Design Engineering

Design engineering is the discipline that bridges creativity and technical rigour, combining the imaginative problem-solving of design with the mathematical and scientific foundations of engineering. Where engineering alone focuses on what is physically possible, design engineering asks what is desirable and how the two can be reconciled: how do you take an idea from concept through prototyping and testing to a product that actually meets a human need, can be manufactured reliably, and performs safely under real-world conditions? This integration of design thinking and engineering knowledge is increasingly sought after by employers in product development, manufacturing, and innovation.

At Middlesex University in London, this part-time programme includes a foundation year for students who would benefit from a structured introduction to engineering and design before engaging with the full degree, and a sandwich year that gives you substantial professional experience in a design or engineering setting during your studies. Work placement provision is built in throughout. The programme develops your skills across the full design and engineering process, from initial concept and CAD modelling through material selection, testing, and manufacture, giving you both the creative confidence and the technical capability that employers in product design and engineering look for.

Graduates of design engineering programmes work in product development companies, manufacturing, engineering consultancies, and the wide range of industries that bring physical products to market: consumer electronics, medical devices, automotive, aerospace, industrial equipment, and sustainable design are all sectors where design engineers are valued. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in design engineering, industrial design, or mechanical engineering, or pursue professional registration with the Institution of Engineering Designers or the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.