Jakob Mahler Hansen
There are so many interesting fields of study at DTU, and I could easily see myself in another Master programme. I chose Automation & Control because it has so many aspects from the other fields of study. You gain a very good general understanding and at the same time specialize into a specific area. The possibilities are very diverse; it is possible to stick with theoretical problems but you can also work with projects all the way from thought to finished prototype.
The facilities are great. When you are doing a special course or a project (i.e. bachelor or master projects) you get a desk assigned and free access to the building so you can work whenever you want. The project student labs are filled with all kinds of measurement equipment and robot parts. When working on a project you get to know the other project students, which almost makes Automation and Control a home away from home.
Most of the courses are divided into lectures and group work. At the group work sessions you struggle to complete the exercises the teachers set forth, with the aid of a Teacher’s Assistant. Both teachers and Teacher’s Assistants are very helpful and understanding when you run into difficulties. Often the courses end in a smaller project that sums up the entire curriculum. In my opinion this is a great way of showing that what we learn can be used.
Many of the students have relevant part-time jobs in the industry and it is not uncommon to hear of people being head-hunted or see job advertisements on the corridors. When writing the Master thesis it is possible to do so in collaboration with the industry. Taking a Master at DTU, Automation & Control, is great. The last couple of years have flown by, even though there have been many long nights studying. I am surprised to find myself at the end of the education.
Follow up in 2017
While finishing my Master thesis I became aware of a Ph.D. position at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. This was a great opportunity to apply the skills I had learned at DTU in an international setting as NTNU was looking for many international students. I found that the courses from DTU had prepared me well for continuing in an international academic environment. While this depends on the courses chosen, the diversity of courses offered at DTU will ensure a good foundation.
During my Ph.D. studies I have encountered numerous technical problems were I have used lessons learned at DTU. The primary lessons are: subdivide a large task into smaller ones until they are manageable, and debug and test every step of the development process.
After finishing the Ph.D. I moved back to Denmark and started a research and development position in the industry. Even though there are many differences between working in academia and the industry, there are many similarities as well. There is focus on robust and high performing solutions obtained through rigorous work. The industry recognizes the potential of DTU students and there is definitely a high demand for more people educated within Automation and Control.
