Product Design Engineering with a Foundation Year
Product design engineering occupies a distinctive space at the junction of engineering, design, and innovation. Where engineering is primarily concerned with technical function and design with user experience and aesthetics, product design engineering brings these concerns together, developing professionals who can take a product idea from initial brief through concept generation, detailed design, prototyping, and ultimately to manufacture. The discipline requires both analytical rigour and creative confidence, combining technical knowledge with an understanding of how people interact with the objects and systems they use.
At Loughborough University, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, making it the right choice for students who have not studied all the science and mathematics prerequisites typically required for direct entry to an engineering degree, or whose entry requirements have been affected by challenging personal circumstances, prior sport commitments, or a gap since formal study. The foundation year is a structured and supported introduction to the analytical and scientific foundations of engineering and design, preparing you thoroughly for the demands of the honours degree programme that follows.
In the subsequent years of the programme, you will study the core technical disciplines that underpin product design engineering, including mechanics, materials, manufacturing processes, electronics, computer-aided design, and engineering analysis. Alongside this technical foundation, you will engage with design methodology, human factors and ergonomics, sustainability in design, and the commercial and social contexts within which product development takes place. Loughborough has a long-established reputation for design and engineering education, and the programme benefits from facilities and industry connections that reflect that standing.
Graduates from product design engineering programmes work in product development teams, design consultancies, manufacturing companies, consumer electronics, medical devices, automotive and transport, and the broader engineering sector. Roles in product design, design engineering, R&D, and project management are typical entry points. Many graduates pursue incorporated or chartered engineer status.
Postgraduate study in design engineering, product development, or innovation management is an option for those who wish to develop further expertise.