Professional Doctorate in Engineering

The Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) is a Dutch degree awarded to graduates of a Technological Designer (engineering) program that develop their students' capabilities to work within a professional context. These programs focus on applied techniques and design, in their respective engineering fields. The technological PDEng designer programs were initiated at the request of the Dutch high-tech industry. High-tech companies need professionals who can design and develop complex new products and processes and offer innovative solutions. All programs work closely together with high-tech industry, offering trainees the opportunity to participate in large-scale, interdisciplinary design projects. With this cooperation, PDEng programs provide trainees a valuable network of contacts in industry. Each program covers a different technological field, for example managing complex architectural construction projects, designing mechanisms for user interfaces for consumer products or developing high-tech software systems for software-intensive systems. Participation in a program that awards the abbreviation PDEng requires at least a Master's degree in a related field.

PDEng degrees can be obtained at three technical Universities in the Netherlands, Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, and University of Twente. Between these universities interscholastic cooperation programs exist like the 4TU Federation and its Stan Ackermans Institute.

The two-year, full-time post-master programs all lead to a Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) degree. The programs are certified by the Dutch Certification Committee for Technological Design Programs (CCTO or Dutch: Nederlandse Certificatiecommissie voor Opleidingen tot Technologisch Ontwerper), which represents the interests of the organization of Netherlands Industry Entrepreneurs and Employers (VNO-NCW/MKB Netherlands) and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers (Dutch: Koninklijk Instituut Van Ingenieurs - KIVI). The CCTO's main goal is to ensure that such degrees hold to the high standards established by both academia and industry. The committee reviews these degree programs every five years to ensure continued standards compliance.

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