Design Engineering BEng

Program Overview

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Design Engineering BEng

Why choose Design Engineering BEng at Middlesex?

Learn core design capabilities, engineering design methods and project management skills to build your own prototypes. Then evaluate and optimise your design for manufacturing.

Get to grips with the latest digital systems and software being in use for design engineering. Guided by guest lecturers and experienced engineers and designers you will receive support to build your own professional portfolio and network with the industry.

Develop your skills and professional competencies by working on live projects for real clients through our unique link with redLoop, Middlesex’s design and innovation centre or secure a year-long industry placement.

What you will gain

This design engineering degree will prepare you to become a professional design engineer. You will have gained the hands-on skills and experience to carry out engineering projects including formulating, modelling and prototyping.

You'll be able to meet the challenges and opportunities in both the industrial and commercial fields of design engineering. The project-led nature of this course will also help you develop the confident interpersonal and communication skills, problem-solving and teamwork skills required by the industry.

You will gain a range of practical skills and knowledge required for design engineering including:

• The confidence to develop and implement modern technologies relevant to products and systems
• Learning to communicate ideas effectively
• You will fully engage with the design process
• Creating Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models and physical models and prototypes
• How to apply engineering design techniques to develop innovative systems, components, or processes taking into account a selection of commercial and industrial constraints and requirements
• You will gain leadership qualities, management skills, and confidence in your work through individual and group projects.

Accreditations

Our degree is seeking re-accreditation by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED). Meeting the requirements of the IED will mean this degree will fully meet the academic standards of Chartered Engineer (CEng), which enables you to apply for CEng status after gaining suitable experience in an engineering role.

What you will learn

This course will develop your problem-solving and design skills through practical projects and hands-on laboratory sessions.

You will learn the knowledge and skills needed to solve real-world technical engineering problems. Through various projects, tasks and challenges you will gain a solid background in the design, implementation, and maintenance of industry-used software and hardware components. You will also learn evaluation and optimisation techniques and apply them in practice.

Our weekly guest lectures give you the chance to enhance your industry knowledge and build contacts with some of the industry’s leading experts and companies. They will also give you the help, advice and feedback you need to start building your professional portfolio while you study.

Our north London location gives you access to industry contacts, work experience opportunities and the chance to showcase your work at design engineering competitions. You will also have the option to get a feel for the industry with a paid, year-long work placement.

You will extend your learning, skills and experience by:

• Entering prestigious design engineering competitions to enhance their experience and career prospects
• A series of weekly guest lectures delivered by some of the UK's leading design experts and companies
• Using the latest digital systems and software including STEP-7, NX, LabVIEW, MATLAB and SolidWorks.

3 great reasons to pick this course

• Top 2 in London
• Training material provided by leading industry partners
• Exciting career-enhancing opportunities

Part-time study

Study at your own pace alongside work and other commitments and get the skills and knowledge you need to progress in your career.

When choosing a part-time course, you will study the same modules as the full-time course but over a longer period.

About your course

The course is meticulously designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful career in the dynamic field of design engineering. Over three years, you will engage in a carefully structured curriculum that blends theoretical foundations with practical applications. This course ensures you graduate as a well-rounded design engineer, ready to tackle the challenges and innovations of the future engineering.

Year 1 overview

In year one, you will lay the groundwork and will learn essential mathematical techniques, be introduced to the fundamental instruments of design with focus on the intersection of hardware and software and receive broad understanding of engineering methodologies.

Year 2 overview

Year two deepens your technical expertise and practical skills with courses enhancing your proficiency in modern manufacturing techniques, covering the essential components of automated systems where you will bring your designs to life, and examining the broader societal and environmental implications of engineering projects.

Year 3 overview

In the final year, you will focus on advanced topics and professional readiness. Modules will encourage you to explore new frontiers in engineering, teach you to leverage sophisticated software for design and analysis, and finally culminate your studies with a major project that integrates all you have learned, preparing you for the professional world.

Teaching and learning

Teaching

You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience. The course has a strong project-based focus and is taught using an active practice-based teaching approach. You'll learn and develop your skills by attending practice-based workshop sessions combining interactive theoretical discussions with seminars and hands-on laboratory activities. You'll also develop your skills through design projects, simulation and testing, problem-solving activities, modelling tools to industry-standard hardware prototyping, technical presentations and thorough report and project writing.

How you'll learn

You will gain knowledge and understanding through a dynamic mix of teaching, learning and assessment strategies, designed to actively engage you and enhance your comprehension. The educational context is enriched with staff-led interactive sessions, complemented by hands-on laboratory activities, crucial for reinforcing theoretical knowledge through practice-led experiments and simulations.

Assessments

This course is 100% coursework.

Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed by means of a wide variety of assessment techniques, including interactive assignments such as presentations, formal report writing and structured dialogues in the form of portfolios.

Facilities and support

Course facilities

Our dedicated facilities in the Ritterman and Hatchcroft Buildings are equipped with industry-standard equipment in mechatronics, robotics, electronics, and networking solutions.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Careers

Careers

How can the Design Engineering BEng support your career?

This course opens the door to a variety of career options from generic engineering or associated automation industries such as robotics and mechatronics within the UK, as well as to Europe and the overseas market.

The course holds accreditation from the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED). Upon completion, students can pursue Chartered Engineer (CEng) status after further study at level 7 and gaining relevant engineering experience.

You will be encouraged to enter prestigious design engineering competitions to enhance their experience and career prospects, such as all Year-1 students entering the annual IMechE Design Challenge. Our dedicated facilities in the Ritterman and Hatchcroft Buildings are equipped with industry-standard equipment in mechatronics, robotics, electronics, and networking solutions.

We encourage you to develop a commercial approach to engineering via supported live projects with industrial partners. You could be working in a variety of sectors from manufacturing to agriculture, transport healthcare and defence to space exploration.

Graduate job roles

Here are just a few examples of the types of careers you could pursue after graduating with us:

• Design and development engineer
• CAD technician/officer for BIM or PD
• Electrical engineer
• Mechanical engineer

Graduate employers

As a BEng (Hons) Design Engineering graduate, you will have excellent career prospects with a variety of career options from generic design engineering to associated automation industries as well as design and development roles. Some of our graduates have gone on to work at Titan Motorsport, Ashridge Engineering, Tevva eTrucks, etc., or have started their businesses in engineering. Some of the job titles are Design & Development Engineer, Design Engineer (Mechanical), CAD/CAE Engineer, etc. Some graduates have also chosen to continue further study where this degree will provide a strong foundation such as Engineering Management.

Transferable skills

• Problem-solving – think critically and creatively in order to find solutions that are both effective and efficient
• Communication – explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise way
• Teamwork – collaborating effectively with others in order to achieve common goals.
• Leadership – to motivate and inspire others, and to make sound decisions under pressure.

Placements

Students in the Thick Sandwich mode take a placement (36 to 48 weeks) at the end of year two. A dedicated employability advisor from MDXworks, our Careers and Employability Service, helps in the search for an appropriate employer and provides you with appropriate placement. They also provide you with appropriate guidance and support in preparation for, during and after placement. The placement forms the basis for an assessed report based on the organisation. At the start of the placement, you are allocated an individual supervisor who provides support and advice for the duration of the project.

On completion of the placement on thick sandwich mode you will receive an additional qualification referred to as a Diploma of Industrial Studies.

Entry requirements

Qualifications

UCAS Points

• 112 UCAS points with 32 in a numerate subject or Engineering

A-Level

• BBC including a C or above from a numerate subject or physics

BTEC

• DMM in a numerate or science subject

Access requirements

• Overall pass: must include 45 credits at level 3, of which all 45 must be at Merit or higher

Combinations

• A combination of A-Level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 112 UCAS points with 32 in a numerate subject or Engineering

We’ll always be as flexible as possible and take into consideration any barriers you may have faced in your learning. And, if you don’t quite get the grades you hoped for, we’ll also look at more than your qualifications. Things like your work experience, other achievements and your personal statement.

Our entry requirements page outlines how we make offers where we have given a range (e.g. BBB – BBC in A levels), and how we’ll make you an offer if you are studying a combination of qualifications (e.g. BTEC and A level).

We'll accept T Levels for entry onto our undergraduate degree courses (including our extended courses with a foundation year) with standard application of science requirements and GCSEs in line with UCAS tariff calculation.

Foundation year

If you don't meet the entry requirements, why not consider our Computing and Engineering course to help you prepare for the full degree?

Mature students (over 21)

We welcome applications from mature candidates, including those without formal qualifications, provided you can demonstrate relevant experience and ability.

Academic credit

If you have a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND, or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex University course in year two or three. Find out how you can transfer courses.

If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.

Interviews

You won’t be required to attend an interview for this course.

Fees

Fees

The fees below are for the 2025/26 academic year:

UK students1

Full-time: £9,535*

Part-time: £79 per taught credit

*Depending on the duration of your study, your tuition fees for subsequent academic years may be subject to further inflationary increases (most recently, the UK government has suggested that increases may be linked to the All-Items Retail Prices Index – RPIX) in line with any additional rise in the tuition fee cap set by the UK government.

As a part of our commitment to an excellent student offer at Middlesex University, we pledge to invest the additional money from tuition fee increases into the student experience, and we are consulting at present on what these improvements will be and will follow up with further details

International students2

Full-time students: £16,600

Additional costs

The following study tools are included in your fees:

• Free access to the resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
• Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
• Free printing for academic paperwork
• Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.

Scholarships and bursaries

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:

• MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
• Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
• Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Based on the current fee, for a typical three-year degree, the total costs for your studies will be £28,605.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

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Overview

The Design Engineering BEng program at Middlesex University is a three-year full-time program designed to equip students with the hands-on skills and knowledge needed to design, develop, and manufacture products using industry-standard design and build technologies. The program emphasizes practical experience, project-based learning, and engagement with industry professionals. Students will develop expertise in various engineering disciplines, including design principles, modeling techniques, rapid prototyping, and manufacturing processes.

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Objectives:

• Provide students with a solid foundation in design engineering principles and methodologies.
• Develop their practical skills through hands-on projects, workshops, and laboratory work.
• Foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork abilities.
• Equip graduates with the technical knowledge and industry experience necessary for a successful career in design engineering.

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Description:

The Design Engineering BEng program combines academic rigor with practical application, preparing students for various design-related careers. Through its unique focus on the design process, the program encourages students to explore design concepts, principles, and their applications in real-world scenarios. Students gain valuable skills in computer-aided design (CAD) modeling, prototyping, evaluation, and optimization techniques. The program utilizes industry-standard software and equipment, providing students with hands-on experience that mirrors real-world industry practices. Guest lectures by prominent design experts and engineers further enrich student learning and provide valuable industry insights.

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Key Features:

• Strong emphasis on practical skills and hands-on experience.
• Project-based learning and industry-aligned curriculum.
• Guest lectures by leading industry experts.
• Access to state-of-the-art design and innovation facilities.
• Career-oriented focus, preparing students for the workforce.

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Outline:

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Program Content and Structure:

The Design Engineering BEng program utilizes a project-based learning approach, focusing on developing students' design, problem-solving, and communication skills. The program comprises three years of full-time study, with each year having a specific focus and learning outcomes. Students progress through a carefully planned curriculum that covers both theoretical foundations and practical applications in design engineering.

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Year 1:

• Introduces fundamental concepts and principles of design engineering.
• Develops core skills in areas like modeling, prototyping, and electronics.
• Provides a strong foundation in engineering mathematics and computer programming.

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Year 2:

• Enhances specialization in areas like control systems, computer-aided engineering, and design engineering projects.
• Furthers expertise in design principles, modeling and simulation techniques.
• Encourages student collaboration on real-world design projects.

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Year 3:

• Culminates in a major project where students apply acquired knowledge and skills to a complex design challenge.
• Focuses on system design, validation, and optimization, reflecting industry practice.
• Enables students to showcase their design capabilities and prepare for professional careers.

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Course Schedule:

The Design Engineering BEng program typically involves 12-15 hours of lectures, seminars, and laboratory sessions spread across four days each week. This format provides a balanced mix of theoretical learning and practical application. Students also engage in independent learning activities, such as self-study, research, and project development.

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Module Descriptions:

The program consists of various modules that cover specific topics and skill sets within design engineering. Here are descriptions of some core modules:

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Major Project:

Provides students with an opportunity to undertake a self-directed design project, applying and showcasing their accumulated knowledge and skills in a complex engineering design challenge.

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Assessment methods include:

• Individual and group coursework assignments.
• Laboratory experiments and analysis tasks.
• Practical project demonstrations and reports.
• Seminars and presentations.
• Written examinations (limited).

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Criteria:

Assessments are evaluated based on various criteria, including:

• Technical knowledge and understanding.
• Problem-solving and design ability.
• Creativity and innovation.
• Communication skills.
• Teamwork and collaboration.
• Time management and project planning.

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Feedback:

Students receive regular feedback throughout the program to monitor their progress and identify areas for improvement. Feedback is provided through various channels, including written comments, verbal discussions, and individual consultations with tutors and course leaders.

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Teaching:

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Teaching Methods:

The teaching approach in the Design Engineering BEng program emphasizes active learning, student participation, and project-based activities.

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Teaching methods include:

• Interactive lectures and seminars.
• Hands-on laboratory sessions and workshops.
• Individual and group tutorials.
• Guest lectures and industry expert talks.
• Project work and design challenges.
• Online learning resources and support.

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Faculty:

The program is taught by experienced academic staff with diverse backgrounds and expertise in various design engineering disciplines.

• Emphasis on hands-on learning and practical application.
• Project-based curriculum that mimics real-world design challenges.
• Access to industry-standard equipment and software.
• Guest lectures by leading industry experts.
• Collaborative learning and teamwork opportunities.

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UK students1 Full-time: £9,250 International students2 Full-time students: £16,600