How can you design a complex and sustainable consumer product or bring novel renewable energy technologies and processes to market? How can you minimize production costs without compromising on quality and safety?
These are typical questions that a graduate of the Master’s programme in Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) is able to address. In a progressively technological society, IEM engineers will increasingly become leaders of technological innovation and design.
A student in the Master’s degree programme in IEM learns how to solve technological problems in a business context. In IEM, we work on industrial problems from a technical and scientific design perspective. The general aim of our IEM Master’s programme is to train engineers to acquire a thorough overview of all primary and secondary business processes in the fields of Production Technology and Logistics (PTL) and Sustainable Process Engineering (SPE).
More than its nearest competitors, the IEM Master's degree programme of the University of Groningen focuses on technology. Over two-thirds of the curriculum is dedicated to engineering and technology. Additionally there are courses that focus on management and business. You can choose between two tracks:
About 70% of the curriculum is dedicated to engineering and technology, and the remainder focuses on Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, and Systems Engineering. You can choose from five specializations within the two tracks.
Production Technology and Logistics
- Advanced Production Engineering
- Smart Systems in Control and Automation
- Production Logistics Engineering
Sustainable Process Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Biotechnology
About 70% of the curriculum is dedicated to engineering and technology, and about 30% focuses on management and business. Within the two tracks, you can choose between five specialisations:
Production Technology and Logistics (PTL) :
Sustainable Process Engineering (SPE) :
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| PTL: Foundations of Logistics Systems Engineering (5 EC) | ||||
| PTL: Robotics for IEM (5 EC) | ||||
| SPE: Bioprocesses for Engineers (5 EC) | ||||
| SPE: Polymer Products (5 EC) | ||||
| Technology Based Entrepreneurship (5 EC) | ||||
| Technology Based Entrepreneurship (5 EC) | ||||
| PTL: Simulation of Logistic Systems (5 EC) | ||||
| PTL: Surface Engineering and Coating Technology (5 EC) | ||||
| SPE: Advanced LCA for Sustainability (5 EC) | ||||
| SPE: Elective courses (20 EC) | ||||
| PTL: Elective courses (20 EC) | ||||
| PTL: Analysis and Control of Smart Systems (5 EC) | ||||
| SPE: Advanced Product Engineering (5 EC) | ||||
| SPE: Advanced Polymer Processing (5 EC) | ||||
| Sustainable Industrial Practice (5 EC) | ||||
| Systems Engineering (5 EC) | ||||
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Research Methodology (5 EC) | ||||
| Master's Design Project (25 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 4 compulsory courses, 5 track specific courses and 4 electives that allow you to choose your preferred specialization. In addition, the second year is dedicated to a Master Research Project (30 ECTS) and a Master Design Project (25 ECTS).
For the complete curriculum, please click the links below to go to the Ocasys pages with all course information.
| Programme options |
|---|
| Production Technology and Logistics (PTL) (track) More information about the specific content this track can be found here: https://ocasys.rug.nl/current/catalog/programme/60029-5601 When you decide to apply for the Master's degree programme in IEM, be sure to apply to your preferred track. |
| Sustainable Process Engineering (SPE) (track) More information about the specific content of this track can be found here: https://ocasys.rug.nl/current/catalog/programme/60029-5604 When you decide to apply for the Master's degree programme in IEM, be sure to apply to your preferred track. |
Exchange: Studying abroad is possible at a number of partner institutions, in consultation with the degree programme.
Internship: This programme offers you the opportunity to carry out an internship at a company in the Netherlands or abroad. Our choice of industry partners ranges from large multinationals (such as Shell, Philips, Unilever) to dynamic small-medium enterprises in the Groningen area. The internship has a typical duration of 3 to 5 months and counts towards your final degree (as a Master Design Project).
| 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 Information about admission possibilities and requirements for students from a Dutch HBO institute is also published on: https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/admission-application/apply-msc/nl-diploma/1 |
| other admission requirements |
BEFORE YOU APPLY Make sure to visit 'MSc Application Procedure' at https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/admission-application/apply-msc/nl-diploma/1 for all the necessary information about the procedure and admission requirements. |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Chemical Engineering | 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 |
| Chemical Engineering | All Universities of applied sciences | Via a pre-master with a maximum of |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering and Management | University of Groningen | No additional requirements |
| Biomedical Engineering | University of Groningen | Via a pre-master with a maximum of |
| 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 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| 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 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
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 with a Production Technology and Logistics (PTL) specialization ==
IEM engineers with a PTL specialization can start a career as a product manager, involved in the development of new innovative products within the tight boundaries of technical, market and product-related constraints.
== Sustainable Process Engineering (SPE) specialized IEM engineers ==
SPE-specialized IEM engineers can become members of product and process design teams or for example begin a career as a production manager in industrial companies.
Various research groups are associated with the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) Master's degree programme at the University of Groningen, which are all clustered within the Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG).
The
Engineering and Technology institute Groningen
(ENTEG)
The research in the institute focuses on the application of fundamental sciences (physics, mathematics, (bio)chemistry and material science) to the design of new (sustainable) product and production concepts and to the control of the production processes, and supports their valorization. Read more about ENTEG.
