Course overview
You gain a strong foundation in key building services concepts and develop practical skills in designing smart and sustainable building services with emphasis on low carbon emissions, including digital information management, renewable energy, control and intelligent building technology.
You also develop broader skills in management, working in teams, planning and communication.
The course is delivered at Teesside University’s main campus in Middlesbrough, in partnership with Hartlepool College of Further Education.
Course details
Course structure
Year 1 core modules
You develop mathematical knowledge in differential equations and numerical methods and extend your base of techniques to solve a variety of problems which arise in engineering domains. The emphasis is on developing competence in the identification of the most appropriate method to solve a given problem and its subsequent application.
Discover the principles and practices by which efficient and effective electrical and lighting services within buildings are designed, and examine the influences that affect optimum design, under normal and fault conditions. You explore energy efficient lighting, emergency lighting, final and sub-main circuits, fire and alarm systems, photovoltaic systems, all to be designed to meet current regulations.
Develop your knowledge of the design of commercial heating and air-conditioning systems used in a variety of buildings, and your understanding of engineering issues related to the specification, design and operation of low temperature hot water heating systems including heat emitter technologies, component sizing and system selections.
You will study technology, people, policy and process change required to adopt BIM as enabler of the future of construction. 3D visualisation, Virtual Reality, Augmented reality, offsite construction, 3D prototyping and component printing as opportunities for the Construction industry to adopt. You will consider different design processes in the construction industry in the advent of BIM and information as a technological and methodological breakthrough.
Year 2 core modules
Building Energy Performance and Modelling
Explore computer aided design techniques used to analyse the thermal performance of a commercial building, including detailed consideration of the building façade in association with the effects of thermal mass, passive solar control and variations in casual heat gain.
Digital Information Management in Construction
Develop the knowledge and skills to become an information manager, or BIM manager in your future career. You study the methodologies to manage digital BIM based projects for the construction and engineering fields, learning how to create, manage and encourage other users to work within the BIM collaboration space.
Group Project: Planning and Organisation of Construction
You work in teams and develop key skills required to plan and manage civil engineering/construction projects. You consider a problem-solving scenario to identify and evaluate a range of alternative options to meet the Client’s requirements and the project objectives. This includes analysis of site/project constraints, planning process, buildability and sustainability considerations.
You expand your employability skills such as group work, project management and presentation skills to support problem solving in a technical engineering context.
The module features an intensive project week, where you work solely on this group project. Key milestones are set, including progress meetings with tutors acting as clients and, where possible, meetings with professionals involved in the construction industry acting as expert consultants and offering constructive feedback on your proposals.
Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Systems
The demand for energy – to run electrical devices, heat and cool buildings, and maintain industry – continues to grow and places considerable strain on the natural environment. The pressures of supporting economic growth, while seeking to minimise our environmental impact, has driven the research and development of new sources of energy.
You gain the knowledge and skills to implement suitable alternative energy technologies and understand their economic, social and environmental benefits within a broader context.
You cover energy systems, solar power systems, energy conservation, passive solar heating, wind energy, ocean energy technologies, hydro and micro-hydro turbines, geothermal energy, air pollution abatement, carbon dioxide sequestration and carbon trading economics.
Year 3 core modules
Control Engineering and Intelligent Building Technology
You explore heating and air conditioning control applied to building services engineering systems, and develop an understanding of the interaction of control elements and system behaviour. Control strategy is developed through consideration of system objectives and building performance leading to the development of plant and systems schematics. And you gain an understanding of the selection and specification of final control elements, and the appreciation of control characteristics and intelligent control systems.
Engineering Project Management
You develop the knowledge and skills for effective management of projects from conception, through to the design and construction stages, into end user and end-of-life cycles. You study how to manage stakeholders, communication and information sharing. And support different groups to ensure they are working to schedule, budget and contract.
Individual Investigative Project
Develop your independent learning skills by investigating an area of engineering for an extended research or design project.
Get trained in technical reports for knowledgeable readers before producing a report. You also give an oral presentation, poster presentation or both.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You learn through lectures, tutorials, lab sessions, projects and exams. Self-directed learning time is used to review lecture notes, prepare coursework assignments, work on projects and revise for exams. Some modules are largely student centred, where you learn by carrying out independent tasks rather than attending lectures. Part of your course also involves a substantial research-based project.
The course includes a compulsory one-week block delivery period for the Group Project module. This intensive problem-solving week allows you to focus your attention on particular problems and enhance your team-working and employability skills.
How you are assessed
You are assessed through problem-solving assignments, essays, presentations, report writing, group work and exams.
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Find out more about financial support
Find out more about our course related costs
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
This degree is a top-up to an HNC Building Services Engineering or equivalent.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
You can gain considerable knowledge from work, volunteering and life. Under recognition of prior learning (RPL) you may be awarded credit for this which can be credited towards the course you want to study.
Find out more about RPL
Employability
Career opportunities
You can pursue a career as a professional building services engineer, specialising in:
• electrical engineering
• heating, ventilating, refrigeration and air conditioning
• lighting
• mechanical engineering
• public health
• sustainable and renewable energy.
Starting salaries for graduate building services engineers are generally in the region of £26,000 - £28,000. Experienced engineers can earn up to £40,000, with those working at senior levels earning more than £55,000. Having chartered (CEng MCIBSE) or incorporated (IEng ACIBSE) status will generally increase your level of pay. Partners in a firm of consulting engineers or highly experienced building services engineers with chartered status may earn over £80,000. In larger international consultancies, this figure could be in excess of £110,000.
(Source prospects.ac.uk)