Engineering BSc (Hons) Welcome Pack
Welcome to Engineering BSc 2024
On behalf of the Engineering Team at The University of Northampton, welcome to your Engineering programme. We all hope that you’ll enjoy your studies and that you’ll get a lot of benefit from the new knowledge you will acquire.
We’ve been tutoring programmes in Engineering for many years, and most of us have worked at one time or another in the engineering industry, so we’re confident that we can provide you with all the support you need. More than that, we’re looking forward to working with you and learning with you as well about how industry is working today – what’s new, what’s improving and what’s changing.
Through engaging with our welcome and induction activities you will get to know your super-supportive tutors, have a chance to make new friends and be able to access what you need to know and do to start studying successfully. Ultimately, we want you to feel confident about how you will learn.
During your first year of study, it is hoped that you will successfully complete all six 20 credit modules. To achieve this, you will be expected to attend University each week and undertake significant independent learning.
Programme Leader
Dr Shafqat Rasool
Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering and Design
This is your induction timetable with in-person sessions on Wednesday 18 September. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact induction Shafqat Rasool: Shafqat.Rasool@northampton.ac.uk.
Preparation and Specialist Equipment
During the course you’ll be using a wider range of specialist equipment and software to support practical elements of your course. This is provided and supported as part of your fees. The only element of equipment you will have to purchase is a scientific calculator. This can be purchased during the course following advice from the relevant module leader.
The first week of the semester is devoted to a range of activities that will help you to meet the rest of the students on your course, the people who will teach you and allow you to familiarise yourself with what you will be studying and the facilities you will use. The timetable for welcome and induction week activities will be provided to your separately.
Each student is allocated to a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) and you will have an opportunity to meet with them during the first week. If you are a Joint Honours student, you will be in a tutor group with other students who share one of your subject areas. The PAT meeting would be a good opportunity for you to discuss any questions you may have about personalised support if you haven’t already contacted those teams directly. Please know that you can also get in touch with your Personal Tutor directly should you need to. Your PAT will tell you more about how to do this.
At the University of Northampton, our Personal Tutors meet regularly and frequently with their tutees, both in group and in 1-to-1 sessions. They will help you to reflect on how your studies are going and explore actions you can take to maximise your chances of success.
Teaching Information
Blended Delivery Each module is made up of appropriate blended learning components, this is a mix of methods, including both face-to-face activities and online learning e-tivities, which can be completed on or offsite and you will be given advice on when they are best to complete. Each module has a Coordinator, and they meet on a regular basis with the Programme Leader to ensure that the highest quality teaching and learning activities are being provided.
Seminars and Seminar presentations To allow students to test ideas against those of staff and other students as well as more formal presentations and to discuss contemporary and historical photography.
Practical demonstrations and Workshops Workshop practices are a significant part of all the production modules. In addition to the transferring of technical skills and expertise, they offer hands-on instruction to students and guidance to complete specific technical or production tasks.
Projects The project is essential in teaching and learning in that it encourages the definition of problems and their appropriate solution and evaluation. All projects have clearly defined learning outcomes and assessment criteria, related to content, which provide the framework for exploration, experiment, research, development, presentation and communication. As students progress through the course, they are expected to take a more active role in directing their own work and ideas and designing their own project briefs through negotiation with staff.
Tutorials Each student will be allocated a tutor. The tutorial system enables exploration through discussion of issues such as current work, progress, including new ideas and possibilities, providing analysis and exchange, through increasingly negotiated development to support progressively independent and student-centered learning. An open and direct approach to discussion of work is encouraged.
Industrial Visits and Activities These aim to foster group dynamics, peer group learning and broadening of student experience of the industrial world.
Visiting speakers Carefully selected speakers with relevance to the course contribute through presentations on their practice and specialism, key events include Autumn and Spring seminars.
Industrial Engagement
A key part of the course is ensuring that students have an appreciation and as far as possible, are prepared for employment. Our industrial partners through the Northampton Engineering Training Partnership (NETP) support the Course. The NETP provides optional placements industrial engagement opportunities and other information sharing and engagement opportunities such as the Autumn and Spring Seminars and Annual Awards evening. Please check out the NETP activities via the following link: http://www.netpengineering.co.uk/
Tuesday 19th September is the first week of the semester, and is devoted to a range of activities that will help you to meet the rest of the students on your course, the people who will teach you and allow you to familiarise yourself with what you will be studying and the facilities you will use. The timetable for welcome and induction week activities will be provided to your separately.
Each student is allocated to a Personal tutor (PT) and you will have an opportunity to meet with them during the first week. If you are a Joint Honours student, you will be in a tutor group with other students who share one of your subject areas. The PT meeting would be a good opportunity for you to discuss any questions you may have about personalised support if you haven’t already contacted those teams directly. Please know that you can also get in touch with your Personal Tutor directly should you need to. Your PT will tell you more about how to do this.
At the University of Northampton, our Personal Tutors meet regularly and frequently with their tutees, both in group and in 1-to-1 sessions. They will help you to reflect on how your studies are going and explore actions you can take to maximise your chances of success.