your programming skills (Python) to model data.
You will prepare the applied research project that you will perform during the thesis phase. This includes preparation of data collection and the academic research plan.
You will prepare the applied research project that you will perform during the thesis phase. This includes preparation of data collection and the academic research plan.
By this time, you will have to be able to perform applied research independently on a master's level and in an engineering context. Topics could include Energy Technology & Sustainability, (Rapid) Prototyping, Health Technology or Asset Management. While executing your thesis, you can consult both your thesis coach as your Learning Team.
Finalizing your master thesis
You will write a concise research paper about your individual research project and explain the results in a presentation.
Want to know more about this programme?
Next Level Engineering students are expected to form an active and reinforcing learning community. This community consists of you and your fellow students and if necessary, teachers of the core team. This community is similar to a group of co-workers in your future work environment. You will work independently but together when needed, all working towards the same goal: making a success of your Master Programme.
We also expect you to study independently; preparing for the classes you attend so they can be interactive. You are expected at Hogeschool Utrecht for an average of four days a week to work together in project groups and your learning team.
All of the programmes at HU University of Applied Sciences are tested and approved by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).
Use our tuition fee calculator to find out what you will be paying. Additionally, you can expect to pay between € 250 and € 500 annually for books, materials and excursions.
Why study Master Next Level Engineering at HU?
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Applied Master programme
Study hands-on complex problems in the engineering field that require a Master’s approach; real Applied Science.
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Master of Science in one year
This ambitious programme is demanding, so you have to be motivated to study hard. You will obtain a Master of Science (MSc) in one year.
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Applied Master in Utrecht
Centrally located in the Netherlands. As a city with many students, Utrecht offers you great opportunities during your study for your professional life.
"The study material presupposes that you learn independently"
Tjelvar van Zuijlen (23) student
"The study material presupposes that you learn independently"
Tjelvar van Zuijlen (23)student
I appreciate it very much that some of the teachers are very much involved with the students. We as Master students are taught to take lots of initiative and also ask around within the entire institute, we meet teachers and researchers we didn’t know yet. The study material presupposes that you learn independently, there is loads of material but it is mostly up to you how you use it and how you learn to solve the problems you stumble upon. I think this is very much like it will be later in the workplace. As students we have influence on how the programme takes shape, I think this is important.
If you consider to start in this Master programme than do it when you are willing to study hard and focus on practically oriented issues. In this way you can distinguish yourself from other technical students.
