Undergraduate study
     

Engineering

BEng (Hons) Instrumentation and Control Engineering

  • Length: 3 years full-time study or 4 years with work placement
  • Typical offer: 280 tariff points
  • Also available part-time
 

You would be hard pressed to go an entire day without encountering something which involves a sensor, instrument, computer or control system for automation designed and created by an engineer.

From everyday items such as traffic lights or automatic doors, to more complex systems like satellites, space shuttles and nuclear power plants, the uses for instrumentation and control technology are virtually endless.

Learn the intricacies of digital electronics and microprocessors, networks and
linear control to create dynamic engineering systems which have a range of applications.

Graduates can seek careers in a wide range of industries, such as oil and gas, manufacturing and environmental agencies.

According to information provided by www.prospects.ac.uk (2011) the range of typical starting graduate salaries for electronics/electrical graduates are £18,000-£29,000, with chartered electronics/electrical engineers earning typically between £35,000 and £50,000, with highly experienced engineers earning £65,000 plus. Salaries vary considerably according to location, the size of the employing organisation and the nature of its business.

This, along with a year-long placement in industry, which gives your learning a practical focus, ensures you are in a great position to enter the job market at the end of your studies.

What you study

Year 1 provides a broad foundation to the subject area. Year 2 provides more advanced study and introduces more discipline-related subjects and your final year provides advanced study and allows you to specialise further in instrumentation and control or to extend your knowledge into electrical engineering.

How you learn

You are expected to attend a range of lectures, small-group tutorials and hands-on laboratory sessions. Part of your course also involves a substantial research-based project.

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. 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.

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

Engineering Council accredited degree This degree has been 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

To enter Year 1, you're expected to have GCSE English (grade C or above) and good grades in maths and physics or a related subject at Level 3 (for example A level, BTEC ND, ACCESS, IB). We consider advanced entry directly into Year 2 if you have good grades in a Level 4 or 5 qualification (for example HNC, HND) in a related subject.

You're normally invited for an interview, when you can also see our excellent facilities and meet staff and students. You then receive an individual offer. If you can't come for an interview, a typical offer might be 280 tariff points including at least grade C or merit in Level 3 mathematics and a physics-related subject.

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Modules

Instrumentation and Control Engineering

Year 1 core modules

Year 2 core modules

Final-year core modules

Non-credit bearing optional modules

  • A foreign language: German, French, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin)
  • In-sessional Academic English (for international students)
  • Professional Mentoring

You may select one or more of these modules.

Modules offered may vary.