UNIVERSITY

OF INFINITE
AMBITIONS.

MASTER
OF SCIENCE
SUSTAINABLE
ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY
MASTER’S PROGRAMME
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
The two-year, English-taught Master’s in Sustainable Energy Technology is an internationally oriented
programme that starts in September. You can start the pre-master’s programme in September.
The Master’s programme in Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) enables you to become an engineer
with in-depth knowledge on renewable energy technologies.

FOCUS AND DISCIPLINES RESEARCH AND SPECIALIZATION

The world is becoming acutely aware of the urgent need The master’s programme in Sustainable Energy
to resolve the many issues associated with energy Technology is interlinked with leading research in
consumption and climate change. Limited availability of developing, optimizing and integrating renewable energy
fossil fuels and the need to reduce greenhouse gas sources such as solar, windwater, biomass and innovative
emissions call for fundamental innovations in the global energy technology such as fuel cells and smart grids.
energy landscape. Sustainable energy and renewable
energy technologies, such as bio-energy, solar energy,
wind energy and hydrogen, play a key role in tackling
these issues, especially given people’s determination to
maintain or improve their living standards. This requires
experts who combine specialist knowledge with broader
social awareness to deliver high-tech solutions with a
human touch.

QUICK FACTS WHY THIS PROGRAMME?

Starting date 1 September or 1 February • Multidisciplinary programme that combines an
Degree Master of Science engineering focus and a scientific basis with economic
Language English and societal aspects
Duration 2 years, 120 credits • Combines thorough technical knowledge in a specific
Website www.utwente.nl/go/set area with multidisciplinary knowledge drawn from
other areas related to the energy system
• Cutting-edge research groups at the University of
Twente
• Graduates all succeed in finding suitable employment
in exciting positions before long, testifying to the
programme’s relevance in addressing the needs of
business and industry
MASTER’S PROGRAMME
The two-year Master’s in Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) is a full-time programme worth 120
credits which leads to the title of Master of Science (MSc). The programme is taught entirely in English.
A CURRICULUM FOR THE NEEDS
OF TOMORROW
SET offers you a multidisciplinary technical programme
with additional subjects from the social sciences that
anticipate the impact of technological developments. This
multidisciplinary approach is reflected in the involvement
of departments such as Mechanical Engineering,
Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied
Sciences and Technology Management. Your main focus
will be on science and technology, but about a quarter of
your first-year programme will address the societal and
economic aspects of innovations in energy technology.
The programme provides you broad-based energy
technology skills needed for system-based and
interdisciplinary projects. Upon completing the
programme, you will be able to apply your skills and
knowledge to provide sustainable technical solutions to
energy-related problems, taking into account economic,
social, environmental and ethical factors.
A 3TU PROGRAMME
Sustainable Energy Technology is organized by the 3TU
Federation, a collaboration between the three technical
universities in the Netherlands: Delft University of
Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology and the
University of Twente.
This collaboration enables students to profit from the
specific strengths of all three universities. You register at
the university of your choice, but you will automatically be
co-registered at the other two universities to give you
access to the facilities of all three, e.g. to follow courses
or to do your master thesis at another location.
The programme at all three universities is largely identical,
with subtle differences related to research specializations.
Areas of focus at the University of Twente include:
• the integration of solar energy into products;
• thermal and chemical conversion processes for
biomass;
• computational fluid dynamics of wind turbines;
• large-scale production of hydrogen;
• water and energy related issues;
• smart grids.
FIRST YEAR
You will be primarily involved in coursework in the first
year of your programme. In most cases, these courses
include a practical section in which you will apply your
newly acquired knowledge. The first semester is partly
devoted to ensuring that all students are up to speed with
the minimum requirements of the curriculum. You will
also be introduced to systems thinking and the key
concepts involved in renewable energy sources, supply
and consumption. Your second semester courses take a
more advanced approach to these concepts, and involve
a good deal of project work. These projects feature a
systems approach coupled with UT’s combined
engineering and social science approach, and they
promote interdisciplinary collaboration.
SECOND YEAR
In your second year, you will take advanced and
specialized courses that will prepare you for embarking
on your final project, which comprises a major part of the
year. You will base your Master’s project on one of six
focus areas: energy from biomass, solar energy, wind
energy, hydrogen technology, electrical power
engineering or energy and society. However, other energy
related topics, such as energy from waves or water for
energy are also possible.
INTERNSHIP
During your second year, you will also go on a three-
month practical internship in addition to completing your
final project and writing your Master’s thesis (six months).
Some students opt to combine the two in a larger project
involving both their internship and Master’s thesis in nine
months. There are many options open to you when it
comes to choosing your internship or final project. Some
students are interested in a certain area of application
such as wind turbines, energy from waves, energy from
biomass or hydrogen technology, while other students
opt for a more theoretical research topic. Whatever your
choice, we will help you to secure an internship and
devise a final project which suit your specific field of
interest. Often, we arrange international internships, such
as internships in China, South Africa, Nicaragua or Brazil.
CAREER PROSPECTS
Organizations in the energy sector and related areas,
along with parties involved in determining energy policy,
express a clear need for graduates with advanced
knowledge of sustainable energy technologies, including
knowledge of how to introduce these technologies into
society. Worldwide, biomass and solar energy are seen as
promising renewable energy sources, while other
promising sources differ from region to region. In the
Netherlands, as in many other countries, energy from
wind, sun and biomass are important options. Smart
grids, hydrogen technologies and innovative batteries
also hold great promise for helping society to create an
energy-independent future.
In general, Sustainable Energy Technology engineers are
employed as researchers, consultants or policymakers.
Many are also employed in management positions.
Graduates work in industry at companies such as Essent
Duurzaam BV, Kvaemer Process BV, Shell Global
Solutions Engineering, KEMA Nederland BV, Siemens,
ECN Novum, VEMW, Deerns, Det Norske Veritas and
Stedin BV or other distribution network operators. Or at
universities, such as the technical universities in the
Netherlands.
ELIGIBILITY CHECK
Our eligibility check is designed to assist you as a student holding a non-Dutch diploma. It will give you an indication of
your eligibility to be admitted to the master’s programme Sustainable Energy Technology. The check will take about five
minutes to complete. Please note that this is not part of the official admission procedure. No rights can be obtained
from the outcome of the eligibility check.
Check your eligibility: utwente.nl/go/set/eligibility-check/
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for the Master’s programme should have a
Bachelor of Science in Engineering or Technology in a
relevant subject such as Mechanical Engineering,
Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Physics and Advanced
Technology.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
International students: English-language test results.
Academic IELTS, overall band score of at least 6.5, or
TOEFL, internet based (TOEFL-iBT) of at least 90, or
Cambridge CAE-C (CPE). For the minimum CPGA of your
country, please visit our Master’s website: utwente.nl/
go/master/country-list
DUTCH UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
You may need to complete a pre-Master’s programme
first with a maximum of 30 credits.
For more specific admission requirements, please visit
our website: utwente.nl/master/set