Overview:

For this project module, students are required to work on a specific topic under the supervision of a member of the academic staff. The module aims to present students with challenging engineering problems that require group work within a professional, inclusive and diverse working environment. To facilitate this, projects constitute a Sub-Project within a larger main project context. A group of between 3-8 students is responsible for one Main Project context, with each student within the group being responsible for their own Sub-Project.

The project is similar in some ways to the individual project (MECH0020) carried out in Year 3, however the underlying emphasis of the MEng Capstone Group Design Project is on design and group work. Most projects are therefore concerned with solving a particular engineering problem through appropriate design of components, apparatus or systems, and selection of appropriate materials, equipment, engineering technologies and processes, recognising their limitations.

Students are expected to combine the functions of investigation, analysis, and design in their work. Additionally, they are encouraged to follow up designs with a degree of development which usually means at least the partial realisation of ideas through construction and/or testing. Students are also encouraged to view the project as  more than just a technical challenge and apply knowledge of engineering management principles, commercial context,  project and change management and relevant legal matters including intellectual property rights. Issues of manufacturability, the raising of funding/sponsorship and the advertisement of activities through a website are some examples of this.

 

Learning outcomes:

Upon completion of this module students will be able to:

Define design requirements of a complex problem, including functions, objectives, constraints, resources, risk analysis
	Design solutions using a comprehensive knowledge of mathematics, statistics, natural science and engineering principles, and including manufacturing considerations and practicality, sustainability, marketability, financial considerations, ethics
	Integrate technical knowledge acquired from all modules in the MEng course to test the extent and limitations of the proposed solution to meet the design requirements, including considerations of environmental and societal impact of the solutions, and the mitigation of security risks
	Demonstrate effective teamwork through professional collaboration in a diverse team, recognising the responsibilities, benefits and importance of supporting equality, diversity and inclusion
	Communicate effectively the viability of the proposed solution, and its impact to a technical and non-technical audiences
	Plan and record self-learning and development as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD