Mechanical Engineering BEng Welcome Pack
Welcome to Mechanical Engineering BEng 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.
Your Programme Leader
Mechanical Engineering BEng
Dr Nawar Al-Esawi
Lecturer in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering and Design)
Welcome and Induction Sessions
This is your induction timetable with in-person sessions starting on Tuesday 17 September. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact induction organiser, Nawar Al-Esawi, Nawar.Al-Esawi@northampton.ac.uk.
Preparation/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.
Learning and teaching at the University of Northampton is designed to help you take control of your own learning, using small group teaching, team-working and one-to-one tutorials that allow learning to take place in face-to-face environments and using carefully crafted digital experiences. To help you prepare for this personalised approach to learning, our welcome and induction activities are designed to introduce you to our learning technologies so that you are ready to go for the start of term. Through engaging in some preparatory work before our live sessions, you can think about some of the questions you might have and have opportunities to explore the many ways in which you are supported. You can also meet the other students on your programme.
Indicative Timetable
Year One
During your first year of study, it is hoped that you will successfully complete all six 20 credit modules. In order to achieve this, you will be expected to attend University each week and undertake significant independent learning.
Course Structure/Award Map
In order to achieve the named award BEng Mechanical Engineering, Students must meet all the requirements of this map.
NOTE: Link to Modules Specifications
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 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 range of NETP activities.
Reading List
Key texts will be identified on a Module by Module basis and will be suggested by your tutor. Please note there is no requirement for you to purchase these books, as copies are available. However, should you wish to have your own copy then these would be of use throughout the course. For your mathematics and science-based subjects the books below are recommended.
Engineering Mathematics: A Foundation for Electronic, Electrical, Communications and Systems Engineers by Dr Robert Davison , Martin Hargreaves, James Flint
Publisher: Pearson; 4th edition (2 Aug. 2012)
ISBN-10: 0273719777, ISBN-13: 978-0273719779
Engineering Mathematics by K.A. Stroud, Dexter Booth
Publisher: Palgrave; 7th Edition (March 2013)
ISBN-13: 9781137031204
Physics for Scientists & Engineers with Modern Physics: Pearson New International Edition, 4/E by Doug Giancoli
Publisher: Pearson; 4th edition (29 Jul. 2013)
ISBN-10: 1292020768 • ISBN-13: 9781292020761
Prior Knowledge
The following is indicative understanding prior undertaking this course:
In terms of Maths:
Fundamental Algebra: one variable linear equation, one variable linear inequalities, two-variable linear equations, functions, linear equations and functions word problems, sequences, systems of linear equations, two-variable linear inequalities, absolute value, and piecewise functions., expressions with rational exponents and radicals, introduction to exponential functions, polynomials, polynomial factorization, quadratic equations, rational and irrational numbers
Matrix manipulation. Representing linear systems of equations with augmented matrices. Adding and subtracting, multiplying matrices, Matrix inverse, solving equations with inverse matrices.
Basic Trigonometry. The unit circle definition of basic trigonometric functions. Graphs of trigonometric function.
Trigonometry with general triangles
Trigonometric equations and identities
Integration and differentiation. Integration by parts, u-substitution, integration using trigonometric identities. Basic differentiation rules, power rule, differentiating linear functions, polynomial function differentiation, radical functions differentiation, exponential and natural logarithms differentiation.
Preparation Prior to Starting the Course
We find that if some students have been out of learning for some time, they may find some topics with mathematical content challenging. The following links will provide useful information, which will prepare you prior to and during the course.
The following Khan Academy links cover the Engineering Math requirements:
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math/trigonometry
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math/precalculus/precalc-matrices
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra-home/alg-matrices
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math/integral-calculus/definite-integral-evaluation-ic
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math/integral-calculus/integration-techniques
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math/differential-calculus/basic-differentiation-dc
The following Khan Academy links cover the Engineering Physics requirements:
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/one-dimensional-motion
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/two-dimensional-motion
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/forces-newtons-laws
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/centripetal-force-and-gravitation
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/work-and-energy
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/linear-momentum
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/torque-angular-momentum
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/mechanical-waves-and-sound
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/fluids
The following links are useful to get used to Arduino and electronics.
- Intro to Arduino (easy to follow). It helps grasping the basic syntax of Arduino programming. http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/
- Circuit Analysis Sample Video Lessons http://www.mathtutordvd.com/public/department225.cfm and http://www.mathtutordvd.com/public/Kirchhoffs_Laws_in_Circuit_Analysis.cfm
- Introduction to Electronics http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/
The information above is only a guide and you will not be expected to have learned everything before you start the Programme.