Sustainable Design Engineering with foundation year

Sustainable design engineering brings together engineering, design, sustainability and business insight. This course is designed to help you develop the skills to create solutions where product sustainability and business considerations are equally important.

Please not that the foundation year of this Coventry University degree will be delivered from our CU Coventry campus. Course delivery from year 1 of the degree course onwards will be from our Coventry University campus.

Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course. The degree with foundation year is only available for the BEng option.

Foundation Year
This foundation year aims to provide you with the fundamental knowledge and skills needed in mathematics, as well as the theories and concepts of electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering.

Degree
You will have opportunities to gain practical experience, build industry links and develop multidisciplinary knowledge that can support careers in areas such as renewable energy, automotive and the circular economy.

Key course content and aims:

• Multidisciplinary mastery: combine engineering, design, sustainability, and business to develop solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Industry-ready skills: use cutting-edge tools (CAD, 3D metal printing) and work on simulated live projects with industry collaborators.

• Develop multidisciplinary expertise: master engineering, design, sustainability, and business through integrated modules like Lifecycle-Thinking projects and circular economy principles.

Why you should study this course

Foundation year

• Supports you to gain the academic skills required for degree-level study.

• Provides a grounding in key areas of engineering and mathematics.

Degree

• Become an industry-ready engineer: gain hands-on experience with 3D printing, industry standard computer design and analysis software. Explore renewable energy systems through lab work and real-world projects.

• Placement and study abroad opportunities: you may have the opportunity to apply for an industry placement to help provide you with valuable work experience.

• Work on real sustainability challenges: work with industry collaborators on live, simulated briefs, tackling problems like renewable energy integration and sustainable product design.

• MEng advanced pathway while paying undergraduate fees: upon successful completion of the first three years, you may have the opportunity to advance to the master’s portion of this course while paying undergraduate fees, providing you with greater insight into computer systems engineering (subject to meeting progression requirements).

• Build a future-proof career: graduate with skills for high-demand roles like sustainable design engineer, energy analyst, or environmental consultant, backed by strong industry connections. Expand your network through guest lectures and exclusive industry events.

These aim to help you graduate as a technically skilled, sustainability-focused engineer, ready to lead in a rapidly evolving industry.

Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information.

Course Modules

The foundation year seeks to provide opportunities to develop fundamental knowledge and skills in a range of mathematical and business principles, as well as the theories and concepts of electrical and mechanical engineering. Foundation year modules include:
Fundamental Pure Mathematics
Fundamental Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Fundamentals
Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals

Successful completion of the foundation year will see you progress to the first year of the degree course. In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related courses allowing you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on, in the second and third years, to specialist modules in your chosen field.

Year one
Material Science for Manufacturing
Essential Science and Mathematics for Engineers
Sustainable Engineering Design Principles
Sustainability

Year two
The Designer's Dilemma
Science and Engineering Analysis
The Economics of Sustainable Business
Lifecycle Thinking

Sandwich year
There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

Final year
Design for Circularity
Engineering Analysis for Design
Sustainable Business Operations
Individual Sustainable Design Project

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.