Master's programme in Engineering Design
Growing demands on functionality, sustainability and innovation continuously increase the complexity of product development. Students in the master’s programme in Engineering Design obtain essential technical and organisational skills for the successful development and engineering of a wide range of technical products. The programme consists of three tracks offering specialised expertise in key areas of engineering design: Machine Design, Mechatronics and Combustion Engineering.
Engineering Design at KTH
The master’s programme in Engineering Design provides tools, models and methodologies for the design of mechanical products and for the design of industrial systems. Applicants to the programme choose one of three specified programme tracks: Combustion Engineering, Machine Design or Mechatronics.
The first term starts with a set of courses that provide an introduction to various aspects of engineering design and enhance basic skills within the chosen track. For the second and third term, the courses deepen the specialisation, culminating in the advanced project courses that tackle real-life industrial challenges and/or research problems in close cooperation with industrial companies. Throughout the programme, traditional lectures as well as exercises, seminars, assignments and laboratory experiments are learning tools in the courses.
Your degree will conclude with an individual degree project, on which you work closely with local industry or a KTH research group.
Machine Design track
Students on the Machine Design track learn how to create, select, dimension, optimise and verify cost-effective technical quality products. This is done with efficient aid and support from industrially relevant and state-of-the-art tools and methods. The track focuses on the development and engineering of innovative technical systems and high-performing components, and relies on a holistic design approach as well as on specialist knowledge.
Mechatronics track
The use of electronics and software to enhance mechanical products is here to stay, and its complexity is growing rapidly. The functionality and performance of traditional mechanical systems is often dependent on mechatronics – the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, control and software engineering.
A challenge facing many engineers today is the sheer scale of information exchange and communication required in product development projects. This particularly affects Mechatronics engineers, since their work requires not only reliance on their multidisciplinary knowledge and skills, but also an increasingly broad awareness when interacting with design teams across other disciplines. Students on the Mechatronic track gain the skills needed to handle these challenges.
Combustion Engineering track
Students in the Combustion Engineering track will learn how to develop internal combustion engines in the context of increasingly strict emissions legislation. The track focuses on sustainability issues, and emphasises engine performance, including fuel efficiency and exhaust emissions. Thermodynamics, supercharging, combustion, emission formation and emission control are addressed.
This is a two year programme (120 ECTS credits) given in English. Graduates are awarded the degree of Master of Science. The programme is given mainly at KTH Campus in Stockholm by the School of Industrial Engineering and Management (at KTH).
Career
The master’s programme in Engineering Design gives you the competence and ability to identify complex engineering and technical problems, and to solve those using modern methods and tools. You will be well prepared to work in product development, engineering design or research within leading companies or academia. Some key industries and sectors for graduates involve vehicles (road, rail, air, off-road), industrial automation (robotics, processes, electronics, tools), and medical engineering (aids for the disabled, life-support systems, simulators). Graduates from the programme are found at Scania, ÅF, ABB, Saab, Bombardier, Atlas Copco, Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Cars, Electrolux, and smaller medical engineering and consulting companies. The programme also opens the way for a possible career in academia, as many graduates go on to doctoral studies.
Students
Find out what students from the programme think about their time at KTH.
Sustainable development
Graduates from KTH have the knowledge and tools for moving society in a more sustainable direction, as sustainable development is an integral part of all programmes. The three key sustainable development goals addressed by the master's programme in Engineering Design are:
Affordable and Clean Energy: There is a shift to focusing on developing methods and products that can harness natural power sources such as the sun, wind and ocean waves. Studies in this master programme will give the student an understanding of the subject and the ability to be part of a development team working for future clean energy generation.
Industry, innovation and infrastructure: Innovation is essential in order to build a new complimentary infrastructure for future sustainable transportation to meet both the needs of industry and the daily needs of ordinary people. This study programme will give the student an understanding of the subject and the ability to deal with these issues after graduation.
Responsible consumption and production: One important issue we have to face for in future is that resources are limited and alternative sustainable production and consumption is essential. After completing this study program, the student will have an understanding of the subject and the ability to design and manufacture products with a high level of recyclability and reuse, thus having a higher sustainability.
These goals will be addressed both as embedded activities and project tasks, as well as separate courses in the programme.
Faculty and research
The KTH Department of Machine Design coordinates the programme and contributes with a majority of the courses.
