• Undergraduate study:
• Courses
• Order a prospectus
• How to apply
• Information for applicants
• Why choose Kingston University
• Disability and mental health support
• Accommodation
• Undergraduate fees
• Fees, funding and payments
• Access, participation and inclusion

• Undergraduate study:
• Courses
• Order a prospectus
• How to apply
• Information for applicants
• Why choose Kingston University
• Disability and mental health support
• Accommodation
• Undergraduate fees
• Fees, funding and payments
• Access, participation and inclusion

Business and Project Management and Group Design Project (BEng only)

• Module code: AE6023
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 6
• Credits: 30
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module gives you an opportunity to work as a member of a design team on an aerospace design project. It also further develops your broader understanding of the business context of engineering activities. It will develop a set of skills and techniques which will prepare you for employment.

Aims

• To develop in students the technical, management and interpersonal skills required to perform a major aerospace engineering design project in a team environment
• To allow students to apply aerospace engineering principles in a multidisciplinary context and to appreciate the limitations of academic theory.
• To ensure students have a broad understanding of the business environment in which engineering activities are undertaken and to prepare them for employment
• To stimulate students' interest in the business world and broaden their knowledge of how individual companies and other organizations work.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Work effectively as part of an aerospace design team
• Communicate their ideas in written and oral form at the level expected of a graduate engineer
• Demonstrate the competences in management and business required by professional engineers including basic accounting principles and performance measurement
• Analyse the domestic and international business environment including the driving forces that affect business growth
• Discuss the choices available in the pursuit of growth and success and the concept of strategic marketing.

Curriculum content

The group design project will represent roughly half of the content of this module.  It will bring together ideas for all of the modules which constitute the programme.  There will also be a series of lectures on the business environment.  These will typically cover the following areas:

• The macro and micro business environment.
• Analysing industries.
• Profit & loss, balance sheet and cash flow.
• Sources of finance.
• Analysing accounts.
• Market segmentation, targeting and positioning.
• Growth strategies. Mergers and acquisitions. Joint ventures and alliances.
• Budgets.
• International business, trade barriers, globalisation.

Teaching and learning strategy

There will be no formal lectures covering the design project element of the module.  This will build on the skills and techniques developed in the level 5 module Aerospace Engineering Design and Project Management.  The design groups will meet regularly throughout the year.  Some of these meetings will be supported by an academic and the rest will be conducted independently.

The Business Environment element of the module will be delivered through formal lectures and tutorials.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

This group project element of the module will be assessed entirely by coursework and the business environment element will be assessed through an examination. The coursework will centre on a group design project that will run throughout the module. A final group design report will be submitted along with a portfolio of individual design reports. The group will also give an oral presentation at the end of the project.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

Boddy, D. (2010) Management : An Introduction (5^th Edition), London, Financial Times Press.

Bibliography recommended reading

Johnson, G., Scholes, K. & Whittington, R (2010) Exploring Corporate Strategy - Text and Cases, (9^th Edition), London, Financial Times Press.

Worthington I & Britton C, (2009) The Business Environment, 6/e, Financial Times Press.