Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with Project Management Lancaster University, UK

This programme is designed for engineers who wish to advance their skills and knowledge to a level appropriate for a professional engineer at the cutting-edge of their profession. You will learn through a variety of techniques to gain a combination of technical, managerial and personal skills, and will be provided with opportunities to develop and practice them.

You will study four technical modules and three management modules, one of which is project based. This combination enables you to see engineering projects at three levels: the detailed technical level, the higher project level and the upper business/strategic level.

For the technical modules we offer a wide variety of options which allow you to customise your studies to suit your interests. The technical content is driven by our research and contact with industrial partners and is continually evolving. The management modules will equip you with the tools and techniques to plan, manage and close an engineering project and allow you to understand the interrelationships between decisions, teams and objectives. The modules also show how projects and project management relate to broader business and strategic situations.

The final element of the programme gives the opportunity to apply and deepen the technical and managerial skills by applying them together in two real projects proposed by commercial/industrial collaborators.
The first of these is a 3-week industry-linked group project. This is usually a problem-solving or design type problem that the company has proposed. Teams are formed from across all Engineering MSc programmes and thus include different types of engineers. It is an ideal opportunity to practice and develop communication skills (within the group and with clients), team working, project management and technical skills appropriate to the problem.

The second is the major individual project. This is an opportunity to undertake a longer project in conjunction with an industrial collaborator and with one-to-one supervision from a specialist within the Department. If you would prefer to have a more research-based project not involving industrial collaboration that may also be possible. These projects are an opportunity to develop more specialist understanding in a particular field and have led to employment for some graduates in the past. Recent project examples include:

• Design of active noise control systems inside the automobile cabin
• Preplaced metal deposition for surface repair
• Assessment of regenerative braking in electric-powered two-wheeled vehicles
• Vehicle stability control system – compensation for the change in vehicle wheelbase
• Modelling and development of loudspeaker cabinet materials