How can you design complex and sustainable consumer products? How can you bring renewable energy technologies to market efficiently? And how do you reduce production costs without losing quality? If you want to tackle these challenges where engineering meets business, the Master's degree in Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) at the University of Groningen is for you.
About 70% of the curriculum is dedicated to engineering and technology, and about 30% focuses on management and business. Within the programme, you can choose between three specialisations.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Elective example: AI Applications in Engineering (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Elective example: Bioprocesses for Engineers (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Elective example: Foundations of Logistics Systems Engineering (LPO) (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Elective example: Robotics and Automation (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Research Strategy, Design and Analysis (5 EC) | ||||
| Technology Based Entrepreneurship (5 EC) | ||||
| Elective example: Optimization for Smart Systems (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Elective example: Product Focused Process Design (5 EC, optional) | ||||
| Systems Engineering (5 EC) | ||||
| Challenge-based Team Engineering Project (10 EC) | ||||
| Sustainable Industrial Practice (5 EC) | ||||
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Master's Design Project (30 EC) | ||||
| Master's Research Project (30 EC) | ||||
2-year programme; credits per year: 60 ECTS; most courses are 5 ECTS.
This 2-year programme consists of 30 ECTS of compulsory courses, and 30 ECTS of specialization courses. In addition, the second year is dedicated to a Master Research Project (30 ECTS) and a Master Design Project (30 ECTS).
For the complete curriculum, please click the links below to go to the Ocasys pages with all course information.
| Programme options |
|---|
| Smart Systems and Automation (SSA) (specialization) |
| Sustainable Process Engineering (specialization) |
| Logistics and Process Optimization (LPO) (specialization) |
Exchange: Studying abroad is possible at a number of partner institutions, in consultation with the degree programme.
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
A university Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and Management or equivalent degree. A special pre-master programme is available for holders of a technical Dutch HBO or WO Bachelor's degree in the field of engineering. For details on the transfer options, please make an appointment with the academic advisor: https://www.rug.nl/fse/organization/esc/academicadvisors/external-pages/msc.-industrial-engineering-and-management-studieadviseur |
| other admission requirements |
BEFORE YOU APPLY Make sure to visit 'MSc Application Procedure' at https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/admission-and-application/apply-msc/nl-diploma/msc-programmes/msc-iem for all the necessary information about the procedure and admission requirements. |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Chemische Technologie | All Universities of applied sciences | Via a pre-master with a maximum of |
| Chemische Technologie | All Universities of applied sciences |
Via a pre-master with a maximum of Access to be decided by the admissions board A Chemical Technology diploma provides access to the SPE (Sustainable Process Engineering) track of the MSc in Industrial Engineering & Management. Contact the academic advisor if you have questions about the deficiencies |
| Mechanical Engineering | All Universities of applied sciences |
Via a pre-master with a maximum of Access to be decided by the admissions board. Mechanical Engineering students often follow the Production Technology and Logistics track within the MSc Industrial Engineering and Management. Contact the academic advisor (click Contact button on this page) if you have questions about the deficiency |
| Mechanical Engineering | All Universities of applied sciences |
Via a pre-master with a maximum of Access to be decided by the admissions board. Mechanical Engineering students often follow the Production Technology and Logistics track within the MSc Industrial Engineering and Management. Contact the academic advisor (click Contact button on this page) if you have questions about the deficiency |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Engineering | University of Groningen | Via a pre-master with a maximum of |
| Industrial Engineering and Management | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering and Management | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Contact the academic advisor (click Contact button on this page) for more information. |
Do you prefer an early decision on your request for admission? Don't wait until 1 May, but use one of the earlier deadlines for this Master's programme (for a course start on 1 September). If the University of Groningen has received your complete application before, then you will receive a decision at the latest on:
Application - Decision:
1 December– 15 January
1 February – 1 March
15 March – 15 April
1 May - 15 June
The Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be admitted to the Master's degree programme. Please fill out the checklist to describe your pre-education.
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
Holders of a foreign Bachelor's or Master's degree with equivalent learning outcomes as the Bachelor's degree programme Industrial Engineering and Management of the University of Groningen can be admissible. The Admissions Office will determine the level of the prior education. Please see the check list for the required documents. The Board of Admissions determines whether the specific contents of your courses meet the admission requirements. In order to do so you will need to fill in the Admissions Checklist (https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/admission-application/apply-msc/nl-diploma/iem-checklist.docx) to describe your pre-education and submit it with your application. |
| language test |
MAKE SURE TO VISIT http://www.rug.nl/fwn/fmns-programme/admissions/msc/language-requirements for all the necessary information about required language tests and minimum scores. |
The Board of Admissions will decide whether you can be admitted to the Master's degree programme. Applications are evaluated on a continuous basis. You do not have to wait until the application deadline to apply.
Please fill out the checklist to describe your pre-education.
Do you prefer an early decision on your request for admission? Don't wait until 1 May, but use one of the earlier deadlines for this Master's programme (for a programme start on 1 September).
If the University of Groningen receives your complete application before the application deadline stated below, then you will receive a decision at the latest on:
Application - Decision:
1 December– 15 January
1 February – 1 March
1 March – 15 April
1 May - 15 June
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| Nationality | Year | Fee | Programme form |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA | 2026-2027 | € 2694 | full-time |
| non-EU/EEA | 2026-2027 | € 24900 | full-time |
Practical information for:
Career-market analyses consistently show a high demand for professionals with a combined technical and managerial background. Holders of a Master's degree in IEM can work as product managers, product developers, production managers, process designers, and engineering consultants.
- IEM engineers specialized in Smart Systems and Automation improve how factories and production systems run by designing, integrating, and optimizing robotic equipment, control systems, and workflows. They troubleshoot automation issues, support commissioning and maintenance, and use data and process analysis to raise productivity, quality, and safety.
- IEM engineers specialized in Logistics and Process Optimization improve how materials, information, and work move through a system by reducing waste, delays, and bottlenecks. They analyze workflows, redesign processes, and use data-driven methods like lean and value-stream analysis to raise efficiency, reliability, and throughput.
- IEM engineers specialized in Sustainable Process Engineering design and improve processes that turn raw materials into chemicals, fuels, or biomaterials more efficiently and with less environmental impact. They work on reactor design, separations, waste valorization, and process integration to reduce energy use, emissions, and cost while supporting circular and bio-based production.
