Professional Development
This second phase of the Honors Master Progam enables you to define your own program for professional development. Depending on what you would like to achieve, this may consist of challenging activities that broaden or deepen your horizon, (external) internships, (external) projects etc. You are encouraged to look for a context in which you can accomplish your personal leadership and other professional goals that you have set in your PDP (Personal Development Plan). These Honors activities have an overall size of at least 15 credits.
You will have to find and design your own project but we will make sure you get a bit inspired. During the Information session Professional Development and the 'PLE intervision sessions' you will meet students that are already busy with their Professional Development phase. Besides, on Canvas we have a guide which you can be used as a source of inspiration. You can take various routes:
- Designed by yourself, so individual and tailor-made
- Coherent, challenging, ambitious, broadening/deepening your horizon
- Geared towards three larger themes:
- Entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary cooperation
- Research leadership
- Engineering professionals
- Context for further development of personal leadership
4TU.Responsible Sustainability Challenge -
TU/e Honors Master students have the exclusive opportunity to join the 4TU Responsible Sustainability Challenge for their Professional Development Component (15 EC). In the 4TU.RSC track students learn and apply a structured approach to implement or improve sustainability efforts jointly with stakeholders from industry, NGOs and more. Honors master students work together with peers from the other participating universities (Twente, Delft) in multidisciplinary groups. Check this website for more information about 4TU.RSC.
Please note that only students who have enrolled in the TU/e Honors Master Program, can participate in the 4TU.RSC. You can find the application procedure for the Honors Master Program here.
Some examples of professional development
Example 1
An Applied Physics student is keen to continue as a PhD after her master. She wants to work in an international top-of-the-bill lab for 3 months (15 ECTS) and hopes to be able to present a paper at an international conference.
Example 2
An Electrical Engineering student has an idea for a new application and wants to analyze its prospects. Together with the Innovation Lab the student will explore the various options, write a first business plan (10 ECTS) and dive into Intellectual Property at the University of Tilburg (5 ECTS).
Example 3
A Mechanical Engineering student has a strong interest in materials. He wants to participate in a summer school (5 ECTS) and do an internship at a Dutch company (10 ECTS).
Example 4
An Electrical Engineering student wants to experience collaborating in a multi-disciplinary team working on a real-life problem related to sustainability addressed by a company/organization. The student enrolls in the 4TU Responsible Sustainability Challenge (15 EC), where the students get to collaborate with honors master students from other Dutch technical universities.
Impression of PLE Intervision sessions
Various 'PLE intervision sessions' are organized to meet other Honors Master students and staff. You can visit these sessions during your Professional Development phase but also at the end of the PLE phase. These evenings are a very good opportunity to get inspired, exchange information and to hear and learn from each other. An ideal way to connect to fellow Honors students and staff!