Honors Program

Because we strive to be the best Industrial Design department in the world, we also challenge you to strive for excellence.

Excellence can be demonstrated in various ways, but it is mostly about leaving a highly positive impression. Excellence can be demonstrated in a variety of ways; through a steep curve in your development or by delivering an impressive design or prototype, by perfectly combining various activities that contribute to your development as a designer such as setting up a successful start-up (relating to one of your designs) or by running a successful crowd-sourcing campaign for one of your ideas contribute to excellence.

As an excellent student you can also participate in the TU/e Honors Academy. For excellence to be evident, it is important that your work is recognized externally. 

Program

A master’s Honors program has a minimum workload of 20 credits in addition to your regular master’s program.

It consists of two interrelated components: personal leadership development (5 credits) and professional development (15 credits). The Personal Leadership component is offered and organized by the TU/e Honors Academy.

For the Professional Development component you can define your own program. Depending on what you would like to achieve and on the master track of your interest, this may consist of challenging activities that broaden your horizon. Such as (external) internships, (external) projects, additional courses, etc.  You can opt for a focus on ‘excellence for science’, ‘excellence for society’ or ‘excellence for industry’. Within this focus you can place personal emphasis, for example on research, design, entrepreneurship, teaching, management or a combination.

Participating in an Honors program requires more than obtaining excellent grades. You will also have to demonstrate the right attitude: independence, openness, eagerness to learn, drive, passion and perseverance.

Application

If you feel ready and able to take up the challenge, you can apply by submitting an application letter, a proof of excellence and a draft version of your Personal Development Plan (PDP) to the Graduate Program Director (GPD).

After you have submitted your complete application, your Program Director will invite you for an application interview. Based on your application documents and interview you can be conditionally accepted.

Only after meeting all conditions for final admission, you are allowed to continue the Professional Development part. To get a final admittance:

  • you have to follow the Personal Leadership component first;
  • your PDP needs to be approved by the GPD;
  • you have to communicate the name of your supervisor to the TU/e Honors Academy;
  • your supervisor needs to agree to take on the guidance and assessment of your Honors Program.

After admission and before the start of the Professional Development component, you also need to fill in and submit the form “Study Plan Honors Program” to CSA-ID.

Assessment

You have 18 months to complete the Honors Program. At the end of the Program (and before the 18 months has passed) you will have an assessment.

The assessment consists of a written and oral component.

For the Personal Leadership component, you provide an updated version of the PDP including a reflection on the Professional Development components and if and how the goals and ambitions that you set at the start of the project have been achieved.

For the Professional Development component, you need to provide the agreed deliverables to the assessment panel. These are suitable deliverables to prove that the honors level has been achieved for the Professional Development component.

You will have a final assessment interview with the assessment panel. You need to give a presentation and you will need to answer the panel’s questions. Afterwards, you can review the filled in assessment rubric form in the Learning Management System (LMS).

More information about the application, assessment and requirements for the Honors Program can be found via this link.

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