master’s degree
Systems and Control
Welcome to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science! For us the world is flat. Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science have created a level playing field for science and innovation where national boundaries and time zones are irrelevant. Mathematics is at the heart of this; without optimization algorithms and simulation of processes with many variables, the internet would still be a pipe dream. Without the cost-effective and time-effective protocols developed by computer science engineers, computers would not be connected and without electrical engineering, electrical or optical signals would not process our information. That much is obvious... Prof.dr.ir. Ton Mouthaan, dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science What’s not so obvious is the next phase: truly seamless integration of technology with human behaviour... cost-effective health support at home... optimization of systems with ‘embedded’ intelligence... real cyber security... exploring novel electronic concepts... developing sensing techniques at living cell level... medical robotics... The limits are only set by the boundaries of our imagination. Join our international group of scientists who supervise over 250 research projects in these areas. Master’s students always play an active part in this research. Our two-year Master’s programmes offer coursework
and substantial research experience, all with a dose of design and an emphasis on the societal implications of our work. Nerds? We are happy to be the most human-friendly, enthusiastic, out-of-the-box-thinking and serious group of nerds around!
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programme If you are interested in the analysis and control of dynamic systems in the broadest sense, then the Master’s in Systems and Control is the programme for you. Systems and Control is concerned with problems related to dynamic phenomena in interaction with their environment. Students investigate methods for obtaining mathematical models that reflect the key features of a system by employing differential equations, inequalities, algebraic equations or logical constraints. They also analyse and simulate these models. The programme also focuses on techniques for prediction and estimation. Another major focus is on systems control (e.g. feedback), which entails choosing inputs or imposing additional constraints on certain variables to influence the system so as to obtain certain desired behaviour.Depending on your specialization you will concentrate on elaborating theoretical aspects of control or you may emphasize the technology of developing mechatronic devices and systems. The Master’s programme in Systems and Control is firmly focused on practical problems and real-world applications. Its major aim is to develop methods and tools that can be transferred from a specific application to a wide range of similar problems. At the same time, it emphasizes applying general theoretical results to specific technological challenges.
The Master’s programme in Systems and Control is firmly focused on practical problems and real-world applications
SPECIALIZATIONS Robotics and Mechatronics
Control Theory
Research activities in this specialization focus more and more on the field of advanced robotics, including robotics in medical applications. Mechatronics involves a synergistic combination of mechanical engineering, electronics and measurement and control in the design of products and processes. It focuses on Mechatronic Design, which can be defined as follows: the integrated and optimal design of a mechanical system and its embedded control system. By means of an integrated design of the mechanical parts and the measurement and control system, realized in electronic circuits or as an embedded computer program, mechanical constructions can achieve superior performance and become cheaper and more flexible. Well-known examples are automotive applications, (mobile and flying) robots, advanced production machines, systems for telemanipulation, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and so on. As a student, you will be able to tailor the programme to address your own individual interests and needs.
Control problems have been around for a long time. With the rise of automated manufacturing in the nineteenth century, control mechanisms became far more vital. Watt’s fly-ball governor, a device that controls steam pressure, was a breakthrough that directly contributed to the industrial revolution. Up to this day the manufacturing of servo mechanisms plays an important role in mechanical engineering (e.g. in robot technology.) The electrical engineering community has grappled with many questions having to do with the need for a theoretical underpinning of the behaviour of interconnected components. These questions include: how may we mathematically model a complicated electrical circuit, and conversely, given a mathematical model, how may we implement it as an electrical device? Once mathematically formulated, we see that these problems, derived from the mechanical and electrical engineering domains, have much in common and that in fact they belong to a single area, an area that nowadays is called ‘systems and control’.
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Admission requirements Dutch HBO students Students with a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study of a Dutch HBO may be considered for admission. These students need to complete a pre-Master’s programme first.
University of Twente students Students with other relevant Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Twente or another Dutch University will be considered for admission.
Engineering, Advanced Technology or an equivalent qualification and a CGPA of at least 70-75% of the maximum score are welcome to apply for admission. In addition international students need to pass an English language test. More detailed admission requirements are available at www.utwente.nl/master/sc.
Dutch university students Students holding a BSc degree in Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics or Mechanical Engineering from one of the Universities of Twente, Eindhoven or Delft qualify for direct admission.
International students International students with a BSc degree in Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical
Career OPPORTUNITIES Graduates of the Master’s programme in Systems and Control find careers in numerous sectors of industry and academia. You could go into management, design, or join a research and development team in a technical department. In our technologically advanced society, commercial and governmental organizations are in constant need of people with a solid engineering background at the academic level, and this need will surely grow. As the systems involved in smart products and capital equipment become more and more complex, an increasing number of engineers will be needed to provide the technical wherewithal to effectively support and guide these developments. Many of our graduates start their own companies and prove to be really successful. Naturally there are also numerous research
and teaching careers awaiting systems and control engineers in academia, where these skills are in high demand as well.
3TU The three leading universities of technology in the Netherlands - the University of Twente, Delft University of Technology and Eindhoven University of Technology - have joined forces in the 3TU.Federation. This federation maximizes innovation by combining and concentrating the strengths of all three universities in research, education and knowledge transfer. Together they offer five Master’s programmes including Systems and Control. The core programmes of the 3TU Master’s programmes are largely identical and can be taken at any of the three locations. You will benefit from the special strengths of the three universities by choosing a specialization at any of the three locations. You will be registered at the location of your choice, but you will automatically be co-registered at the other two locations to ensure access to the facilities of all three.
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Student’s Touch ‘I spent about half a year abroad and worked on Visual Servoing of Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ NAME
Wesley Roozing
Although this leaflet was compiled with the utmost care, no rights can be derived from its contents.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN the Netherlands
Wesley studied Advanced Technology at the University of Twente. When he finished his Bachelor’s programme, he studied for his Master’s in System and Control, and chose the Robotics and Mechatronics specializaion. When he finishes his Master’s , he would like to do a PhD at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) in Zürich: “I visited the ETH during a study trip with the study association a few years ago, they do a lot of research in the robotics field and it is one of the world’s top technical universities.” I have always liked mechanical systems and engineering, something I got from my father, who has a company in the automotive industry. Because of my interest in physics in general as well, I chose the Bachelor’s in Advanced Technology, which is a very broad, interdisciplinary study. During that time I got interested in the integration of multiple disciplines; computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and control engineering. Key factors in my choice for the University of Twente were the fact that the UT has a campus and the overall atmosphere of the university. There is one big difference between my Bachelor’s and the Master’s: as the Bachelor’s is very broad, the Master’s extended my knowledge.
CONTACT For general information about the Master’s programme or the University of Twente, as well as for questions about the application form of your enrolment status, please contact:
University of Twente Study Information Desk Phone: +31 (0)53 489 5489 master@utwente.nl www.utwente.nl/master
The most productive and fun research I have done so far was my Master’s internship, which I did at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics in Sydney. I spent about half a year abroad and worked on Visual Servoing of Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. I made weeks of 60 to 70 hours, but I was having so much fun that it cost me little effort. Enschede is a nice city with lots of activities being organized. There are lots of good restaurants, pubs and other nightlife places as well as a good shopping centre. The infrastructure is also quite good, in terms of roads, busses and glass fibre internet in the entire city.