MEngAutomotive Engineering

The Professional Engineer

Code: E4004HF
Credits: 20

Engineering relies on three core elements, namely scientific principles, mathematics, and realisation. Scientific principles underpin all engineering, while mathematics is the language used to communicate parameters and to model and optimise solutions. Realisation encapsulates the whole range of creative abilities which distinguish the engineer from the scientist: to conceive, make and actually bring to fruition something which has never existed before - and to create intellectual property, associating invention with commercial or social value. It is, therefore, incumbent on Professional Engineers to develop solutions responsibly – and the ability to develop economically viable and ethically sound sustainable solutions is an essential and distinguishing characteristic of engineering.  

In this module, you will: 

• Explore the required qualities and requirements of becoming a professional engineer, as well as the range of roles and industries available within the Agricultural, Automotive and Mechanical Engineering sectors. You will use this to inform your early career planning and selection of specialist routes from Year 2.
• Develop your study skills, giving you the tools to help your transition into Higher Education and to build your confidence in information literacy, research and independent learning. 
• Learn and apply a range of communication methods – including presentations, 3D Solid Modelling, Technical Drawing. 
• Be guided through the production of an exemplar case study portfolio, where you follow a defined process to develop an engineered solution to a constrained mechanical problem – and thus gaining experience as to how the various elements that you study on your degree combine to give you the capability to reliably engineer solutions to given problems. 

Module contact

Mr. Tom Underhill
Senior lecturer and Senior tutor (first year engineering students)

Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control (DMAIC)

Code: E5005HF
Credits: 20

Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control, or DMAIC as it is widely known, is a data-driven improvement process used in all kinds of businesses, in projects and in design. 

This module will provide you with the tools and methods to tackle problems and projects in a structured way through the aforementioned phases. This module will incorporate aspects of measurement, experimentation, analysis, processes, productivity, quality, lean and waste. 

Learning will be through a mixture of lectures and structured practical activities, and you will be assessed by a review, an experiment and a manufacturing scenario. 

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to: 

• Discuss the requirement for, and the impact of, a defined and data-led process for continuous improvement and problem-solving.   
• Collect, process and assess the quality of data. 
• Select and apply appropriate analysis tools to a data set. 
• Propose and evaluate improvement and control plans. 

Module contact

Mr Greg Rowsell
Programme Manager Engineering Courses

Placement year

Read our dedicated Placement Learning pages for information on the many benefits of the placement year.

Ethics and Sustainability

Code: HF
Credits: 10

In order to be a complete professional engineer you will need to have a mature consideration of ethics and sustainability. The engineering council requires professional engineers to maintain and promote a high ethical standard and challenge unethical behaviour.  

You will be shown how to construct and evaluate ethical arguments and you will be shown a wide variety of ethical issues in modern society. This will also develop your ability in ethical reasoning which is the ability to identify, assess, and develop ethical arguments from a variety of ethical positions. This will be developed during taught sessions where you will be encouraged to review and critically evaluate case studies and emerging ethical issues. 

You will be encouraged to consider sustainability in its broadest sense – as applied to the environment, business, design and society. This is of paramount importance as engineers must provide solutions that use energy and resources sustainably. 

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to: 

• Construct and evaluate ethical arguments in order to consider the wider impact of decisions on society. 
• Evaluate the environmental impact of decisions and business sustainability. 
• Apply the legal principles of intellectual property and the neighbour principle to product design and development. 
• Evaluate the ethical impact on business and sustainability of quality management systems and continuous improvement including product and material lifecycle and the circular economy. 
• Evaluate the impact of security considerations from international security to corporate data theft. 

Module contact

PC
Mr Parmjit Chima
Executive Academic Director, Harper Adams University, Telford

Masters Engineering Project

Code: HF
Credits: 60

The ability to resolve complex problems is a fundamental capability of a professional engineer. Fundamental elements of this capability include: the intrinsic motivation and capability to identify, define and justify improvement opportunities; being able to define a problem; being able to select and correctly apply relevant tools, techniques, methods and practices in the resolution of the problem; and the ability to critically evaluate the effectivity of the applied process.  

Successful completion of the Masters's Engineering Project will demonstrate your motivation, resilience, and ability to work at the forefront of your chosen field of specialisation and contribute to the generation of new knowledge. Your Masters Engineering Project functionally assesses in a holistic way your ability to engage with and deliver a successful body of work and as such forms the capstone activity for the curriculum. 

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to: 

• Select, justify and use appropriate tools and techniques to identify, define and constrain an improvement opportunity within their discipline.
• Plan and utilise appropriate methods to ethically and sustainably deliver a solution to the identified improvement opportunity.
• Conduct a technical evaluation of the project outcomes in relation to the satisfaction of the project requirements.
• Conduct a reflective evaluation of the project outcomes in relation to the methods and practices adopted. 
• Present and defend project impact, conclusions and recommendations to a technical and non-technical audience  

Module contact

Mr Greg Rowsell
Programme Manager Engineering Courses