
Bachelor Industrial Design Engineering
Enschede, Netherlands
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 12,875 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EUR 2,530┃for EU/EEA students
Introduction
Combine design with engineering and technology to create the products, services, and systems our future needs.
Will you design the consumer products and services of the future? Products, services, and systems that don’t just look good, but are also geared to the needs of end-users, the production process, packaging requirements, and recyclability? In our three-year, English-taught Bachelor’s in Industrial Design Engineering you will learn to combine technology and creativity to design and improve products, services, and systems. Together with fellow students, you will spend time in the workplace designing and making physical and virtual (consumer) products, services, and systems that are practical to use, well-designed, and in line with users’ needs and wants. If you want to get a solid foundation in technology and engineering and cover a variety of subjects, from mathematics to graphic design and from ergonomics to marketing, Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) is the right choice for you.
Why study Industrial Design Engineering?
Combine technical knowledge with lots of creativity.
As an industrial design engineer, you will naturally learn to design innovative products - and the better you understand the technical side of the design process - the more innovative the product can become! But coming up with surprising solutions also requires a great deal of creativity - and also an understanding of how people think and behave: how do you design a product that is attractive, user-friendly, and effective? In this Bachelor's, you will combine creativity with knowledge of mathematics and technology - skills that many companies are looking for!
Work on real-life assignments, from companies like IKEA or Philips
The University of Twente has strong ties with the industry and other societal organizations, such as governments and healthcare institutions. That's why, as an Industrial Design Engineering student, you will be exposed to the professional field a lot - and work on current, realistic assignments from companies such as Ahrend, Philips, IKEA, and the Roessingh Rehabilitation Centre. During your projects, for example, you and your team will develop a prototype of a product, which you will present to one of the stakeholders. Quite a few products made by our students have made it to the market this way!
More than just designing products
During this bachelor's program, you will not only learn how to design a product, service, or system; you will get to grips with the entire design process, from ideation to market introduction - along with all the knowledge of technology, design, and marketing that you need for this. This is how you become a broadly educated industrial design engineer. In addition, in your free elective space, you can gain expertise in other fields - and even spend a semester studying abroad - thus creating your own identity as a designer.
Personal guidance from engaged teachers in a relaxed, informal atmosphere
Education at the University of Twente is known to be personal and informal, and this Bachelor's is no different. We have an open-door policy and you will receive more individual attention and guidance than at most other universities. The atmosphere between lecturers and students is friendly and informal: you can always approach someone with your questions. Together with our study association, S.G. Daedalus, we continuously improve our education and organize all kinds of study-related activities, such as study trips to companies, museums, and events within and outside the Netherlands. Here, you will live your student life to the fullest and grow both professionally and personally!
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Admissions
Curriculum
Many industrial design engineers have clear ideas about how something can be improved and enjoy making something that people around them can use. In this Bachelor’s, you learn to translate the end-user's wishes into products, systems or services that work well and look good. You do this by combining a variety of advanced technologies and a purposeful, systematic approach to engineering with firm knowledge and skills in design. You gain expertise in all the necessary disciplines, from mathematics and engineering to design and marketing. This helps you establish a solid foundation for further specialisation in the Master’s in Industrial Design Engineering.
With your knowledge and skills as an industrial design engineer, you are equipped to design smart, working solutions that make life more enjoyable, easier, better and sometimes even completely different, contributing to an ever-changing world.
Modules Industrial Design Engineering
Year 1
- Module 1 | Ideation: In the first module of the Industrial Design Engineering curriculum, you will get acquainted with all aspects of your future discipline. In a series of short design challenges, you will get familiar with the basic design process and the two 'languages' of the industrial design engineer: the design and engineering languages. Learning both languages will be supported by courses on design theory, statistics, and mathematics. In the challenges, you will learn to use both languages with workshops in the studio. Every design challenge will be finalised with a presentation market where you -together with your group members- show your design results to your fellow students.
- Module 2 | Prototyping: In the second module, you will learn to build a mechanical and functional prototype based on a given analysis and a programme of requirements. You will test this prototype and, based on this, make recommendations to improve its functionality. In the module, you will learn technical product modelling, process and material selection and mechanics of materials. Learning these disciplines will support you in creating a functional prototype that can be validated.
- Module 3 | Human perspective: In the third module you will learn all about taking the human perspective on the design process by working with an end-user, specifically someone with a physical disability. Learning about the principles of Human Centred Design and applying them in the project will result in a well-fitting product design for the specific requirements and context of the end-user. The courses are integrated with the project and will offer you the principles and tools needed to learn from and work with the end-user. You will apply the mechanics of interacting with a product, and visually communicate contexts and concepts.
- Module 4 | Mass production: In this module, you will dive into the world of modern manufacturing. How do you get – and keep – a comprehensive overview of large, complex manufacturing processes? How can you enhance production efficiency, while taking into account safety and sustainability, but also maintaining low costs? You will learn to enhance production efficiency with simulations and technical modelling. With such simulations, you can optimise production techniques, identify challenges, and redefine assembly lines. In the project, you are going to transform a (working) prototype into a working mass product, taking into account the market needs, mechanical components and producibility.
Year 2
- Module 5 | Data-driven design: In this module, your focus is on understanding and evaluating the value of data in the design process. Each course in the module contributes to the goal of “getting, understanding and using data” for the design and use phase. It addresses the data-driven design (DDD) approach from multiple lenses (e.g., human-centredness, production, ethics, design of information systems) of industrial design engineering. DDD will be used to understand the ways of using data in the design process and during product or system use.
- Module 6 | Design for value: In this module, you will work on a multidisciplinary project. You start a design agency with students from Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) to design a consumer product for a realistic context. By applying Integrated Product Development you will learn to design a product that creates value for different stakeholders. The required theory will be covered in courses such as Market Research, Value Proposition Design and Product Data Management & Visualisation.
- Module 7 | Sustainable futures: This module is all about empowering you as a designer to discover sustainable futures, and to understand your position in this process. You focus on designing and developing potential futures in the realm of packaging design while dealing with trade-offs and reasoning based on uncertainties. You learn to act and design as a generalist (understanding basic knowledge about designing sustainable futures), and as a specialist to become an expert in a specific topic (such as packaging engineering, life cycle assessment, or consumer and market), in a transdisciplinary project.
- Module 8 | Product service systems: This module provides an overview of the principles, methods and tools associated with the design and implementation of a Product Service System (PSS). You will specialise in the design of different aspects of a Product Service System and learn the value of extending traditional product development with additional services. This module will also focus on your personal development, offering various activities aimed at developing your vision, strengths and preferences as a future industrial design engineer.
Year 3
- Modules 9&10 | Minor: The first semester of the third year (30 ECs) consists of your Minor space, in which you can choose various options. We also encourage our students to spend this time abroad.
- Module 11 | Design for transitions: This module explores socio-technical transitions and equips you with knowledge and skills to navigate complex, uncertain system dynamics. Transitions are moments of technological, socio, cultural, economic, and industrial change that emerge from various socio-economical drivers. In this module, you learn how to create a real-world (system) design that facilitates a transition and is embedded in society and social structures. It entails multidisciplinary subjects and transdisciplinary approaches.
- Module 12 | Bachelor's assignment: During the last module, you conclude your bachelor's programme in Industrial Design Engineering. You demonstrate your capabilities and skills as an independent Industrial Design Engineer at the bachelor level. Your Bachelor's Final Assignment can address a wide variety of topics, either with a practical or a more academic focus. After completing this year, you can officially call yourself a Bachelor of Science (BSc).
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
As an industrial design engineer, you can go in many different directions after graduation. Academically trained design engineers are in demand in all kinds of sectors. Whether you want to work in the automotive, consumer electronics, packaging, biomedical sector, or any other field, the choice is yours. For example, you could find a job at:
- Product designer
- UX designer
- Innovation manager
- Packaging designer
- Test expert
- Brand manager
- Research & Development (R&D) engineer
- Design manager
- Prototyping specialist
- Ergonomic designer
- Researcher
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.