Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics

The MSc programme in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics is aimed at students who want to participate in the development of new and better solutions based on the laws of mechanics.

Engineers with competencies in construction and mechanical engineering are involved in the development of new and better solutions for products, mechanical components, production equipment, and industrial installations. The focus of the solutions may range from microstructures—such as parts for hearing aids or mobile phones—to engines, turbines, wind turbines, ships, and offshore structures.

Study programme focus

The MSc programme in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics and the related disciplines cover systematic engineering design methods within engineering design and product development as well as analysis, numerical simulation, and optimization with focus on the strength of structures, fluid flows, and energy conversion. 

The study programme allows you to apply systematic engineering design methods and advanced mathematical models. Applied mechanics is used in many contexts requiring extensive knowledge of physical principles, strength of structures, fluid flows, and energy conversion. 

The teaching includes lectures, individual work, and class exercises in group meeting rooms, databars, and laboratories. The final MSc thesis is related to the programme disciplines and is written in collaboration with an active research group or carried out as a project in collaboration with one of our business partners.

Focus areas

The Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics programme covers five delimited focus areas or disciplines, allowing you to design your own study plan with main focus on one of these disciplines.

• Engineering Design and Product Development
• Strength and Dynamics of Structures
• Industrial Fluid Mechanics
• Energy Engineering
• Maritime Engineering

Programme provision

To obtain the MSc degree in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics, the student must fulfill the following requirements:

• Have passed General Competence Courses adding up to at least 30 ECTS points
• Have passed Technological Specialization Courses adding up to at least 30 ECTS points
• Have performed a Master Thesis of at least 30 ECTS points within the field of Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics
• Have passed a sufficient number of Elective Courses to bring the total number of ECTS points of the entire study up to 120

Courses

General Competence Courses

For the MSc in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics program, the General Competence Courses are divided into general competences (15 ECTS points) and normative competences (minimum 15 ECTS point).

The students achieve the general competences (15 ECTS points) by completing the mandatory course:

or both these courses:

and one of the following courses (i.e. 5 ECTS points):

Only applicants holding either a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, a Bachelor in Engineering or a Bachelor of Natural Science degree can be admitted to a Master of Science in Engineering programme. From September 2017 the bachelor degree must be less than 10 years old.

The individual MSc Eng programme states in detail which bachelor programmes qualify and whether applicants have to complete supplementary educational activities.

Requirements for supplementary educational activities can equate to up to 30 ECTS credits and are specified in the form of a list of courses under the individual MSc Eng programmes.

The specific requirements must be met before graduating from the bachelor programme or in connection with conditional admission to a particular MSc Eng programme. The courses must be passed prior to the commencement of studies within one year from the conditional admission.

Supplementary educational activities in connection with conditional admission to an MSc Eng programme do not form part of the MSc Eng programme, and partial tuition fees are charged. If the supplementary courses have not been passed within the deadlines specified, the conditional admission to the programme is withdrawn.

The Master of Science in Engineering programmes are offered in English. Therefore applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English (B-level, IELTS, TOEFL- or Pearson test).

Academic requirements for this programme

National Students

Bachelors of Science in Engineering from DTU

The MSc programme in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics has a natural basis in the DTU BSc programme in Mechanical Engineering (Produktion og Konstruktion).

However, in order to obtain full benefit from the MSc study the right prerequisites are to be ensured from the BSc education. Students from the BSc programme in Mechanical Engineering should thus during their BSc studies, in addition to their mandatory courses, both complete the relevant courses that appear as prerequisites for the disciplines of Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics and obtain a minimum of 15 ECTS points from among the following courses:

It is emphasised that the above list of courses does not ensure all necessary prerequisites for the courses of the MSc programme.

Furthermore, it is also recommended that the students secure the necessary prerequisites within e.g. applied matematics, numerical methods, and elementary programming (Matlab).

Students from the DTU bachelor programmes Design & Innovation or Building Technology may meet the MSc programme's admission requirements by using the elective credits at their bachelor to make well-considered choices among the courses that appear as prerequisites for the disciplines of Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics.

Bachelors of Engineering (diplomingeniører) from DTU, Lyngby and Ballerup

Bachelors of Engineering (BEng) in Mechanical Engineering from DTU can be admitted to the MSc in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics if they have followed the mechanical engineering study line Mechanics at DTU and their BEng study also has included at least 10 ECTS credit points from among the following courses: 

If the applicant does not have passed 10 ECTS (as a minimum) from the list above, the applicant will not be accepted. The applicant should also be familiar with elementary programing (for instance MatLab). 

The programme coordinator recommends the courses: "01035 Advanced Engineering Mathematics 2", "01234 Differential Geometry with Applications", and "02601 Introduction to Numerical Algorithms".

The 10 ECTS may possibly be obtained by taking courses at a research based institution other than DTU, provided the content and academic level is equivalent to the courses mentioned above.

BEng in Mechanical Engineering from DTU Ballerup may be admitted after an individual evaluation of their academic qualifications, provided they fulfil the requirements corresponding to the ones mentioned above. The basis for the individual evaluation will include that the applicant also need to have passed course no. 41534, Dimensioning and Strength 2 or course no. 41502,strength of Materials 2 during the the BEng study, as well as need to fulfil the requirement of passing at least 10 ECTS credit points among the list of courses mentioned above as part of the BEng study programme.

Bachelors of Science in Engineering from other Danish universities

Applicants holding a bachelor of Science in Engineering from other Danish universities than DTU have access to be admitted after an individual evaluation of their academic qualifications, provided they fulfill the requirements corresponding to the ones mentioned above. Furthermore, applicants are expected to have a strong, working knowledge within matematics and mechanics.

International students

Applicants  to the MSc programme in Engineering Design and Applied Mechanics should hold a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering. A BSc Eng degree in Naval Architecture or Civil Engineering may also be accepted provided sufficient competences are obtained. Details on the academic requirements for international applicants are given below.

A strong, working knowledge of mathematics and mechanics is a prerequisite. A year's full time study at DTU amounts to 60 ECTS points. The MSc programme builds on a bachelor of science curriculum with at least the following content of mathematics and engineering sciences:

• Mathematics: 25-30 ECTS
• Physics: 10-15 ECTS
• Statics, mechanical vibrations, and strength of materials: 10-15 ECTS
• Fluid mechanics, engineering thermodynamics, and heat transfer: 10-15 ECTS 
• Materials science, and production technology: 10-15 ECTS
• Engineering design methodology: 5-15 ECTS

A working knowledge at bachelor level of the following subjects is prerequisite for the central courses of the MSc programme:

• Engineering design methodology
• Statics, mechanical vibrations, and strength of materials incl. continuum mechanics
• Fluid mechanics (Euler equations and Navier-Stokes equations) 
• Engineering thermodynamics and heat transfer 
• Applied mathematics, numerical methods, CAD, and elementary programming (Matlab)                                                 

Applicants are assumed to have the necessary prerequisites for the MSc programme courses when entering the programme. The description of the DTU-courses may be used to assess the required level of knowledge and skills. At the MSc programme, students should be willing to aqcuire any prerequisites that they may be missing by themselves.

Admission will be decided on the basis of the relevance and quality of the applicant's educational background. 

All steps in the admission procedure are handled through DTU's Office of International Affairs, where to inquiries about formalities should be directed. Questions about academic qualifications and programme content should be directed to the head of studies.