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LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY
Programme Specification
Design with Engineering Materials – BEng
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the
programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be
expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning
opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes,
content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found in
Module Specifications and other programme documentation and online at
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar
The accuracy of the information in this document is reviewed by the University and may be
checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
Awarding body/institution;
Loughborough University
Teaching institution (if different);
As above
Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body;
Name of the final award;
Accreditation by
Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining; and
Institution of Engineering Designers
BEng (Hons); BEng (Hons) with DIS or DIntS.
Programme title;
Design with Engineering Materials
Length of Programme
UCAS code;
3 years or 4 years with sandwich year
HJ15, HJ1M
Date at which the programme
specification was written or
revised.
March 2012
1. Aims of the programme:
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To provide a fully accredited honours degree programme in the field of product design with
an emphasis on materials, manufacture technologies, and safety and human factors to
satisfy the needs of customers and business on products; to provide graduates with skills in
practical application, creative and innovation, theoretical understanding, business, team
work and technical breath, for a broad industry.
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To encourage students to manage their own learning, communicate effectively and make
use of primary source materials
2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points
used to inform programme outcomes:
QAA Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
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http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHEQ/default.asp
QAA Benchmark Statements for Materials
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/honours/materials.asp
QAA Benchmark Statements for Art and Design
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/statements/ADHA08.asp
The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Guidelines for Accreditation
http://www.iom3.org/content/accredited-courses
The Institution of Engineering Designers
http://www.ied.org.uk/courses
Loughborough University , Learning and Teaching Strategy
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/policy/learning_and_teaching/
Annual and periodic Programme Reviews from related programmes
External Examiners’ reports and discussion by the departmental external advisory board
3. Programme Learning Outcomes
3.1
Knowledge and Understanding:
On successful completion of the programme, graduates should be able to demonstrate knowledge
and understanding of:
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Relevant principles and methodologies for accomplishing a viable product design in both
technical and business aspects;
The capability of a designer in defining product cost and performance through manoeuvring
the product attributes under given constraints;
The influence of progress in materials/manufacture technologies on the evolution of existing
products and innovation of new products;
The principles and methodologies on materials selection for a product under specified
product context;
Fundamentals on materials engineering and performance of various materials;
The user considerations and requirements as a context for design, including the principles
and practice of ergonomic analysis and user evaluations
The strategies and principles for business implementation of a product design;
The role of information technology in supporting the design, materials and manufacturing
process selection, including the use of CAD, and validating tools;
The consideration of environmental impact of products including sustainability, disposal,
recyclability, within the design and materials selection;
The external constraints and pressures influencing the design process, including
consideration of legislative and financial issues.
Learning, teaching and assessment methods to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Acquisition of the above knowledge and understanding is through a combination of lectures, case
studies, external specialist speakers, tutorials, seminars, co-operative projects with industry,
internal group and individual projects, practical laboratory work, industrial visits, and optional
industrial training coursework assignments (DIS). The programme also includes a period of
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exposure to practical prototyping and manufacturing processes in a workshop environment and the
opportunity to apply these skills to prototype manufacture in a range of individual and group design
projects.
Assessment is through a combination of written end of module examinations and continuously
assessed coursework. The latter includes both individual and team based activities, and comprises
the evaluation of technical reports, design project reports, design portfolios, design and materials
selection related problem solving exercises, computer-assisted assessment, oral presentations,
poster presentations, and viva-voce examinations.
The programme is based on input from four “specialist” departments/institutes at Loughborough
University.
The principles and practice of the use of engineering materials are covered principally by
teaching and practical examples provided by the Department of Materials
The principles and practice of design for users and product/user safety are covered
principally by teaching and practical examples provided by the Design School.
The principles and practice of manufacturing design and engineering knowledge are
covered principally by teaching and practical examples provided by the Wolfson School
The underlying principles and considerations determining the viability and success of a
design within the commercial environment are covered principally by teaching provided by
the Business School.
3.2
Skills and Attributes
a. Subject-specific: cognitive skills
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:
 Analyse a design problem/brief and develop appropriate design strategy and approach to
facilitate a viable design solution within the stated and implied constraints
 Develop design concepts through to detail design and/or prototype stage, as an individual and
also as part of a group;
 Predict the likely performance and mode of failure of a given material depending on the service
conditions/design requirements;
 Correctly identify the materials property requirements for efficient processing and product
performance;
 Select and identify an appropriate material and manufacturing route for the design of a
component;
 Select and apply appropriate IT tools and other resources to a variety of design and materials
problems;
 Apply suitable methods in the choice of materials and design solutions to meet functional,
aesthetic, environmental, user and legislative requirements;
 Evaluate the design requirements of a product in terms of human factors;
 Analyse and evaluate a product design and propose suitable modifications by which its
performance, appeal and/or cost might be improved;
 Discuss the economic/financial/business implications of design decisions.
Learning, teaching and assessment methods to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Acquisition of the above knowledge and understanding is through a combination of lectures, case
studies, external specialist speakers, tutorials, seminars, co-operative projects with industry,
internal group and individual projects, practical laboratory work, industrial visits, and optional
industrial training coursework assignments (DIS).
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Assessment is through a combination of written examinations and continuously assessed
coursework. Coursework includes the evaluation of laboratory reports, technical reports, project
reports, problem solving exercises, computer-assisted assessment, oral presentations, poster
presentations, and viva-voce examinations.
Students are expected to undertake time and resource constrained design project exercises,
including development of design concepts to prototype stage from a design brief in a variety of
modules including Introduction to Product Design in part A, Product Design and Packaging Design
in Part B and the Final Year Project in Part C.
Selection and identification of suitable material and manufacturing routes for selected components
is taught in Introduction to Materials and Introduction to Product Design, Part A, and is formally
assessed through coursework and examination in the various specific materials processing related
modules in Parts A-C. These culminate in the final year Design projects.
IT tools are used ubiquitously throughout the course, with basic presentation tools
Word/PowerPoint/Excel used to support a variety of coursework exercises. More specifically,
materials selection / modelling software systems are taught in Introduction to Product Design in
Part A and Product Design in Part B, and CAD modelling software (Solid Edge and SolidWorks)
being formally taught in Skills for Materials, Part A, and Visual Design, Part B. These tools are
expected to be integrated and used in the various individual and group design exercises
throughout Parts B and C.
Evaluation of designs and design requirements is an underlying theme of much of the course, and
is formally evaluated in the Individual and Group Design Projects throughout the course. The
required techniques for the evaluation of mechanical functional requirements are taught in
Mechanics of Materials, Part A; Materials Characterisation and Mechanics, Part B; and, for
user/human factor requirements in Part A and C. Environmental legislative issues are generic
themes running through many of the design modules, with these being specifically addressed in
Sustainability, Recycling and Environmental Issues in Part C.
The Business School modules provide a knowledge of Marketing. In addition, there is a
management element (including project management) in Part A with lectures from Corus
managers. Together with the module specific formal assessment, students will be expected to
inform their design decisions with reference to these issues in the various group and individual
design projects.
Given the wide range of anticipated entry subjects to this programme, there is also a requirement
to provide students with the necessary numerical and scientific underpinning to support the
subject. This is achieved through a module in Part A, Maths for Materials, which covers
mathematical content specific to students on this particular programme. We are confident that
these core modules will provide an adequate starting point for the materials and mechanics related
modules in the Design with Engineering Materials programme.
b. Subject-Specific: practical skills
On successful completion of the programmes, students should be able to:
 Apply appropriate materials, tools and techniques at various phases of a design process;
 Develop alternative design strategies and select the most appropriate;
 Make prototype models suitable for evaluation by users, using a variety of materials, tools and
techniques;
 Use appropriate computer software for materials selection, to produce rendered 3D solid
models, and detailed 2D part and assembly drawings;
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Use appropriate mechanical testing, corrosion testing, microstructural, analytical and forensic
techniques to evaluate materials suitability for a design application, both in materials selection
and post-mortem failure investigations;
Evaluate and present laboratory and product performance test data in a suitable format;
Operate practical processing equipment and collect, analyse and interpret experimental data.
Learning, teaching and assessment methods to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Acquisition of the above knowledge and understanding is through a combination of lectures, case
studies, external specialist speakers, tutorials, seminars, co-operative projects with industry,
internal group and individual projects, practical laboratory work, industrial visits, and optional
industrial training coursework assignments (DIS).
Assessment is through a combination of written examinations and continuously assessed
coursework. Coursework includes the evaluation of laboratory reports, technical reports, project
reports, problem solving exercises, computer-assisted assessment, oral presentations, poster
presentations, and viva-voce examinations.
Particular examples of some of the modules which are most relevant to the development of these
skills are the development of drawing and drafting skills in the design suite based modules Part A
Engineering Communication, and Part B Visual Design which develops CAD skills, solid modelling,
as well as sketching. A range of materials selection software packages are taught, focusing on the
Cambridge Engineering Selector system as the primary software for this purpose in Parts A and B.
All these skills are utilised in the various group and individual design exercises which are
assessed in Parts B and C. The use of manufacturing and processing facilities (in the context of its
capabilities for product design) are covered in a number of modules, Part A Introduction to
Materials, Part B Manufacturing modules for Metals and Ceramics / Polymers and Composites,
amongst others with laboratory reports being a key part of the assessment criteria for these
modules. An entire 20-credit module in Part A Experimentation is now included, so that practical
skills are developed from a very early part of the taught programme.
c)
Generic Skills
On successful completion of the programmes, students should be able to:
 Work effectively, both as part of a team and/or independently;
 Plan and manage both team based and individual design projects with constrained human,
financial and time resources;
 Organise and manage time and resources effectively, for short-term and longer-term
commitments;
 Possess skills needed to communicate effectively through written, graphical, inter-personal,
and presentation media;
 Demonstrate competence with information technology (IT), using a range of different software
tools;
 Apply constructive and structured approaches to problem solving;
 Compile clear and well-structured reports;
 Acquire and use sources of information appropriately;
 Demonstrate project management skills.
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Learning, teaching and assessment methods to enable outcomes to be achieved and
demonstrated
Acquisition of the above skills is through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, cooperative projects with industry, internal group and individual projects, practical laboratory work,
industrial training coursework assignments, and industrial visits.
Assessment is through a combination of written examinations and continuously assessed
coursework. Coursework includes the evaluation of laboratory reports, technical reports, project
reports, problem solving exercises, computer-assisted assessment, oral presentations, poster
presentations, and viva-voce examinations.
All the modules provide the opportunity for experiential learning in self-organisation and time
management, whilst teamwork and learning strategies for encouraging teamwork are also
introduced in Design Ergonomics, Part A; Legal Framework to the Design of Products and
Workplaces, and Sustainability, Recycling and the Environment, Part C, and in the design projects
in Part B.
The various group and individual design projects in Parts B and C, require students to prepare and
present information in variety of formats and using a range of tools and techniques. The
assessment of these will include substantive elements of presentations using a variety of media.
These will include oral PowerPoint presentations, the use of presentation boards and posters,
prepared written essays, reports, design portfolios and electronic files – e.g. CAD models. In each
case it is envisaged that students will make use of appropriate software systems to facilitate this.
The personal tutorial system is used to introduce and provide support in mainstream office
applications where necessary, whilst the more specialist software packages are formally taught in
relevant modules.
A full breakdown of the modules contributing to the achievement of the specific learning outcomes
is given in the module specifications.
4. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards:
The BSc (Hons) programme in Design with Engineering Materials is offered as a full-time three
year programme or a four year sandwich programme if taken with the optional year of industrial
training or study abroad in year 3 between Parts B and C. The sandwich degree offers the
additional award of the Diploma of Industrial studies (DIS) or Diploma in International Studies
(DIntS). Students study modules with a combined weight of 120 credits in each part (academic
year) of the programme. There are options in Part C to enable students to follow specific interests.
Each part is taught in two 15-week semesters; weeks 13-15 are spent on project work in Semester
1 and assessment by examination in Semester 2.
Details of module specifications can be found at:
http://cisbravo.lboro.ac.uk/epublic/wp5016.main?dept=MP&dept2=MP
Modules are listed under the Department primarily responsible for them, e.g. MP, = Materials, MC
= Mechanical Engineering, BS = Business School.
Full details can be found in the Programme Regulations at the following:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/lps/progreg/year/1213/index.htm
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5. Criteria for admission to the programme:
See:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/prospectus/ug/courses/dept/mp/me/index.htm
6. Information about the programme assessment strategy:
The method of assessment for each module is described within the relevant module specification.
Examinations are held in each subject for which an examination is required in the assessment
period at the end of the semester in which it is taught. This is January for semester 1 (Part C only)
and May/June for semester 2. At the end of each year the results from examinations and
coursework assessment are combined, as detailed in each module specification. The results for
each module are compiled and considered by an examination board, which awards credit for each
satisfactorily completed module (≥40%). Students who achieve sufficient credit to meet the
assessment requirements of their programme regulations are allowed to proceed to the next year
of their programme.
Assessment criteria
100 credits out of the maximum possible of 120 are needed for progression in each year with a
minimum of 20% (30% from 2010 entry onwards) in the other 20 credits and from 2010 entry
onwards must include credit (≥40%) in MPA103 and also in MAA309 from 2012 onwards. Readers
are directed to the programme regulations for fuller details of this and the criteria for award of the
BEng degree.
Re-assessment criteria
Candidates not meeting the criteria for progression have the right to be re-assessed on one further
occasion and, for most students in all Parts, this re-assessment may take place in the University’s
Special Assessment Period in early September. Re-assessment in the Special Assessment Period
is not allowed if students have not achieved 60 credits. Some modules are not available in the
Special Assessment Period. Re-assessment is also possible in the next academic year, but only
by allowing the student to repeat the year of study, according to the regulations of the failed
modules.
MEng programme transfers
From 2011 entry onwards students may transfer to the M.Eng programme at the end of Part A if
they have gained 120 credits with an average of >55%. Transfers are possible at the end of Part B
if students have satisfied the Part A requirement and gained 120 credits in Part B with an average
of >55%.
Students entering pre 2011 may transfer to the M.Eng programme at the end of Part A if they have
gained 120 credits. Transfers are possible at the end of Part B if students have satisfied the Part A
requirement and gained at least 40 credits at >40%; 40 credits at >50% and 40 credits at >60% in
Part B modules.
Final Degree
The final degree mark is made up of 30% of the Part B mark and 70% of the Part C mark.
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7. What Makes the Programme Distinctive
The programme particularly develops group project and practical skills. There is a high level of
ergonomics and design skills modules in this programme. Staff from the Design School deliver 70
credits of taught modules and supervise the majority of DEM final year Projects. They offer
expertise in the areas of design ergonomics and design for safety. This liaison offers the
opportunity to link strongly between theory and professional practice and provides a wide variety of
real life examples and case studies to contextualise the taught modules.
The programme particularly encourages teamwork and practical skills, about one third of the
programme is laboratory/project studio-based learning. There is a design studio in the department
with rapid prototyping and computers running packages including CES, Solid Edge and
Solidworks.
The (optional) Diploma of Industrial Studies placement year following Part B provides valuable
industrial experience which encourages the development of core skills and puts taught material
into practice. Each year a number of students undertake a final year Project based on/sponsored
by their DIS placement company. Recent placements have included Smiths Medical, Xerox,
Diageo, Signam and Avon Rubber (Protection Division). All other students are encouraged to
undertake shorter vacation jobs in relevant industrial settings.
In common with other undergraduate programmes, industrial relevance/involvement is a distinctive
aspect of the programme. Industrial visits are arranged when possible. It is also central to
MPC103, Industrial Case Studies, in which tutorials are given by speakers from various industrial
backgrounds looking at real-life materials issues. Students undertake an individual project as part
of the module MPB107, Packaging Design Project, associated with the Starpack competition
organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
Group work is an important feature of the programme. The Worshipful Company of Tin Plate
Workers alias Wire Workers of the City of London provide prizes for the group design project in
MPB107, Product Design, and staff from that Company participate in the teaching and assessment
of the projects.
The programme includes modules from other departments such as Maths and Business modules,
to broaden the student experience in areas appropriate to the degree.
The programme is accredited by both the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and the
Institution of Engineering Designers.
8. Particular support for learning:
Refer to the generic information on learning support which can be found at:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/templateshop/notes/lps/index.htm
9. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standards of learning:
Refer to the generic information which can be found at:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/templateshop/notes/lps/index.htm
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