Product Design and Manufacture including an Industrial Year

Our five-year MEng Product Design and Manufacture course includes an industrial year during which students will gain real-world experience within design or a similar field. The course combines creativity with engineering principles and gives an additional year to further develop your skills through design projects and to expand your knowledge of materials, manufacturing and human factors. This course produces exceptionally high-quality work and leads to students with truly impressive portfolios of work who are in high demand by employers.

The world around us is full of problems, some small inconveniences and other global challenges such as climate change. Product Designers combine a broad range of creative, engineering and manufacturing skills to produce commercially viable solutions to these problems.

Our course utilises modern technology - from digital sketching through to high end 3D printing, rapid prototyping facilities and virtual reality equipment, to ensure our graduates leave prepared for the modern world of product design.

Students study a broad range of modules to develop practical design skills and knowledge in key areas including manufacturing, materials, ergonomics, marketing and more.

Project work is a key part of the course, responding to challenges in a variety of sectors including medical, automotive, packaging, appliances and electronic goods and many more. Projects enable you to take a realistic approach to design, utilising your taught knowledge of manufacturing and engineering principles. You’ll develop products and components that are appropriate for mass manufacture and consider commercial factors.

Our courses are delivered by academic staff who have industrial experience, in conjunction with Product Designers who currently work in industrial roles. This ensures that our course is relevant to the current needs of employers.

On this course students could undertake their industrial year in between their third and fourth years of study. Our dedicated faculty placement team who provide guidance on applying for placements, host employer events and help with your transition back to university life. Whilst you are on placement you’ll receive visits and support from academic staff.

The first year offers a broad foundation in engineering science and design, manufacturing processes, material selection and mathematics. Example modules include Drawing for Design, Statics and Mechanics of Solids, and Materials and Manufacturing. In year two, you will develop your design skills and commercial awareness whilst working on multiple design projects. In the third year you will take an individual project as well as core modules in product development, ergonomics and manufacturing processes. At the end of year three you will work a year in industry whilst receiving support from your tutor and our industrial placements team. Year five will give you the opportunity to undertake a major project with industry whilst you undertake further modules in project management and ergonomics.