Undergraduate Course: Engineering Principles (SCEE08012)
Course Outline
| School | School of Engineering |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | All engineers make use of fundamental scientific principles to design and construct the future. They work in inter-disciplinary teams to solve complex problems within the ever-changing environmental, economic, societal and policy landscape.
In this context, Engineering Principles provides an insight into what it is to be an engineer and showcases how engineering is done. It starts you off to a journey to become a successful engineer.
In particular, Engineering Principles will (i) introduce core engineering principles; (ii) explore how these principles can be employed to solve problems within an inter-disciplinary engineering context; (iii) put the problems and solutions into realistic context by taking into account elements of environment and sustainability; and iv) help you develop critical thinking and self-learning skills for flexible and agile engineering practice.
Engineering Principles will be delivered as a combination of lectures and in-person seminars, supported by learning materials in Learn and in-person activities (including two substantial group projects) to explore a range of different aspects of relevance in engineering. |
| Course description |
The course is structured around two main projects. The Reflective Engineer project involves working in a small group to interview a professional engineer and then write an individual essay reflecting on what you learned. The remainder of the course is centred on the Engineering for People Design Challenge to identify and develop sustainable development solutions for a real community.
These projects are designed to help you nurture your professional skills and engineering judgement. They are supported by in-person lectures and material posted in Learn that will support you in completing the projects and, therefore, your coursework submissions.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 500 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 11,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 18,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
167 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The following Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP4) learning outcomes are assessed as follows:
Reflective Engineer essay: C18 Lifelong learning
Design Challenge group poster: C1 Science, mathematics and engineering principles; C2 Problem analysis; C3 Analytical tools and techniques; C4 Technical literature; C5 Design; C6 Integrated/systems approach; C7 Sustainability; C16 Teamwork; C17 Communication
Design Challenge individual technical report: C1 Science, mathematics and engineering principles; C2 Problem analysis; C3 Analytical tools and techniques; C4 Technical literature; C5 Design; C6 Integrated/systems approach; C7 Sustainability; C17 Communication; C18 Lifelong learning
The following Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP4) learning outcomes covered, but not assessed: C11 Equality, diversity and inclusion; C15 Engineering and project management
The following Skills for Success areas are covered: Critical thinking; Problem solving; Curiosity; Collaboration; Communication; Reflection; Inclusivity; Adaptivity; Data and Digital Literacy; Individuality |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the key stages of an iterative design cycle and apply it to problems of general engineering relevance using a systems approach;
- Employ estimation approaches as practical shortcut methods to solve open-ended problems within an inter-disciplinary context;
- Develop self-learning skills and reflective judgement, creating a basis for the acquisition of engineering fundamentals;
- Discuss and reason about environment and sustainability issues pertaining to engineering practice;
- Communicate effectively with others and draw on diverse perspectives to identify solutions to solve engineering problems (e.g.through team work).
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The following Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP4) learning outcomes are assessed as follows:
Reflective Engineer essay: C18 Lifelong learning
Dimensional Analysis test: C2 Problem analysis
Design Challenge group poster: C1 Science, mathematics and engineering principles; C2 Problem analysis; C3 Analytical tools and techniques; C4 Technical literature; C5 Design; C6 Integrated/systems approach; C7 Sustainability; C16 Teamwork; C17 Communication
Design Challenge individual technical report: C1 Science, mathematics and engineering principles; C2 Problem analysis; C3 Analytical tools and techniques; C4 Technical literature; C5 Design; C6 Integrated/systems approach; C7 Sustainability; C17 Communication; C18 Lifelong learning
The following Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP4) learning outcomes covered, but not assessed: C11 Equality, diversity and inclusion; C15 Engineering and project management
The following Skills for Success areas are covered: Critical thinking; Problem solving; Curiosity; Collaboration; Communication; Reflection; Inclusivity; Adaptivity; Data and Digital Literacy; Individuality |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Hannah Chalmers
Tel: (0131 6)50 5694
Email: hannah.chalmers@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lucy Davie
Tel: (0131 6)51 7073
Email: Lucy.Davie@ed.ac.uk |
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