The 3mE Faculty Systems and Control, TU Delft 0 See paragraph 3.0 General and paragraph 3.1 Mechanical Engineering.

6.1. Preliminary remarks

The start of the MSc programme Systems and Control was strongly related to the establishment of the Delft Centre for Systems and Control (DCSC), a merger of three former systems and control groups of the Departments of Electrical Engineering (EWI), Mechanical Engineering (3mE) and Applied Physics (TNW), and centred around fundamental and generic aspects of systems and control engineering.

6.2.

The assessment framework

6.2.1. Aims and objectives of the degree courses

F1: Domain-specific requirements

The final qualifications of the degree course correspond to the requirements made to a degree course in the relevant domain (field of study/discipline and/or professional practice) by colleagues in the Netherlands and abroad and the professional practice.

The TU Delft 3mE Faculty has chosen its mission, developed a domain-specific reference framework (DSRF) and formulated SC Master's programme objectives and, from there, developed elaborated exit qualifications as documented in the self-evaluation report.

With regard to education the 3mE Faculty’s mission reads:

The education of motivated engineers and PhDs, the proposal and execution of boundary-crossing research and the marketing of knowledge in the fields of Mechanical Engineering, Marine Technology and Materials Science and to be a dynamic and innovative faculty within the TU Delft and in 3TU setting, giving an identifiable societal contribution.

The DSRF for Engineering Technology was formulated jointly by the three Dutch universities of technology for their ME degree programmes and related Master's degree programmes. Engineering technology comprises in this context mechanical engineering and the related fields: biomedical engineering, materials science and engineering, and systems and control.

The DSRF describes the field of engineering technology and the final competencies of the academic engineer, in generic terms of knowledge, skills and attitude.

The 3mE Faculty has formulated objectives for the SC Master's programme that meet the highest international standards. Detailed exit qualifications have been developed on the basis of these objectives.

At the time the review was conducted, a limited form of benchmarking of the SC Master's programme and objectives was realised through the 3TU cooperation and the IDEA League, of which TU Delft is a member.

The 3mE Faculty has set up a ME Professional Review Committee (PRC). The PRC consists of twenty experts from industry and R&D with different specialisations in ME and related fields of expertise and represents the link with industry and R&D. The PRC meets twice a year and advises the faculty about all aspects of education: (elaborated) exit qualifications, learning lines, curriculum and course objectives, teaching method and quality control of the ME and related Master's programmes (Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Systems and Control). The PRC has been involved in reviewing the SC Master's programme objectives, exit qualifications and curriculum.

Based on review of the relevant documents, the Committee concludes that the exit qualifications of the degree course fully comply with the requirements set for a Master's degree course in the academic and professional Systems and Control domain.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F2: Level

The final qualifications of the degree course correspond to general, internationally accepted descriptions of the qualifications of a Bachelor or Master.

All three Dutch universities of technology are complimented on having developed an agreed formal statement on the nature of engineering degrees at the Bachelor's and Master's levels in their ‘Criteria for Academic Bachelor’s and Master’s Curricula’ (2nd edition, Jan. 2005). These criteria are formally accepted by NVAO as a more expanded and relevant statement of the Dublin descriptors, that must be respected according to the QANU protocol.

The criteria describe, in detail, the distinction in level between academic Bachelor's and Master's degrees, and also the range of intellectual attributes and understanding of contexts that a trained engineer may require, depending on career direction. Therefore, these criteria are more suitable for a specific qualitative examination of the Master's programme concerned than the Dublin descriptors. The formulation of the scientific and engineering competence requirements is largely based on the ‘Criteria for Academic Bachelor’s and Master’s Curricula’, and therefore compliance with the Dublin descriptors is assured.

Based on the analysis performed by the Department and the verification carried out by the Committee, it can be concluded that the final qualifications of the degree course meet the requirements laid down in the Dublin descriptors.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F3: Orientation

The final qualifications of the degree course correspond to the following descriptions of a Bachelor at universities: University (WO):

• The final qualifications are based on requirements made by the academic discipline, the international academic practice and, if applicable to the course, the relevant practice in the prospective professional field.

• A University (WO) bachelor possesses the qualifications that allow access to a minimum of one further University (WO) degree course at master’s level as well as the option to enter the labour market.

• A University (WO) master possesses the qualifications to conduct independent academic research or to solve

multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary questions in a professional practice for which a University (WO) degree is required or useful.

The SC Master's programme exit qualifications comply with the international requirements regarding an academic education and those of the professional field. The SC Master graduates have ample opportunity to continue on to a PhD study.

At the time of the evaluation, the Delft Centre for Systems and Control (DCSC) counted 47 PhD students, of whom 24 held an ME Master's degree from TU Delft.

The position on the labour market of the SC Master graduates is good due to their capability to conduct independent academic research and/or to resolve multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary questions. All graduates find a job within a few months, either in the Netherlands or abroad.

Based on the score of the three facets above, the topic ‘Aims and objectives of the degree courses’ rates ‘Satisfactory’.

6.2.2. Programme

F4: Requirements for university degree courses:

The programme meets the following criteria applicable to a degree programme at a University (WO):

• The students acquire knowledge on the interface between teaching and academic research within the relevant disciplines; • The programme follows the developments in the relevant academic discipline(s), as it is demonstrated that it

incorporates current academic theories;

• The programme ensures the development of skills in the field of academic research;

• For those courses for which this is applicable, the course programme has clear links with the current professional practice in the relevant professions.

The programme is strongly embedded in the high-level research of the Delft Centre for Systems and Control (DCSC), with 40 PhD students. The Centre was founded in 2003 as a joint venture of the Faculties of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Applied Sciences. PhD training in systems and control is coordinated by the Dutch graduate school DISC (Dutch Institute of Systems and Control).

The programme does not offer further specialisations or variants. The first year includes 24 EC of compulsory courses, of which 5 EC is reserved for an integration project (design of a controller) which integrates the knowledge built up in previous courses. In addition, there are 32 EC of elective courses and 4 EC of non-technical courses.

The second year comprises 60 EC of assignments including project work, Master's thesis project and internship. The internship is optional. Almost all students choose it in conjunction with the Master's thesis. Few students take the internship abroad.

There is a strong link with the professional practice and with R&D through the PRC, through affiliated research groups and through joint research projects, reflecting the strong network in the academic and research world.

The PRC discusses all aspects of education: (elaborated) exit qualifications, learning lines, curriculum and course objectives, teaching method and quality control.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F5: Relationship between aims and objectives and contents of the programme

• The course contents adequately reflect the final qualifications, both with respect to the level and orientation, and with respect to domain-specific requirements.

• The final qualifications have been translated adequately into learning targets for the programme or its components. • The contents of the programme offer students the opportunity to obtain the final qualifications that have been

formulated.

Elaborate exit qualifications have been worked out for the SC Master's programme. These exit qualifications are regularly and formally discussed in the review panel with industry: the PRC. In addition, the learning outcomes are clearly defined for each of the courses.

Commendably, TU Delft is the only university of 3TU that explicitly shows the relation between the exit qualifications and the courses’ learning outcomes.

The SC Master's programme contains a number of compulsory courses which are intended to cover the exit qualifications.

The Master's graduates have a high level of academic qualifications and in particular a strong research basis, as reflected in the theses.

Students expressed the opinion that the Faculty should strengthen the collaboration with industry. The score for this facet is: Excellent.

F6: Coherence of the programme

Students follow a programme of study that is coherent in its contents.

The Master's programme is not preceded by an SC Bachelor's programme. As a result, students entering the programme have a broad and solid background in a basic discipline such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, applied physics or aerospace engineering. Depending on the particular background of the student, elective courses may be chosen to remedy knowledge gaps.

Knowledge integration carries a high and successful profile in the SC Master's programme. Knowledge acquired through compulsory courses in the first Master's year is applied in the 'Integration project' (1st _{year) and, together with the elective courses, integrated in the Master's thesis} in the 2nd _year.

The elective courses in systems and control have been arranged into four profiles in order to facilitate the choice of a coherent set of electives.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F7: Study load

The programme can be successfully completed within the set time, as certain programme-related factors that may be an impediment to study progress are removed as much as possible.

Some students take longer than the nominal study time of 2 years to complete the programme. This is probably due to the fact that they spend fewer than the planned 40 hours per week. On the other hand, a small number of students have proven that it is possible to finish within the nominal time. The study load is monitored, and the nominal study loads of a number of courses have been adapted in the past because of student evaluations.

On the other hand, the Master's thesis project frequently takes more time than planned, because both the student and the thesis supervisor desire a better or more extensive result than originally intended. A challenge which is done very well is the teaching of the compulsory course on control theory to students with such different backgrounds.

Due to their varied background, students interested in the control of chemical or biochemical processes might encounter difficulties in mastering the basics of the chemical or biochemical application discipline. This problem has been recognized, and an introductory course on 'Chemistry and Chemical Plants' has been organised to address this problem. However, it is questionable whether a basic 3 EC course on Chemistry and Chemical Plants is sufficient to make up for a completely absent chemical background.

F8: Intake

The structure and contents of the programme are in line with the qualificationsof the students that embark on the degree course:

• Bachelor’s degree at a University (WO): VWO (pre-university education), propaedeutic certificate from a University of Professional Education (HBO) or similar qualifications, as demonstrated in the admission process.

• Master’s degree at a University (WO): bachelor’s degree and possibly selection (on contents of the subject).

The curriculum is designed for students with an appropriate BSc degree from a Dutch university of technology in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering or a Bachelor's degree from one of the IDEA League universities. They are admitted without selection. Students holding another Bachelor's degree from the named (technical) universities or from polytechnics (higher professional education, abbreviated hbo) can be accepted after evaluation of the contents and the study results of their Bachelor's programme. The Intake Coordinator of the Board of Examiners is responsible for this selection and for the definition of any required additional programme up to a maximum study load of 30 EC. The SC Master's programme is believed to attract students with a high level of abstract thinking (“the best students of mechanical engineering”) and also recruits internationally. Still, getting all the students up to speed in linear algebra is a challenge.

The intake is around 25 students per year; about 50 Master's students in total follow the SC Master's programme.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F9: Duration

The degree course complies with formal requirements regarding the size of the curriculum: Bachelor of a University (WO): 180 credits as a rule.

Master of a University (WO): a minimum of 60 credits, dependent on the relevant degree course.

The Master's curriculum has a study load of 120 EC and a nominal study duration of 2 years.

The curriculum size of the Master's programme is in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Students who have obtained a Bachelor's degree cum laude or have passed the Bachelor's examination with an average mark of 7.5 or higher are invited to follow the ‘Honours Track’ programme. This track puts the excellent student in a position to follow an additional programme of 30 EC.

Foreign students can be admitted to the HT programme on the basis of excellent study results (average mark ≥ 7.5) in the first semester of the first Master's year.

The score for this facet is: Satisfactory.

F10: Co-ordination of structure and contents of the degree

• The didactic concepts are in line with the aims and objectives. • The teaching methods correspond to the didactic concept.

Learning the higher-level technological activities, e.g. synthesis and design, are supported by project work of different types, like the introduction and integration projects in the first year and the literature study, internship and Master's thesis in the last year, at different stages of the student’s progression through the Master's programme. The balance between teaching and creative learning is well served. The teaching methods are in line with the objectives and the contents to be realised through the programme. While lectures and project meetings take up about 24% of the total study load, the didactic concept is very much based on self-study (31%) and thesis work (45%), and aims at developing autonomy and independence. Part of the thesis work, equivalent to a study load of 14 EC, can be carried out as an internship in industry or at a research institute.

The learning management system Blackboard is very well developed and used for communication as well as for the distribution of course materials such as lecture notes.

Rather than using interactive computer-aided learning programmes, students ask for more attention and greater access from the teachers and PhD students.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F11: Assessments and examinations

The system of assessments and examinations provides an effective indication whether the students have reached the learning targets of the course programme or its components.

The learning targets of the courses are very well defined (see facet 5), and the exams consistently test these learning outcomes. Test questions are evaluated by peers, prior to the examination, to ensure their validity (of learning goals tested) and reliability (of student’s understanding).

Students receive adequate feedback on tests in several ways: from the review of tests during lectures and direct feedback in oral examinations, to ‘model’ answers for written examinations. Students are encouraged to consult the lecturer in the case of questions regarding specific subjects and/or the extent to which they have achieved the course objectives. For practicals and projects, the students receive feedback in a meeting with the lecturer.

The split of the Master's thesis into separate units (literature study, internship, thesis) makes the assessment more objective and transparent.

The Board of Examiners is responsible for the pass/fail rules and regulations of the examination and for the assessment of the examination results.

The score for this facet is: Good.

Based on the score of the eight facets above, the topic ‘Programme’ rates ‘Satisfactory’.

6.2.3. Deployment of staff

F12: Requirements for University

Teaching is largely provided by researchers who contribute to the development of the subject area.

All major SC-related subjects are taught by one of the full professors. The majority of full and associate professors have a PhD: 83% and 86%, respectively, while 67% of the assistant professors have a PhD. Tenured academic staff are active in a specific research field for some 40% of their total workload, and for 40% of their total workload they contribute to education. In this way they ensure the required exchange between research and teaching. The scientific staff is highly multidisciplinary. The link with the system and control industry and relevant research institutes is established by the Mechanical Engineering PRC, the networks of the academic staff and by activities organised by the ‘Out of Control’ study association.

The PRC consists of representatives of the professional community, two for each Master's/variant programme. The PRC discusses all aspects of education: (elaborated) exit qualifications, learning lines, curriculum and course objectives, teaching method and quality control.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F13: Quantity of staff

A total of 62 DCSC staff members are involved in the SC programme of teaching and research. They represent 10.09 fte education. Staff numbers are sufficient for education.

Only 3mE teaching load figures are available for the SC Master's programme. The 3mE teaching load, expressed in terms of the student to staff ratio, increased over the past years to a figure of 31.9 in 2004, based on 3mE staff only (based on total teaching staff input, the student to staff ratio equals 28.5).

The upward trend in the student to staff ratio is due to the increasing number of students in general and to efficiency measures with regard to education in particular (i.e. increasing numbers of students attending lectures).

No vacancies exist at the full professor level, while there are two vacancies at the associate/assistant professor level.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F14: Quality of staff

The staff is sufficiently qualified to ensure that the aims regards contents, didactics and organization of the course programme are achieved.