Employer information
MSc Professional Engineering
The roots of engineering teaching at Aston
University can be traced back to 1875.
Aston was awarded its Royal Charter as
a University in 1966.
MSc Professional Engineering
A work-based learning course designed, approved,
delivered and managed by Aston University, in
collaboration with the Engineering Council.
Designed to maximise the potential benefit engineers
and their employers get from the investment in
professional development.
Leading to both an MSc degree and Chartered
Engineer status, this is a 2-5 year part-time course.
Each engineer on the course has their own unique
course made up of a series of work-based projects.
Learning is specifically focused on employment needs,
and gives immediate benefit to their employment
value.
Course structure
The course combines the development of engineering
competences and academic knowledge and
understanding through a series of work-based
activities so that the engineer:
a) develops an in-depth knowledge of the technical
discipline they are working in
b) learns how to integrate theory with practical
application, and use critical thinking skills to
generate breakthrough knowledge
c) uses their learning in the immediate application to
real life work problems to reduce costs or
increase value for their employer
d) demonstrates their competences to a level
sufficient to achieve Chartered Engineer status.
It covers a range of engineering disciplines such as
mechanical, electrical, industrial, design, electronic,
civil, metallurgical etc. and each student is a member
of an appropriate Professional Engineering Institution
whilst they are on the course. Institutions currently
available at Aston:
Projects are carried in real time in the workplace and
engineers don’t have to take time away from work to
attend university.
British Computer Society (BCS)
Reduces staff turnover; engineers working on a
bespoke development programme are far less likely to
change their employer.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
The engineers receive frequent mentoring support in
the workplace from a Chartered Engineer and high
quality academic mentoring from an Academic
Supervisor.
Result: cost effective engineering staff development to
the highest professional standards.
Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Entry Gateway; Professional Development Audit
3 Core Modules
Current technologies & applications
Emerging technologies
Design methodologies
Plus 3 or 4 optional modules
Exit Gateway; Major project
www.aston.ac.uk/profeng
From April 2010...
Course Director
Aston is developing links with universities in all parts of
the world to make this programme available
internationally, and is already running pilot
programmes in Africa. Engineers will be able to obtain
all the value from a top quality engineering degree
course from one of the UK leading universities without
having to study in the UK.
Bill Glew CEng, MIMechE, MCQI
Course fees...
are set to make it as affordable as possible by using
a basic fee rate supplemented with an operational cost
charge. This is determined by the costs of running the
course in the specific overseas locations and is
dependent upon how many engineers are enrolled by
a company in that location. This fee structure
minimises the costs for everyone.
Postgraduate Admissions Team
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Aston University
Aston Triangle
Birmingham
B4 7ET
Tel: +44 (0)121 204 3668
Fax: +44 (0)121 204 3676
Bill is a senior Chartered Engineer and member of the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers with many years of
industrial experience. He started his career as an
Engineering Officer in the merchant navy, and then
worked as a maintenance engineer in a number of
industries, before eventually moving into production
management where he finally became Operations
Manager for a large heavy manufacturing company. In
1992 he became a university lecturer where he used
his industrial experience to increase the relevance of
engineering degree courses for manufacturing
companies. As part of this he was one of the first
developers of work-based learning courses in the UK,
project managing the development of a new
work-based learning MSc Professional Engineering
course for the UK Engineering Council. This innovative
approach to integrating academic engineering
education with professional competence development
within practical industrial environments is proving to be
a major success and is popular with many companies
because of its ability to rapidly improve the practical
skills of engineers at all levels.
To discuss this course further, please contact
Email: b.glew@aston.ac.uk
Email: seaspgtaught@aston.ac.uk
Web: www.aston.ac.uk/profeng
Apply online: www.aston.ac.uk/eas/postgraduate/apply
This course was developed
according to the EC framework
www.aston.ac.uk/eas