Master in Electro-mechanical Engineering [120.0] - ELME2M

Engineering has experienced two complementary changes. On the one hand, technological expansion has created a need for advanced specialization, which allows little space for the traditionally broad training of engineers : this is the case e.g. of nanotechnologies, information technologies, or the development of new materials.
On the other hand, this trend has led, in various application fields, to a growing integration of various disciplines : electricity or electronics, mechanics, control, computing ; examples may be found in robotics, energy management, vehicles and transport systems …
Answering the needs of present-day society therefore requires not only engineers with specialized knowledge, but also engineers who can manage the interface issues which arise when integrating various disciplines into an equipment or a system.
This second profile is that targeted by UCL’s Master’s in electromechanical engineering. It should be noted that the interdisciplinary training organized at UCL differs from that of other French-speaking universities where a degree in electromechanical engineering is awarded to all graduates in electrical OR mechanical engineering.
Due to the wide spectrum of disciplines integrated into the electromechanical engineering curriculum, students are required, from the outset of their Master’s, to choose between two specializations, viz. Mechatronics or Energy : the first of these stresses electronics, mechanical design and control theory, the second thermodynamics, energetics and electricity.

The electromechanical engineering curriculum integrates the fields of electricity and mechanics into a coherent and balanced entity where the accent is on basic knowledge, thereby favouring the deepening or redirection of knowledge at any time in one’s career. This leads to the training of engineers who are well equipped to follow the evolution of technology and adapt to the needs of the labour market.

Upon completion of their Master’s, students will have mastered the mathematical and physical methods of electricity and mechanics and will have acquired advanced knowledge in mechatronics or energetics. Thanks to the various elective courses in their curriculum, students can complement their training according to their specific interests, in particular within the fields of economics and management. The pedagogy stresses project work integrating various disciplines, and this favours the development of a critical mind capable of designing, modelling, manufacturing and experimentally validating devices and systems.
The final project amounts to half the workload of the last year, and gives students the opportunity of an in-depth analysis of a given subject and, via its size and context, is a realistic introduction to the professional life of an engineer or a researcher.

The curriculum of the Master’s in electromechanical engineering will require a minimum total of 120 credits covering two years, with a minimum of 60 credits per year, and comprising :
- a 60 to 65 credits core curriculum
- one of the two basic focuses, viz. mechatronics or energetics (30 credits)
- elective courses, and possibly an option

The master thesis is generally written during the last year. However, students may choose to take any given course in the first or second year, subject to possible prerequisites. This will be the case in particular for students pursuing part of their education abroad.

If, in the course of his (her) former curriculum, a student has already been credited with a subject included in the compulsory or elective curriculum, or any training deemed equivalent by the diploma committee, this subject will be replaced by elective courses, while conforming to imposed constraints. The student is responsible for checking whether the minimum total number of credits has been reached, as well as those of the specialized field, which will appear on the final diploma.
The student’s curriculum will be submitted for acceptance by the relevant diploma committee.

- Accessible complementary Master’s degrees:
• Master’s in nuclear engineering
• Master’s in nanotechnology
• Master’s in biotechnology and applied biology (Science sector)
- Accessible Ph. D. curricula

The Institute for Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics are two of those with the largest number of doctoral students. Members of the institute are involved in many thematic Ph. D. schools, some of these having been active for many years, others currently being set up. A list of these thematic Ph. D. schools can be obtained from the chairperson of the Ph. D. committee.