Course Catalogue

The M.Eng. programme in Mechanical & Marine Engineering fulfils all the educational requirements for Chartered Engineer status. It is designed to develop a high level of technical expertise together with the emotional intelligence to be able to practice successfully as a professional engineer in a modern interdisciplinary engineering environment. Graduate engineers are increasingly expected to take on important technical leadership and management responsibilities early in their careers and the knowledge and skills gained from this programme are designed to produce graduates who are able to make an immediate contribution to their employers organisations. The programme aims to: - Develop students transferable skills and professional behavioural traits above those associated with a M.Eng graduate that will allow students that complete the programme to hold responsible technical and managerial roles within a range of mechanical & marine engineering and associated industries. - Deliver the educational experience in which students can develop their knowledge of engineering science, core engineering principles and fundamental underpinning subjects such as mathematics and computation. - Develop students confidence to analyse challenging technical problems and to further develop their core engineering knowledge and skills through the investigation and development of credible and robust solutions. - Provide students with appropriate support and encouragement to develop the necessary skills such that they can study independently and take responsibility for their own learning and subsequent professional development. - Provide engineering graduates with a range of highly relevant transferable skills such as team working, communication, management, problem solving, computing and technical computing. - Provide a programme of study that fully meets the requirements of the Engineering Councils UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UKSpec) and qualifies the successful graduate for the attainment of the Engineering Council Chartered Engineer status after completion of an appropriate period of industrial experience. - Produce graduates with an increased depth, breadth of knowledge and understanding of mechanical & marine engineering, management and teamwork to enable them to rapidly assume technical leadership and management roles. - Encourage students to fully engage with the World of Work programme, including World of Work Skills Certificate and, as a first step towards this, to complete Bronze (Self Awareness) Statement. - For students undertaking a placement year the aim is to provide students with an extended period of work experience at an approved partner that will complement their programme of study at LJMU. This will give the students the opportunity to develop professional skills relevant to their programme of study, as well as attitude and behaviours necessary for employment in a diverse and changing environment. The programme is currently accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and meets the requirements of the Engineering Councils 'UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence' (UKSpec).

Acquisition of underpinning knowledge is achieved mainly through lectures and directed student-centred learning. Student-centred learning is used where appropriate resource material is available. Understanding is reinforced through case-studies. Testing of the knowledge base is through a combination of unseen written examinations, coursework in the form of case-study reports and coursework assignment submissions. The student must appreciate the social, environmental, ethical, economic and commercial considerations affecting the exercise of their engineering judgment. They must be able to comprehend the broad picture and thus work with an appropriate level of detail. Acquisition of Intellectual skills is achieved mainly through lectures and directed student-centred learning. Student-centred learning is used where appropriate resource material is available. Understanding is reinforced through case-studies. Engineering Analysis, Design and Practical Skills are developed through a combination of lectures, tutorials, practical as appropriate. Fundamental principles are delivered predominantly by lectures and laboratory classes. More advanced techniques such as computational techniques are delivered by project work supported by a small number of lectures. Engineering Analysis, Engineering Design and Practical Skills are assessed through a combination of assessed coursework, laboratory work, practicals and project work. Design skills are assessed by individual and group written design project reports, student presentations and presentations using computer graphics. The student must have developed transferable skills that will be of value in a wide range of situations. These are exemplified by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Higher Level Key Skills and include problem solving, communication, and working with others, as well as the effective use of general IT facilities and information retrieval skills. They also include planning self-learning and improving performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD. Assessment of transferable skills is varied throughout the programme but is mostly coursework based and incorporated in many key engineering modules.

Students are encouraged to undertake a year's industrial placement between Level 5 and 6. There is a further opportunity to undertake summer placements between academic years to gain valuable industrial experience. There are also opportunities to complete industrially based projects via individual engineering projects at Level 6 and 7, and group engineering project module at Level 7. This work experience will help develop understanding of the world of work environment suitable for the programme and increase a student's professional practical skills.