Mechanical engineering is a diverse and multi-faceted discipline, so we use a wide range of teaching and learning methods. These are designed to fully engage apprentices, helping them to develop the skills, knowledge, self-awareness and behaviours essential to become an Incorporated Engineer (IEng), with particular reference to your organisation and their place within it. Learning focuses on your workplace environment, and works towards building the transferable body of knowledge and skills demanded to achieve IEng status, and apply this expertise within your organisation. Your apprentices will spend approximately 80% of their time in the workplace, with the other 20% of their time being devoted to off-the-job training and university learning.

Formal timetabled classes, including lectures, tutorials and tutor-led in-class exercises, along with case studies, laboratories, investigations and assignments, in groups and individually, are designed to help apprentices acquire and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. Our personal tutor system underpins all our teaching activities and provides one-on-one support, peer support and individual care and attention.

Other teaching methods, such as open-ended projects and design, make and test activities, provide opportunities to develop creativity and innovation skills. These are designed to meet the professional body accreditation requirements, as well as help apprentices to apply, assimilate and integrate their understanding of the course material. Personal study time is required, along with online learning in the form of maintaining an electronic Personal Development Plan (ePDP). As your apprentices progress through the programme, their studies will become less structured and more open-ended in nature as they develop as independent learners.

Your organisation will need to provide each apprentice with a workplace mentor to support their development. They will also benefit from regular visits from a University tutor. The workplace mentor, University tutor and apprentice will work together to create the individual learning plan required to progress the apprentice’s professional body membership.

For the degree element of this programme, we assess each apprentice’s individual performance through a strategic blend of project or design reports, examinations, portfolios, presentations, blogs and other assignments. Some assessments contribute to their final module marks, while others are designed to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses, and where they need to seek extra support from course tutors. In addition to the assessments associated with the degree programme, apprentices will undertake an end point assessment at the end of the apprenticeship period.

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up to date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.