As a graduate of the Master’s in Applied Physics with a specialisation in Physics of Fluids, you can look forward to a wide variety of career opportunities, both in industry and academia, since fluid dynamics has so many different application areas. You could work as a researcher, R&D engineer, project manager, or computational analyst, to name some examples. You can also follow up your Master’s with a PhD, like many graduates do, or an EngD programme. Or you could become an entrepreneur and start up your own business!
Type of degree
When you have completed this Master's with a specialisation in Physics of Fluids, you will receive a Master’s degree in Applied Physics. Also, you can title yourself Master of Science (MSc) or use the title of Engineer/Ingenieur (Ir.) in Dutch. Your specialisation will be mentioned specifically on your diploma supplement, highlighting your specialised knowledge and skills in the field of physics of fluids.
Job opportunities
Given the fact that the Netherlands has been at the forefront of world-leading fluid dynamics research for decades, as well as the significance of fluid dynamics in a wide range of industries, you will have excellent career prospects upon graduation, both in the Netherlands and abroad. Whether you want to focus on modelling environmental systems such as air or water quality, work on the advancement of medical devices, medical imaging or drug delivery research, contribute to the development of high-end chip-making machines, optimise energy systems, or perform computational simulations and data analyses in the financial sector: the variety in application areas is nearly endless!
Whether you first want to continue with a PhD or you want to dive into the job market right away: many companies will be eager to onboard you. Graduates went on to secure jobs at various organisations, including high-tech manufacturing companies like ASML, Philips, Canon, Thales, and Demcon, research or knowledge institutes like Marin, TNO, Deltares, and NLR, consultancy and engineering agencies like Witteveen+Bos, and McKinsey & Company and universities worldwide. Some even ended up working as policy officers at, for example, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, or they became teachers or lecturers within (higher) education. Or what about working within a bank in the finance sector, the biomedical industry, or securing a job within a prominent space agency like the ESA?
Start a business
At UT, we highly encourage entrepreneurship. This University is the birthplace of a large number of high-tech spin-off companies that market developed technologies. You could use your research or even inventions stemming from your master’s thesis and/or your PhD research to start up your own innovative company as well! UT has been voted the most entrepreneurial university in the Netherlands four times in a row. We have a unique approach of putting scientific knowledge to practical use and turning our expertise and yours into solutions that people and society actually need. As a catalyst for meaningful entrepreneurship, we offer you the Novel-T foundation and their start-up hub Incubase on campus.
Former students have gone before you. For example, LioniX International was once started up by a graduate of Applied Physics at the University of Twente, just like Micronit. Will you be next?
Post-master opportunities
Instead of pursuing a professional career right away after obtaining your Master’s degree, you can also opt for a more academically oriented career, by pursuing a PhD or EngD. An EngD programme is more practically oriented, and aligned with the direct problem-solving or design needs of the industry, whereas a PhD programme is more focused on research. You can follow both types of programmes at the Twente Graduate School (TGS).
Continue as a researcher: obtain a PhD
A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) involves spending four years of in-depth studying and researching in a particular area. You can do this within one of our research groups or in one of our structured PhD programmes. An integral part of a PhD is writing your PhD thesis at the end and then presenting and defending your research in public. Obtaining your PhD earns you the title of Doctor (Dr).
Follow an EngD programme
Other than obtaining a PhD, you can also opt to follow an EngD programme after graduation. Such a programme usually takes two years and is aimed at you becoming a high-level technological designer. Upon successful completion, you will receive a certified diploma and the academic degree title, Professional Doctorate in Engineering (EngD).