Program Overview

Introduction to the Master's in Construction Management & Engineering

The Master's in Construction Management & Engineering is a full-time study programme that consists of two years, in which students will collect a total of 120 European Credits (EC). In the first year and the first quartile of the second year, students will follow elective courses, and they will end their Master's by writing their Master's thesis.

Content of the Master's

The content of the Master's curriculum depends on the choices students make in composing their Master's. There is a set of courses from which students have to pick 10 specialisation courses. These courses allow students to go in a specific direction and specialise even further.

Elective Courses

Within this Master's, there is a lot to choose from, even beyond the specialisation. Students have a great deal of freedom in choosing elective courses outside their specialisation, as long as they comply with the assumed previous knowledge. Students can choose courses offered at the University of Twente (such as the Master's in Civil Engineering & Management or the Master's in Industrial Design Engineering), but they can also follow courses at other universities, such as Eindhoven University of Technology or Delft University of Technology.

• Specialisation Courses: Students need to choose at least 10 specialisation-related courses, which include:
  • Building Information Modelling (BIM)
  • Construction Supply Chains and Digitization
  • Planning and Process Management
  • Structural Health Monitoring for Smart Infrastructure
  • Legal & Governance Aspects
  • Civil Engineering Challenges
  • Digital Twinning in Infrastructure
  • Circular Design & Deconstruction
  • Culture in International Construction
  • Transitions in Civil Engineering
  • Urban Resilience in a Changing Climate
  • Value Management
  • Construction Project & Programme Management
  • Machine Learning Applications in Civil Engineering
  • Infrastructure Asset Management
  • Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure
  • Subsurface Infrastructure Engineering & Data Management
  • Value Driven Procurement & Organising
• CEM Electives: Students can choose three courses of other specialisations within the Master's in Civil Engineering & Management/Construction Management & Engineering.
• Free Elective Courses: Students can fill up the rest of their elective space with courses that match their interests and ambitions.
• Master's Thesis: Students will finish their Master's with their Master's thesis, which is worth 40 EC.

Master's Thesis

The Master's thesis is a crucial part of the programme, and students have the freedom to choose their graduation subject. The choice of topic is largely up to the student and the courses they have chosen. Possible topics include sustainability and circularity, urban planning and governance, digitisation, procurement strategies, simulations using BIM, international collaboration, or risk management.

Some examples of Master's thesis projects include:

• Using Building Information Modelling (BIM) to automate environmental impact assessments on infrastructure design.
• Optimising the design of wind turbine foundations by building a machine learning model that can predict the performance of different design alternatives.
• Analysing the current use of circular economy principles in construction-related policies and procurement practices of municipalities and providing recommendations for improvement.
• Developing a documentation strategy for engineering firms to work in a transparent and traceable way.

Programme Structure

The programme consists of 120 EC, which is divided into:

• Specialisation Courses: 50 EC
• CEM Electives: 15 EC
• Free Elective Courses: 15 EC
• Master's Thesis: 40 EC