TU Delft wants more female students to opt for a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. The faculty has decided to apply a preferential policy. In the next academic year, 30 percent of study places will be reserved for women. Currently, 20 percent of places are occupied by women.
This minimum percentage of 30 percent is no coincidence, explains the university. It is based on (inter)national laws on the target number of women in top positions in the economy. The university also refers to a theory that states that a minority in a large group can make an impact when it has reached a mass of 30 percent.
In recent years, the number of women in undergraduate studies did not seem to increase. Director of Education Joris Melkert says the program has done its best to increase them. “For example, we have worked on more role models and adjusted the tone in communication and selection to better suit a diverse target group,” he says. In his opinion, the results are not yet sufficient, “although female students do very well here”. He therefore believes the measure is necessary.
TU Delft receives almost 3,000 applications for its undergraduate program every year. A total of 440 places are available. After a selection process, only those students remain who are among the best of all applications and appear suitable for the course. The study places are then allocated to the students based on their “ranking”.
At this faculty, the system was initially only introduced as a pilot project for the coming academic year. It is the first Dutch faculty to take such a measure; according to the university, it is more widespread internationally. Students will find out in April whether they have been selected for the study program.
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