Programme aim
This programme aims at conveying the knowledge, judgment and skills required to design and improve manufacturing processes and high-performing sustainable production systems. This includes leading development projects as well as managing such systems in full operation. Chalmers University of Technology is a leading Swedish university in the production engineering area, in terms of research as well as education. Within the programme, there is a close cooperation with industry providing an attractive environment both for national and international students as several of the collaborating companies operate on the global market.
Location: Campus Johanneberg
Who should apply
Are you passionate about developing the next generation of production plants in global manufacturing companies? Then you should apply for the Master’s programme in Production Engineering and learn about the latest advances on digital production and train your knowledge and skills in fundamental production principles and engineering tools.
The Master's programme in Production Engineering is aimed at students with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automation and Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering, or similar degrees.
Why apply
Manufacturing is of fundamental importance for the welfare in society and is closely related to the capability of fulfilling the demands for economic, ecologic and social sustainability. Around one third of the jobs in the European Union are related to the manufacturing sector and there are many global manufacturing companies located in Gothenburg, e.g. Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, and SKF. The Production Engineering programme is continuously interacting with these companies and many more through real-world project courses, master thesis projects, field-trips, guest lectures etc.
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Entry requirements (academic year 2019/20)
General entry requirements
An applicant must either have a Bachelor's degree in Science/Engineering/Technology/Architecture or be enrolled in his/her last year of studies leading to such a degree.
Specific entry requirementsBachelor’s degree with a major in: Mechanical Engineering, Automation and Mechatronics Engineering or Industrial Engineering and Management
Prerequisites: Mathematics (at least 30 cr. including Linear algebra, Numerical analysis, Multivariable analysis and Mathematical Statistics), Mechanics, Strength of materials or Solid mechanics, Engineering materials, Manufacturing engineering, Automation or Automatic control, Industrial economics, Computer-aided design and Programming
Preferable course experience: Maintenance, Production planning, Human factors, Virtual production and Logistics
English language requirements
English language requirements
Chalmers Bachelor’s degreeAre you enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree programme at Chalmers now or do you already have a Bachelor’s degree from Chalmers? If so, different application dates and application instructions apply.
Välja masterprogram på Studentportalen Useful links
Programme overview
Please note that the above schematic view corresponds to the academic year starting in autumn 2018. Minor changes may occur.
The programme includes six compulsory courses and a mandatory Master’s thesis project. In addition, the programme architecture enables students to select courses across three main occupational tracks:
- Production systems engineering - prepares for taking an active role in developing complex production systems. The work tasks include planning for new or updated industrial facilities, e.g. with purchasing of automation technology and design of efficient production flows. Furthermore, the profile track emphasizes the need for safe and profitable involvement of human resources. Skills in building virtual models of products, machines, cells, and production lines are central as a sustainable way of working for future engineers.
- Manufacturing Process Engineering - contains the work tasks to select suitable processes, tools and machines for value adding manufacturing operations in the physical materials. Computer-based tools are frequently used as virtual aids for preparing manufacturing processes such as forming, cutting, casting, and joining as well as planning the manufacturing of polymer and composite materials.
- Production Management Engineering – focuses on the management of resources and activities, typically on a factory and/or enterprise level. Important aspects are: to align the production systems design to the strategy of the company, to initiate and manage design and change initiatives in production, to plan and control the effective use of materials and production units to meet customer demands, and to ensure that modern production technologies and philosophies are efficiently implemented.
Career opportunities
The professional area for a production engineer goes across sectors - from automotive, medicine and health care industry to food production. With a broad production engineering knowledge base, the programme gives a wide spectrum of career opportunities including advancement as specialists in the areas of Production Systems, Manufacturing Processes, and Production Management.
Three of the most common employments directly after graduation are:
- Manufacturing engineer: developing production lines and new technology at major companies and SMEs.
- Manufacturing and logistics consultants, e.g. in the virtual manufacturing field.
- Manufacturing management trainees at major companies such as Volvo, Scania, and Orkla Foods.
Other common examples among our alumni are: project leaders, automation engineers, machine designers, business developers, and managers for production and development organisations after some years of work experience.
Alumni surveys show that all respondents got relevant jobs after their Production Engineering degree. Examples of employers are: H&M, Scania Trucks, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, SKF, Toyota, Rolls Royce, Ericsson and ÅF. Alumni are also qualified for PhD studies at Chalmers or other universities world-wide.
Research connections
The programme is part of Chalmers’ Production Area of Advance and the courses are given by four different departments: Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Product and Production Development, Signals and systems, and Technology Management and Economics.
All these departments have prominent research activities together with partner companies such as Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, GKN Aerospace, and many more. The students of Production Engineering can thereby take advantage of up-to-date research advancements. For students interested in an occupation in the academic field, the programme offers preparatory courses for starting a research career.
STUDENT INTERVIEW“Having hands on-experience really helps”
Juan, Mexico, Production Engineering
Chat with Juan
Why did you choose this programme?–During my bachelor studies, I had the opportunity to be an intern in two different manufacturing companies. When I finished my bachelor, I scored my first full-time job as a packaging engineer in a Mexican company. This job changed my perspective of the industry, but I was interested in learning more about production. I was already aware of Chalmers because I was an exchange student here during my bachelor’s. That’s why I knew where to look for this Master’s programme.
What have you been working on?
– I have been working on a project for my Ergonomics and work design course where the final product originally takes around 25 minutes to be assembled. The goal is to reduce that time down to five minutes by improving the ergonomics of the workstation, tools and the resources used. Having hands-on experience of the actual assembly and being able to assemble and disassemble every component in the lab really lets you understand the ergonomics involved in the process. In the end, we are going to present the project with a video of our improved assembly process.
What do you like the most about your programme?
– There are many different areas involved in the production, so having three different profile tracks is amazing. I really like that we get to visit many different companies and have assignments or projects involving them. Having classmates from different nationalities is also great because we can discuss our point of view from different perspectives.
What do you want to do in the future?
– I would like to work for a while here in Sweden. I’m very interested in production management, and the industry here in Gothenburg offers some great opportunities. I am also interested in starting my own company, but I would like to gain more experience beforehand.