Design Engineering Research MRes

Program Overview

The Imperial College London MRes in Design Engineering Research is a one-year program that equips students with the research skills to solve societal challenges through a transdisciplinary approach. Core modules focus on design engineering practice, transdisciplinary mixed methods research, modeling and simulation. Graduates are well-positioned for PhD studies or industrial research roles in the field of design engineering.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MRes in Design Engineering Research is a one-year, full-time program offered by the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London. It aims to equip students with the core research skills needed to solve societal challenges through a transdisciplinary approach. The program focuses on developing students' abilities to:

• Apply core research skills needed to solve societal challenges
• Take a transdisciplinary research approach to evaluating design engineering research problems
• Create new insights, build their research profile, and communicate their work with relevant stakeholders

Outline:

• Foundational Transdisciplinary Research Methods: This module teaches the basics of transdisciplinary mixed methods research (tMM), which includes objective and subjective assessments of problems and bridges domains of natural/biomedical sciences and the social/human sciences.
• Modelling and Simulation: This module teaches how numeric simulations can be applied to problems in Design Engineering (and some problems selected from physical, biological, and social sciences).
It covers numeric underpinning, chaos, and game theory with a range of applications that will give early career researchers a window into the variety of tools available to them.

Optional Modules:

Students choose two optional modules from a list of exciting options offered in the Autumn and Spring terms. At least one of these optional modules must be FHEQ level 7.

Autumn Term (FHEQ Level 7):

• Design Psychology
• Design Analytics for the Sharing Economy
• Distributed Ledger Technologies
• From Data to Product
• Nano Design Engineering
• Responsible Engineering and Design Innovation
• Robotics Research Projects
• Sensing and Internet of Things

Spring Term (FHEQ Level 7):

• Transformational Play
• Design for Additive Manufacturing
• Design of Visual Systems
• Inferential Statistics and Causal Reasoning
• Sustainable Design and Strategy

Spring Term (FHEQ Level 6):

• Advanced Industrial Design
• Audio Experience Design
• Designing Interventions for Behaviour Change
• Economics and Finance for Systems Design
• Games Theory and Mechanism Design
• Machine Learning for Design Engineers

Research Project:

Students undertake a significant independent investigation of a research topic. They critically evaluate the state-of-the-art literature, create research plans to test a hypothesis, apply suitable research techniques (qualitative/quantitative), and robustly evaluate the results in an ethical manner. Research topics span global, contextual, systemic, and performance challenges, with thematic areas including AI and data, sustainable growth, future mobility, and health and aging.

Assessment:

The program uses a combination of assessment methods, including:

• Coursework: 77%
• Project work: 14%
• Exams: 9%
Specific assessment methods include:
• Coursework
• Project work
• Research dissertation
• Individual and group reports
• Exams
• Viva voce

Teaching:

The program employs a variety of teaching and learning methods, including:

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Presentations
• Project-based learning
• Virtual learning environment
• Team-based activities
• Lab work
• Independent Study
• Flipped learning
• Skill workshops

Careers:

Graduates from the MRes in Design Engineering Research are well-placed for onwards study for a PhD or industrial research roles. The program lead is Dr Billy Wu, and the course director is Dr Freddie Page.

Home fee:

£17,600 Your fee is based on the year you enter the College, not your year of study.

Which fee you pay

Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. The government has not yet published the loan amount for students starting courses in Autumn 2024. As a guide, the maximum value of the loan was £12,167 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2023. The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.