VIA Mechanical Engineering

Title: Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering 

Duration of the programme: 3½ years (210 ECTS). Full time course of study. 

Programme start: September. 

Study location: Horsens. Read more about Campus Horsens

Language: The programme is taught in English 

Curriculum: See the curriculum

Executive order: See the executive order (only in Danish)

See the study activity model

See average grade and statistics of VIA's programmes (only in Danish)

What is a professional Bachelor's degree?

The mechanical engineer degree programme is professionally oriented and structured. In the course of the programme, you will work on project themes in close cooperation with industrial, automation, energy and environmental companies. 

The group of compulsory courses from 1st to 4th semester is rather large, and the corresponding project work requires systematic problem solving that demands idea generation, design, calculation and management of a larger development project. You will also be required to perform investment analysis and cost calculation. 

The first to the fourth semester are structured around 12 weeks class of instruction followed by three weeks of project work. You will learn both academic theories of engineering and how to set theories into a practical, concrete context. The project work takes place in teams of four to five students. 

1st semester: Product Development and Design of Mechanical Equipment

During the first 12 weeks, courses include basic engineering subjects such as mechanics, materials technology, machine elements, design, product development, CAD, oral and written communication. The technical courses are taught partly as traditional classroom courses and partly as project work. 

2nd semester: Engineering with focus on Analytical Methods 

During the 2nd semester, you will continue to learn about basic engineering. This includes an extension to 1st semester courses in mechanics, materials and the introduction of new courses in mathematics, dynamics, machine element design and project planning. The focus is on integrating Applied Science - the application of mathematics, physics and mechanics - in order to analyze, describe and solve a self-chosen problem. 

3rd semester: Machine System Design, Dynamics and Dimensioning 

Your basic engineering courses during the 3rd semester include dynamics, mathematics, pneumatics, hydraulics, transmissions and electrical engineering. Once again, the semester integrates the necessary disciplines in order to solve a specific problem. You will be able to describe and solve real-life projects. 

4th semester: Business-oriented Development 

The 4th semester includes financial and budgeting courses. Other compulsory courses during the 4th Semester are operating techniques, quality management, the environment, statistics, laboratory measurements, thermodynamics, Finite Element Methods and innovative processes and theory of science. 

5th semester: Internship 

During this semester, you will do a internship in a company in Denmark or abroad. The internship gives you the opportunity to acquire invaluable work experience as an engineer in a challenging environment and to put into practice the knowledge you have gained during your studies. 

6th semester: Elective courses and specialisation

The 6th semester focuses on your chosen elective courses and your personal skills plus intercultural communication.
There are ample opportunities to select interesting specialisation courses. You can choose between elective courses during the 6th semester and you will begin to prepare your final project - the Bachelor project. 

7th semester: Bachelor project and Specialisation

Just like your 6th semester, the final semester offers you numerous opportunities depending on your interests. Each student must choose between elective courses. 

The final project, which covers approximately 2/3 of the semester, will typically be performed in groups of 3-4 students in co-operation with a company.

See the VIA Mechanical Engineering course catalogue.

Information about computer requirements

We recommend that you acquire a PC with the the appropriate specifications before starting at VIA.

Admission requirements

• Upper secondary school leaving certificate/high school exam or
  Danish Admission course for Engineering programmes or
• The International and the European Baccalaureates

General admission requirements

In addition to the admission requirements, all applicants must also meet the following general admission requirements:

• Mathematics equivalent to a Danish B-level (min. 250 hours*) and
• Physics equivalent to a Danish B-level (min. 200 hours*) or Geoscience equivalent to a Danish A-level (min. 375 hours*) and
• Chemistry equivalent to a Danish C-level (min. 75 hours*) or Biotechnology equivalent to a Danish A-level (min. 375 hours*)

*1 hour = 60 minutes. Study hours during the final three years in upper secondary school.   

Applicants must have passed the above-mentioned subjects with a minimum average weighted grade of 02. If you are applying with a foreign exam, your grades will be converted into Danish grades.

Non-Danish applicants must include a copy of the original exam certificate and a transcript of records plus a state-authorised translation of their transcript of records in either Danish or English.

Admission with special permission

If you do not fulfil the entry requirements, you can apply for admission with special permission. Read more here.

Verification form

Applicants who hold a non-Danish entry qualification must fill in the verification form in order to verify the hours of instruction of every needed subject during the final three years of upper secondary school as well as last received grade. This helps us convert your qualifications to Danish levels. The verification form must be stamped and signed by your previous school in order to be accepted. The form must be submitted with your application at optagelse.dk.

Download Verification form (pdf). 

English proficiency certificates 

All applicants will have to document English equivalent to a Danish B-level with a minimum average weighted grade score of 3.0 (min. 210 hours, 1 hour = 60 minutes during the final three years in upper secondary school). Use the verification form for this. The grades from the applicant’s High School Diploma will be converted into Danish grades. 

Please note: In cases where applicants cannot meet the Danish B-level requirement or grade conversion is not possible, the applicant may provide other documentation. Please find an overview of accepted language test certificates and test scores on our page for VIA Language Assessment Centre. 

You may also choose to sit VIA University College's English Language Assessment Test (VIAT/e), but you need to be present on Campus. Read more about the VIALAC test.

Maths syllabus

Applicants with non-Danish entry qualifications must also fill in the mathematics form by ticking off the topics included/not included in your previous studies.
If your secondary school mathematics syllabus does not include all topics listed, you may be required to participate in a two-week compulsory mathematics course at VIA University College before study start. Please find more information in the Course description (pdf). 

Download Mathematics form (pdf)

You can visit the website of the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science to find help or to have your qualification evaluated by the Ministry before applying. 

Conditional acceptance

Conditional acceptance means that you can apply for admission to the programme even though you do not fulfil the admission requirements at the time of application. Contact the student counsellor for more information. 

Assessment of your application

All applications will be evaluated individually. In addition to good exam results from your previous studies, we will also take in to account other qualifications, such as:

• Stays abroad
• Work experience
• General motivation

Credit transfer 

Students who have completed relevant study activities at an institution of higher education may be allowed to transfer their credits to VIA, which may exempt the student from exams/courses of a study programme. 

Read more about credit transfer at VIA University College.

NB: We reserve the right not to create classes in the event of too few applicants.

The programme begins in August.

Apply online through optagelse.dk. The application portal opens on 1 February every year.

Fill in the application form and upload any relevant documentation to optagelse.dk. 

Please note that applicants applying without a Danish Civil registration number must send a signature page from optagelse.dk by email to apply@via.dk before 22 March at 12:00 noon.

The area code for the programme is 49425. 

Application deadlines

22 March, 12:00 noon

• All international applicants
• International and Danish applicants applying on the basis of a vocational education
• Danish applicants applying on the basis of an international or foreign entry qualification
• Danish quota 2 applicants and applicants applying for any kind of exemption

5 July, 12:00 noon

• Only Danish quota 1 applicants

Response to your admissions request

You will receive an answer to your admissions request on 28 July. 

Should the 28 July fall on a Saturday or Sunday, you will receive an answer to your admissions request the Friday before.  

Available study places

Any available study places will be published on VIAs webpage “Available study places” on 28 July. 

An application form can be found on VIAs webpage “Available study places” on 28 July. Applications for available study places will be handled manually. 

Fee for Non-EU applicants

Applicants from outside of the EU/EAA who do not hold a valid Danish residence permit, are required to pay a 100 euro application fee before their applications can be processed. The fee is to be paid at the time of application. 

Please visit the Admission site for further information about how to apply, the application fee, residence and work permits and how to follow your application.

Listed below is an overview of who is eligible for free tuition and who has to pay for tuition themselves. Are you a foreign applicant outside the EU membership, residing in Denmark and already have a Danish residence permit you must attach both your residence card (back and front) as well as your residence letter to your application on optagelse.dk. We need this in order to assess whether you must pay for tuition fee yourself or not. 

Who is eligible for free tuition?

• Applicants of a country that is a full member of the EU 
• Applicants of Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein (EEA countries) or Switzerland
• Applicants living in Denmark either with a permanent residence permit issued in Denmark or a residence permit with the possibility for permanent residence - noted as “MMF. varigt ophold” on front of the residence card
• Applicants with a Residence permit as the accompanying child of a non-EU/EEA parent holding a residence permit based on employment (§9a and §9m of the Danish Aliens Act) 
• Applicants with a temporary residence permit as a refugee on the grounds of family reunification (accompanying child) (§7. subsection 1, and subsection. 2, and § 8, subsection. 1 and 2, of the Danish Aliens Act)
• Applicants with a temporary residence permit based on the Danish Aliens Act § 9.1, or § 9 c. 1, on the grounds of family reunification to a non-EU/EEA citizen with a residence permit (§ 7, subsection 1 or 2, or § 8, subsection 1 og 2,) 
• A student on an exchange programme as part of a bilateral agreement with VIA University College

When do you have to pay for tuition?

• When you are a foreign applicant, living in Denmark with a temporary residence permit (with no possibility for permanent residence - noted as “MMF. varigt ophold” on the front of the residence card)
• When you are a foreign applicant with residence outside of Denmark and need a Danish residence permit based on study
• When you are an applicant with a temporary residence permit as a refugee based on §7, subsection 3 of the Danish Aliens Act

Open the below pdf to learn more.

Payment schedule and Terms of Payment (pdf)  

The prices are fixed for the official duration of your study programme. If you exceed the official duration of the study programme, the following semester payments will correspond to the tuition fee at that time. 

VIA University College reserves the right to change tuition fees every year in October or whenever conditions necessitate such changes. 

If tuition fee is required, you will always be invoiced directly from VIA University College. No partners are entitled to charge fees on behalf of our institution. 

If you are asked for additional payments by a VIA University College partner, please let us know.  

Application fee

Application is free if you are from a country that is member of the EU. Applicants from all other countries are required to pay an application fee of 100 euro. The application fee must be paid in full when applying for the programme. 

Learn more about the application fee and how to pay

Terms and agreements

Terms and agreement between partners and VIA University College can be seen in the different contracts under:

• Code of Conduct (pdf)

Applying for a visa

When applying for a visa, remember to include a copy of your admission letter.

Doing an internship is a great way to get first-hand work experience and gain access to the best graduate jobs. 

Since this is a professional bachelor's degree programme, you are required to do an internship in the 5th semester. This will allow you to apply theory to real-world business tasks and also to practice a number of valuable skills. 

Benefits 

You will benefit from working in a real-life environment and gain professional experience relevant to your future career as a mechanical engineer. 

The internship will also make you more employable, since work-readiness is a top priority to employers when they look for graduates to fill vacancies. 

The internship has a dual purpose. You will begin to understand what’s in your professional future while you are still preparing for it, and you will gain useful contacts with employers within your field of study. 

Where will the internship take place? 

That is up to you. You can do the internship in a company of your choice in Denmark or abroad. 

Duration 

The minimum period for a internship is 20 weeks of full-time work.

The hallmark of the education is the international focus and the inter-disciplinary capabilities that will make you attractive to a wide range of companies. 

Career counselling and events 

Career Service Centre at VIA offers a range of services to students. You can make an appointment at Carrer Service Centre for advice on writing a good CV and Cover Letter, updating your LinkedIn profile and searching for jobs and internships.

The career centre also organises events where you can meet company representatives face-to-face in order to find a job, internship, project work or a full-time job related to your field of study.

Read more about the Career Service Centre here.

Further education 

When you graduate as a Mechanical Engineer, you will have the opportunity to continue with a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering in Denmark or other countries. 

To enrich the study experience and nurture cultural diversity on campus, we encourage our students to study abroad and welcome foreign students from partner institutions. 

VIA University College has an agreement with approximately 200 institutions in 33 countries in Europe as well as overseas. 

This means that you have the opportunity to choose to study for a semester at one of our partner institutions in another country. 

You may also choose to do your internship in an international company in another part of the world. Both possibilities give you the opportunity to experience the way of life in another culture. 

Today's business world is a global marketplace, and so having a study abroad experience can be positive for your CV. 

Contact our international coordinators.

The student counsellor can help you with questions about various VIA study programmes within technology and business, admissions requirements, selection criteria and admissions procedures. 

Contact our student counsellors’ office Monday - Thursday 09:00-13:00 and Friday 10:00-12:00 at:
T: +45 87 55 43 20
E: stud.info@via.dk

VIA Mechanical Engineering
Chr. M. Østergaards Vej 4
DK - 8700 Horsens 

T: +45 87 55 40 00 
E: horsens@via.dk

Opening hours

Monday - Thursday at 07:45 – 15:30
Friday at 07:45 – 14:30 

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• Read about Campus Horsens