Engineering

• Tuesdays, 9.00am - 9.00pm
• minimum 4 years part time study when entering at year 2 level
• Enrolment date: September
• Admission enquiries: 01642 738800
• E: sse-admissions@tees.ac.uk

Our professionally accredited BEng (Hons) Instrumentation and Control Engineering degree course sets you firmly on the path for high earning potential as a professional engineer. You learn the intricacies of digital electronics and microprocessors, networks and linear control to create dynamic engineering systems which have a range of applications. From everyday items such as traffic lights or automatic doors, to more complex systems like aircraft, satellites and nuclear power plants, the uses for instrumentation and control technology are virtually endless.

The North East is a major centre for industries constantly seeking well-qualified engineering graduates, and this degree programme takes full advantage of the university's location by providing you with significant practical elements and opportunity to engage with industry. Teesside University is a natural choice for students aiming high and seeking a solid base of engineering knowledge and skills from which to climb the career ladder.

The programme is built around a pair of discipline-based threads - measurement systems and control systems. These threads form the basis of the majority of modules that run through all three years of the programme. The other modules, such as the mathematics, skills and project modules, support these threads and provide a more rounded and industrially relevant educational experience.

You can work in a wide range of industries - oil and gas, manufacturing and environmental agencies.

The latest available (2010/11) Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education employability data for Teesside University Instrumentation and Control Engineering graduates showed that 100%^ were in work or further study within six months from graduating.

According to information provided by www.prospects.ac.uk (2011) chartered electronics/electrical engineers earn typically between £35,000 and £50,000, with highly experienced engineers earning £65,000 plus.

What you study

All modules run through the academic year providing the opportunity for in-depth learning and experience of the subject material.

Year 1 modules are designed to provide the required underpinning science and mathematics and a fundamental knowledge of the Instrumentation and Control Engineering disciplines.

Year 2 aims to broaden Instrumentation and Control Engineering knowledge and to expose students to the breadth of the discipline (i.e. electronic signal conditioning, the properties of systems, the fundamentals of control systems, measurement systems, electrical machines, instrumentation system design and embedded systems). The technical modules are supported by mathematics, group-design and management.

The Final Year aims to deepen students’ knowledge in the two main discipline-based threads. A significant part of the final year (50 credits) is dedicated to projects. The individual project requires students to integrate (and hone) the technical, research and employability skills gained in the earlier levels of the programme, whilst the group-project requires students to work in small multidisciplinary groups, on an industrially-focused problem.

How you learn

The objective of the course is to produce graduates who possess a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Instrumentation and Control Engineering and the skills and experience which allow them to analyse complex problems appropriate to Instrumentation or Control Engineering.

The course has been designed to provide a number of contact teaching and assessment hours (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratory work, projects, examinations), but you are also expected to spend time on your own, called ‘self-study’ time, to review lecture notes, prepare coursework assignments, work on projects and revise for assessments. For example, each 20 credit module typically has around 200 hours of “learning time”. In most cases, around 60 hours will be spent in lectures, tutorials and practicals. The remaining learning time is for you to use to gain a deeper understanding of the subject. Each year of full-time study consists of modules totalling 120 credits and each unit of credit corresponds to ten hours of learning and assessment (contact hours plus self-study hours). So, during one year of full-time study you can expect to have 1,200 hours of learning and assessment.

One module in each year of study involves compulsory one-week block delivery periods (Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm), one week in stage 1, two separate weeks in stage 2 and two separate weeks in the final stage. These are intensive problem solving weeks, providing you with an opportunity to focus your attention on particular problems. These weeks are designed to enhance team-working and employability skills.

How you are assessed

Your course involves a range of types of assessment including coursework assignments, laboratory work, presentations and tests.

Professional placements

If you decide to spend your third year on an industrial placement you will have the opportunity to gain relevant professional experience to enhance your technical knowledge which can improve employment prospects. In some cases graduates have gained employment with their placement company.

Professional accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council. Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).

This accredited degree will provide you with the BEng-level underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.

Career opportunities

Instrumentation and Control graduates can be involved in activities such as:

• the design and maintenance of multimillion-pound chemical plants and manufacturing plants
• the development of advanced measurement and control systems
• environmental analysis and monitoring.

They contribute to almost every area of modern manufacturing, service and financial industries. Graduates from this course have found employment worldwide in a range of industrial and contracting companies including ABB, BASF, BNFL, Honeywell, Tioxide, Kavaerner, Sabic and Huntsman.

Entry requirements

If you are considering applying to study this course on a part time basis then please contact the school (email: sse-admissions@tees.ac.uk) to check that the timetable of module delivery suits your personal circumstances. Part time study on this course is best suited to students who are suitably qualified to join this course with advanced standing, entering directly into the second year of the course.

The module delivery structure from year 2 onwards of most Engineering BEng/MEng courses allows students to attend on a day-release basis and should suit most students who are in employment or have other commitments. If however you are seeking to join from the first year of this course then for the first year you may be required to attend at certain times on all days of the week. Hence some students might find joining a HNC course in the first instance better suited to their personal circumstances.

Normally you can join the second year of the course if you have good grades in a Level 4 or 5 qualification such as a HNC, HND of Fd in a closely related subject. Alternative qualifications and relevant experience can also be considered.
If you lack the required qualifications to join the second year of this course then you should consider initially joining a HNC course in this subject. Please refer to our part time course list for available HNC courses.

If you wish to join the first year of this course on a part time study basis then you must meet the minimum year 1 entry requirements of the course. We accept a wide range of qualifications including A Levels, BTEC National Diploma, ACCESS and International Baccalaureate to name just a few. Typically you will be expected to have achieved or expect to achieve at least 280-300 tariff points including good grades such as a grade C/B or Merit/Distinction in the essential Level 3 subjects for this course. The essential Level 3 subjects for this course are physics and mathematics, but other closely related subjects can also be considered.
All students will be expected to have achieved at least a grade C in English at GCSE level, or other equivalent qualification.





^ The percentage shown here is the actual result from respondents who graduated from mechanical engineering degree courses in 2011 and may differ from KIS data which sometimes aggregates data across several years and different courses.

For additional information please see the undergraduate and postgraduate entry requirements in our admissions section

More information

• Engineering
  More information and courses in Engineering