Delft University of Technology - TU Delft
speciality: Civil & Structural Engineering

Hello,
[Skip to “Conclusion” for a brief summary]
In this post, I’ll share my experience with the TU Delft Industrial Design Engineering bachelor’s program as a graduate, so that future students can make a more informed decision.

I chose this bachelor’s program because I expected it to involve a lot of engineering and technical content, which would help me understand how most products are made, think production techniques, appropriate material use, product manufacturing, and the integration of technology and mathematics that’s common in modern products. However, I ended up learning very little about these topics during my time in the program.

The study mainly consisted of filling out Miro (an online platform) templates, coming up with systems, and focusing on sustainability (which, to be fair, isn’t necessarily a bad thing). But I never felt like I was learning anything new; I was just repeatedly filling in the same kinds of templates for the DP/PO (Design Project/Project Organisatie) courses throughout the full three years. Each year, you follow two DP/PO courses.

The only courses I personally found useful in terms of learning product design were the drawing classes and a first-year SolidWorks course (3D modeling). Normally, I find math courses boring and difficult, but thanks to this bachelor’s, I actually really enjoyed the two math/physics courses (Product Dynamics and Product Statics). For the first time in a while, I felt like I was doing something meaningful, had to put in effort, and was actually learning something new.

Another thing I really disliked about this program is how “school-like” it’s structured. You’re required to be on campus every day from 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM, working in a so-called “studio” (classroom) with your fellow students, supposedly to learn from each other. This might work for some people, but for me (and I think for others too), it didn’t. I can’t focus well in noisy, crowded spaces, and I rarely connected with my fellow students. The social atmosphere was always centered around the typical student lifestyle (like student associations), and I wasn’t involved in that kind of life at all.

The strict scheduling was probably the worst part. It made me feel like I was still in high school, instead of being a responsible adult who should be allowed to structure their own time. In many courses, you’re also penalized if you’re absent or not actively participating in class. Your final grade often drops as a result, especially since there’s always a rubric item about “communication and presence” of the student.

Now on to a very different, but important point I want to share. I’m a guy with a Turkish background/ethnicity. This has, in my experience, had a significant impact on how I was treated and assessed during my studies. Because of my appearance, I stood out a lot in this predominantly Dutch/white bachelor’s program. I was one of the very few students with a migration background (I could count them on one hand, out of 300+ students in my year).

In group projects and reports, I often felt like I wasn’t taken seriously by the lecturers. I never really felt welcome at the faculty or in the studios, I often felt like an outsider. The assessments for reports/projects were always subjective. Yes, there’s a so-called “rubric,” but it’s completely vague and can be interpreted in many ways, so you never know whether you’ve actually met the expectations. In my opinion, grading was purely based on the teacher’s personal opinion, and this was even confirmed by one of the teachers, who admitted the rubrics were “kind of nonsense” and that they just decide the grade based on how they feel about you and your work. As a result, I rarely received high marks for assignments, even though I consistently scored 8s on exams, which are graded objectively.

I even went to the study advisor once because I had been unfairly graded. But even the study advisor couldn’t care less. He flat-out said “NO” to my face when I expressed my concerns emotionally. I didn’t even get a fake “that’s unfortunate” or a polite smile. That showed me that basic empathy is not standard for everyone. In my view, these are the bare minimum responses you’d expect when a student is struggling. That’s why I want to clearly state in this post that, in my experience, there’s a significant amount of racism within the IDE bachelor’s program at TU Delft.

You might be wondering, after reading all this, “Why didn’t you just quit the program?” I started this program during the COVID outbreak, which meant my entire first year was online (with mandatory Zoom attendance from 8:45 AM to 5:30 PM). So at first, I thought my negative experience was due to the pandemic. When I finally got to campus in my second year, I realized too late that this program just wasn’t the right fit for me. But I’m someone who always sees things through and doesn’t quit halfway. Since I had already completed more than a year, I was determined to finish.

Conclusion
All in all, I strongly advise against choosing this bachelor’s program if your goal is to pursue a real engineering-focused, challenging, and educational degree, because IDE at TU Delft is certainly not that.

To future students with a migrant background: only consider this program if you’re planning to do it with a friend. You’re unlikely to make many friends here, and you’ll probably end up feeling lonely and like an outsider, especially if your values or cultural background differ from the average “IDE” student.

I’m now studying something else at a different university, and I’m much happier. I’m achieving great results and feel appreciated. Just to be clear: my review is not about TU Delft as a whole, it is specifically about the Industrial Design Engineering bachelor’s program.

If you have any questions after reading my “mini-book,” feel free to send me a private message on Reddit or leave a comment under this post. I’m happy to help you make a better-informed study decision, something I, unfortunately, didn’t have.

The university campus is great and the teachers are willing to share their knowledge. The environment is high an exigence and high-efficiency workplace. The major problem is that accommodation is very difficult to get.

I am quite happy with the way PhD is structured at TUD. Graduate school offers good courses to add to the skillset of the PhDs. Additionally, close collaboration with industries helps you see the impact of your research on society.

I am an international student from Asia, that is Indonesia, the first time I was here, It was so exciting, a really big model hall was welcoming us with 3D printing and CNC cutting machines next to it. I am joining the Building Technology track in Architecture program, which is related to approaching sustainability and energy efficiency, building physics, computational code language design, and facade technology. In the first year, we have a studio practical to design a sun shading system, the second year, we have an elective course that leads to study we want to focus on for the next research paper in the graduation project. Overall, this study really bring me up to always learn new things that I haven’t got in my bachelor, really new, the software is also new, really good teamwork, dedicated and competitive students, good facilities provide by the uni, and also good work for the lecturer, lectures, and staff. Really nice to be in here

It is a prestigeous uni in the Netherlands! And in very proud to study at it. The exposure given throughout the years on job possibilities and the link they make with water/environmental companies for collaboration makes it feel there is purpose to what is being studied. There are some very good professors which adds further to the interest of working on new water tecniques! I highly recommend people interested in water management and environmental to study here

Very good connection of education & industry especially through graduation internships. Professors are very knowledgeable and aware of the latest trends in their fields. The university offers a lot of extracurricular activities and opportunities to expand one’s field of interest.

Professors are great with very good knowledge. The education system is great as well, especially when it comes to being pushed to accomplish your projects, i.e. the Professors do not spoon feed you with knowledge. This is a great technique to prepare you for your career life.

Delft University of Technology is the best place to broaden your knowledge and to expand your scope. Besides your own discipline, you get the opportunity to work with several disciplines and external companies in national as well as international projects.

Pros: High standards, quality courses, well-qualified professors, advanced facilities (labs, classrooms, hardware), prestigious degree
Cons: poor time management, big work load in a short period of time, small percentage of students graduate on schedule, issues with finding accommodation

As a master student with minimal on-campus classes and a lot of own studying, what is best for me is that the university is a top-class and has a high world rank. I do recommend professors to have closer contact with their students although they seem always busy.