Undergraduate student at a computer desk working in the Product Design Studio

Product Design and Manufacture MEng

University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Our four-year MEng Product Design and Manufacture course combines creativity with engineering principles and gives an additional year to further develop your skills through more design projects and to expand your knowledge of materials, manufacturing and human factors. This course produces exceptionally high-quality work and leads to students with truly impressive portfolios of work who are in high demand by employers.

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Drawing for Design

Mandatory

Year 1

Dynamics of Mechanical Systems

Mandatory

Year 1

Engineering Design Project

Mandatory

Year 1

Industrial Design 1: An Introduction

Mandatory

Year 1

Materials and Manufacturing

Mandatory

Year 1

Mathematics for Engineers

Mandatory

Year 1

Statistics and Mechanics of Solids

Mandatory

Year 2

Design Communication

Mandatory

Year 2

Industrial Design 2: Skills and Knowledge

Mandatory

Year 2

Materials and Manufacture 2: Design for Manufacture

Mandatory

Year 2

Materials in Design

Mandatory

Year 2

Projects 1: Developing Design Project Skills

Mandatory

Year 2

Projects 2: Group Design Projects

Mandatory

Year 2

User Centred Research and Design

Mandatory

Year 3

Engineering Management 2

Mandatory

Year 3

Engineering Sustainability

Mandatory

Year 3

Industrial Design 3: Engineering Ecology and Analysis

Mandatory

Year 3

Materials and Manufacture 3: Polymer and Timber Processes

Mandatory

Year 3

Materials and Manufacture 4: Metal Fabrication and Casting Processes

Mandatory

Year 3

Projects 3: Technical Design Projects

Mandatory

Year 3

Projects 4: Advanced Design Projects

Mandatory

Year 3

Physical Ergonomics

Optional

Year 3

Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing

Optional

Year 3

Cognitive Ergonomics in Design

Optional

Year 3

Computer Aided Engineering

Optional

Year 3

Human Computer Systems

Optional

Year 3

Joining Technology

Optional

Year 3

Manufacturing Automation Technology

Optional

Year 3

Manufacturing and Engineering with Polymers

Optional

Year 3

Manufacturing Process Selection and Capability

Optional

Year 3

Medical Device Design and Regulation

Optional

Year 3

Polymer Engineering

Optional

Year 3

Simulation, Virtual Reality and Advanced Human-Machine Interface

Mandatory

Year 4

Digital Manufacturing

Mandatory

Year 4

Industrial Design 4: Professional Practice and Development

Mandatory

Year 4

Major Project Preparation

Mandatory

Year 4

MEng Major Design Project

Mandatory

Year 4

Projects 5: Major Group Design Projects

Optional

Year 4

Computer Aided Engineering

Optional

Year 4

Manufacturing and Engineering with Polymers

Optional

Year 4

Manufacturing Automation Technology

Optional

Year 4

Manufacturing Process Selection and Capability

Optional

Year 4

Simulation, Virtual Reality and Advanced Human-Machine Interface

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Wednesday 4 October 2023. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Teaching methods

  • Group study
  • Independent study
  • Lab sessions
  • Lectures
  • Supervision
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops

Assessment methods

  • Coursework
  • Examinations
  • Group coursework
  • Presentation
  • Research project
  • Practical assessment

Engineers are among the busiest students on campus. On average, you will have around 20-22 contact hours a week in years one and two. Combined with coursework and self-study, you are likely to spend over 40 hours a week on your studies.

Our courses provide the opportunity to specialise through a choice of subject modules and practical work.

You will gain the practical and theoretical skills needed to design commercially viable products and services within the industrial design sector. Your skill set will be well suited to both small design-based consultancy roles as well as large multinational organisations. In addition, your abilities in communication, problem solving, and creative thinking will make you highly employable in several alternative roles.

Our graduates work for a diverse range of employment sectors with companies including:

  • Dyson
  • Jaguar Land Rover
  • Morphy Richards
  • Bosch
  • Unilever
  • Caterpillar
  • Tesco
  • Triumph Motorcycles
  • Smith and Nephew
  • L’oreal

Average starting salary and career progression

90.4% of undergraduates from the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £29,032.

*HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017-2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2023, High Fliers Research).

I want to be a part of the innovation of using new technology to further the designs of products that will help people to heal, live and learn. Therefore, studying Product Design and Manufacture was a great way of combining my creativity with engineering and applying it to real world applications in ways that look attractive and exciting.

Cat Rogers

Product Design and Manufacture student

Course data

Open Day June 2022