Engineering Management (with optional Placement/Project year) MSc

This module examines the principles and practices of industrial work design and organisation. It covers the management of people and the design of organisations from an industrial perspective, and provides an insight for students from an engineering and operations management background, with little or no previous study experience in the social sciences.  The content is theoretically grounded in sound organisational behaviour and human resources principles, but is practical and industry relevant in the material covered, as reflected in the stated learning objectives.

Topics include:

• Introduction to Industrial Work Design and Organisation
• Organisational Culture
• Individuals and Motivation
• Groups and Teamworking
• Work and Industrial Process Design
• Leadership in Industrial Organisations
• Change Management
• Conflict, Power and Politics in Work Organisations

This module will equip you with the knowledge and skills to develop, implement, and analyse effective business, operations, and supply chain strategies for modern organisations operating both nationally and internationally. Emphasis is placed on aligning business strategies with operations to create, improve, and sustain value within diverse industry sectors, including private, public, and not-for-profit. You will explore how strategic decisions impact performance across business functions and supply chains, examining theoretical frameworks and practical tools for managing and optimising operations and supply networks.

Key areas include:

• Strategic Management Process and Operations Strategy: Understanding the strategic management cycle, with a focus on designing and implementing operations strategies that support business objectives.
• Supply Chain Design and Control: Learning how to structure, manage, and control supply chains and wider networks, with insights into lean, agile, and resilient supply models.
• Performance Measurement and Analysis: Developing skills to measure, analyse, and evaluate business and supply chain performance, including financial metrics and stakeholder considerations.
• Sustainability and Ethics in Supply Chains: Embracing sustainable and ethical supply practices, such as the triple bottom line, and exploring the strategic role of quality and continuous improvement through methods like 'kaizen.'
• Procurement, Buyer-Supplier Dynamics, and Innovation: Examining critical supply chain elements, including procurement strategies, make-buy decisions, and innovation in product and process development, as well as supplier selection and negotiation.

Through case study analysis and applied exercises, you will gain a comprehensive view of how strategic and operational practices drive competitive advantage and adaptability in rapidly changing markets.

The module will enable you understand business concepts, techniques and methodologies of strategic financial management, which are essential to decision-making. 

Indictive contents are:-

• Strategic Management Accounting, The role of Management accountants, Costing, Budgeting.
• Strategic financial accounting – Analysis of financial reports and financial accounts, Ratio analysis.
• Non-financial reporting and analysis, SWOT, PEST and other models.

This module explores the key features of effective project management from a strategic perspective and develops an understanding of the theory, tools and techniques of project management.  It enables students to grasp the practical issues when working as a project manager or as a member of a project team.  The module is suitable both for students new to the field of project management, but also provides for self-development of more experienced project managers by way of personal reflection.

The learning involves mini-lectures, interactive group exercises, written and video-based case study analyses, critical analysis of practices, and personal reflection via interaction in class with module tutors.  The emphasis is on increasing students' awareness, competencies and skills when initiating, planning, organising, controlling and evaluating projects.  The following list provides indicative topic content for the module:

• The project management profession
• Project organisation and leadership
• Project objectives, definition and design
• Milestone planning and critical path analysis
• Resources management and project control
• Partnering and contracting relationships
• Managing international and development projects
• Managing project risk
• Project management bodies of knowledge and methodologies
• Project evaluation and appraisal
  • plus Strategic project management module review and reflection 

The research methods module focuses on the principles and techniques used in conducting research. It covers various methodologies for collecting and analysing data, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Students learn how to formulate research questions, design surveys or experiments, gather data, and interpret results. The module may also address ethical considerations in research and emphasise the importance of critical thinking and evaluation in the research process. This module aims to equip students with the necessary skills to conduct their own research effectively, such as:

• Understand and critically evaluate the findings of management research
• Design and implement a management research project using methodologies and methods appropriate to research questions and objectives
• Analyse and report management research findings meeting academic and practitioner needs

Indicative content includes:

• The nature, extent and purposes of management research
• Management research paradigms
• Research strategies
• Research designs, methods and approaches
• Research quality standards: establishing validity, reliability and generalisability
• Sampling and Research Instrument Design
• Research ethics
• Research Data Management: collection, organisation and analysis
• Managing a dissertation research project

A programme of individual study and research project in accordance with established research principles
involving the completion of the following elements:

• Management Research Project

The module aims to:

• To provide the opportunity to apply management knowledge, skills and research techniques developed during
  the course to the identified area of management interest.
• To develop students’ intellectual ability in terms of problem solving, critical analysis and conceptual thinking.
• To provide students with the opportunity, and the enabling mechanisms to support their development towards
  independent learning.

The module is your independent final project, similar to a dissertation.

In this module, you'll take the lead in creating a comprehensive business proposal. You will begin by researching the legal requirements necessary to start a business and then move on to developing its strategic direction, including defining its mission, vision, and identifying valuable market opportunities.

You are expected to incorporate financial details, exploring funding options and developing financial forecasts. Your project also involves conducting a thorough stakeholder analysis, honing your networking skills, and pitching your business idea to potential investors through the report.

This module places a strong emphasis on ethical and sustainable business practices, challenging you to incorporate these critical elements into your proposal. Through this project, you will demonstrate your ability to synthesise and apply your learning to develop a well-rounded, strategically sound business proposal based on rigorous research and comprehensive analysis. This is your opportunity to showcase your entrepreneurial skills and innovative thinking in a real-world context.

This module provides opportunities for students to solve business case studies (including live cases) and justify the solutions that have been put forward from an available pool of different solutions and scenarios. 

Indicative contents:-

• Introduction to Case Study Analysis – mini, macro, and integrated business case study
• A modelled approach to case study analysis for decision making
• Assessing the challenges within the live case study
• Problem Identification & Analysis
• Assumption setting and strategic business planning related to case study
• Objectives, strategies, action plans, by function to time scales
• Application of key quantitative and qualitative techniques
• Monitoring, review & control planning for performance
• How to write a case study report
• Pitfalls of case study analysis