The first semester takes place for all students at the Université de Lille, France. It aims to build the foundation in Solid Mechanics through six carefully designed core courses jointly developed by the STRAINS consortium. They provide students the fundamental knowledge and abilities they need to pursue any specialisation in subsequent semesters.

One set of courses covers fundamental engineering tools used in mechanical applications, including key mathematical foundations, numerical methods, and experimental mechanics for identifying material properties. Advanced mechanics subjects like Constitutive Laws, Dynamics and Vibrations, and Continuum Mechanics are addressed in the remaining courses. Three courses, namely Constitutive Laws, Dynamics and Vibrations, and Experimental Mechanics, are shared with the local master programme in Mechanics at the Université de Lille.

This semester will also include the participation of renowned guest lecturers and industry experts who will give lectures on specific topics.

In the second semester, the student's mobility is defined according to their chosen track. 

• TRACK 1: Mechanics of Structures

The second semester of this track takes place at the Università della Calabria, in Italy. It focuses on advanced structural analysis and seismic engineering. Students will develop skills in nonlinear structural analysis, gain experience with structural health monitoring and control systems, and learn rehabilitation strategies for bridges and buildings. The semester culminates with a course in advanced structural design, offering practical and research-oriented perspectives. This track highlights UNICAL’s expertise in combining simulation tools with performance-based engineering. This mobility path is particularly suitable for students aiming to specialize in advanced methods for the linear and nonlinear analysis of structures and infrastructures, and in the application of these methods to advanced structural design and structural health monitoring.

• TRACK 2: Computational Mechanics

The second semester of this track takes place at the National University of Athens, in Greece. In this track, students will learn how to realistically model the mechanical behaviour of materials and structures using numerical methods, both from the deterministic and probabilistic point of view. These skills are indispensable for the analysis and design of structures like buildings, bridges, automobiles, spacecrafts, wind turbines, etc. They are also important in the advancement of biomechanics and micro-electro-mechanical systems. The offered courses to the STRAINS students are a part of the courses taught to the students that follow the stream of Solid Mechanics of the Computational Mechanics Program of NTUA, which is an interdisciplinary postgraduate course of studies organized through the synergy of five Schools of NTUA.

• TRACK 3: Mechanics of Materials

The second semester of this track takes place at the Université catholique de Louvain, in Belgium. Here, students will follow a set of foundational coursework in materials mechanics. The STRAINS cohort will be attending all lectures and group projects side by side with local students of the Louvain school of engineering (EPL). The originality and strength of the course offer is to train, on the one hand, the ability to make the best possible use of engineering materials of all types (while optimizing both performances and durability) and, on the other hand, the ability to assess (or to predict) the causes of failure. This requires combining advanced skills in solid mechanics and numerical computing with in-depth understanding of how mechanical properties originate from the physics of materials.

• TRACK 4: Design and Manufacturing

The second semester of this track takes place at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, in Poland. It offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to deepen students' understanding of advanced engineering principles and their practical applications. The subjects are carefully selected to ensure a strong foundation in both theoretical and applied aspects, with a particular emphasis on material science, sustainability, and modern analytical methods. Key competences developed include advanced analytical thinking, proficiency in mathematical and computational modelling, expertise in material design and sustainable resource management, skills in uncertainty modelling and reliability assessment, and the ability to innovate across diverse engineering contexts. Through a combination of rigorous coursework and hands-on projects, students gain proficiency in problem-solving, resource efficiency, and the integration of sustainable principles into engineering design. This approach ensures that graduates are well-equipped to contribute to the evolving demands of industry and research, fostering adaptability and leadership in diverse engineering environments.

In the third semester, students of all tracks have to choose between two institutions. 
 

• TRACK 1: Mechanics of Structures

Option 1 - National Technical University of Athens, Greece
After gaining background knowledge on numerical methods in structural analysis in the second semester, the NTUA courses come to complement and enhance the in-depth understanding of the response of a structural system subjected to either static or dynamic loadings. A wide spectrum of structures like beams, frames, slabs, shells, buildings, bridges, etc. is assessed. NTUA’s rich expertise on modelling the inelastic behaviour and the fracture processes of materials, like steel, concrete or composites, offers an advanced tool to estimate the load carrying capacity of these systems. Effects on structural behaviour due to contact are also discussed. The impact that soil foundation has on civil engineering structures is also thoroughly analysed.

Option 2 - Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland
The semester at WUST deepens the structural mechanics pathway by integrating advanced modelling, experimental inquiry and engineering practice. Core material behaviour is examined through the lens of composite action and microstructural influence on global response, reinforcing the ability to formulate and assess constitutive assumptions central to structural analysis. Numerical components extend proficiency in modelling complex geomaterial-structure interaction and in evaluating load-bearing mechanisms under realistic boundary conditions. The managerial and infrastructural content situates structural design within the broader context of construction processes, organisational constraints and the technological requirements of transport systems. Analytical preparation is strengthened through data-driven and artificial-intelligence methods that support predictive assessment and optimisation of structural performance. Collectively, the semester advances the theoretical and computational foundations that define the mechanics-of-structures specialisation and prepares students for research-oriented or high-responsibility professional responsibilities.


• TRACK 2: Computational Mechanics

Option 1 - Centrale Lille Institut, France
At Centrale Lille, the courses offered aim to integrate advanced computational methods, experimental techniques, and data-driven approaches for the analysis and prediction of mechanical behaviour in complex materials and structures. These courses collectively explore how to model, simulate, and predict mechanical behaviour across scales using both physics-based (FEM, limit analysis) and data-driven (digital twins, deep learning) approaches, tightly integrating experimental validation and computational innovation.

Option 2 - Università della Calabria, Italy
AT UNICAL, the courses emphasize computational methods for structural engineering, as well as their application for the analysis and design. Emphasis will be given to computational methods of analysis during the “Theory and Analysis of Structures” and “Dynamics of Structures” courses framed within the Finite Element Method for linear and nonlinear problems. Students gain in-depth knowledge in numerical methods for structural analysis, structural dynamics, and seismic analysis, with main applications on the design of earthquake resistant buildings and retrofitting of existing structures. The semester also includes a geotechnical engineering course addressing computational approaches for land protection issues, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of soil–structure interaction even in the case of seismic actions. This mobility path is particularly suitable for students aiming to specialize in computational mechanics of structures and soil and its applications to civil engineering.


• TRACK 3: Mechanics of Materials

Option 1 - Centrale Lille Institut, France
The semester at Centrale Lille Institut will enhance the theoretical knowledge and practical experiences related to the integration of advanced computational methods, experimental techniques, and data-driven approaches for the analysis and prediction of mechanical behaviour in complex materials and structures. These courses collectively explore how to characterize, model, and predict mechanical behaviour across scales using both physics-based (FEM, limit analysis) and data-driven (digital twins, deep learning) approaches, tightly integrating experimental validation and computational innovation. Different mechanical and biological materials will be demonstrated to enhance hands-on learning and improve students’ understanding of real-world applications. Complex mechanical and biological materials will be used for enhancing the learning process.

Option 2 - Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland
At WUST, the semester extends the advanced solid mechanics curriculum and aligns closely with the Mechanics of Materials pathway. Experimental work sharpens the interpretation of microstructure-response relations essential for constitutive modelling. Theoretical content broadens understanding of deformation, damage and failure, building directly on prior courses in elasticity, plasticity and fracture. Engagement with modern production environments links material behaviour to processing routes, while analytical components develop competencies in data-driven assessment and sustainability evaluation. Diagnostic methods further refine judgement on structural integrity. In sum, the semester deepens the theoretical, computational and experimental foundations central to this specialisation.


• TRACK 4: Design and Manufacturing

Option 1 - Centrale Lille Institut, France
At Centrale Lille, the students will be offered a set of courses focusing on advanced computational methods, experimental techniques, and data-driven approaches for the design, analysis and prediction of mechanical behaviour in complex structures and systems. These courses collectively explore how to characterise, model, simulate, and predict mechanical behaviour across scales using both physics-based (FEM, limit analysis) and data-driven (digital twins, deep learning) approaches, tightly integrating experimental validation and computational innovation. Complex design and manufacturing on the industrial products and medical devices will be demonstrated as hands-on examples for enhancing the learning process.

Option 2 - Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
The semester 3 at UCLouvain offers a selection of courses included in the curriculum of all local master students in mechanical engineering, as well as elective courses addressed to those aiming to specialise in mechanical manufacturing. The originality and strength of the course offer is to train the ability to assist design and manufacturing of high-performance and durable products based on a sound understanding of the underlying physics and the wise use of state-of-the-art computing tools.

Students have a choice between a master thesis or internship. A master thesis can take place at the institutions of the STRAINS consortium. Internships can be done anywhere: in an industrial or applied research environment, a research laboratory of a partner university on a joint topic or in an associate partner organisation or any other company, NGO’s, etc.

Every year, the consortium sends the second-year students a list of master thesis subjects available in their own institutions, as well as the internship offers shared by associated partners.
Students are free to choose a subject from the lists or to find a subject on their own. If they do so, this subject will have to be validated by the consortium to ensure the relevance of the internship topic with the STRAINS' curriculum.

In the fourth semester, each student is expected to provide either a master's thesis or an internship report and to defend it before a jury composed of their supervisors and reviewers.