Subjects & Program | Mechanical Engineering Bachelor | HAN (2024)

Solid foundation

Your 1st year gives you a solid foundation in construction engineering and energy systems engineering. You follow a range of engineering subjects and you develop your professional skills. Also, you work on projects. These are team projects with your classmates and students from other disciplines, like automotive and electrical engineering.

In each semester you focus on a different topic. In semester 1 it’s construction engineering. In semester 2 it’s energy systems engineering.

• Courses in the 1st year

The academic year runs from September toAugust. In that time you have 42 weeks of education. The rest of the time you have holidays.

• Academic calendar

Are you missing home? Are your classes too challenging? Want advice about your internship? Your study coach is there to help you with such issues. Or you can discuss them with your learning team. This is a group of 6-8 Mechanical Engineering students, supported by a learning team coach (teacher). The team meets at set times throughout the year.

HAN uses the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). This system is part of the bachelor-master structure. ECTS credits are a measure of the workload of a degree program. 

• More on credits

At the end of 1st year, you receive study advice. The credits you’ve earned are an important factor in this. Positive advice means you can move on to the 2nd year. Negative advice means you have to stop. That way you don’t waste time on a program that doesn't really suit you.

• More about study advice at Mechanical Engineering

Growing independence

In your 2nd year you go deeper into constructional design and energy systems design. You continue working on your professional skills and various mechanical engineering projects.

The difference is that you are now working more independently. Your projects are more complex and you work for external project owners!

• Subjects in the 2nd year

Professional experience

In your 3rd year you follow subjects on production facility design. You continue working on your professional skills and you start learning about business economics.

Most importantly: youtake a big step towards becoming a professionalmechanicalengineer. How? By gaining practical experienceduringyour internship.The internshiplastsfor 1 semester.

• Subjects in the 3rd year

Your internshipis your first chance to work as aprofessionalmechanicalengineer.Whereyou’llgo?To an international company or research institute. You can choose from companies likeMarel, Mars, Festo, DAF, Scania, NXP, ASML, Besi, Nuon, Heinz-Kraft or Bosch. Another option is to get a position at one of ourresearch groups.A thorough preparation program gets you started.

This mechanical engineering degree is connected tovarious HANresearch groups.What does that mean for you? As a student you get to work on actual researchprojects for external project owners.In your 3rdyear you join a professional learning community together with staff from these research groups. The community shares knowledge and findings.Oneof theresearchgroupsis HAN’s Sustainable Electrical Energy Centre of Expertise (SEECE).Other groups areControl Systems Engineering,Sustainable EnergyandWorld Class Performance.

Graduation year

Your 4th and final year of your Mechanical engineering degree. First, you complete a minor. This is a semester course where you can focus in greater detail on a mechanical engineering subject. Another option is to get a broad understanding of a related field. Either way, the choice of topic is up to you. Second, you do your graduation assignment. This is where you do independent research on a real issue. Your client? An internationally oriented company or organization.

HAN offersa number ofinteresting minors in the field ofelectricalandautomotiveengineering.Another option isstudyingat another universityoreven goingabroad.You get to choose the subject.Are you interested in continuingyour studies after youbachelordegree?Thentake abridging programfor your minor. This gives you a thorough preparation for the next step in your study career.

The final stepinyour mechanical engineeringdegree:thegraduation assignment.Yourtaskis toresearcharealissuefor a company or organization.Where?You could go to an internationally renowned company, for exampleMarel, Mars, Festo, DAF, Scania, NXP, ASML, Besi, Nuon, Heinz-Kraft or Bosch.Youmight prefera smaller,innovative firm in the region. Orone of the research groups. During the assignment you work as an independent mechanical engineer. You’re not on your own though. A company coach and HAN lecturer are there to guide you.

Now you haveyour Bachelor of Science inMechanicalEngineering. Congratulations!The program you've completed is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). That means you now have aninternationally recognized degree.Are you ready to join an international company? Or further yourexpertisewithamasterdegree?

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