Engineering - Masters in Research (MRes)

You qualify for the awards MSc Research (Engineering), and Postgraduate Certificate by accumulating credits completion modules as follows:

• The MSc Research (Engineering) requires 180 credits, including 120 credits from the dissertation and 60 credits from the taught component.
• The Postgraduate Certificate in Engineering requires 60 credits, all from the taught part of the course (no dissertation is completed).

Core modules include:

• Project Dissertation - a critical study of recent developments in the chosen field which results in the development and validation of a practical component or artefact that may be a method or a model, a specification, a design document, a software implementation or any other practical and usable deliverable. The production of this deliverable should involve an organised 'engineering' approach or methodology and a substantial element of originality. It is expected that the deliverable will be validated or proved and that the process by which it is produced will be evaluated critically and future work considered.
• Research Investigation, Planning and Methods for Change - This module is designed to introduce students to various approaches to research methodology in an engineering and technology environment. It will develop the ability to formulate research proposals, select appropriate methods of analysis and prepare and present research outcomes.

There is a wide range of core and optional modules (each worth 15 credits) to select from. These include:

• Research Portfolio
• Research Methods
• Computer Vision and Modern Control
• Innovations in Operations Management
• Design of Fluid Systems
• Structural Integrity in Design
• Industrial Applications of Vision and Automation
• Robotics Mechanics, Intelligence and Programming
• Lean Engineering and Decision Support Tools for Continuous Improvement
• Electromechanical Systems Integration
• Concurrent Engineering
• Flight Test and Airworthiness
• Aerospace Manufacturing Technology
• Aerodynamics C
• Aircraft Structural Design
• Aero-elasticity
• Aero-acoustics
• Embedded Real Time Control Systems
• Wireless and Mobile Communications
• Safety Critical Embedded Systems
• System Design Using HDLs
• Advanced Control and Dynamics
• Wireless Sensor Networks

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved we will inform you.

In common with other MScs in the faculty, MSc Research (Engineering) is delivered through a combination of taught modules and an in-depth dissertation.

For more details see our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Full-time study

The taught course is delivered over two teaching blocks, the first of which normally runs from September to December and the second from January to May.

You will undertake a 120 credit dissertation - a substantial piece of independent work that must be completed to achieve the full qualification.

The dissertation period begins in January, and your dissertation must be submitted by the end of August.

Typically full-time students can expect between six and twelve hours classroom contact time each week, which means attending for one or two days per week.

Part-time study

Part-time students generally complete the course over two years. This allows for flexibility in selecting the number of modules you can cope with in one year, bearing in mind other work and life commitments. We endeavour to timetable taught modules on only one day per week. Part-time students may spend an extra year completing the dissertation depending on their personal circumstances.

You are usually assessed through a combination of examinations, coursework and the dissertation.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.