Programme in detail

The Computer and Embedded Systems Engineering programme has a duration of 2 years and consists of 120 EC. The programme is divided in eight quarters. In the first year you will spend time on common courses and specialization courses. In the second year, first quarter, you take more specialization courses, free elective courses or you do a project or internship. During the remaining 3 quarters of the second year, you will join a research group, and, under supervision of this research group, you will do your master thesis project.

Common Core courses

The common core will provide you with the base for the two-year programme and consists of five compulsory common core courses (25EC), along with an obligatory ‘integration set’ of an in-depth course and a flagship project course. The courses are:

• Systems Engineering (5 EC)
• Computer Engineering (5EC)
• Software Systems (5 EC)
• Effective & Responsible Engineering (5 EC)
• Homologation (5 EC in quarter 1) to acquire knowledge missing from the previous bachelor programme:
  • Software Fundamentals course (5EC), provides necessary Computer Science background for students with an Electrical Engineering bachelor’s degree
  • Hardware Fundamentals course (5EC), provides necessary Electrical Engineering background for students with a Computer Science bachelor’s degree

Two integration sets (of two courses each) provide the basics for the programme. They respectively have a software focus and a hardware focus. You will learn how to design and develop high-tech systems in which these disciplines are integrated. Students will do both sets to fully grasp the complexity of this integration and become a true computer and embedded systems engineer on the cutting edge of the discipline. These courses give you a solid common background, which is needed to excel in the chosen specialisation after graduation.

• Real-Time Systems (5EC) and Embedded Software Laboratory (5 EC)
• Modern Computer Architectures (5EC) and Processor Design Project (5 EC)*

* Students doing the specialisation Control can opt to take 10 EC of Control specialisation courses instead of the Integration set: Modern Computer Architectures (5EC) and Processor Design Project (5 EC)

Specialisation courses

You will also take courses relevant to one of the following specialisations:

• Computer Architecture: focus on hardware architectures for computing systems and embedded processors
• Software: focus on the software that is used for computing systems and embedded processors
• Networking: focus on network architectures and algorithms that are used in computers and embedded systems
• Control: focus on control theory and control systems that are used for embedded applications

In your chosen specialisation you can choose broad or in-depth courses from a list connected to each specialisation, which enables optimal execution of your thesis project.

Free elective courses

A set of free electives (15 EC) allows a choice of technical and non-technical courses, also from other faculties and universities, such as entrepreneurship, language and additional presentation courses, an internship, or participation in an exchange program. Depending on your interest, you can also fill this space with more specialisation courses or other electrical engineering or computer science courses.

Master project

During the last 3 quarters of your study, you will join one of the research groups listed under “Related research”, and, under supervision of this research group, you will work on a research or engineering problem as proposed by this research group. At the end, you have to write a thesis report about it, give a presentation and defend your work.

More information about the courses can be found at studyguide.tudelft.nl.