Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Product Design and Technology (Optional placement year)

at Aston University United Kingdom

Understanding the potential of technology is key to modern life and our programmes are designed to address the latest business needs.

You’ll develop expertise in software development and the key applications of computing science through each year of the programme with particular emphasis on its use in industry and commerce.

You’ll be given a grounding in computer science early in your course, specialising and developing more advanced and unique expertise in later modules, for example computational intelligence, game development or computer animation.

What you’ll learn

You’ll learn how to run software projects, developing the skills to be a designer, programmer and project manager and understanding how to create usable and accessible software.

If you choose our four year programme, you’ll spend your third year in a paid professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and further enhance your career prospects.

If you’re interested in building a career in the supply chain and want a course that offers the potential for a guaranteed placement and job on graduation, you’ll want to consider studying Business and Supply Chain Management at Aston.

Supply chain management is at the heart of every retail, manufacturing, and logistics business. Working with partners and suppliers across the world, supply chain managers work to streamline business operations and increase access to international markets.

Our course combines the essential business theory and practice from Aston Business School with supply chain expertise to prepare you for an exciting career.

Mechanical engineers are innovators, building machines, structures and devices of all sizes and for all uses. Study Mechanical Engineering at Aston and we’ll equip you with the tools you need to bring your ideas to life, helping to solve the world’s problems for generations to come. Our Mechanical Engineering degree course offers highly relevant modules in sought-after engineering and scientific subjects.?It is driven by the demands of industry to produce graduates with extremely strong engineering and scientific skills. We also support you to develop strong project management and teamwork skills, as well as commercial awareness.

What you’ll learn
In your first year, you’ll cover fundamental disciplines of mechanical engineering, through academic classes in engineering, science, and maths. You’ll also take on large, integrated projects in practical settings, and we’ll help you to understand new technology and concepts. The course reflects industry practice, as you work in groups to take products from initial concepts through to built and tested prototypes.

During your second year, you’ll begin to develop the skills and technical knowledge you need to become a professional engineer. Then, in your third year, you’ll undertake a major project, involving design, experimental or analytical work that can be tailored to suit your own interests or to suit your target vocation.?

If you choose to spend a year in industry during your degree, we’ll support you to find a paid, professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and will further enhance your career prospects.

In the final year, you will study advanced-level science and applied maths and exploit this knowledge in a major project, involving design, experimental or analytical work. This allows you to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and abilities to potential employers through independently tackling a significant engineering challenge.

Study business alongside international relations to learn more about contemporary issues in global politics, with an integrated placement year to give your career prospects a real boost.

What you’ll learn
As a business student at Aston, you’ll study the theories, principles, and underlying concepts of management and develop a strong understanding of business models and processes. You’ll examine how strategic decision-making within organizations takes place, and develop the ability to recognize and analyze the economic, technical, financial, social, and organizational parameters within which modern managers make decisions, providing you with a solid starting point for your future career.

On the international relations strand of the course, you’ll get an introduction to the international state system and to the structure and purpose of international organizations, such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and NATO. You will develop a knowledge and understanding of the nature between states and also of the roles played by international institutions, other intergovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, and NGOs.

Important strengths of the course include its focus on key contemporary issues in international relations and policy, such as security and the globalization of the international political economy. It is strongly geared towards increasing your employability, therefore designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills relevant to careers involving international partnerships in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Bridging the gap between health, medicine and engineering, studying biomedical engineering at Aston University gives you the hands-on skills, knowledge and experience to help create the healthcare practices of tomorrow.

As a biomedical engineer, you will have the skills, flexibility and knowledge to be involved in a wide number of activities such as developing innovative devices and delivering expert services directly to patients.

Through a combination of our deep links into industry and world-class, state-of-the-art facilities, Aston is the ideal place to prepare for a successful and enriching career that improves and saves lives.

Course outline

You will have access to the very best, innovative, hands-on teaching from academics active in the field, with strong links to UK and international biomedical industrial collaborators.

At Aston, we don’t just teach biomedical engineering, we’re actively involved in the field. As a department, we have generated three spin-out companies, are partners with several hospitals, industry consortia, and medical device forums, meaning you’ll have access to over 100 companies developing real world health products in an entrepreneurial environment.

Our Transport Management programme, which is part of the civil engineering and infrastructure cluster here at Aston, examines the economic, operational, societal and environmental issues related to the transport and distribution industries.

The skills you will gain are in high demand and, as a graduate, you will be able to work on developing and building transport solutions that are more efficient, more sustainable and future-proof.

What you’ll learn
Health and safety considerations are implicit throughout, and the science and mathematical skills behind infrastructure will underpin your studies. Gaining project management knowledge and building professional relationships are other key areas of your studies.

The course includes examples, illustrations, visits and case studies from the transport sector, with your studies incorporating all the relevant management skills: accounting, marketing, human resources and operations management. All are set within the context of the transport related industries, with a focus on including passenger and freight modes.

What you’ll learn
You will study literature, culture and history and explore the style choices of films, digital fiction, Instapoetry and Twitterfiction, alongside more traditional modes of text. We will equip you to critically engage with a variety of texts across both literary genres and periods, and you’ll be able to develop your skills as a writer through our Creative Writing module.

At Aston University, sociology is about real-life, everyday experiences. Our research-led teaching brings social theory to the study of pressing issues in the modern age, such as migration, climate change, welfare, crime, health and sexuality. We focus on key contemporary issues, social policy and decision-making, global trends and international comparisons.

On the sociology strand of the course, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of social processes, organisational dynamics and inter-group relationships. We explore the social constraints we encounter in our everyday lives and how they are reinforced by class, race, religion and gender. To understand how these issues perpetuate existing inequalities and unequal life chances, we analyse how politics is intertwined with the profit-making aims pursued by big corporations and how their combined interests dominate our social imaginations. When learning about contemporary topics such as inequality, racism, health, migration, sexuality, identity, education, the media, crime and climate change, you will be taught by experts in these fields.

Understand some of the biggest debates in society and gain an in-depth knowledge of social processes, organizational dynamics, and inter-group relationships that could make a difference to society in a range of careers.

What you’ll learn
Sociology at Aston is about real-life experiences and how they relate to bigger social problems. We explore the social constraints we encounter in our everyday lives and how they are reinforced by class, race, religion, and gender. To understand how these issues perpetuate existing inequalities and unequal life chances, we analyze what impact official politics has on such processes, how politics is intertwined with the profit-making aims pursued by big corporations and how their combined interests dominate our social imaginations. We assess public policy responses and where they are problematic.

Our teaching is informed by our research. When learning about contemporary topics such as inequality, racism, health, migration, sexuality, identity, education, the media, crime, and climate change, you will be taught by experts in these fields. Our teaching is constantly updated in light of our research findings.

If you answered yes, would like to work in an innovative and enterprising sector and gain the skills necessary to create user-centred design, this could be the course for you.

You’ll benefit from practical, hands-on experience, learning from visiting designer practitioners, working on live projects, and ensuring your products are technically and commercially feasible, while also being environmentally responsible. We’ll support you to develop an underpinning skillset of engineering principles and technology and work with you to ensure you’re prepared for whatever future you have in mind, whether that’s in-house design or setting up your own business.

What you’ll learn
In the first year, you’ll get a grounding in product design principles and the opportunity to begin to develop your design specialism.

In the second and final year, you’ll take a common core of five design modules to support your projects, integrating your design specialism with the core aspects of product design. Your final year will culminate in the opportunity to display your work as part of the Aston Inspired final year design show.

We aim to provide you with knowledge of materials, production processes, and technology as well as skills in aesthetics, ergonomics, and management to enable you to develop a successful career in design.

We teach using a hands-on framework called CDIO - Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate – supported by 50 of the world’s top technical institutions. This enables you to apply real-world skills as you learn, enabling you to maximize your learning. You’ll do your learning in our state-of-the-art facilities, which include advanced 3D printing facilitates and a dedicated design studio with specialist equipment designed just for you.

We’ll support you to find a paid, professional placement of direct relevance to your studies. This placement will give you invaluable practical experience in a real work environment and will further enhance your career prospects.

You’ll also have the opportunity to network with employers and showcase your work as part of the Mechanical Engineering and Design Industry Club, where you’ll be given opportunities to meet employers

Our four year course, integrated with a placement year, will develop your IT knowledge and give you the skills needed to provide businesses with consultative support, strategic direction and technological insight. There is also an option to gain a double degree (two degrees for the price of one).

This degree will develop your understanding of the management and communication of information, as well as the human, managerial and technical considerations.

You will learn the role that information technology plays in modern business environments and societies, and how technology can be the key to solving some of their biggest challenges.

What you’ll learn
This course will provide you with theoretical knowledge and skills, including analysis and problem-solving, which can be applied to a broad range of career paths.

You will learn the relationship between technical knowledge and human design, the complex role of IT in business, and how technology can be used to drive competitive advantage. 

In your first year you will develop a general knowledge of business theories as well as computing and IT. Your second year is focused on building your IT and computing skills. This will help you as you apply for placement opportunities in your third year.