Overview
This BEng and integrated Master’s course has been designed and is delivered in partnership with Unipart Manufacturing Group as part of a £32 million collaborative project. The course aims to develop the next generation of highly skilled, specialist engineers for the UK's high-value manufacturing sector. The project was awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2019.
Manufacturing contributes £6.7 trillion to the global economy and the UK is currently the 11th largest manufacturing nation in the world, accounting for 54% of exports and directly employing 2.6 million people. Fierce global competition, however, is creating an even greater demand for graduate engineers capable of adopting innovative product designs and manufacturing methods in industries as diverse as food processing and household appliances to automotive and aerospace.
Coventry is ranked 3rd in the UK for ‘Mechanical Engineering’ courses in the Guardian University Guide 2020, which includes this Manufacturing Engineering degree. This course offers full-time study and on successful completion you could obtain either a 3-year BEng qualification or a 4-year MEng qualification. Through our ‘Faculty on the Factory Floor’ at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), you will have the opportunity to gain industrial experience, applying your knowledge and learning to real ‘live’ industrial problems in each year of the degree programme.
This degree also aims to provide you with the opportunity to access directly Unipart's operations, working on some of their 'live' issues in a real-world manufacturing production environment, as well as being able to access the University’s modern High Performance Engineering Centre.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
To ensure an optimised and continual student experience, the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedTeaching Excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their fieldCourse essentials
A degree which offers you more, at no extra costAccreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council
The Manufacturing MEng and BEng (Hons) courses are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) up to and including September 2023 intake. For the BEng level, the course meets partially the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). For the MEng level, the course fully meets the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
The next accreditation is scheduled for 2022/2023. If any changes occur with respect to our accreditation related to this course, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
Find out more about IET accreditation.
Our Facilities
Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering
AME brings together academia, industry and research and development in a ‘live’ manufacturing environment.
Metals Workshop
Participate in technical work in a hands-on way. The workshop includes lathes, milling machines, fabrication equipment for sheet metal work, CNC machines, work benches, welding lines and a fitting assembly area.
Metrology Laboratories
Coventry University is a recognised leader for independent measurement expertise and services in the field of metrology. Facilities in our metrology laboratory include an impressive range of dimensional metrology equipment.
What our students say...
There are also lots of life skills you pick up. One of which is the ability to work in a team with contrasting characters – this is often overlooked and shouldn’t be.
This is something that AME teaches you day in day out, as your team changes every term to approach a new challenge. The ability evolves each time so it challenges you to deal with scenarios you wouldn’t otherwise be presented with until you are in work.
Course information
Your studies will be split between our £50m Engineering and Computing Building and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), based at Unipart’s Coventry site.
This 'Faculty on the Factory Floor' provides you with the opportunity to experience technology on the manufacturing front line. Our past students have experienced robotic automation, forming, joining, analysis and simulation, metrology and product verification technology.
You will spend time on the Unipart shop floor, engaging with people who make products and the people who manage product lines. Taught modules are applied immediately in a real factory and supplemented by continual live experiences of how things are manufactured in real time.
You will have the opportunity to engage in our ‘live’ projects at the AME with the help and support of Unipart Manufacturing Group. Past students for example have been provided with opportunities to explore the design of a manufacturing area for a heat-exchange pipe or fuel-rail, and consider the impact of automation and robotics on manufacturing efficiency.
91%
of students were satisfied overall with the course.
Discover Uni, 2020
Course specification
Download PDF
Modules
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
Our mechanical engineering courses are ranked 3rd in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020.
In more detail...
Manufacturing engineering in the 21st century has evolved into a highly-advanced, cross-sector, global industry associated with tech products and innovative processes. Continuing a tradition of delivering social and economic benefits, it is increasingly focused on sustainable design and manufacture for the low carbon economy, higher efficiencies and faster development cycles and shorter product lifetimes.
Manufacturing contributes £6.7 trillion to the global economy and the UK is currently the 11th largest manufacturing nation in the world, accounting for 54% of exports and directly employing 2.6 million people.
Coventry University has a reputation for teaching excellence and proud history of educating engineers who work in manufacturing across many different industry sectors – automotive, mechanical, process industries (e.g. cement), aerospace, consumer products and complex engineering systems. Our engineering students gain work experience in global organisations like Unipart and Subaru*.
Joining our community of manufacturing engineers, including Lecturers and Professors with industrial experience and direct industry engagement, your learning will be grounded in practical real-world application inspired by Unipart’s world class experience. We also have strong employer links with a range of companies, such as Aston Martin, JLR, Prodrive, MIRA, Triumph Motorcycles, BAE Systems and Rolls Royce.
Your studies will be split between our £50m Engineering and Computing Building and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME). This 'Faculty on the Factory Floor' should enable you to learn about and experience the latest technology on the manufacturing front line, which includes state-of-the-art robotic automation, forming, joining, analysis and simulation, metrology and product verification technology.
Our aim is to provide you with the commercial and engineering skills, knowledge and understanding needed upon successful completion to make an early contribution to an engineering enterprise and, with further professional development and experience, to register and practice in the role of Chartered Engineer.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
- Course content is currently designed to meet the Chartered Engineer general and specific learning outcome statements of the Engineering Council’s UK-SPEC.
- Opportunity to participate in field-trips abroad, which have recently included trips to Poland, Bulgaria, China, Belgium and USA*.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any field trip, event, placement or study abroad opportunity and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student. - Access to industry-standard software, such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FAE) and Computer fluid dynamics (CFD) mathematic modeling software.
- Ranked 3rd in the UK for ‘Mechanical Engineering’ in the Guardian University Guide 2020 and received the prestigious ‘Gold Award’ in the 2018 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).
- A dedicated industrial placement tutor will aim to help you with your applications for placements and support you if you choose to spend a year in industry* Past placements have included roles in Aston Martin Lagonda, Unipart, Babcock International Group, Cummins, GE-Aviation and GKN.
- Access to the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), which is a collaboration between Coventry University and Unipart Manufacturing Group aiming to bring together the best in academia, industry and R&D in a ‘live’ manufacturing environment. This should provide Manufacturing Engineering students opportunities to access modern equipment for advanced manufacturing such as laser systems, robotics, metrology and materials testing/analysis.
- Access to extensive modern facilities in our High Performance Engineering Centre, which houses a 20% scale model wind tunnel, composites lab, metrology lab, four-pot shaker rig, flow lab, AVL engine test cell, automotive workshop, fatigue and tensile testing (Instron), a full size Harrier Jet, three further simulators, civil engineering specialist testing equipment, a range of Computerised Numeric Control (CNC) machinery and a laser workshop.
- Free student membership of WES, the Women’s Engineering Society which, is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity society open to all regardless of gender identity.
Our main study themes are:
- Science and Technology: the essential underpinning science and technology necessary for today’s engineer.
- Design and Manufacture: the innovative resolution of design and manufacture problems focused on commercially viable solutions.
- Manufacturing Analysis: on successful completion you should have learn to use industry standard software to model, analyse and validate process and systems.
- Sustainability: the course aims to give an understanding of the need for ethical approaches in manufacturing industries and protecting the environment with respect to manufacturing engineering processes and management.
- Practical: investigation and analysis using laboratory, workshop and computer-based techniques. You will also apply your learning to real, ‘live’ industrial projects throughout the Manufacturing Engineering degree course as part of the ‘Faculty on the Factory Floor’ initiative, a remit of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering.
This course can be studied full-time over three years for BEng and four years for MEng. You may extend this by one further ‘sandwich’ year if you choose to spend a year on placement or studying abroad between Years two and three.*
Our courses are based on a series lectures, with tutorial sessions, associated practice, laboratory exercises and workshop exercises at both Unipart and the University. These exercises aim to provide practical, hands-on project work, designed to help solve ‘real-life’ manufacturing issues at Unipart’s manufacturing facility. Previously, students have optimised product lines and made them more efficient, for example, or analysed defects to find the root cause and proposed cost-effective ways of avoiding defective components.
The commitment and involvement of the Unipart Manufacturing Group in the design and operation of this programme aims to ensure a strong focus on developing graduates capable of performing with contemporary and demanding manufacturing environments. Within the Institute, we aim for you to be able to familiarise yourself with manufacturing equipment that mirrors current production machinery and manufacturing processes and anticipates future production capability.
There is a strong industrial context throughout the programme with the use of real-world examples. Previous examples have included the new fuel rail for Ford’s incredibly efficient Fox engine or the weight reduction project for an Aston Martin exhaust system.
Coventry University has a strong portfolio of industry-related research around sustainable manufacturing, composite material research and low carbon vehicles. Our innovative ‘Activity-Led Learning’ approach means you will be given opportunities to work with Lecturers, Professors and Unipart staff on real-world problems from industry, commerce and research groups, as you would in professional practice. This should enable you to develop professional skills at the same time as learning the technical content of your degree.
Such work may involve manufacturing prototypes with 3D-printing, reverse engineering of current and past products using 3d scanning to create engineering data and geometry to produce design models, which can then be used through CAM software to generate CNC machining programs, ready to produce physical products.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any field trip, event, placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Throughout your 3-Year BEng or 4-Year MEng degree, you will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include coursework, tests, essays, formal examinations, group work, practical or project work and presentations/posters.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.
On successful completion of the course, you will have gained knowledge of:
- The function, materials, manufacture, manufacturing processes and technologies and assembly of a wide range of engineering products.
- The principles of engineering science and mathematics and their application to design, production, use and service of a broad-range of manufactured products.
- Design principles for products and systems that meet technological and business market requirements and constraints.
- Operations management, product planning/control methods and quality techniques at different levels of factory and supply chain hierarchy.
- Sustainable engineering, business and knowledge management practices within a global context.
- Engineering management of people, processes and projects (at tactical and strategic levels) to ensure business success.
Upon successful completion, you will be able to:
- Model and analyse innovative engineering systems using appropriate engineering science and mathematical modelling techniques, including computer-based techniques.
- Synthesise solutions to iterative and innovative engineering design problems.
- Independently research topics, evaluating new knowledge to determine new or novel information that contributes effectively to solving engineering problems.
- Justify engineering and commercial decisions for product or operational choices within complex engineering systems across the product lifecycle.
- Operate effectively and safely a range of manufacturing related technologies or projects within an industrial context.
- Use commercial software in the evaluation of problems and in the determination and optimisation of solutions.
- Work effectively and constructively within project teams.
- Research and investigate problems individually, generating and justifying approach, analysis, solution and final recommendation to a practical engineering problem.
Actual teaching contact hours will vary depending on the level of study and the requirements of a particular semester. In a typical week your contact hours will be divided amongst personal tutorials; medium group teaching in tutorial sessions, lab sessions and workshops; and large group teaching, lectures. In addition, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study, approximately 16-20 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules. The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, studying the 3-year BEng degree programme and for the first 3 years of the MEng degree programme, it is likely to be around 23 contact hours per week in the first year, around 20 contact hours in the second year, and around 19 hours in the final (third for MEng) year. In the fourth year of the MEng degree programme, you will have around 15 contact hours per week, as you become a more independent learner.
The University is committed to providing a global educational experience and we aim to provide opportunities to participate in a number of collaborative projects*. Recent first-year students visited the Warsaw University of Technology in Poland to undertake workshop and computer aided manufacturing skills in an overseas environment. Others have taken part in a collaborative project developing universal healthcare solutions working with the University’s Occupational Therapy students alongside six other institutions from around Europe, participating in international innovation and creativity programmes in Ruse, Bulgaria and Hasselt, Belgium.
We organise a range of overseas field trips*, which have previously included: test work at the GM proving ground; a tour of the Ford F150 factory in Detroit, USA; a tour of Hirata, a Japanese Tier 1 automotive supplier for Ford, Chrysler and GM; participation on a certificated training course with Altair on Inspire; and visits to Mahle Powertrain, the University of Michigan and Chrysler Building.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any field trip, event, placement or study abroad opportunity and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2018/19, we were able to provide a total of 5,469 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
What our students say...
There are also lots of life skills you pick up. One of which is the ability to work in a team with contrasting characters – this is often overlooked and shouldn’t be.
This is something that AME teaches you day in day out, as your team changes every term to approach a new challenge. The ability evolves each time so it challenges you to deal with scenarios you wouldn’t otherwise be presented with until you are in work.
Entry Requirements
What our students say...
There are also lots of life skills you pick up. One of which is the ability to work in a team with contrasting characters – this is often overlooked and shouldn’t be.
This is something that AME teaches you day in day out, as your team changes every term to approach a new challenge. The ability evolves each time so it challenges you to deal with scenarios you wouldn’t otherwise be presented with until you are in work.
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
For more information, please visit our Finance pages.
Course essentials at no extra cost
We're committed to communicating study costs clearly to make sure you're not faced with having to make any unexpected payments.
This is why our ‘Flying Start’ package provides you with a few course essentials. Your full-time fee for an undergraduate degree will cover the following:
Course essentials - additional costs
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.
This course may incur additional costs associated with any equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire.
Following successful completion of academic Year 1, students are expected to cover their own travel expenses to the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) on the Unipart site in academic years 2 and 3 of the BEng and 4 of the MEng.
Please note:
- Following successful completion of academic year one, students are expected to cover their own travel expenses to the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) on the Unipart site in academic years two, three of the BEng and four of the MEng
- Overseas field trips, placement opportunities and/or study abroad may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and meeting appropriate visa requirements.
EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
What our students say...
There are also lots of life skills you pick up. One of which is the ability to work in a team with contrasting characters – this is often overlooked and shouldn’t be.
This is something that AME teaches you day in day out, as your team changes every term to approach a new challenge. The ability evolves each time so it challenges you to deal with scenarios you wouldn’t otherwise be presented with until you are in work.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Manufacturing companies of the future will be looking to capitalise on robotics/cobotics, intelligent systems, big data, analytics and more. Pay is not only increasing, but base graduate salaries are also higher in manufacturing on average than in other areas – currently at around £29K on average for manufacturing engineering graduates.
Our partnership with the Unipart Manufacturing Group aims to ensure this course is highly vocational in nature, designed to produce ‘industry ready’ graduates, who, on successful completion of this course, are prepared for any role they obtain in industry.
We aim for you to graduate with a comprehensive knowledge of a range of manufacturing principles, having the opportunity to learn the skills needed to apply new technologies to the solution of manufacturing problems in an industry environment.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university’s Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Where our graduates work
Our course aims to provides a route into many careers within the global engineering industry, including: manufacturing, project or process engineering; process planning; scheduling and control; logistics; and supply chain management.
Recent graduates on similar courses have gone on to secure roles as manufacturing engineers or consultant engineers with companies such as Rolls Royce or Atkins Global.
What our students say...
I have a friend doing electrical engineering and the first time he will go into a factory setting is in his third year - if he does a placement. But I am here twice a week.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
