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"The industry supported nature of the EngD has helped me develop lasting connections with my sponsor company, a top ten global steel producer"

- Dan, Research Engineer

THE ENgD EXPERIENCE

Our aim is to convert you into a well-rounded, highly employable individual who will be ready for your career – wherever it may take you.

OUR ENGD IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS, WITH A STRONG FOCUS ON REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS FOR THE INDUSTRY SPONSOR COMPANY LINKED WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL PROJECT

WE (COATED M2A AND SWANSEA UNIVERSITY) ARE HERE TO FACILITATE YOUR TRAINING AND LEARNING IN THE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT. THIS A MARVELLOUS OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER YOURSELF, PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, AND GAIN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE SKILLS TO TAKE WITH YOU AS YOU DEVELOP.

TRAINING PROGRAMME

The Engineering Doctorate (EngD) differs from a PhD in that you complete a training programme alongside your research project. This comprises of a range of technical and professional skills-based modules and will be beneficial to both your research and future employment. Most technical modules are conducted in the first year together with ‘Interpersonal Skills for Engineers’, ‘Industrial Process Control and Optimisation’ and ‘Responsible Research and Innovation’. In subsequent years, further professional skills training takes place to ensure that you have the skills to not only commercialise your ideas but to also become an effective leader.


The EngD programme is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) on behalf of the Engineering Council and can contribute towards you attaining professional registration as a Chartered Engineer.


A summary of the training programme is provided in the table below. All modules are 10 credits unless specified.

COHORT APPROACh

The postgraduate experience can be considered as very different from undergraduate life. Full time working hours are expected, i.e., 35 hours each week at a minimum and you are entitled to 4 weeks holiday per annum, plus Public Holidays and the Christmas closure.

As a postgraduate, your work will be self-directed and self-motivated, taking responsibility to drive your research forward; this includes taking the lead in raising problems or difficulties with your supervisors, and meeting your research and administrative responsibilities. This can be daunting, but don’t be afraid to use your initiative in trying new things or presenting your ideas to others. This is how discoveries are made.

You will be immersed in a collaborative and supportive community, and this will be an opportunity to own and shape your research.

Being a part of COATED M2A means that you will join our community of researchers, a group of like-minded individuals that provide crucial support and engagement during your studies. The purpose of this, in part, is so that you don’t enter this new experience on your own. As you begin alongside other new starters, you will meet and learn from those already on their postgraduate journey. It’s a great chance to enter a welcoming community, make new friends, work collaboratively, and support one other!

Beyond this, there will be social, academic, and outreach activities for you to get involved in during your time with us.

industrial site tour

Each year the first-year researchers go on an industrial site tour of some of the UK’s leading manufacturing sites. The tour provides an opportunity to gain an understanding of how large-scale manufacturing is completed and gain an understanding of how your research can be applied into the sector.

In previous years we have visited sites such as Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, Airbus, Mini, Fusion Energy, Lotus, Morgan and Tata Steel.

social events

To elevate your cohort and postgraduate experience with us, there are social activities for you to get stuck into (should you wish). There is a social committee that meet to plan out the next fun event, giving you a chance to enjoy yourself outside of the University setting.

It’s also hard to forget that our beautiful beachside location means we like to take advantage of an annual Sports Day on the beach! Why not enjoy some fun in the sun?

Other socials include the likes of quiz nights, go-karting, stand-up paddle boarding, mini-golf, and soft play (for grown-ups!).

CPD is a key element towards this and being part of our cohort means there will be ample opportunities to partake in the activities essential to your professionally recognised status.

outreach

As part of the experience, we highly encourage every one of our researchers to get involved in Outreach. We are all for inspiring the next generation of future engineers and scientists – and you’ll be in a fantastic position to do that!

There will be numerous opportunities to develop and take part in activities, where you can engage the public around STEM subjects and share what impact our research can have. The events range from visiting local schools and careers events, through to educational-themed tents at UK festivals. There is plenty of support and training available for this, plus organisations that we link into which you can join who facilitate many of these aspects. Importantly, your involvement in Outreach is a good way of giving back to others.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Every year the M2A hold an annual conference where all the researcher engineers have the opportunity to present their work to a mixed audience of academics and industrialists in the setting of the Great Hall at Bay Campus. The event is very well attended and is rounded with a conference dinner providing an excellent prospect for networking and expanding your contacts.
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The aim of the EngD is to produce graduates who are ready to make an impact at all TRL levels through the application of their fundamental knowledge to their research problems. To encourage innovation, share best practice and develop cohort team working the CDT has developed an annual cross cohort coatings challenge.  The challenge will bring together cohorts in years 2 and 3 for two weeks to design and manufacture a m2 functional coated product complete with a business plan and marketing strategy that they will pitch to an assembled panel of industry experts. The aim of the challenge is for a team of Research Engineers to work together applying their knowledge in developing a coating to solve a real life problem. The challenge not only draws on the researcher’s academic excellence but also brings experience of applying that knowledge to solve a problem within a short timeframe and giving consideration to the business requirements – something that they will also face in their careers.

EMPLOYABILITY

Our graduate employment is currently at 97%

Ultimately your postgraduate qualification is a stepping stone to getting employed. As well as your qualification you will have gained numerous research and professional skills that are instantly transferrable to your professional career and will make you stand out at interview. Such skills include – analytical, subject expertise, presentation, public speaking, ability to present to senior managers and shop floor staff alike, report writing and many more.

Many graduates choose to take employment with their sponsor. Your project effectively forms a prolonged interview for both you and your sponsor, it provides the opportunity for you to sell yourself to your sponsor and for your sponsor to sell themselves to you – after all you are now highly employable.

Our alumni take on many different roles in industry, academia as well as exploring opportunities in other sectors. Initial positions include process engineers, post-doctoral researchers through to starting their own companies. As time progresses we see our alumni taking on more senior roles such as technical managers, directors, lecturers and professors and even some move on into other disciplines such as medicine.

Check out some of our alumni profiles:

Meet some of our academic supervisors

Swansea is recognised as one of the UK’s leading universities for engineering.

The recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, ranks Engineering at Swansea as 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines.

The REF shows that 94% of research produced by our academic staff is of World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*) quality.
The EngD is equivalent to a PhD in its intellectual challenge, but as a Research Engineer (EngD student), your research will be industry-led and your project will involve working with a company. The programme includes a taught component, covering both technical, interpersonal and management training. These enhanced skills map to the Engineering Council’s UK specification and will aid your journey to chartership and professional recognition.

Materials and Manufacturing Academy (M2A) provides industry led postgraduate research training based at Swansea University's new Bay Campus. M2A is part funded by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government.