Course overview

The rapid pace of change in commerce and industry, and the need to respond quickly to innovation in order to compete effectively in world markets, is creating significant challenges in both technology and management infrastructures. For industry, the understanding of the underlying dynamics behind technological and scientific development is often crucial for survival; the understanding of new management practices also enables companies to cope and compete effectively.

Technological innovation and management have an interdependence and interrelation that result in the need for simultaneous development strategies. Management specialists must learn to understand the technology context in which decisions are made, whilst engineers increasingly need a range of management skills. The 'communication gap' between engineers and managers must be closed if they are to work effectively together as team members with a common goal.

This course aims to:

• enable you to develop an understanding of technology management techniques so you have the capability to accept broader and more responsible roles (both technical and managerial) within an atmosphere of continual change
• engender an understanding of the management role in the investigation, implementation and operation of manufacturing and service systems
• provide a broad appreciation of material resource utilisation and recovery, with consideration of effective planning procedures for minimum waste

Professionally accredited course that meets the needs of industry

This course has been accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council. Accreditation is a mark of assurance that this degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).

This accredited degree will provide you with some of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as an Incorporated (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng). Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.

Course content

This course provides a broad understanding of management techniques and modern technology in a fully integrated framework.

You will study:

• Operations and Quality Management: a strategic approach is used with modern inventory and supply chain management and logistics tools and techniques. Management strategies are developed for quality, including quality systems and quality control.
• Information Technology and Management: the design and analysis of information systems is dealt with in the context of business as a whole, including network design requirements. Emphasis is made on web publishing and modern forms of management communication.
• Strategies for Resource Husbandry and Recovery: the effective use of resources to minimise environmental impact is the major theme of this unit. The total product life cycle, including disposal, is considered in a management context that includes an analysis of economic viability, potential life extension and recovery processes.
• Supply Chain Management: supply chain management involves the coordination of production, inventory, location and transportation, among participants in a supply chain. This unit considers the principles and tools of supply chain management, with an emphasis on lean six sigma methods.
• Managing Change: techniques for the formulation of a strategy for change, including the assessment of organisational change capability and change monitoring methods, are developed for a strategic approach to change management.
• Integrated Manufacturing Systems: systems concepts and techniques are developed in logistics and manufacturing areas with a strong emphasis on simulation techniques and practical case study analysis.
• Individual Project: a strong feature of the course is the individual project, which comprises a third of the course. You will be encouraged to undertake projects where possible in industrial companies. However, we can use our extensive resources and staff skills to also undertake them within the University.

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught by a mixture of lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions in conjunction with implementing an individual MSc project. Each unit typically has about 36 hours scheduled for lectures and supervised activities. In addition, you will need to spend significant time in our state-of-the-art laboratories and the library as well as in private study directed by lecturers.

Lecturers generally spend part of the scheduled time in tutorial sessions to help you with any technical aspects of the taught units. You will also have a personal tutor who can help with any other personal or academic problems, should they arise.

Assessment is geared towards the subject matter in a way that encourages a deeper understanding and allows you to develop your skills. It includes examinations, assessed coursework, a laboratory report and a dissertation, which can often be linked with industry.

Career prospects

Graduates from this course find employment in a wide range of engineering and management-based careers such as production management, manufacturing, project management, design, research and development.

Facilities and features

The School of Engineering provides a range of facilities to support your learning experience. Lectures, tutorials and seminars take place in the well equipped multimedia lecture theatres and classrooms. You will have access to a wide range of state-of-the-art laboratory facilities attached to different research groups to learn specific subjects and to carry out your individual project. It will help you familiarise yourself with industry-standard equipment and software packages.

The aerospace materials research group focuses on deformation, fatigue and fracture of engineering structures and components subjected to in-service loading conditions, particularly for nickel and titanium alloys used in turbine blades and discs in aero-engines. The laboratory provides extensive specialist experimental facilities and advanced modelling capacities for creep, fatigue and oxidation damage.

The biomechanical engineering research group undertakes research into mechanics in artificial joints and musculoskeletal systems. It has a unique hip simulator for in-vitro fatigue testing of acetabular reconstructs and a micro CT scanning system equipped with a loading stage as well as standard biomechanical testing systems.

The design engineering research group is interested in knowledge management for engineering design, including how to capture, store, retrieve and re-use design knowledge. It also works on collaborative design and simulation, where different simulation models may be integrated to solve design problems, as well as design optimisation using the finite element method and hybrid 3D parametric and freedom modelling of complex geometries.

The manufacturing engineering research group focuses on rapid product realisation, optimisation of process parameters, characterisation and optimisation of additive manufacturing, reverse engineering and mass customisation. Facilities include metrology, CAD/CAM integration, reverse engineering, rapid prototyping/tooling/manufacture, production process innovation and implementation, proof of concept and commercialisation, manufacturing systems, lean and agile design and manufacture, virtual manufacturing, discrete event simulation, logistics and supply chain management. It also works on remote monitoring and control of manufacturing machinery and processes. The facilities have been extensively utilised by the Regional Centre for Manufacturing Industry (RCMI) with extensive links with local SME as well as knowledge transfer partnerships with industries.

The polymers and composites research group undertakes R&D on characterisation, formulation, manufacturing, design, testing, repair and structural integrity evaluation of polymers and composites, including thermoplastics, thermosets, coatings, elastomers, adhesives, polymer matrix composites, eco-composites and nanocomposites. It has a well-equipped laboratory with nano-testing (indentation, scratching and impact), thermal characterisation (MDSC, TMA, TGA, DSC, DMA, hotwire and laser flash thermal diffusivity), mechanical and thermal mechanical testing, durability testing, surface properties testing, non-destructive evaluation as well as manufacturing.

The thermo-fluid, petroleum and energy engineering research group is interested in both the development of numerical methods for fluid mechanics, fluid-structure interaction and also the use of CFD for a range of industrial applications. Particular areas of interest include application of CFD to arterial blood flow, simulation of non-Newtonian fluids; simulation of phenomena involving the interaction of acoustic waves and fluid flow, turbulence, chemical mixing, combustion, wave energy device, development of application of the lattice Boltzmann Method. It has advanced computational and modelling software including Abaqus, ANSYS (Fluent), Lattice Boltzmann software, finite volume and finite element analysis.

The University Library

Our extended library is open from 8am until midnight every day during term-time. It provides a variety of information to help with study and research and has also invested heavily in the purchase of electronic resources. There are thousands of electronic journals and ebooks, which can be accessed across campus, from home or wherever there is an internet connection.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for MSc Technology Management are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: School of Engineering (ENG)
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 2555
Email: technology.admissions@port.ac.uk