The programme takes four years (eight semesters) altogether, during which time you will complete your apprenticeship and earn your Bachelor’s degree. In the first year, you will focus on your vocational training. Although there is no obligation to attend vocational school, we recommend that you visit vocational college. Several vocational colleges adapt their classes to our study model.
After the first year, you will take your preliminary exam and then start studying at Münster University of Applied Sciences. You will attend courses during term time. During the second year, you will additionally attend vocational college one day a week. You will continue your company based-training outside term time. After two-and-a-half years, you will be able to take your skilled workers’ exam, which will be your first qualification. The final half-year of the four-year programme is dedicated to a block of practice and the Bachelor thesis, which you will complete at your company. You will now be able to apply the experience gained from your practical training and the engineering skills gained at university to tackle a demanding assignment. For example, you might undertake a software project to control a complex system or develop hardware in your company-specific environment.
With regard to content, your university education is divided into two stages: at the start of the programme, you will first learn the fundamentals of engineering, such as mathematics, physics, electrical engineering, computer science and electronics. By then, you will have the foundations required to pursue in-depth studies based on your interests in one of our specialisations:
- Automation Technology: Automation Technology is the basis of contemporary industrial production. Using sensors, electric drives and smart control systems, this technology ensures that products are manufactured in a cost-effective, energy-efficient way. In this specialisation, you will deal with control engineering and the interconnection of plants via bus systems. With a high degree of practical relevance, you will programme the processes of a model factory and teach a robot how to recognise objects.
- Renewable Energies: Renewable energies have developed to become a mainstay of our supply of energy. In this specialisation, you will learn about the structure of wind turbines and deal with energy storage devices. In the solar lab, you will examine solar modules and inverters, and plan photovoltaic systems. In order to ensure the energy generated will reach the customer, you will design energy grids of the future.
- Embedded Engineering: How can hardware and software be synchronised in order to find the optimum solution for a given technical problem? Which chip is the most effective one for the software? Does the software know the CPU it runs on best? These are the questions tackled in Embedded Engineering. Gaining a sound knowledge of hardware-relevant subjects including bus systems, circuitry and computer architecture is therefore an equally important aim of the training as gaining expertise in software development.
- Information Technology/Communications Engineering: Whether mobile technology, navigation or multimedia applications – all these topics are addressed in this specialisation. You will study the structure of contemporary communications systems, design electronic circuits, including the construction of circuit boards, programme microprocessors and examine the characteristics of antennae.
