Programme Specification: Meng in Chemical Engineering with Professional Development

Programme Specification: MEng in Chemical Engineering with Professional Development

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY

Programme Specification

MEng in Chemical Engineering with Professional Development

Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if full advantage is taken of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each module can be found in Module Specifications and other programme documentation and online at

The accuracy of the information in this document is reviewed by the University and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

1. Aims of the programme:

• To prepare graduates for professional careers in the process industries, primarily as process engineers in leading roles. Enable them to understand, solve, and manage technical problems in general, and to be able to take advantage of further education, research and experience throughout their careers.
• To develop incoming students’ knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes to those of professional chemical engineers of potential high calibre.
• To impart in-depth knowledge of chemical engineering principles through the underlying mathematics, science and associated technologies.
• To develop the ability to reason critically, collect, analyse, evaluate and synthesise data to facilitate optimisation, gather and use information, apply concepts and methodologies.
• To develop skills, especially in (a) drawing rational conclusions from experimental investigations, (b) information technology, including the use of calculation and design packages, computer graphics and word processing, and (c) communication, both oral and written.
• To impart thorough understanding of process principles through problem solving, projects and assignments, particularly process design exercises.
• To encourage professional attitudes through the study of the human, environmental, business and economic implications of technology, through team work, and through working with established professionals.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external and internal reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

QAA Benchmark statements for Engineering

National Qualifications Framework

Accreditation of University Chemical Engineering Degree Courses: A guide for assessors and university departments, IChemE

University Learning and Teaching Strategy

3. Intended Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate good to excellent (as defined in the QAA Benchmark statements for Engineering) knowledge and understanding of:

L1.Mathematics, science and engineering principles (including ITC and technically advanced subjects), relevant to the Process Industries.

L2.Economic evaluation principles relevant to engineering and engineers.

L3.Concepts, principles and theories in subjects of the student's own choice.

L4.The role of the engineer in society and as a team player, and the constraints within which their engineering judgement will be exercised.

L5.The professional and ethical responsibilities of engineers.

L6.The international role of the engineer and the impact of engineering solutions in a global context.

L7.The principles of process selection and design.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Acquisition of knowledge and understanding is through lectures, tutorials, examples and problems classes, distance learning, laboratory work, field visits, practical classes, theoretical and practical teamwork projects, individual projects, Professional Development in Industry, study at another University (Socrates exchange only) and coursework throughout the degree programme.

The material in taught modules of Years 1, 2 and 4 (Parts A, B and D) is delivered to students over an 11 week period within a Semester (principally L1-L3). Assessment during this time is by coursework tailored to the requirements of a specific module, for example through written reports, oral presentations, practical laboratories and class tests. The combination gives a student the opportunity to demonstrate their level of understanding and their ability to apply newly assimilated knowledge. A combination of verbal and/or written feedback related to the coursework exercises is given throughout to enhance the learning experience. Assessment by examination takes place during three weeks at the end of a semester. This allows a student to demonstrate the knowledge gained over the semester and their understanding within a specific subject. In Part D, students are required to take two modules in business management (L2) and one module in advanced analytical techniques is taken intensively over the period of a week.

In Part C students undertake a placement within a company (principally L1, L3-L5). In a ‘Professional Development Project’ (PDP) students use their knowledge and skills to complete a semester long research and development project concerned with an open-ended problem in the remit of chemical engineering. Although details vary between projects, students are expected to plan and execute their project from start to finish under the supervision of a manager. They may be required to liase with teams of engineers and need to ensure that work progresses in a manner that takes due cognisance of international, economic and sometimes ethical issues. Students are required to combine their knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering with practical and cognitive skills to perform experiments, collate and interpret results and provide professionally reasoned interpretations of their work/actions that could give company management guidance to the next steps. Assessment is via written technical paper and oral presentation. Students also complete a number of distance learning modules that require self motivation and the progressive improvement of self-learning skills. Guidance is provided in the modules regarding, for instance, study procedures and written coursework assignments. Dedicated notes are issued in these modules. Due to the intensive nature of the programme, students must carefully plan their work throughout the year in order to gain maximum benefit in terms of knowledge and understanding. They must also develop the ability to recognise acquired skills from the experiences of the year placement in industry. Modules run for the duration of Year 3 in planning, interim report writing and acquired skills recognition. In the latter case web based computer software is planned to become available to aid the compilation of a skills record and this compliments the usual written record keeping.

Process design features in all years of the programme. The level of difficulty and expectation increases progressively and represents a core measure of knowledge and understanding in chemical engineering (principally L2, L4 and L7). Student’s bring together elements from all modules and work together in teams on multi-dimensional, open-ended problems related to plant design. In Parts A and B teaching is via interactive tutorial and includes the use of external experts where appropriate. In Part D this approach is extended and students are required to plan and undertake an experimental programme to acquire the data necessary to complete their final year design modules. Assessment is by coursework and utilises a combination of written report and oral presentation through which students can demonstrate their level of learning as well as their ability to apply knowledge to unfamiliar situations. Student’s are required to make use of multimedia IT in design exercises and provide strong economic, scientific and engineering justifications for their chosen process decisions. The assessment strategy reflects what students typically encounter when working in industry.

From the period of Professional Development in Industry students gain knowledge and understanding of engineering in its wider contexts (principally L5 and L6). Student learning in the workplace takes place on a day-to-day basis through tasks allocated by a line manager in the placement company. After returning to the department for the final year (Part D) students express their new found knowledge and maturity through the remaining modules, particularly in process design. Students have the option of taking a module specifically detailing the role of the engineer in society in Year 1 (Part A, principally L4-L6).

Skills and other attributes:

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

L8.Demonstrate significant ability in identifying, defining and solving engineering problems using mathematical and modelling techniques with due cognisance of science and engineering principles.

L9.Show strong ability in the selection, design and optimisation of process engineering systems and processes.

L10.Recognise how to ensure safe operation of apparatus and plant whilst exercising judgement of economic constraints.

L11.Evaluate and integrate information and processes through individual and team project work; communicating articulately in the process.

L12.Show strong ability to plan an experiment, project or work schedule, analyse and interpret data recorded in the laboratory and on processes to deliver supported recommendations and/or solutions.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

The development of cognitive skills is embedded in the modules constituting the programme and also within Professional Development in Industry. Mathematical, science and engineering techniques and principles are delivered in the lectured modules and assessed through a mix of coursework and examination appropriate to the individual module (principally L8). Each individual module enables students to develop an aspect of their cognitive skills, particular skill(s) being module specific. For instance the dedicated mathematics modules encourage students to use their modelling skills to formulate and solve problems in the other modules that constitute the programme. Those modules associated with laboratories and process design (in particular) give the opportunity for students to demonstrate and simultaneously enhance a number of their cognitive skills.

The ability to analyse, model and interpret laboratory data draws on the knowledge and understanding gained from most of the individual modules (principally L8 and L10-L12). In Year 1 (Part A) students undertake staff supervised ‘EA’ experiments that run in parallel with related lectures and problems classes. The ability to correctly assimilate experimental data is demonstrated and assessed through a blend of strategies including real time analyses in the laboratory, written reports and multimedia presentations to staff members. The latter two methods (in particular) give staff the opportunity to identify the areas in which students are weaker and give individuals appropriate comments and feedback. The overall procedure is enhanced in Year 2 (Part B) where laboratories take place over periods of four weeks. Each laboratory forms an integral part of one of four modules and is used to enhance the theoretical knowledge that students gain in lectures for that module. Additional assessment includes a staff judgement on diligence and planning in the laboratory, the opportunity for students to learn from video footage of their own oral presentations and a further opportunity to demonstrate individual abilities during a technical interview with a staff member.

In Year 3 (Part C) students undertake a semester long laboratory or theoretical PDP project within industry. This provides the opportunity to enhance planning and interpretation skills as students are expected to define their workplan, analyse and interpret their results whilst demonstrating initiative throughout. They must do these tasks with limited guidance from their supervisor and maintain safety in the laboratory. The student may be required to communicate effectively with teams of engineers in order to produce the most appropriate and useful findings. Further laboratory work during Part D requires individual work in learning new, advanced analytical techniques. Teaching is structured to initially deliver the descriptive and theoretical parts, including modelling. Each of these parts is followed up with applications and practice that require further intellectual input and are assessed through an ability to correctly identify a previously unknown material. The necessary cognitive skills of judgement, interpretation and modelling are subsequently used in the final individual and team design modules to analyse and interpret the experimental data required for kinetic and plant scale-up.

In laboratory exercises students are expected to draw flowsheets of their apparatus, produce an operating procedure, complete COSHH forms and obtain Permissions to Work (as necessary) to ensure safe operation. These requirements reflect best industrial practice.

Process design features in all years of the programme. Via interactive tutorials with staff, students hone their cognitive skills by working in teams on open ended projects that become progressively more challenging (principally L9-L12). Students learn not only from exchanges with the staff but also from the skills and experiences of their peers. Following an introductory design exercise in Year 1 (Part A), students in Year 2 (Part B) work on four different aspects of a complete plant, rotating the teams each time to get a wider working experience. Each design specialises in subjects taught within a Part B module and allows theory to be put directly into practice. Assessment is via multimedia presentation to staff and a written team report. In the final year (Part D) more extensive individual and team designs are undertaken and these are based around emerging and future technologies. They require students to plan and execute an experimental program in order to obtain the data required to complete the design modules. The interpretive skills learnt in, for instance, the advanced analytical methods module are used directly to aid progression. The team design module also includes a HAZOP analysis of plant safety as well as a requirement to optimise and economically justify the final process choices and specification.

Students working on the year placement in industry have the opportunity to further apply and enhance their range of cognitive skills. In their monthly reports students are encouraged to include what they have learnt and achieved on their placement. The process is enhanced by the maintenance of a record book and dedicated, web based, software is planned to become available. The detailed planning of work schedules is required to progress through Part C successfully and students are required to submit regular interim reports to demonstrate their achievements.

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

L13.Use laboratory and pilot equipment well and safely, including advanced analytical apparatus.

L14.Observe and record data in the laboratory and on processes.

L15.Use computer packages appropriate to process engineering to a high level. Integrate them extensively with project, laboratory and design work.

L16.Prepare technical reports, technical research papers, progress reports and dissertations to a level that demonstrates initiative and in-depth thinking - research the material(s) required to produce these.

L17.Give technical presentations, with IT multimedia if appropriate.

L18.Understand technical drawings. Prepare block, flow & piping and instrumentation diagrams.

L19.Apply knowledge and skills in a professional environment through projects and training in industry.

Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

Students have the opportunity to undertake experiments in Process Laboratories in all years (principally L13-L15). In Year 1 (Part A) the laboratories give students experience in assembling and operating equipment to obtain the data required for reporting using a range of styles. Students are issued with labsheets detailing aims and what is expected of them. They are required to maintain a laboratory record book and complete safety assessment forms for each experiment performed. Staff, post-graduate and technician assistance is available to introduce each exercise individually and guide students throughout their time in the laboratory. This process further aids the learning experience and provides appropriate and immediate feedback.

In Year 2 (Part B) laboratories follow a similar form, but take place over longer periods with students being given progressively more responsibility for defining experimental programmes and protocols. For one Part B laboratory a technical interview assessment is given to each student based on their record book entries. In other laboratories staff provide a judgement assessment of practical skills partly based on the quality of the experimental data obtained and the analyses performed between laboratory sessions.

In Year 3 (Part C) a semester long PDP project (usually) involves an extensive period in the laboratory where practical skills are further enhanced under the guidance of trained and/or experienced professionals. Most practical skills are gained and developed through ‘hands-on’ practice and, particularly for those undertaking placements in industry, may involve attending relevant training courses (L19). The skills addressed vary between projects but can include mechanical assembly, operation of laboratory and pilot and/or process scale plant, chemical preparations/reactions, use of analytical equipment and use of computer software packages. A similar range of practical skills are practiced and improved in Part D where students gain hands-on experience and training in the use of advanced analytical equipment and often use all their practical skills during the final year design modules.

The majority of computing skills are formally taught in Year 1 (Part A) and include the use of MS Office, AutoCAD, e-mail and the web (principally L15 and L18). HYSIS, a process simulator, is formally taught in Year 2 (Part B). Teaching is through a blend of lectures and (mostly) practical tutorials. Learning is developed through the practice that students gain in preparing material for other modules, for example, reports, papers and presentations. Ability is directly assessed in the modules in which computing is taught (through marked practical exercises) and indirectly within other modules where IT skills are incorporated.

Technical presentation skills are practiced in all years (principally L17). All students are given advice on best practice for presentations and required to make suitable use of IT facilities. In Year 1 (Part A) students present some of their practical laboratory work to an individual member of staff and also practice their debating skills as a team on the wider aspects of chemical engineering. In Year 2 students present their experimental work individually to staff and a selection of their peers. Feedback on performance is given via video recording and written pro-forma, the latter being provided by both the staff (i.e. a marked assessment) and a group of peers. Students also demonstrate their presentation skills as a team for design exercises for which assessment and feedback are given. Toward the end of Year 3 (Part C) students are required to give an extended oral presentation on their PDP project and defend their work to a group of staff and peers. In the final year students give a detailed presentation on their team design project and may be required to also defend questions related to their individual design projects. These are (again) assessed by staff through a predefined marking scheme.