Are you currently a student at a university of Applied Sciences? Would you like to work later in the research and development of advanced electrical and electronic systems? Then the minor Embedded Systems at the University of Twente may be an interesting option for you.

The minor Embedded Systems is meant for students from universities of Applied Sciences who would like to continue their education with an academic master’s programme in Embedded Systems. If you have finished the minor successfully, you will be admitted to the master’s programme after graduation from you bachelor’s programme.

An embedded system is a combination of hardware systems (Embedded Systems) and software systems (computer science) built into equipment that we don’t always recognize as being computerized, such as the systems that control a car’s anti-lock brakes, the automatic pilot of an aircraft or the sensors and filters used in processing plants. Embedded systems call for real-time operation, reliability, maintainability and cost-effectiveness, which places heavy demands on software (user interfaces, data processing, machine control) and hardware (I/O, Asics, DSP, FPGA). The objective of the master’s programme Embedded Systems is that you learn how to design these systems, based on a firm background in the underlying disciplines.

The following research groups participate in the specialisations with lectures and opportunities for research projects. On their websites they give extensive information about their research which will indicate your possibilities for your master’s thesis.

Computer architecture of embedded systems (CAES)

Design and Analysis of Communication Systems (DACS)

Formal Methods and Tools (FMT)

Integrated Circuit Design (ICD)

Pervasive Systems (PS)

Robotics and mechatronics (RaM)

Services, Cybersecurity and Safety (SCS)

 For more information about the master’s programme see the description on our master website

The main learning objective of the programme is to lay a sound theoretical foundation under the practical knowledge that you already obtained during your bachelor’s programme:

• Topics from calculus, linear algebra and probability should bring your understanding of these mathematical subjects to the same level that students with an academic bachelor’s degree have.

• The Linear Systems course introduces the mathematical concepts of signals and systems, the different ways they can be described and how a system transforms an input signal into an output signal. The course prepares for more advance courses in electronics, telecommunication, signal processing, system modelling and control. As such it is indispensable for any specialisation during the Embedded Systems master’s programme.

• The course Digital Logic and Computer Organization gives you a thorough introduction on these topics being the core that you will work with during the master’s programme and your career afterwards.

• Depending on your background you will be offered a so called homologation course in electronics and instrumentation or a course in programming.

Good to know that this minor aims to attract students from universities of applied sciences (HBO) who have the adequate motivation and capacities to complete an English-taught degree programme on university level.

You need to have completed 120 EC from the first two years of your current related bachelor’s studies before starting this transfer minor. Please send with your signed Learning Agreement  a grading list containing all your bachelor courses with obtained marks.  In addition, the University of Twente assumes that students who start this transfer minor possess sufficient prior knowledge in mathematics (preferably Wiskunde B on so-called VWO-level) and that they are sufficiently proficient in English (benchmark score in this regard: IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80). Students are supposed to assess themselves whether their competencies in this respect match with the recommended levels.

Considering the programme of the minor you may realize that these requirements are related firmly to its contents: if you don’t meet the requirements, your chances of finishing the minor programme are low.

In order to determine whether your current studies is sufficiently related to Embedded Systems, please check: www.doorstroommatrix.nl  and check the Embedded Systems programme’s website.

Note:
For those students whose current bachelor’s studies involves a non-related programme, admission is determined on an individual basis by the Embedded Systems Admission Board.

The books used for each course can be found in the course descriptions of the individual courses in the course catalogue of Twente University.

• The programme can only be followed in full time study.

• Courses are spread over the five working days of the week, although occasionally a day may be “free”. Note that in this case students are assumed to spend their time in self-study.

• There is 1 term of enrolment: September

Embedded Systems

Code                  Course                                                                                          Study load (EC)

202001171      Calculus A                                                                                        5
202001173      Calculus B                                                                                        4
202001178      Linear Algebra                                                                                  3
202001185      Linear Systems                                                                                 6
201500252      Digital Logic and Computer Organization                                         3
202001183      Algorithms, Datastructures and Complexity for EMSYS                   4
202300099      Instrumentation for Embedded Systems  1)                                     5
201500051      Self-tuition projects Pre Masters-
                        Emsys (programming project)  2)                                                      5        

                                Total                                                                                        30

1) Only for students with a background in Computer Science

2) Only for students with a background in Electrical Engineering

Students with a different background (e.g. Embedded Systems) will take a course, chosen by the programme mentor.

Assessment of the study results with a mark will happen during each individual course. After each examination one re-examination is available in case of failure. The minor programme can only be finished successfully (implying admission to the master’s programme) if all individual courses have resulted in a sufficient mark. The minor programme should be finished successfully within a year after the start in order to get admission to the master’s programme.

N.B. The learning agreement signed by the student and his Examination board must have reached the UT-contact person before the enrolment ends. Please also attach your most recent transcript of records.