Master academic studies

Introduction 

Study curriculum Mechanical Engineering of the master academic studies, in accord with the Law on high education and Bologna declaration, was formed and adopted at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac by the Scientific-educational council of the University of Kragujevac on May 5th, 2006 by decision 557/8.
 
Standards for accreditation of high-school institutions, prescribed by the National council for high education, have caused the changes in study curriculum of master academic studies of Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac. Modified study curriculum of the master academic studies was adopted by the Educational-scientific council of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on February 7th, 2008. 
 
Structure of the curriculum
 
Study curriculum of the master academic studies on Mechanical Engineering contains all elements established by the law: 1) name and objectives of the study program; 2) type of studies and outcome of the studies; 3) expert and academic title; 4) conditions for registration on a study curriculum; 5) list of obligatory and elective study fields or courses, with general contents; 6) way the studies are conducted and time necessary to conduct each form of the study; 7) value of points of each course expressed according to ECTS (in further text - ECTS points); 8) preconditions for registration to each course or group of courses; 9) way of selecting courses from other study curricula; 10) conditions for transfer from other study curricula within the same or similar study fields; 11) other questions important for conduction of a study curriculum. Contents of the study curriculum, rules of study, rights and obligations of the students and other issues important for conduction of the study curriculum are printed every year as a separate publication, publicly available also in electronic form. 
 
The study curriculum lasts for two years, has a total of 120 ECTS, belongs to the field of technical-technological sciences and provides the academic title of "M.Sc. - graduated mechanical engineer". Conditions of enrolment to the studies and the other most important elements of the curriculum and regime of the studies are prescribed by the Statute and the Rule book on regime of the studies at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac.
 
Methods of teaching performance depend on the type of teaching: 1) active teaching, 2) independent work of students, 3) colloquiums, 4) exams, 5) technical practice and study research work, 6) working on master's thesis, etc.
 
Active teaching is obtained through lectures, exercises, study research work, consultations, mentorship. This kind of teaching is obtained through constant contact between the students and teachers and associates. Lectures, exercises and consultations are held every week in the semester, according to schedule.
 
The student has technical practice under the guidance of a teacher - coordinator for technical practice.
 
Mentorship is a type of active teaching where the teacher - mentor is in direct contact with the student in regard to working on master's thesis. Scheme of the structure of master academic studies "Mechanical engineering" is given in Table 1. 
 
Table 1. Structure of master academic studies "Mechanical engineering"
 

Classes 

1st year
2nd year
I
II
III
IV
1         
Engineering tools 2
 
 
6 ECTS
Research work in engineering
 
 
6 ECTS
Elective course of module
1
 
 
6 ECTS
Study research on theoretical bases of master's thesis

10 ECTS

2         
3         
4         
5         
6         
English language 2

6 ECTS

Experiment in engineering

6 ECTS

Elective course of module
2

6 ECTS

7         
8         
9         
Final- Master's thesis

20 ECTS

10     
11     
Obligatory course of module

6 ECTS

Obligatory course of module
4

6 ECTS

Elective course of module
3

6 ECTS

12     
13     
14     
15     
16     
Obligatory course of module
2
 
 
6 ECTS
Obligatory course of module
5

6 ECTS

Elective course of module
4

6 ECTS

17     
18     
19     
20     
21     
Obligatory course of module
3

6 ECTS

Obligatory course of module
6
 
 
6 ECTS
Technical practice
2

6 ECTS

22     
23     
24     
25     
Total ECTS
30
30
30
30
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purpose of the study curriculum
 
Aim of the curriculum of the studies is to educate the students in the field of mechanical engineering on master academic studies level which enables acquiring of knowledge and skills necessary for successful performing of professional engineering tasks within the global working market and continuation of education in the frame work of global educational space.
 
Master academic studies of Mechanical engineering last for 2 years, have 120 ECTS and supply competences that, with certain orientation toward acquiring professional skills necessary for practical engagement, provide the continuation of academic education at the next level of studies (doctoral studies).
 
During the studies, student should acquire, confirm and improve the skills for corresponding specific fields of the engineering profession, which by itself means the development of analytical abilities in relevant fields and, then, abilities for synthesis, construction and design of corresponding devices, objects or processes. At this level of studies, the student acquires a full scale of professional engineering competencies and qualifications. Also, at this level of study, the students will be acquainted with methods of scientific research and closely involved in real research tasks through study research work and work on master's thesis.
 
The study curriculum has a purpose of providing the finished students with jobs in the fields of industry, research, development, services, consultative and organizational labor and make the student familiar with the latest achievements and trends in given fields of their closer interest. 
 
The objectives of the study curriculum
 
The objectives of the study curriculum are aimed at acquiring of academic skills and specific knowledge (competences) according to current global practice for the studies of "Mechanical Engineering" at the level of master academic studies.
 
The objective is that graduated mechanical engineer - M.Sc. is qualified to integrate and apply acquired knowledge and specific cognitive and intellectual skills in multidisciplinary context, during solving both trivial engineering problems and more demanding research and development problems. This level of studies implies narrow specialization which is acquired with a certain choice of logical (recommended or selected freely) chain of courses from the broader field of curriculum courses (a wider range of potential competences/specializations is offered).
 
The objective is that student, by attending the study curriculum, gets qualified for:
 
- consideration of technical - technological and scientific issues from practice, understanding the problems and formulating them and report them to others
- analysis of engineering and technological problems and proposing solutions
- understanding the influences and relations between design concepts and product's life cycle
- adequate informing on advantages of new ideas and innovations using written or verbal adequate technical terms and terminology, through results and examples from practice,
- communication with his working environment in native and English language
- independent broadening and application of the acquired knowledge
- getting insight in complex processes of decision making
- developing of self-confident, unbiased and research approach to studying the problems
- getting insight in aspects of long lasting development
- working in team and/or leading the team
- getting insight in ethical aspects of engineering profession
- getting insight in structure and functioning of the company through valid economic and social relation and established quality of management
- being aware of possible implication of his professional activities on safety, ecology, etc.
- working in international environment (through broadening of own social and cultural frames and language and communication skills that are acquired through team work of the students and through studies abroad)
- understanding the effects of new developments in technique and science on working environment, society, but also on natural environment
- acquiring necessary deductive skills
- acquiring representative knowledge in engineering and technological disciplines, methods and tools, with emphasis on mathematical modelling and systematic approach
- acquiring abilities for design and conduction of experiments and the abilities to analyze and representation of the results
- mastering abstract way of thinking that may be easily applied to concrete case
- operatively mastering the system engineering techniques that include starting from market oriented needs, functional-technical specifications and ideological technical solutions and contain procedures of iterative design - analysis, synthesis, optimization, construction, testing (simulation) and evaluation. 
 
Competencies of graduated students
 
Study curriculum is specified in such a way that, by overcoming it, the student acquires general and course-specific competencies that also are specified by leading European engineering schools and associations engaged in education of mechanical engineers at the level of master academic studies. During studies, the students acquire general abilities for:
 
- broadening and deepening of fundamental knowledge acquired at bachelor academic studies that provide the basis and possibility for original development and/or application of ideas, frequently in research context,
- being able to apply their knowledge, understanding of the researched phenomenon and gained skills for solving of engineering problems in a new or unfamiliar environment within the broader or multidisciplinary context of the special field of the study,
- being able to integrate knowledge and use it in complex problem environment, to formulate right judgments and conclusions based even on incomplete or limited information, but including the reflex of built social and ethical responsibilities,
- being able to report their own conclusions, clearly based on rational reasons and operative knowledge, clearly and unambiguously, both to the professionals form the given field and to those who are not the professionals,
- being able to learn and adopt new methodologies and concepts, so they can, to the great extent, independently direct, organize and broaden the acquired knowledge and competencies, independently of continuation of their formal education. 
 
The outcomes of the study
 
By attending the study curriculum, the student broadens and deepens the acquired basis of engineering knowledge, skills and experiences from the previous level of study and acquires specialized knowledge, skills and experience whish should make him self-confident and able to, individually or as a member of a  team, contribute to development and research work and also to solve concrete problems from the field of mechanical engineering and relevant interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary fields. Related to the outcome, in the sense of what the student wants to know, understand and may do after the study curriculum is passed, the expected outcomes of knowledge are the following:

- mastering knowledge and skills in the field of mechanical engineering at the level of master academic studies prescribed by the documents of the EU countries, ­
- mastering of methods and tools for analysis, synthesis, design and production: CAD, CAM, CAE, FEA, FMEA and other specialized computer tools and software, ­
- mastering of specific knowledge and skills that are acquired through laboratory work, study research, work on design tasks and professional practice which encompasses knowing of: instrumentation, information technologies, technical means and elements, essential concepts of system engineering and mechatronics (in the sense of system integration), production and maintenance, organization and other task specific fields,  ­
- mastering of the acquired knowledge in the context ("knowledge as ability to reach the information and  use it creatively"),
-­ mastering the broader context of considering the engineering and research problems, which comprises taking into account of economic, ecological, organizational and social relations. 
 
Curriculum
 
Curriculum of the master academic studies of mechanical Engineering is realized during 4 semesters or 2 years and has 120 ECTS. Master studies represent a logical sequence of bachelor academic studies of mechanical Engineering. 
 
During enrolment, the student selects one out eight offered modules: Production engineering, Mechanical constructions and mechanization, Motor vehicles and motors, Energy and process engineering, Applied mechanics and automatic control, Industrial engineering, informatics in engineering and Road traffic. 
 
During the first two semesters, the students attend two obligatory courses, joint for all modules, which makes 20% of the total number of ECTS. At the same time, they attend the three obligatory courses of modules, which represents 30% of the total number of ECTS. During the third semester, the students attend four elective courses of modules. A technical practice, closely connected to the field of the selected module is planned for the third semester, too. At the fourth semester, working on the final work - Master's thesis from the field of attended course of the module is planned. Electivity on the module, in relation to module ECTS is 31%, where technical practice has not been taken into account. 
 
Each course of the curriculum contains the course name, the course type, semester, preconditions for attending the course, the objective, the outcomes of the learning, course syllabus, recommended literature, methods of teaching, number of active classes, independent student's work, evaluation of knowledge, grading, which may be seen in the Book of courses.  
 
Quality, contemporarity and international compatibility of the curriculum 
 
The curriculum is by its structure and its contents and, first of all, by its purpose, aims and outcomes (competencies of the finished students) compatible to modern world trends and the state in high education from the field of mechanical engineering at the level of master academic studies. Quality, contemporarity and international compatibility of the curriculum are comparable to relevant curricula from the EU countries. The aims, purpose and outcomes of the curriculum are compatible to the same from the EU countries. Also, curriculum of the master academic studies lasts for two years and has 120 ECTS, the same as at the majority of the universities in the EU countries. Curriculum should supply the students with narrow expert competencies in the field of mechanical engineering, so, in the structure of the curriculum, a dominant place is given to elective courses, while logical sequence of courses is non-obligatorily recommended to the students, although it is allowed for the student to profile himself based on complete information on contents, aims, and outcomes of each elective module. Due to the structure of the curriculum itself, a complete comparison between relevant curricula may be done only by analysis of the contents of all courses.  Curriculum "Mechanical Engineering" of the master academic studies at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac is comparable and compatible with corresponding curricula of foreign high education institutions, while in concrete case, a comparison is made with the following institutions: 
 
1.Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland,  http://www.mtec.ethz.ch/ Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich http://www.mtec.ethz.ch/index_DE
2. Vienna University of Technology, Austria,  http://www.tuwien.ac.at/tu_vienna/ Technische Universität Wien http://www.tuwien.ac.at/
5. Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Germany, http://www.tu-braunschweig.de/englishhttp://www.tu-braunschweig.de/
6. Politecnico di Milano, Italy,  http://www.polimi.it/english/http://www.polimi.it/
7. Politecnico di Torino, Italy,  http://www.polito.it/index.en.php , http://www.polito.it/
8. Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland, http://www.lut.fi/en/  Lappeenrannan teknillinen yliopisto http://www.lut.fi/fi/
9. Technical University of Denmark http://www.dtu.dk/English.aspx  Danmarks Tekniske Universitet http://www.dtu.dk/
 
It should be noted that the curricula of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac have been just restructured in the context of several TEMPUS projects, where transfer of positive experience and knowledge to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac was taken into account. It also is significant that the students after they have finished the studies, easily go to doctoral studies at European and USA universities, whether the continuation of the study in the field of mechanical engineering or at some interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field is concerned.  
 
Enrolment of students 
 
Candidates may apply for certified curricula under conditions and in a way prescribed by the Law on higher education, the Statute of the University of Kragujevac and the Statute and the Rulebook on study regime of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac (available at  http://www.mfkg.kg.ac.yu/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,276/Itemid,27/).
 
The open competition for enrolment of students is made public 5 months before the school year starts. Number of students that may enrol to master academic studies is 96 and it is in accord with personnel demands (53 teachers and 18 associates), spatial demands (14860 m2) and technical-technological possibilities.
 
Sequence of the candidates for enrolment to the first year of study is defined by the success achieved at the previous level of study. The ways of rating and ranking the candidates are defined in the Rulebook on regime of studies. 
 
There is a Commission for contacts with students at the faculty, in order to more easily spot the problems and to solve them more efficiently. 
 
Besides the Rulebook on regime of the studies, Procedures for quality insurance are applied at the faculty in order to provide successful studying. 
 
Grading and students advancement 
 
The Faculty of mechanical Engineering from Kragujevac continuously and systematically follows the success of the students and their advancement during a month or a semester. Procedures for following the success of students and way of corrective actions are described in the rulebook on regime of the studies and in procedures for quality assurance. The results of the students are analysed at the Educational-scientific Board of the faculty and, based on made conclusions, corrective measures are taken. 
 
Grading of students: 
 
It is defined in detail in the rulebook on regime of the studies.
Students' success in mastering required materials is continuously monitored during classes and is expressed in points.
By fulfilling the pre-exam tasks and by passing the exam, the student may acquire maximum of 100 points. 
Study curriculum determines the ratio of points acquired in pre-exam activities and at the exam, where pre-exam activities have a share of 30 to 70 points.
Each course from curriculum has precisely defined way of obtaining the points and this information is available for the student.
Student's success at the exam is expresses by the grade 5 (not passed) to 10 (excellent). 
In order to maintain the quality of teaching process, application of correct process of grading is necessary that does not allow the students which did not acquire necessary level of knowledge to pass to the following semester/year of the study.
Students give their observations and suggestions on methods and criteria for grading through their representative in Commission for quality insurance.
The Faculty analyses, valuates and enhances the adopted methods and criteria for grading the students on courses.
At the end of the school year, a detailed analysis of teaching criteria for grading the students is conducted and suggestions are made in order to improve the quality of grading and to harmonize criteria of all teachers as defined in procedure QP.5 of "The procedure of quality assurance of the teaching process" .

Quality procedures represent in great deal the procedures for assurance of the quality of students. According to procedure QP.5, the distribution of grades is monitored by each course and corresponding measures are taken if, in a large period of time, significant deviations from Gaussian curve occur (too many high or low grades, uneven distribution of grades). 
 
The Faculty systematically monitors and verifies the students' transience by each course, professional programs, school years and takes corrective measures in the case of too low transience. By perception of teaching practice of accredited high education institutions according to Bologna principles, Commission for quality assurance believes that the transience should not be lower than 60%. Transience parameters are measured twice a year (after each semester). Commission for quality assurance analyzes the results and suggests the corrective measures. 
 
Teaching staff 
 
Teaching staff with necessary scientific and professional qualifications is provided for realization of the study curriculum. There are 53 teachers (28 full professors, 14 associate professors and 11 assistant professors) and 18 associates are engaged in realization of the study curriculum Mechanical Engineering. 
 
Teachers and associates have scientific-professional qualifications that comply with educational scientific field and level of their engagement as may be seen in the Book of Teachers
 
Organizational and material means 
 
Corresponding human, spatial, technical-technological, library and other resources are provided for realization of the study curriculum of master academic studies at mechanical Engineering, compatible with the character of the study curriculum and anticipated number of students. 
 
Total space at the Faculty amounts up to 14.860 m2 and includes 5.220 m2 of space dedicated to teaching (amphitheatres, classrooms, laboratories). Accreditation plan includes 192 students at each year of the study curriculum, so the scace for teaching is not critical.
 
The Faculty has two amphitheatres, two large auditoriums, several laboratories, library and reading room. A The Faculty provides a place for every student of the curriculum in mentioned rooms. 
 
The faculty has the equipment for modern teaching according to needs of the curriculum. 
 
Library units, by their level and volume, provide support to teaching process of the curriculum. The Library is the integral part of the University library in Kragujevac and all employees and students may use the resources of this library. 
 
All courses are covered with corresponding text-books, teaching aids and auxiliary teaching means. Part of the teaching material is available in electronic form on The faculty's web site.
 
The faculty has the information equipment. The library provides its users with web access through the Internet and Kobson network.  The Faculty has five computer classrooms with 75 computers with Internet access. A total amount of 161 network connections are linked at the Faculty. 
 
The Faculty provides training of teachers, associates and students with the aim of efficient use of the Library and information resources.

Contact Information

Faculty of Engineering          University of Kragujevac

Sestre Janjić street, no. 6 - 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia

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