Programme

The two-year MSc programme in Systems and Control is aimed at students with a technical BSc background interested in analysis and control of dynamic systems in their widest sense.

The programme addresses both fundamental and application-specific features, emphasising the multidisciplinary character of the field. It gives attention to applications in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, applied physics, chemical and aerospace engineering. Among them:

  • Mechatronics, micro-systems, production systems, robotics, smart structures
  • Petrochemical/chemical/physical and biotechnological production processes
  • Transportation systems (automotive systems, logistic systems, aerospace)
  • Physical imaging systems (acoustic and optical imaging)
  • Energy conversion and distribution
  • Biomedical Engineering 
  • Embedded systems

Combining the disciplines above results in an interdisciplinary approach, with attention given to modelling, experimental design, mathematical system theory, signal analysis and processing, model-based control design, and hardware and software systems. For systems of high complexity, such as high-order, non-linear or time-delay dynamics, hybrid and embedded systems, study targets range from small-scale micro-systems to large-scale industrial processes.

The first year consists of a compulsory part (24 EC), and an elective part in which modules are chosen from a list of systems and control modules (20 EC), an elective part in which technical courses are chosen by agreement with the MSc thesis supervisor (13 EC) and at least 3 EC should be devoted to non-technical courses.

3 EC       Statistical signal processing
3 EC       Nonlinear system theory
6 EC       Control theory
3 EC       Optimization in systems & control
3 EC       Control engineering (former digital control)
3 EC       Robust control
6 EC       Filtering & identification
3 EC       Modeling of dynamical systems
3 EC       Social course 
27 EC     Electives

1 EC = 28 hrs study, according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) • Total amount of credits MSc system and control engineering programme = 120 EC

The second year includes a literature study (15 EC), and the MSc thesis project (45 EC). An optional traineeship in industry (15 EC, the MSc thesis project in this case is 30 EC).

5 EC       Integration project
10 EC     Research assignment or electives
10 EC     Literature study
35 EC     MSc thesis project 

1 EC = 28 hrs study, according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) • Total amount of credits MSc system and control engineering programme = 120 EC

The programme ends with a master thesis project on topics such as "Large perturbation recovery for bipedal robots", "Anticipative control of traffic networks" and "Sensorfusion for Scanning Probe Microscopy".

Final thesis project market
Every year a final thesis market is organized for students who will start their final thesis project at DCSC in the near future. The idea of the meeting is that staff members, PhD students and other researchers will tell about their research and possible thesis projects, and students will be able to ask questions.

Typically the final thesis market will be oragnized at the end of the first quarter. More information will be send to the students by email.

A largely identical core programme can be followed at each of the three locations. Students benefit from the specific strengths of all the three universities by choosing a specialization at any of the three. The admission procedures, teaching and examination regulations and academic calendars at all three universities have been carefully matched. Students are registered at the location of their choice, but they are automatically co-registered at the other two locations to ensure access to the facilities of all three.

Due to the diversity of participating groups and flexible setup, the MSc programme Systems and Control offers specialisations at three universities, ranging from a pure engineering profile to more theoretical oriented research.

TU Delft: Delft Center for Systems and Control (DCSC)

Teaching and research at the DCSC encompasses the wide area of modelling, estimation and identification, control and optimisation of linear, nonlinear and hybrid dynamical systems. Applications include, but are not limited to, mechatronics and microsystems, sustainable industrial processes, transportation and traffic control, and physical imaging systems. DCSC has extensive laboratory facilities and participates in many collaborative research projects with industrial partners.