Professional skills

The professional skills (5 credits) are embedded in the courses of your major and are, without doubt, just as important for your development as an engineer. The credits are distributed over various courses in the major (see overview below). The skills are:  

• written communication; 
• presenting; 
• cooperating;  
• reflecting; 
• planning and organizing;  
• finding and processing (scientific) information. 

The number of hours that a student devotes to professional skills is equal to 5 credits (140 hours). This is spread over the three years of the Bachelor's program.

As a student you will receive feedback on all your professional skills at least three times during your Bachelor's program.

The 5 credits for professional skills are not awarded separetaly: they are an integral part of the various major study components covering the relevant skills.

The assessment for the professional skills is expressed in the designations Good (GO), Sufficient (PA), Failed (FL) or Done (DN) or in tenths, on a scale of 0 to 10. In the latter case this assessment counts toward the final grade of the study component in which the relevant professional skill is embedded. In both cases the assessment is accompanied by individual feedback. The professional skills of level 3 are integrated in the BEP assessment. You have passed the professional skills once the BEP is completed with a final grade of 6.0 or higher and your level 3 skills have all been assessed with a PA or GO.

The administration of the professional skills takes place on a dedicated Canvas page, accessible to all students. Here you can track your progress and feedback for all professional skills in your study program. 

• A number of professional skills is embedded in DBL projects in the elective space. When a student misses a specific skill due to other choices, the student needs to make sure to be on the right level before entering the BEP. A possible gap can be fixed by taking supplementary professionalization training course at ESA.
• Students who attend one or several DBL projects (5XFA0, 5XIA0, 5XIB0, 5XSC0, 5XWF0) will always have to take part in the embedded professional skills, regardless of the fact if the respective professional skills have already been completed in another course.