Courses & curriculum 2023 - 2024

Year 1

You will start with a two-day introduction to Problem-Based Learning. After this, we will set you up for success by giving you a broad foundation with compulsory courses.

After successfully completing all of the courses, you will then enter the project period, where you will work in a team with your fellow students, during which you will test and enlarge your skills by learning from each other. Often you will do your research with one of the research institutes at UM, like the Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute, which is the scientific hub of many of your teachers.

Following the project period, you will now have to tailor your programme. It is here where you will have to decide which specialisation to follow.

The specialisations offered are:

• Instrumentation Engineering 
• Molecular Imaging Engineering 

Entering the next two periods, based on your specialisation and interests, you will have to choose one of the two elective courses. 

It's time to finish your first year with your second research project. You will continue to build upon the skills you've gained and collaborate with your fellow students, your different backgrounds and knowledge complimenting one another.

Year 2

It's time to work further on your career ambitions while following the specialisation path you have previously chosen. During this time, there will also be one elective course you will have to follow.  

The rest of the second year is devoted to the grand finale - your master thesis. Your thesis project helps you build your academic profile through an integrated piece of research and/or research-based engineering, preparing you for your future career. You can choose to do your thesis project at a company, a research institute or an NGO - in one of the high-tech facilities in and near Maastricht or another country, it's fully up to you. For those who like working in a lab, this is your chance to combine your own lab data and experience to come up with new research ideas. 

Theodore Visvikis

Theodore Visvikis noticed some ‘teething pains’ during the very first months of existence of the master’s programme of Imaging Engineering. They were solved quickly. “None of us had any programming background. Therefore, the staff turned down the pace and started at a lower level and, of course, helped us to learn how it works,” He says.

Theodore and the other pioneering students work on their first project. During a month, they will have to analyse how nerve signals change during different phases of sleep. In order to do this, they will have to synchronise information from different types of measurements. Dividing tasks amongst them, they regularly gather and discuss their progress.

Theodore, who obtained his bachelor at the Maastricht Science Programme, already has an idea about his future: “If I find a nice PhD position, I will go for it. I would like to work at a university that has a very good spectroscopy group.”

Stefanos Zoidis

Considering the heavy training needed to get up to speed, everything worked out well for the first ever group of master’s students of Imaging Engineering. “Where we stand now, really is a victory”, says Greek student Stefanos Zoidis, who did his bachelor at the Maastricht Science Programme.

The master’s Imaging Engineering comes in two flavours. Students can specialise in either molecular imaging engineering or instrumentation imaging engineering. Stefanos will choose the molecular specialisation. Together with his fellow students, he is working on his first project month. Stefanos about the project he is working on: “I love doing research. If I’m trying to solve a problem and my idea works, I get the best feeling there is.”

During their meeting, some of the students complain about the lack of memory of their laptops. They work with thousands of files containing data on the activity of neurons recorded while the test subjects slept. Just 16 or even 32 GB of internal memory is by far not enough. No worries, project mentor Niccolo Calcini has the solution. “You can use M4I’s powerful computers for your calculations”, he says.

Ishika Mahajan

Because the master’s focuses on technology as well as molecular sciences, bachelor’s in both specialities can enter the master’s programme. Somehow, they need to come up to speed with the topics they are less familiar with. “Each of us has a personal study advisor who is always available to answer every question we have”, says Ishika Mahajan, who obtained her bachelor’s in electrical engineering in India. “I had no experience in chemistry and never worked in a lab. Hence, in the beginning I struggled a little with the courses focussed on chemistry. Our professors wanted to make sure that nobody lagged behind to the others so they helped us intensively mastering the subject.”

Pioneering

Ishika thinks that this very personal and intensive way of working with students is achievable as long as there are only a few of them. “As soon as the student numbers rise, I guess there will be a kind of pre-master course to get everybody on the same starting level.”

Ishika already formed a strong idea about her future. “India is still switching to digital data in health care. At first, I want to work with a European company and see how the experts work on imaging data management. Later, I want to move back to India and start my own company.”

Lukas Bartsch

Dutchman Lukas Bartsch obtained his bachelor’s degree at a university for applied science (hbo) “I did mechanical engineering at Hogeschool Zuyd”, he says. “The switch to university is doable and totally depends on your attitude. If you do your best, you will see good results.” Being a mechanical engineer, he has no problems with the engineering and physics courses, but had to put in some extra efforts in mastering the more chemically oriented courses. Then again, help was to be found everywhere. Because of their different backgrounds, the students do help each other to get on top of their courses.

During their project month, their mentor Niccolo Calcini is helping the students so they can get and keep their project up to speed. “Aha”, he says after a student was not able to get his software to work. “You’re using an incompatible version.” Well, everybody is awkward at first. “The software is called Easy Calcium, but it is not easy”, the student responds.

Next academic year (2024), the students will be the first to graduate in Imagining Engineering at Maastricht University. For Lukas, gathering knowledge will probably not end after he finishes his master’s study. “I’m thinking of a second master’s study in the field of chemical engineering or applied physics.”