Master of Science in Machine and Production Automation Engineering Technology
This Kortrijk-based Master’s programme focuses on the design of production machines and a future-proof automated production environment. Machines that are efficient and versatile thanks to a combination of electromechanical design and intelligence make for a competitive industry. These moving machines make products or perform tasks in a fast, intelligent and sustainable manner.
What
Machine and Production Automation engineers build the future. You design tomorrow’s production machines and automated production environments. The Bachelor’s programme, on the one hand, focuses on dimensioning mechanical and electrical components, and on mastering automation techniques, on the other. Machines that are efficient and versatile thanks to a combination of electromechanical design and intelligence make for a competitive industry. These moving machines make products or perform tasks in a fast, intelligent and sustainable manner. Interaction among various machines depends on communication. Automation and industrial communication ensure that machines can be integrated into a high-performing production environment. The Master's programme focuses on digital techniques. Our study programme thoroughly integrates the traditional elements of electromechanics and automation with newly emerging digital techniques. The design process is based on virtual models (digital twins). You acquire an in-depth knowledge of data analysis for preventative maintenance (machine learning) and optimization of the machinery (condition monitoring). In addition, you learn more about the specific discipline of production automation. With that knowledge, you will be able to optimize the entire process, from raw materials over production to warehouse storage. You will be able to contribute to a competitive industry.
Our Machine and Production Automation programme is unique in Belgium. Not only do we place great store by exercises and practicals, we also bring you into contact with the professional field through project work and work placement. We offer you the opportunity to embark on a company work placement between your third and fourth year, in the course of which you either work on a clearly defined project of your own, or you contribute to a larger project together with other employees at the company. A company work placement gives a unique insight into how a company works.
Remarks
Ghent University has Ghent-based and Kortrijk-based Engineering Technology programmes, organized by two faculties (Bioscience Engineering and Engineering & Architecture). This study programme is offered at Kortrijk Campus and is organized by the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.
The Master of Science in Machine and Production Automation Engineering Technology is unique in Flanders.
For whom
The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.
Structure
The programme consists of three Bachelor’s years (i.e. Engineering Technology), followed by one Master’s year. In the Master’s curriculum, you have a choice of three minors:
- Smart Machines
- Smart Factories
- Smart Technologies
Labour Market
Job opportunities are various and manifold. A considerable number of our graduates ends up in technical, management or commercial positions: as automation engineer, R&D engineer, production and maintenance engineer (wood, textile, plastics, nutrition,...), sales engineer, technical manager, project manager, service engineer, safety manager, or lecturer, ... Various sectors are open to you: machine manufacturing, metal industry, electronics, integrators, the services sector (hospitals, public services, transportation ...). Design offices are also eager to employ our graduates. Other important employers are the government, semi-public institutions (e.g. The Federal Planning Bureau, the Belgian Buildings Agency, ...) and the education sector. A career at a research institute is also among the possibilities. Or maybe you will start your own company?
Be sure to check out these interesting testimonials at ikbenindustrieelingenieur.be (in Dutch).
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Multiperspectivism: We train our students into becoming engineers with both technical and academic-scientific knowledge, theoretical as well as practical skills and attitudes, a broad polyvalent base (first and second year) and a clear specialization (third and fourth year).
- Curriculum: Our curriculum contains clearly defined learning pathways of increasing complexity.
- Profile: We focus on specific key aspects based on our own on-campus research and long-standing collaboration with the industry.
- Talent development: Our programme aims to strengthen our students’ knowledge of specific technical-scientific matters, while also focusing on those generic skills that are indispensable for future engineers, like communication and project management, legal aspects as well as economic and ecological ones.
- Integration of theory and practice: our curriculum contains many hours of tutorials and practicals, during which we use our well-equipped infrastructure to apply the theoretical knowledge covered in the lectures.
Strengths
- Our dedicated team of lecturers: Our programme boasts a team of highly motivated lecturers. Since we are a rather small-scale programme, all of our lecturers are very approachable.
- Mentoring services: In addition to providing tutorial services, we also offer mentoring services (i.e. follow-up of individual students) in the first year.
- Interdependence of education and the industry: We have at our disposal state-of-the-art laboratories in which our industrial partners, lecturers and students collaborate closely.
- Room for practical experience: We place a strong emphasis on hands-on lab sessions from the first year onwards. And we maintain a mix of 60% theory and 40% practicals throughout the entire study programme.
- Assessment: Our students appreciate the fact that they are well informed about the form and content of the assessments. It gives them a clear view of what to expect while studying.
Challenges
- Internationalisation: at university level there are sufficient opportunities for internationalisation, of which our programme makes insufficient use.
- Alumni outreach: we engage in alumni outreach but are still looking for appropriate initiatives to strengthen it further.
- Reputation: our programme is relatively new, and hence, not sufficiently known.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (in Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. A screening of the Education Monitor by Ghent University’s Education Quality Board is planned in the years 2021-2024.
This information was last updated on 14/02/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.