Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Engineering with a specialization in:

1. Bio-Environmental Sciences
2. Information and Data Sciences
3. Technology and Engineering

About this study program

Do you care deeply about sustainable development?

Would you like to play a role in the implementation of sustainable development goals?

Are you interested in STEM theory with a focus on sustainable development in small island states?

If so, then the Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering is the study program for you!

Sustainable development is needed for all countries, but especially small island states are vulnerable due to their small size and the many (largely external) challenges they face. Higher education needs to play a pivotal role in the implementation of sustainable development policies and the corresponding SDGs. For small island states, besides local governance strategies, local universities play a very crucial role in the implementation of the SDGs due to their contextual settings and their knowledge of the contextual variables of that specific island state. This is now complemented by the new SISSTEM project: Sustainable Island Solutions through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics! 

Quick Facts

What can I expect from this study program?

The research-based education programs stimulate the development of a critical mass of academic experts in a wide variety of fields that can address the vulnerabilities and developmental needs of small island states from an internal perspective, as well as contextualize solutions and create new industries in small island states. The 3-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) program in Sustainable Engineering consists of a 180-European credit curriculum that combines a thorough and broad foundation in STEM theory with applied focus and practice on sustainable development in small island states. After a common 1.5-year baseline education in mathematics, statistics, physics, biology, chemistry, informatics, geosciences, environmental sciences, bio-economics, and materials engineering, the students then specialize in either:

1. Bio-environmental Sciences,
2. Information and Data Sciences
3. Technology and Engineering

Graduate possibilities

Career opportunities

A graduate of the Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering is eligible for a wide variety of positions in the private and public sectors in the fields of utilities, renewable energy, automation, sustainable construction and retrofitting sustainable development, and bio-environmental solutions.

Further education

After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Engineering there is the possibility to continue with academic master programs in a wide range of STEM and sustainability studies, including the multidisciplinary SISSTEM master program at the University of Aruba. The master’s program at the University of Aruba will start in 2022.

Student Testimonial

Study Resources and Downloads

For all downloads, including study guides, schedules, book lists and more, please use the button below.

Go to Study Resources

Admission requirements

General criteria

Admission to The Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering is permitted to the person who is in possession of a VWO/IB/AFY exact sciences track certificate. For graduates of VWO/IB/AFY without a background in exact sciences: exams will be organized. For graduates of HAVO/CXC: admission after completion of AFY with the STEM elective line.

For more information contact the Office of Student Affairs.

Colloquium Doctum

Anyone who has reached the age of 21 and does not meet the above-mentioned admission requirements can nevertheless be admitted to the Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering, by demonstrating sufficient general development and suitability for following education at the Bachelor of Science program by taking an admission test (colloquium doctum exam). A colloquium doctum statement is provided by the Faculty Council. The candidates must possess the level of a pre-university education student with regard to the components in which they are being examined.

In certain cases, an exemption from the colloquium doctum exam may be granted on the basis of prior education. More information can be obtained from the dean. In case of an exemption from a colloquium doctum exam, no colloquium doctum statement is provided by the Faculty Council.

Anyone who is uncertain of whether their diploma gives them access to the university or whether or not a partial exemption can be granted from the colloquium doctum exam, can contact the Department of Education of Aruba (Directie Onderwijs) at telephone (297) 528-3400.

More information about the colloquium doctum exam, including information about the courses of the exam, registration for the exam, the colloquium doctum regulations, the possibility to obtain an exemption for courses from the colloquium doctum exam (note, this does not concern the possibility of exemption from the colloquium doctum exam as mentioned above), the method where the exam is taken and the dates of the exam can be obtained through the Office of Student Affairs.

Learn more about the Colloquium Doctum (CD).

SISSTEM CD Information UA CD Information

Non-degree certificate program

You can also audit a course or take part in the bachelor program without matriculating as a UA student. As a participant in the non-degree certificate program (“toehoorder”) you will not take part in the final exams of the courses taken. At the request of the participant, a statement will be issued, containing a summary of the subjects taken, the period during which these took place, and in the case of a positive result the subjects in which the participant passed the aptitude test. The aptitude test does not have the status of an exam, nor can a positive completion of the aptitude test be converted into the registration as a UA student. Nor will it count as an exemption of that course in the case a participant later applies to the Bachelor’s degree program as a UA student.

For more detailed information about tuition and registration of the non-degree certificate program, please contact the Office of Student Affairs.

Study program overview

Language of instruction

The Bachelor degree program is taught in English.

Tuition fees

Student	Program	Study load	Total tuition
Local	Bachelor	Full-time	AWG. 2.000 (Excluding AWG. 500 admin fee)
International*	Bachelor	Full-time	4x times the local tuition fee

*International students are non-Dutch passport holders who have resided in Aruba for less than 5 years.

Important dates

Deadline first payment: September 1

Deadline second payment: January 5

Learn more about Tuition

Study program structure

The 3-year Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering provides academic education and training with a bachelor-master structure. The undergraduate program, the Bachelor of Science degree, is a three-year program, while the SISSTEM master program, the Master of Science degree, is one year.

Together the Bachelor and Master program are termed BaMa. The total study duration of the BaMa is four years.

The academic year is divided into two semesters each consisting of two study blocks. In the academic Year Calendar, you will find the periods during which the tests are taken and the educational free periods.

Academic program

The following gives an overview of the academic courses offered in the first year of the Bachelor’s degree program, including the total credits per course subject. In the Study Guide, a description is given of each course subject with its lecturer(s) and the prescribed or recommended literature.

For each academic year, a minimum of 60 credits (EC) should be obtained.

Bachelor 1 Compulsory courses	Credits
Principles of sustainability and SDG’s	6 ECs
Applied Mathematics	6 ECs
General chemistry	6 ECs
Basics of physics	6 ECs
Geosciences	6 ECs
Integrative project	6 ECs
Applied biological sciences	6 ECs
Introduction to informatics	6 ECs
Statistics and advanced mathematics	6 ECs
Physics: electromagnetics	6 ECs
	Total 60 ECs

A detailed description of the study program’s course subjects can be found in the Study Guide.

Check out our Study Guide

Graduation requirements

In addition to taking exams during the study program, the curriculum also includes oral presentations, the production of written papers, and practical competences. 60 credits (EC) should be obtained per academic year by completing the requirements of the curriculum. To obtain the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, you must obtain a total of 180 credits.

Course materials

Books

Prescribed textbooks for each unit of study are listed in your Study Guide.

You can purchase your textbooks in a number of ways:

The UA Bookstore at the University of Aruba

The UA Bookstore sells new study books and facilitates the sale of second-hand study books by students. If your books haven’t arrived on time you can also borrow certain study books from the UA Library. The University of Aruba’s bookstore is located in the UA Library.

The UA Bookstore online

Course readings and textbooks can be ordered online and collected later at the UA Bookstore.

Order your books now!

Via external sources

You can also purchase your study books from other sources, such as second-hand books or online bookstores from the US or the Netherlands. Please take into account that books purchased online can take a couple of weeks to arrive. Buy your textbooks and readers early to make sure you have all your required reading material at the start of the school year.

Other course materials

All study materials compiled by the teachers will be made available via the electronic learning environment, StOnE. Every registered student is also provided with an email address of the UA which is used to communicate with the student. The curriculum of the Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering also includes the production of written papers. It is advisable to purchase a laptop or tablet for this study program.

Digital Tools

Study program digital resources

Important information about this study program can be found in the Study Guide. The Study Guide provides helpful details about the University, the study program, and essential information for every stage of the student journey, from registration, to assessment, to graduation.

You can also consult the Year Calendar, Course Schedules, Book List, and other essential documents relating to the program of study for more detailed information.

Go to the study program digital resources

Library Databases

The UA library may be of assistance in providing you access to digital databases to quickly find relevant scholarly information you can use in research papers or other course projects. The databases available via the UA Library grant you access to articles, books, and journals.

StOnE

The Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering has an electronic learning environment, the University of Aruba Study Online Environment (StOnE). You can access StOnE via stone.ua.aw with your username and password. This information is made available after your final registration. For any questions, you can contact the helpdesk via StOnE@ua.aw

With StOnE you can:

• Easily access course content – browse the content of your courses, even when offline.
• Connect with course participants – quickly find and contact other people in your courses.
• Keep up to date – receive instant notifications of messages and other events, such as assignment submissions.
• Submit assignments – Upload images, audio, videos and other files from your mobile device.
• Track your progress – View your grades, check completion progress in courses and browse your learning plans.

Course material and assignments are made available by the lecturer of the course via StOnE. Other important announcements are also sent via StOnE or distributed via your UA email address. To ensure that you are sufficiently informed of the ins and outs of the study program you are expected to consult StOnE and your email address regularly to stay informed of any notifications.

OSIRIS

OSIRIS is a Student Progress Tracking System, in which all information regarding your studies and study progress is stored from the moment of your first registration up to and including your graduation. All UA students have an OSIRIS account as soon as they are fully enrolled and are admitted to the UA.

We recommend downloading the OSIRIS app on your phone so that you can stay up to date with your grades, your schedule and can have easy access to registration for courses and exams. Students must register to take courses via OSIRIS. Consult the course schedule to see when each course is given. This registration is mandatory!

You can log in here or via the OSIRIS Mobile App (available via the Google Play Store or Apple Store). For more information regarding your grades, course schedules, missing information, or other education-related issues to be found in OSIRIS, please contact the Office of Educational Affairs (OEA), in charge of the educational administration of students, at oea@ua.aw.

To gain access to OSIRIS you need a username and password. This information will be made known to you at the start of your studies. Your username for OSIRIS is your student number, your password is your UA network password (the same password you use in the Computer Lab or Library). If you encounter problems logging in, you may have to reset your password. During office hours you can do this at the reception of the main campus at UA.

For further assistance regarding technical problems you can contact the Computer Center at cc@ua.aw or by telephone at (297) 526-2252, or (297) 526-2253.

G Suite

G Suite is a set of cloud computing, productivity, and collaboration tools, software, and products developed by Google. Every registered student will obtain access to their own G Suite account and can make use of its email (Gmail), cloud storage (Google Drive with a capacity of 30GB), and other tools, such as Google Docs. This eliminates the need to use external storage devices such as USB sticks during your studies, minimizing the risks of viruses and losing your data. G Suite also allows you to access your information from any computer, eliminating the need to sync your data on different computers. The data on G Suite is available from your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer.

Your student email will be attached to your G Suite account. Important announcements are distributed via your student email. You are expected to consult your email regularly to stay up to date with student affairs and notifications.

For any questions relating to your G Suite account, you can contact the Computer Center at cc@ua.aw or by telephone at (297) 526-2252 or (297) 526-2253.

Application and practical matters

How to apply?

Thinking of applying to our University? It only takes 2 minutes.

Our online registration opens from May 15th until July 15th. To apply visit our homepage and click on the online registration link, which will be visible during the registration period. You will be directed to the application portal Osiris. If you’re a new student, create an account and submit your application. Once you have submitted your application, you’ll receive an email confirmation and instructions on how to submit any required hard-copy documents to the University.

The deadline for submission of your application is July 15. The University of Aruba reserves the right to deny any application submitted after the deadline.

Learn more about the registration procedure

Maximum registration period

The Bachelor of Science program in Sustainable Engineering can be completed in a minimum of three years. You can be enrolled as a student for this Bachelor of Science program for a maximum of five years. This period starts on the day after the registration is completed. In exceptional cases, it is possible to deviate from the established deadlines. For an extension, you must send a written request to the Board of Trustees of the University of Aruba.

Practical information

For more practical information about student life at UA, the facilities the university offers, and information about your registration or changes in your personal information, please contact the Office of Student Affairs. You can also browse our website, or consult your Study Guide.

View our Frequently Asked Questions