Engineers and entrepreneurs
Successful, wealth-creating industries are increasingly managed by engineers with an appropriately broad education and training. Manufacturing engineers naturally have particular expertise in the design and operation of manufacturing facilities, but increasingly their role is as leaders of multidisciplinary teams.
Manufacturing Engineering gives you a thorough grounding in manufacturing technology and management, together with an understanding of the full range of activities involved from market analysis through product design and production, to sales and distribution, all set firmly within a financial and business context. As well as the engineering and business sides, you also acquire a sound understanding of the human aspects of industry and develop leadership and people skills.
An international emphasis
Towards the end of the course, students are encouraged to organise a voluntary overseas research tour for the whole group to investigate an area of current relevance. Recent projects have looked at how the manufacturing industry is emerging and evolving in countries such as India and China, and the Californian approach to industrial sustainability.
Teaching
Lecture courses (taught papers) provide the academic framework for the subject, and are complemented by project work, industrial visits, a programme of personal and business skills development, as well as projects based at the University and in industry. Successful completion of the programme leads to the award of the BA and MEng degrees.
Additional course costs
The Manufacturing Engineering Tripos (MET) has pioneered the use of tablet-based learning within the University. The MET course adopts a ‘paperless’ approach, with all handouts delivered via Moodle, available before each lecture. Students are expected to have a tablet for lecture download and annotation. The cost of a tablet is between £100-£300. Grants of £100 are available that will cover the cost of a tablet for students who are unable to acquire the device for financial reasons.
Careers
Our graduates are much sought after for demanding jobs, not only in manufacturing but also in other branches of engineering, consultancy and commerce, and indeed a whole range of unrelated fields. They’re equally well placed to start their own companies, having gained a comprehensive understanding of how business works and having acquired contacts within a large number of national and international companies.
