Teaching and assessment
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching format
Our courses are highly intensive. Your timetabled activities each week will include:
- Lectures
- Practical work (including projects every year)
- Workshops
- Computer laboratories
- Supervisions
You'll also be expected to spend time studying independently. As you progress through the course you'll take on more independent study, guiding your own learning and developing your project management skills.
Your individual project in your final year will be supervised by an academic member of staff who will guide you through your project.
Timetabled activities
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures |
10 hours per week |
| Tutorials |
2 hours per week |
| Practicals |
9-10 hours per week |
| Optional activities |
0-2 hours per week |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Facilities
You can find detailed descriptions of our facilities on our website, including laboratory space, recording studios, clean room and computing classrooms.
Teaching location
You will be based in the School of Physics, Engineering & Technology, on Campus West.
Most of your contact hours will be in the School of Physics, Engineering & Technology, with some additional teaching on Campus West.
About our campus
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Assessment and feedback
Your assignments will be designed not just to test you but for you to creatively apply what you've learned, and to stretch you to supply novel solutions. We use a variety of assessment styles, including exams, coursework and practical engineering tasks. You'll encounter all of them during your course, but the exact balance will depend on the modules you choose:
- Closed-book and open-book exams
- Short technical reports
- Electronic portfolios, including programming exercises, video reports or blogs
- Presentations and demonstrations
- Major technical reports
You'll receive written feedback on work you hand in to help you understand your grade and develop your skills. For your final-year individual project you'll produce a written report, have a viva (a presentation and question/answer session) and also show your project on our demo day, which our external advisory board attend.
