Welcome to Canterbury Christ Church University and your choice to study Product Design Engineering (BEng). The course will focus on an understanding of applied engineering science in relation to mechanical and electrical systems and complimentary product design studies influenced by Create, Design, Implement and Operate (CDIO) design process and thinking, allowing you to build a theoretical and practical knowledge in both design and engineering disciplines. Your time with us should be both challenging and enjoyable and the course director and our team will be on hand to answer all questions along the way.

Stuart Lambert
Course Director for Product Design Engineering

Key dates

Academic Calendar: Semesters

View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2024-25 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.  

Welcome

The School of Engineering, Technology & Design at CCCU is a fast-growing department and an exciting place to be right now, we have a new building facility with impressive and well-equipped laboratories, workshops and classrooms. We would encourage you to do some preparation before you start your course, so take a look at some of the well-known designers / engineers and books and references indicated below. You will find plenty of study materials online so we don’t recommend you purchase books until you talk to tutors and get their personal recommendations.

An MEng degree is a year longer than the BEng and gives you the benefit of advanced skills and knowledge and a route to Chartered Engineer status. The MEng and BEng courses are very similar for the first three years and the MEng has masters level research projects for year 4.

Getting started

The academic year at Canterbury Christ Church University is split into two semesters – one running from September to January and a second one from late January to May. Each Semester you will study three different modules covering different areas of Product Design Engineering.

The course aims to develop your knowledge, understanding and skills in Product Design Engineering so that upon completion, you will be ready for employment in a variety of industries and careers that require your skills. You will get the opportunity to research, develop, prototype, test and manufacture products in both group and personal projects, learning as you progress and building confidence in the fascinating field of engineering.

Year 1 Core Modules:

Semester 1

  • Mathematics & Computing for Engineers
  • Introduction to Engineering Design
  • Introduction to Electro-Mechanical Systems and Practice

Semester 2

  • Professional Practical Engineering (with Mechatronics Project)
  • Introduction to Material Engineering Characteristics & Manufacture

Before your course commences, we would encourage you to look at the relevant pages of various online news sources (e.g. BBC News, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Engineer) to see what is being talked about in the field of design and engineering.

During welcome week you will learn a lot about studying at CCCU; so please engage with as many of the activities as you can. You will also be assigned your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT), who will provide you with academic and personal support and signpost you to other relevant departments for any additional help you may need throughout your time with us.

Your welcome and induction will be w/c 16th September 2024 - we look forward to meeting you then.

CCCU Key dates:

University timetable and dates for 2024-25

Community

On the social side, the Student Union (CCSU) has a huge range of clubs and societies – all of which have unique social calendars of their own and offer endless opportunities to make lifelong friends and discover new hobbies. And you can always create your own society and cultivate your own community!

CCSU will be hosting their Welcome Fayre on Wednesday 18th September 2024. Make sure you keep checking the CCSU website for further details and how to get involved.

We understand that you may be nervous about your first few weeks on campus but rest assured - you'll be joining a nurturing and supportive environment where diversity, equality and individuality are part of everything we do.

For more information about the course, please visit the UG course page or the Foundation Year course page.

If you are an International Student joining us then please see our International Student Support pages for further information and guidance.

Pre-course reading

  • Clive L. Dym. (2013) Engineering Design: A Project-Based Introduction, 4th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York.
  • Cross N. (2015). Engineering Design Methods: Strategies for Product Design, 5th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
  • Bridger Rs. (2018) Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics. Fourth Edition, CRC Press, New York.
  • Ashby M & Johnson K (2014) Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design. Third edition, Butterworth-Heinemann,
  • Eissen K. (2013). Sketching: Drawing Techniques for Product Designers, First edition, BIS publishers, Amsterdam.
  • Pahl G, Beitz W & Feldhusen J. (2007). Engineering Design: A Systematic Approach. Third edition Springer
  • Norman D (2013), The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition, Basic books
  • Jones JC (1992) Design Methods. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York.
  • Jane Penty (2019) Product Design and Sustainability: Strategies, Tools and Practice. First edition. Routledge.

We recommend you take a look at the following online resources over the summer to help prepare you for your studies:

You may wish to keep track of what we are doing by following us on our Faculty, Twitter/X & Instagram pages:

International student success programme

International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.

Contact details

If you have any queries, please feel to contact the engineering team at

Engineering@canterbury.ac.uk.