Master in Production Engineering and Management

Course description

The international Master of Science (MSc) in ‘Production Engineering and Management’ program prepares prospective managers and executives for work in small and medium enterprises (SME) of manufacturing sectors. The joint curriculum organized by the University of Applied Sciences - Hochschule-OstWestfalen-Lippe (Germany) and the University of Trieste offers the incentive of study for six months in another university with the opportunity to gain personal experience in an international environment. Teaching is conducted in English.

The program offers advanced training in the field of industrial and management engineering and emphasizes the topics of “lean manufacturing” and the implementation of the “industry 4.0” paradigm. Part of the teaching staff comes directly from the fields of industrial production and research. Employment is immediate after graduation.

Course objectives

The program of the international course in Production Engineering and Management places more emphasis on satisfying the needs of those who will hold management positions in medium-sized companies in the OstWestfalen-Lippe and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions and in North Italy. The degree course provides advanced instruction in the field of Production Engineering and Management, extending the knowledge and expertise already acquired in the first degree. The specific objective of the Master’s degree is to prepare high-level professional figures able to combine knowledge of fundamental principles and the respective methodological ability with the understanding and skills needed to resolve complex problems, particularly regarding the design and development of innovative systems, processes, and products. Students are expected to develop skills in intercultural communication in English.

A graduate in Production Engineering and Management understands technologies and can model complex systems. Characteristic features are a project-driven approach, a strong commitment to innovation and a preference for qualitative and quantitative analytical and support tools. The Production Engineering and Management graduate is able to address highly complex and heterogeneous methodologies and procedures in which the human element and the organizational and economic problems interact closely with the technological issues.

Study programmes

The curriculum includes all educational activities (classes, workshops, etc.) that must be taken to obtain a degree.

Each degree course comprises a number of exams, some of which are mandatory and decided by the academic boards, while others may be chosen by the students. The total of all required and optional exams makes up the student's curriculum until the necessary academic credits are earned for the degree. While preparing their/his/her curriculum, students will be able to select a number of elective exams from a pre-compiled list, while they can freely choose the remaining exams.

Every year, students must indicate elective and/or free-choice exams by submitting their curriculum: the deadline for submission is indicated on a yearly basis as specified in the pages dedicated to University procedures and deadlines.

The prerequisite for submission is payment of the first installment of the tuition fee for the relevant academic year. Free-choice subjects are not to include subjects required in the years following the year of registration.

The study program includes all educational activities (classes, workshops, etc.) that must be taken to obtain a degree.

Each degree course comprises a number of exams, some of which are mandatory and decided by the academic boards, while others may be chosen by the students. The total of all required and optional exams makes up the student's curriculum. When preparing their curriculum, students select a number of elective exams from a pre-compiled list, while the remaining exams can be chosen freely. The degree is completed when all the necessary academic credits have been earned.

For each academic year, students indicate elective and/or free-choice exams by submitting their study program. The deadline for submission is indicated each year, as specified in the pages detailing the University procedures and deadlines.

Prior to submission, payment of the first installment of the tuition fee for the respective academic year must be made. Free-choice subjects must not include subjects required in the years following the year of registration.

Entry Requirements

For admission to the Double Degree Program, the partner universities agree to fix a minimum mark attained in the first-cycle study program (180 ECTS) and/or other enrolment conditions to ensure that only qualified students will be admitted.

All candidates for the Master’s course must take an admission test in accordance with regulations stipulated by the Department of Engineering and Architecture. To take the test, candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in the L-8 (IT Engineering), L-9 (Industrial Engineering) or L-7 (Civil and Environmental Engineering) classes, as per ex D.M. 270/04. For graduates with other or foreign degrees, entry requirements and any additional credits required for admission to the test will be decided by a special degree course commission (as stipulated in the Department’s Teaching Regulations).

In addition, the two partner universities have agreed that students must have a level of English of at least B2 (CEFR) or have acquired at least 6 further CFU in English language courses

Candidates will attend for an interview to check the documentation and compile an admission list for a total of 20 places, of which 8 are reserved for non-EU candidates.

The whole procedure is governed by a special call.

Employment Opportunities

The Production Engineering and Management study program has been developed on the basis of the so-called engineer-manager profile which emerged recently and is now frequently found in the industrial sector, and translating this figure into a coherent university program that is also present in various European universities. The course prepares students to take up senior positions in the production departments of medium-sized local and international companies. The focus is primarily on functional areas concerned with technology application and management techniques like design, development, production control, sales techniques, logistics, quality control, etc.

Expertise:

Manufacturing and Services companies:

• Project, process and product analysis;
• Support in the management of production flows;
• Support in technology transfer and innovation.
• Support for the management of information and logistics flows.

Opportunities:

• Typical SME manufacturers in the metal and mechanical engineering, plastics and wood and furniture sectors;
• Service companies: multi-utilities, health services, public bodies, etc.
• Freelance and self-employment.