Product Design Engineering With Foundation Year

1st in the UK for continuing students in the subject area of general engineering
Complete University Guide Subject League Table 2026

With the foundation year, you'll build a strong academic base. You'll learn essential skills in mathematics, programming, applied science, and engineering, all of which are key to your success in the main degree. This year is all about preparing you, so you are ready to handle the challenges of the engineering course with confidence. It will also help you grasp the fundamental concepts, making your move into the full degree smooth and successful.

Combine your creative flair and technical skill with a Product Design Engineering degree from Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU). Our degree has been designed in collaboration with IMecE, a leading professional industry body, and will enable you to transform your ideas into physical, practical solutions.

At CCCU, this industry-focussed degree will enable you to critically think and collaborate with others so you can produce practical solutions that have commercial potential. You’ll learn how to integrate engineering and design skills via practical and industry related design projects, transforming you into a confident and creative product design engineer.

You’ll use the pioneering CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) approach to problem solve mechanical engineering issues. The CDIO approach is an international engineering education model, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It allows you to learn in a practical, hands-on way to find creative, evaluated solutions to industry related engineering challenges. We are one of the only handful of universities in the UK to offer CDIO.

What's more, with a Product Design Engineering degree from CCCU, you'll get prepared for a variety of sectors including consumer products, aerospace, and health.

Professional accreditation
Our Product Design Engineering course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), ensuring the highest standard of teaching, meeting industry standards and providing you with a clear path to professional registration.

Specialist facilities
Our multimillion-pound Verena Holmes building is home to our engineering workshop, mechatronics lab, makerspace and mechanical physics lab, all equipped with industry-standard technology such as wind turbines, plasma cutters, laser systems, industry-leading 3D printers, a water treatment plant, a bioreactor, a distillation column, and more.

For a list of core and likely optional modules, please visit our website.