Graduate Apprenticeship in Engineering: Design and Manufacture Course with BEng (Hons) Degree

Program Overview

The Graduate Apprenticeship in BEng (Hons) Engineering: Design and Manufacture combines academic study with work-based learning, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of engineering design and manufacturing principles. The program emphasizes managerial, technical, and environmental issues, equipping students for careers in engineering design, manufacturing engineering, and project management. Students are employed full-time throughout the course, applying their knowledge in a real-world setting. The program incorporates sustainability principles and aligns with industry and national frameworks.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Graduate Apprenticeship in BEng (Hons) Engineering: Design and Manufacture is an innovative degree program that combines academic study with work-based learning. It is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of engineering design and manufacturing principles, concepts, and theories. The program also emphasizes the importance of managerial, technical, and environmental issues in the modern workplace. The program aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding necessary to pursue successful careers in engineering design, manufacturing engineering, engineering operations management, and engineering project management.

Outline:

Year 1:

• Fundamental principles of engineering design methods and manufacturing processes
• Properties of engineering materials, including metal alloys and heat treatment
• Principles and practice of engineering in product development
• Introduction to hydrostatic and thermodynamic systems
• Basic concepts and principles of electrical and electronic engineering

Year 2:

• Application of advanced mathematics to engineering problems, including thermal-fluid and vibration systems
• Understanding of the formal design process for components and machine elements
• Understanding of the main manufacturing processes for metals, ceramics, polymers, and composite materials
• Selection of appropriate materials and manufacturing processes for specific products
• Introduction to CAD and CAM software

Year 3:

• Analysis and interpretation of the dynamic structural behavior of engineering system components
• Instrumentation and control systems technology
• Stress analysis of components subject to combined loading
• Fatigue and failure analysis and fracture mechanics
• National and international codes of practice design approaches, including BS and Eurocodes
• Joining processes and equipment, surface technology, and engineering metallurgy
• Manufacturing support systems, process planning, production control, quality control, inspection, and sustainable manufacturing
• Design methodology, including design for manufacturing and design optimization
• Project management and group project

Year 4:

• Use of finite element method to analyze a range of engineering systems, including static stress, dynamic modal analysis, and heat transfer analysis
• Introduction to renewable energy systems
• Business finance, accounting, and law for engineers
• Operation management, quality control and assurance, cost evaluation, and supply chain management
• Skills needed to use a variety of commercial software in design and manufacture of products
• Rapid prototyping techniques, including NC programming, mould modelling, rapid prototyping, and sensitivity analysis
• Substantial professional design project incorporating planning, decision-making, data collection, and critical analysis

Assessment:

The program uses a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Reports
• Case studies
• Portfolios of evidence
• Logbooks
• Presentations
• Engineering drawings
• Product evaluation
• CAD and CAM assignments
• On-line tests
• NC programming
• Project reports
In addition, students are assessed on their dissertation and project outputs in year 4.

Teaching:

• The course is delivered through a combination of practical learning activities in the workplace, online learning through the virtual learning environment (VLE), and one or two full-day workshops on campus per module.
• Staff are lecturers from traditional courses taught at RGU, as well as industry experts who deliver recorded guest lectures.
• Teaching is mainly undertaken by staff with established expertise in design and manufacture who hold a chartership status CEng and/or are involved in joint projects with industrial partners.
• Employers assign a Workplace Mentor to oversee the work-based learning undertaken by the student.
• A dedicated Graduate Apprenticeship Success Coach provides support during the first year of study.

Careers:

• The program prepares students for careers in engineering design, manufacturing engineering, engineering operations management, and engineering project management.
• Students will be employed full-time throughout the duration of the course, with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world setting.
• The program offers benefits to both the employee and the employer, meeting the long-term development needs of both business and the student.

Other:

• The program incorporates sustainability principles and concepts, covering environmental, social, and economic aspects.
• The program aligns with the United Nation's Sustainability Goals 4, 7, 9, and 12.
• The program is designed to meet the national frameworks developed by Skills Development Scotland, the subject frameworks of the QAA, and the skill and knowledge areas identified as crucial by industry.
• The program is delivered through a collaborative virtual learning environment, CampusMoodle.
• Students have access to academic support through the Inclusion Centre, Study Skills Support, and Library Support.

For Academic Year 2023/2024 £1,820 per academic year For Academic Year 2022/2023 £1,820 per academic year