The 3mE Faculty Material Science and Engineering, TU Delft

5.0 General and Mechanical Engineering

See paragraph 3.0. General and paragraph 3.1. Mechanical Engineering.

5.1.

Preliminary remarks

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) historically originates from a Metallurgy Department. In the Netherlands it is unique in the sense that it offers the only academic educational programme specifically directed to materials science. The MSE Master's programme started in 2003. In 2004 the MSE Department was transferred from the Faculty of Applied Sciences to the – newly named – Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (3mE faculty). The MSE Department only recently moved to the 3mE Faculty building.

The move of the Material Sciences Department to the 3mE Faculty is strategically very interesting and important. Integrating the Materials Sciences Department in the 3mE Faculty creates important opportunities to influence the syllabus of Mechanical Engineering (for example in Biomedical Engineering) and Marine Technology by adding a new dimension to the degree. There may also be opportunities for the MSE programme itself through cross-fertilisation from sister departments in the 3mE faculty.

5.2.

The assessment framework

5.2.1. 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 MSE 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 MSE 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 MSE 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 MSE 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 MSE 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. By having developed and implemented these criteria, the three Dutch universities of technology stand out positively from other universities in the Netherlands.

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.

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 Materials Science and Engineering Department has a strong materials science tradition that grooms students to PhD study which is reflected in the large number of PhD students who have moved into the Materials Science and Engineering Department.

The exit qualifications of the Master's programme comply with the international scientific requirements regarding materials science and engineering and those of the professional field.

At the time of evaluation, the MSE Department counted 53 PhD students. Of these students, 11 held a Master's degree from TU Delft, of whom 9 held a Master's degree of the former integral course or the 2003 MSE Master's programme.

The position on the labour market of the MSE Master graduates is good due to their capability to conduct independent academic research and/or to resolve multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary questions. Almost all graduates find a job within a few months, either in the Netherlands or abroad. The score for this facet is: Good.

Based on the score of the three facets above, the topic ‘

Aims and objectives of the degree

courses

5.2.2. 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 offered is very strongly anchored in research: the Department has over 50 PhD students engaged in frontline research using excellently equipped laboratories.

There are no courses on specialist materials, such as biomaterials (there is an elective course on this topic in the Nanotechnology programme), composite materials (there is an elective course in the Aeronautical Engineering programme) and “smart materials”. On the other hand, the rather general topic “Materials in art and archaeology” is offered as a specialisation, but is not often chosen by students.

An internship does not appear formally on the programme, but one can be chosen as an elective of 6 EC.

The course ‘Technology and Society’ was recently replaced by ‘Ethics & Engineering’ and ‘Complex Organisations’.

There is a strong link with the professional practice and with R&D through the PRC, staff working part-time in industry or at research institutes, and through joint research programmes.

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 MSE Master's programme. These exit qualifications are regularly and formally discussed in the PRC. In addition, the learning outcomes are clearly defined for each of the courses.

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

Each specialisation offered within the MSE Master's programme contains a number of compulsory courses which are intended to contribute to the exit qualifications. The course contents relate fundamental materials science principles to important engineering applications.

Master's thesis projects explicitly aim at publication of a scientific paper. More than half of the Master's theses are developed in industry.

Students show a great enthusiasm for the programme, whereas the teaching staff seems to need more time to adjust to the recent transfer from the Faculty of Applied Physics to the 3mE Faculty and the move to another building.

The score for this facet is: Excellent.

F6: Coherence of the programme

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

As the MSE Master's programme is not preceded by a MSE Bachelor's programme, students entering the programme have a background in a variety of disciplines such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics or applied physics, chemistry and chemical engineering, civil engineering, marine technology and aerospace engineering. The mix of these backgrounds brings along an added value for the students in the programme.

During the first semester of the first year, students follow an individually prescribed list of courses, 30 EC in total. During the second semester, students follow a generic course on Materials Science and a module on Technology and Society, again 30 EC in total. In the second year, students follow one of five specialisation courses (20 EC), in which the room for electives is limited to 6 EC, which may be used for an internship as well.

In summary, adequate lists of compulsory and elective courses have been defined for each specialisation, together with detailed rules to compose a study programme, to make sure that the study programme is coherent, to make up for knowledge gaps due to the background of the student entering the programme, and to avoid overlap.

In order to enhance the coherence between the Bachelor's and the Master's phases, a minor (30 EC) in Materials Science and Engineering has recently been created in the Bachelor's programmes of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics.

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 time to finish 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 study time.

Study load is monitored, and the nominal load of a number of courses has been increased 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 initially intended. The programme is confronted with a multicultural student population. Cultural and language differences can cause an increased study load for students coming from abroad and some impediments (for example, communication problems in team work) for Dutch students. The Education Committee is aware of this problem and is working on it.

The score for this facet is: Good.

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 programme attracts a very broad international student population (amongst others from China, Indonesia, Greece, etc.). Students entering the programme hold Bachelor's degrees from different universities as well as from polytechnics (i.e. an institute for higher professional education). The curriculum is designed for students with an appropriate BSc degree from TU Delft or from one of the IDEA League universities. They are admitted without selection. Students holding another Bachelor's degree from a (technical) university or polytechnic can be accepted after evaluation of the contents of their Bachelor's programme. The Board of Examiners is responsible for this selection and for the definition of any required additional programme.

There is no specific MSE Bachelor's programme at TU Delft or even in the Netherlands.

The Committee was most impressed by the enthusiastic responses from the students, for most of which materials science “is a mission”.

The programme has rather low intake numbers ( 9 per year). An increase in the intake is expected from the minor (30 EC) in Materials Science and Engineering that was developed and introduced recently at TU Delft in the Bachelor's programmes of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics. 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 creative engineering skills, for example synthesis and design, is supported by project work of different types at different stages of the student’s progression through the Master's programme, and the balance between teaching and creative learning is well served. Two main educational forms are used, i.e. lectures and assignments, thereby taking into account that the students are in an advanced stage of their study and to a large extent able to work independently. While lectures and practicals take up about 24% of the total study load, the didactic concept is very much based on self-study (43%) and thesis work (33%) and aims at developing autonomy and independence further. An optional internship targets work at a level comparable to what is expected after graduation.

The teaching methods are in line with the objectives and the contents of the programme and tuned to the multicultural student population, which is a very commendable effort.

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.

The score for this facet is: Satisfactory.

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 to direct feedback in oral examinations.

To prepare the students, an example test and model answers are published on the Blackboard site of the relevant courses. Students are encouraged to consult the lecturer about 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 Board of Examiners is responsible for the pass/fail rules and regulations of the examination and for the assessment of the examination results. The Board appoints a Master's Examination Committee

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

The score for this facet is: Good.

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

5.2.3. Deployment of staff

F12: Requirements for University

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

All major MSE-related subjects are taught by a full professor. The majority of full, associate and assistant professors have a PhD: 88%, 100% and 100%, respectively. 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.

There is a strong link with the professional practice and with R&D through the PRC, staff working part-time in industry or at research institutes, and through joint research programmes.

The score for this facet is: Good.

F13: Quantity of staff