Your program
What does the industry need? That’s the question we asked when designing this mechanical engineering program. You get all the essential engineering skills. Project management skills. Lots of experience. And much more.
Mechanical Engineering: program in brief
This mechanical engineering degree covers 2 main fields: construction engineering and energy systems engineering. You follow technical subjects related to these fields. You also follow general professional subjects. This way you get the essential technical skills as well as social, intercultural and communication skills.
Throughout your degree you apply your knowledge in team projects. Create a windmill. Or design a heat pump. Finally, you get loads of professional experience. How? By doing a mechanical engineering internship and a graduation project.
Meet lecturers & students
Get an inside view of the Mechanical Engineering program at HAN. Become a student for a day, join a sample lecture or meet 1:1 with a lecturer or student online. We are currently offering the following activities:
- Meet 1:1
- Student for a Day
Solid foundation
Your 1st year gives you a solid foundation in construction engineering and energy systems engineering. You follow a range of engineering subjects and you develop your professional skills. Also, you work on projects. These are team projects with your classmates and students from other disciplines, like automotive and electrical engineering.
Subjects in 1st year
In each semester you focus on a different topic. In semester 1 it’s construction engineering. In semester 2 it’s energy systems engineering.
Academic calendar
The academic year runs from September to August. In that time you have 42 weeks of education. The rest of the time you have holidays.
Coaching
Are you missing home? Are your classes too challenging? Want advice about your internship? Your study coach is there to help you with such issues. Or you can discuss them with your learning team. This is a group of 6-8 Mechanical Engineering students, supported by a learning team coach (teacher). The team meets at set times throughout the year.
Credits
HAN uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). This system is part of the bachelor-master structure. ECTS credits are a measure of the workload of a degree program.
TO THE 2ND YEAR? CHECK YOUR STUDY ADVICE!
At the end of 1st year, you receive study advice. The credits you’ve earned are an important factor in this. Positive advice means you can move on to the 2nd year. Negative advice means you have to stop. That way you don’t waste time on a program that doesn't really suit you.
Growing independence
In your 2nd year you go deeper into constructional design and energy systems design. You continue working on your professional skills and various mechanical engineering projects.
Subjects in 2nd year
The difference is that you are now working more independently. Your projects are more complex and you work for external project owners!
Professional experience
In your 3rd year you follow subjects on production facility design. You continue working on your professional skills and you start learning about business economics.
Subjects in 3rd year
Most importantly: you take a big step towards becoming a professional mechanical engineer. How? By gaining practical experience during your internship. The internship lasts for 1 semester.
Internship
Your internship is your first chance to work as a professional mechanical engineer. Where you’ll go? To an international company or research institute. You can choose from companies like Marel, Mars, Festo, DAF, Scania, NXP, ASML, Besi, Nuon, Heinz-Kraft or Bosch. Another option is to get a position at one of our research groups. A thorough preparation program gets you started.
Experience it for yourself!
Want to discover whether Mechanical Engineering at HAN is the right choice for you? Experience it for yourself at an Open Day. Our students and staff look forward to meeting you there!
Research
This mechanical engineering degree is connected to various HAN research groups. What does that mean for you? As a student you get to work on actual research projects for external project owners. In your 3rd year you join a professional learning community together with staff from these research groups. The community shares knowledge and findings. One of the research groups is HAN’s Sustainable Electrical Energy Centre of Expertise (SEECE). Other groups are Control Systems Engineering, Sustainable Energy and World Class Performance.
Graduation year
Your 4th and final year of your Mechanical engineering degree. First, you complete a minor. This is a semester course where you can focus in greater detail on a mechanical engineering subject. Another option is to get a broad understanding of a related field. Either way, the choice of topic is up to you. Second, you do your graduation assignment. This is where you do independent research on a real issue. Your client? An internationally oriented company or organization.
Minor
HAN offers a number of interesting minors in the field of electrical and automotive engineering. Another option is studying at another university or even going abroad. You get to choose the subject. Are you interested in continuing your studies after you bachelor degree? Then take a bridging program for your minor. This gives you a thorough preparation for the next step in your study career.
Graduation assignment
The final step in your mechanical engineering degree: the graduation assignment. Your task is to research a real issue for a company or organization. Where? You could go to an internationally renowned company, for example Marel, Mars, Festo, DAF, Scania, NXP, ASML, Besi, Nuon, Heinz-Kraft or Bosch. You might prefer a smaller, innovative firm in the region. Or one of the research groups. During the assignment you work as an independent mechanical engineer. You’re not on your own though. A company coach and HAN lecturer are there to guide you.
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering
Now you have your Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Congratulations! The program you've completed is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). That means you now have an internationally recognized degree. Are you ready to join an international company? Or further your expertise with a master degree?
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering
Careers
Find out about job opportunities, experiences of alumni and options for further studies in Mechanical Engineering.
