All post-Bachelor programs of TU/e have been accommodated within the Graduate School. Most Master’s programs will look considerably different as of September 2015. They will comprise 120 credits, of which 30 at most may be timetabled for required courses. Furthermore, students will choose a number of specialist courses in consultation with their mentors or supervisors and must be able to follow free elective courses at Master’s level for at least 15 ECTS (no permission required). At least 15 credits must be earned through international experience and a final project must have a total of 30 and/or 45 credits.

In addition, all courses have a load of 5 credits. The exception is that at most one-third of the elective courses can have a load of 2.5 credits. Until September 2017 courses totaling 3 ECTS will be allowed, but only so for non-required courses. In practice there will be few of those. Courses given together with other universities do not necessarily have to cover 5 or 2.5 credits. Master’s courses will be given and completed within one quartile.

Quite some new rules, then, which made it necessary for most Master’s degree programs to scrutinize their courses thoroughly. For some this exercise proved easier than for others. Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, for instance, had been working on the adjustment of the curriculum for some time, so that the Master’s program could be started in the new setup even at the beginning of this academic year. Computer Science and Engineering had also made a lot of progress already, adds Jim Bergmans, policy officer at STU. He is a member of the project team that tested the plans of the programs for the new Master’s degree education. Bringing up the rear was Architecture, Building and Planning, which initially did not leave enough room for choices, as Bergmans explains.

All programs implement the ‘rules’ slightly differently, for which sufficient scope has been allowed. For instance, Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics have timetabled a separate international quartile, while the international experience within other degree programs can be gathered by following elective courses abroad. When Bergmans is asked which program has made the most adjustments, he mentions Industrial Design (ID). ID students are given opportunities to follow more courses at other departments, and students from other departments can in turn follow courses or take part in projects at ID. At the same time, project education will be maintained.

The project team has tested in particular whether the plans fit in with the setup of the Graduate School. In this respect, sufficient freedom of choice for students was an important criterion. It was left to the departments themselves to classify the courses and to determine which ones would be preserved or merged.

On February 10, third-year Bachelor students can attend an information evening about the setup of the Graduate School and the revised Master’s degree programs.

The Cursor of February 19 will feature a background article about the Graduate School.