| Unit name | Design Project |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CADEM0015 |
| Credit points | 60 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Toumpanaki |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
You will develop industry-led skills and integrate your knowledge throughout the MSc programme in a real-world civil engineering project. It aims to reflect real-life conditions in an engineering company and demonstrate how research is embedded in design. You will work in groups of 4-6, depending on your preferred pathway. Your group will be supervised by an academic and industrial supervisor, who will guide the development of a project from concept to detailed design, with a holistic approach covering technical, social, economic, and environmental aspects. You will critically analyse different design solutions, plan and manage a design project effectively, and select and apply appropriate computational and analytical techniques to model complex problems. The outcome will be a complete design solution that can be added to your portfolio. You will work effectively in a diverse and inclusive team and reflect on your personal development.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
You will apply the knowledge and skills acquired from the taught component. The unit will focus on design and project management skills, personal development, and employability skills, building on the analytical and problem-solving skills acquired throughout the course. You will engage in a practical lab activity based on your pathway, focusing on applied research for your design solution.
Your learning on this unit (previously called Intended Learning Outcomes)
An overview of content
You will develop within a group a basic brief provided by the industry or an academic. Your group will meet regularly with the academic and industrial supervisor assigned to the project and receive guidance and prompt feedback in developing your design solutions. For specific specialist topics in the detailed design, you will be signposted to an appropriate academic for additional guidance. There is no taught content for the unit, and you will rely on self-learning and integrating skills acquired throughout the MSc programme. Selective lectures will highlight the next steps and milestones in the design procedure. You will undertake a lab activity based on your pathway that informs the detailed design. You will select an aspect of the final design solution to develop further and research independently. You will also submit a Personal Development Plan reflecting on your goals and achievements along with the individual coursework submission.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will develop practical skills applicable to actual professional workflows. You will build confidence in planning and managing a project from concept to detailed design and be equipped for a smooth transition to Industry. You will implement and develop transferable and employability skills, including problem-solving, decision-making, self-awareness, self-learning, time management, creativity, critique, research, adaptability, communication, collaboration, and personal development. Overall, you will acquire critical skills appropriate for the professional qualification of a Chartered Engineer.
This unit offers a chance to enhance and apply a versatile set of skills, including collaboration, self-awareness, self-reflection, self-management, creative design, research, analysis, critique, and evaluation.
Learning Outcomes
Projects will be researched, developed, and produced under the guidance of one academic and industrial supervisor. They will be interactive, collaborative, problem-based, reflective, and linked to industry.
The individual coursework will provide the opportunity for in-depth analysis, inquiry-based research, and improvement of a specific aspect of the final design solution, facilitating self-directed independent learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Regular supervision meetings with the academic and industrial supervisor will guide you and point you to appropriate resources. Selective lectures/tutorials will prepare you to identify the next steps and key milestones and plan your time effectively. The group poster session planned as the first assessment point will provide an opportunity for feedback from a group of academic and industrial supervisors and peer students. Teaching assistants and technical staff will guide you in completing the lab activity and processing the data.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The group reports and poster session will include peer evaluation which will inform the final individual student marks if the contribution of the team members is not even. A colour coding scheme will be used in each assignment to identify individual contributions.
When assessment does not go to plan
If a group fails the combined joint components (poster, lab, and final report), they will have to resubmit all the failed group components.
If following the peer assessment and marks moderation, it is decided that a single student fails the joint components, they will have to retake the unit. We would enable the student resitting to undertake further individual development and critique of their group’s original submission, highlighting areas for improvement and development using knowledge and understanding from the taught components. The resubmission components would be as above, but all individual.
If a student fails the individual coursework but passes the group components resulting in an overall mark of both the individual and group components below the pass mark, they will have to resubmit the individual coursework only.
If a student fails both the individual and group components, they will have to retake the unit.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CADEM0015).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
