The University of Derby has secured funding from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to develop a new masters degree course which will support current and future needs across the engineering sector and strengthen graduate prospects.
Professor Angela Dean, head of department of engineering at the University of Derby, and Dr Justin Steele-Davies, academic lead for engineering at University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL), will work with the Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering (IISE) to design the new MSc in Advanced Materials and Additive Manufacturing.
HEFCE has awarded a total of £1.7m to 28 projects, involving 32 universities and colleges to develop a range of engineering and computer science conversion courses. These will allow those who have undertaken previous study in other subjects to transition to careers in those areas.
Professor Dean commented: “The East Midlands is a key manufacturing hub for engineering, and additive manufacturing is one of the key technologies being investigated in the sector and the wider manufacturing supply chain.
“There is however, a particular challenge in the area of materials and additive manufacture; a lack of specialised graduates is a constraint on innovation and growth.
“The University of Derby’s College of Engineering and Technology, together with IISE, have a breadth of expertise in both teaching and industrial focused research and are well-placed to meet that challenge by producing employable graduates for the wider UK market.”
Dr Steele-Davies added: “There are very few masters programmes in the UK which focus on the potential of additive manufacturing. This funding will enable us to develop a programme that is relevant to both those in work and for recent graduates, with online and on-campus options.
“We will be designing specialised teaching materials to deliver the course across both modes of study, making sure that students have an enriched experience. Students will have access to specialist staff and facilities from the College of Engineering and Technology, UDOL and our research centre, IISE, which contains an advanced machining and additive manufacturing facility.
“UDOL also has a significant track record in developing online learning with employers and we will be engaging with local businesses in the development of course materials for applied learning across all study modes.”
The MSc in Advanced Materials and Additive Manufacturing will start in September 2016.
Additive 2016, taking place on April 21, 2016 in Sheffield, is the must attend UK additive manufacturing event and will feature both the latest technology and also presentations from the most forward thinking end users.
