Learning and Teaching Committee

Curriculum Sub-Committee

Subject: EngD in Systems Engineering

Origin: Unconfirmed Minutes of Learning and Teaching Committee on 8 June 2006

The Committee considered a report from the Curriculum Sub-Committee concerning proposals from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering for the introduction of an EngD in Systems Engineering.

The Committee received a paper from the AD(T) of Engineering indicating that he had received revised documentation from the department since the meeting of CSC on 24 May and that the issues identified by the sub-committee (M.42.4) had been addressed to his satisfaction. The department had agreed that the MSc award should initially be in Systems Engineering.

The Committee also received a response from the Research Team to other points raised by CSC (M.42.3), as the Research Committee had not met again since the 24 May meeting of CSC. The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering had also commented on these issues in its submission to the AD(T). The Committee was concerned to ensure that, since the current programme specification covered only the taught element of the EngD, a document would be produced for the programme of study as a whole, within which there would be a clear specification of the doctorate submission options and requirements that applied.

Subject to this assurance, it was resolved to recommend to Senate that the proposals for a new EngD programme in Systems Engineering, with an MSc in Systems Engineering as an exit award, and the possibility of submitting a research thesis for the doctorate, be approved for introduction in October 2006.

The Committee noted that amendments to the Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research were required. It was understood that the Research Student Office had these in hand for submission to Senate.

The Committee considered it essential to address the issue of how future EngD proposals, or any like proposals with a research and curriculum element leading to a taught award, should be routed, in order to avoid the prolonged and complex iterations that the current set of proposals had been through. It was noted that these had been unusually complex because they broke away from the existing EngD format as enshrined in RHDR. It was proposed that in future CSC invite a member of Research Committee to offer advice and input to its discussions on like proposals ; and that LTC have responsibility subsequently for making recommendations to Senate on the advice of CSC.

Author – Jennie Elliott

Date – September 2006