“I am both practically and theoretically strong”

Marianne Bom & Rie Jerichow, Publicér

Bachelors of science in engineering have the opportunity to continue to the master’s course. But why would you jump back on the horse and do two more years at the university? Read about Christoffer Haubroe Hansen’s considerations here.

“It is my belief that close to half of the students from Kemiteknik and International Business continue on to become a master of science in engineering,” says Christoffer Haubroe Handen, who, in the fall semester of 2019, went on exchange to Lancaster University in England. Private photo.

When Christoffer Haubroe Hansen received his diploma as a bachelor in engineering from Kemiteknik and International Business at DTU in the summer of 2018, it was a milestone, but not his ultimate goal. At that time, he had known that he wanted the master’s degree as well for a long time.

“I won’t say that it was my plan from the start, but it has been in the back of my mind the entire time — all the way back from when I was in high school, and had an internship at ‘Produktion og Konstruktion’ at DTU. One of the lecturers back then said that, in his eyes, it would be a good idea to combine the bachelor with a master’s degree. Then you would be both practically and theoretically strong,” tells Christoffer Haubroe Hansen, who will finish his master of science in engineering from Kemisk og Biokemisk Teknologi at DTU in 2020.

However, the lecturer’s recommendation was not the only reason Christoffer continued studying to get a master’s degree.

“I was 19 on the introduction trip when I started at DTU, and only 22-and-a-half when I finished as a bachelor in engineering. Then you are very young, and I wondered if it would be hard to get a job in an engineering company where the average age is a bit higher? But the most important reason was probably that I didn’t think I was finished studying at DTU, and that I wanted to keep studying,” he explains.

Difference between types of education

There is a difference in the way of approaching the study of the two types of course. Where the bachelor course is more practically oriented, the master’s degree is far more theoretical. Furthermore, the master’s course is only taught in English.

“I have no issue with that. Already in the third semester, I’d got a study job in Novozymes, where I was once a week. The working language was English, and I had a lot of colleagues from outside of Denmark. This is probably where I made the mistakes and polished my English. Later I had a foreign girlfriend, so today I have no issues with English,” says Christoffer.

Still, he suggests honing your English skills before starting on a master’s degree.

“But you don’t need an international study job or a foreign girlfriend. There are so many international students at DTU that there is plenty of possibility to talk English during your daily life,” he says.

Preparation is important

When Christoffer was halfway through his bachelor degree, he seriously started to look into what it took to continue on to the master’s degree.

“I decided to take the master’s course from Kemiteknik. It would be a natural extension of my bachelor course. I talked to the student counsellor and made sure to pick courses during my bachelor’s course which fit with the master’s course that I wanted to study,” he explains.
He also participated in a ‘master’s day’, where he got information about options and admission.

“To me, it meant I had to take more maths courses. And about that, I want to say that if maths is not your cup of tea, you probably will not enjoy the master’s course. But if you think it is okay and you will get through it, even if it is not your area of interest, it will be fine. You can later pick courses that are not centred on mathematically theoretical maths,” he explains.

So what will Christoffer use his double education for?

“In my field, it is a given to work with companies that produce tools for the industry. I would very much like a ­position where I can combine the theoretical and practical — for instance, as a project engineer with the task of setting up systems and making sure they run right. That would be a versatile job, ­where I could combine the best of the two ­worlds,” says Christoffer.

Marianne Bom & Rie Jerichow, Publicér

Diplomingeniører har mulighed for at læse videre på kandidaten, men hvorfor tage to år til på universitetet? Læs her om Christoffer Haubroe Hansens overvejelser.

”Det er min fornemmelse, at tæt på halvdelen af de studerende fra Kemiteknik og International Business læser videre til civilingeniør. Men den retning passer også rigtig godt i forhold til at fortsætte på kandidaten,” siger Christoffer Haubroe Hansen, der i ­efterårssemesteret 2019 tog på udveksling på Lancaster University i England.

Da Christoffer Haubroe Hansen i sommeren 2018 stod med sin eksamen som diplomingeniør fra Kemiteknik og International Business på DTU, var det en milepæl, men ikke hans mål. På det tidspunkt havde han længe været klar over, at han ville fortsætte på kandidaten for at blive civilingeniør.

”Jeg vil ikke sige, at det var min plan fra starten, men det har ligget i baghovedet hele tiden – helt tilbage fra dengang jeg gik i gymnasiet og var i studiepraktik på Produktion og Konstruktion på DTU. En af underviserne derfra sagde, at det i hans øjne ville være en god kombi at koble en diplomuddannelse med en kandidatoverbygning. Så ville man både være praktisk og teoretisk funderet,” fortæller Christoffer Haubroe Hansen, der i sommeren 2020 bliver færdig som civilingeniør fra Kemisk og Biokemisk Teknologi på DTU.

Underviserens anbefalinger var dog ikke den eneste årsag til, at Christoffer fortsatte på kandidaten.

”Jeg fyldte 19 år på introduktionsturen, da jeg startede på DTU, og var altså kun 22 ½, da jeg var færdig som diplomingeniør. Så er man meget ung, og mon ikke det kunne være svært at få et job i en ingeniørvirksomhed, hvor gennemsnitsalderen nok er en del højere? Men den allervigtigste grund var nok, at jeg slet ikke syntes, at jeg var færdig med DTU, og at jeg havde lyst til at læse videre,” fortæller han.

Forskel på uddannelser

Der er forskel på tilgangen til det ingeniørfaglige på de to ingeniøruddannelser. Hvor diplomuddannelsen er mere praktisk orienteret, er civilingeniøruddannelsen langt mere teoretisk. Derudover bliver der på kandidatuddannelsen kun undervist på engelsk.
”Det har jeg ingen problemer med. Allerede på 3. semester fik jeg et studiejob i Novozymes, hvor jeg var en gang om ugen. Arbejdssproget var engelsk, og jeg fik en masse udenlandske kollegaer. Her fik jeg nok lavet alle fejlene og fik pudset mit engelske af. Senere har jeg fået en udenlandsk kæreste, så i dag har jeg ingen problemer med det engelske,” siger Christoffer.

Alligevel anbefaler han at træne ens engelske færdigheder, inden man går i gang med et kandidatstudie.

”Men man behøver hverken et internationalt studiejob eller en udenlandsk kæreste. Der er så mange internationale studerende på DTU, så der er rig mulighed for at snakke engelsk til hverdag,” siger han.

Forberedelse er vigtigt

Da Christoffer var halvvejs i diplom­studiet, begyndte han seriøst at undersøge, hvad det krævede at fortsætte med kandidaten.

”Jeg besluttede at tage den kandidatuddannelse, der er udbudt af Kemiteknik. Det ville være en naturlig forlængelse af min diplomuddannelse. Jeg snakkede med studielederen på uddannelsen og sørgede for at vælge kurser undervejs i diplomuddannelsen, der passede til den kandidat, som jeg ville fortsætte med,” fortæller han.

Han deltog også i en ’kandidatdag’, hvor man blandt andet får information om muligheder og adgangskrav.

”For mig krævede det blandt andet, at jeg skulle have noget mere matematik. Og der vil jeg sige: Hvis matematik hænger én langt ud af halsen, er det nok ikke sagen at læse videre. Men hvis man siger, at det er okay, og at man nok skal komme igennem det, selv om det ikke er ens interesseområde, så går det nok. Senere kan man altid vælge kurser, der ikke er koncentreret om teoretisk matematik,” fortæller han.

Og hvad vil Christoffer så bruge sin dobbelte uddannelse til?

”På min retning er det oplagt at komme til at arbejde i virksomheder, der producerer udstyr til industrien. Jeg vil rigtig gerne have en stilling, hvor jeg kan kombinere det praktiske og det teoretiske, for eksempel som projektingeniør med ansvar for at sætte systemer op og få dem til at køre. Det ville være et alsidigt job, hvor jeg kunne kombinere det bedste fra de to verdener,” siger Christoffer.