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Design Engineering at University of Brighton - UCAS

Course options

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

A Brighton Design Engineering degree prepares you for careers in areas such as product design and development, user experience design, sustainable innovation and manufacturing and gives you the skills to start your own venture in tech and design-led industries. Our Design Engineering MEng includes a year of masters level study to develop your technical understanding, management and leadership skills and support your career progression. At Brighton you’ll be part of a supportive community that helps you grow, no matter your background. This course is full of opportunities to build real-world experience through team projects, placements and internships. Our inclusive approach to learning means we’ll help you play to your strengths and learn in ways that suit you best. Brighton graduates go on to work for organisations such as Apple, Dyson, Jaguar, Mars, Lego and Ricardo UK Ltd. Top reasons to choose this course

  • Learn with a team who are part of the Advanced Engineering Centre and the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices and take part in exciting and challenging projects arising from and contributing to their research.
  • Work in a creative, collaborative studio environment with other engineering and design students.
  • Gain hands-on experience through project work designing and building water rockets, finding solutions to Fixperts challenges and working on the design and development of bike force pedals for Team GB.
  • Showcase your work to potential employers at our end of year show.
  • Specialist facilities including flight and car simulators, wind tunnel, prototyping labs and workshops, CNC machines, robotics and VR labs.
  • Get involved with our research, developing mechanical and aerodynamic tools for bicycle training and simulators in the Bike Sim Lab.
  • Make a difference and solve energy challenges in our student-led Sustainable Technology and Engineering Projects (STEP) lab.
  • Boost your CV with an optional paid placement year after year two or paid internship opportunities.
  • 100% of our engineering research impact is rated as ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ for reach and significance – Research Excellence Framework 2021.
Why Brighton is a great place to study design engineering Brighton & Hove is the UK’s leading city for new economy businesses (Centre for Cities, 2025). This includes sectors such as advanced engineering, product design, green technology and sustainable manufacturing—industries where demand for design engineers is rapidly growing. Studying here means you’ll be part of a hub for innovation, with opportunities directly to connect your learning to the future of design and engineering. Brighton & Hove has also been named one of the best cities on the planet and third best city in the UK by Time Out.

Modules

Year 1 You’ll be introduced to the fundamental elements of product design and engineering, building your skills in terms of making, thinking and evaluation. Later in the year you’ll explore more complex design issues and skills including digital prototyping and manufacture, inclusive design and human factors. You’ll work on projects such as designing and building water rockets and building an electrical system to measure light. Project work also includes engaging with the Fixperts global community of design innovators to find practical solutions to everyday challenges. You will take four core modules which build on and support each other, developing your specialist knowledge and skills in design practice, design engineering and design technologies. Core modules Design Engineering: Fundamentals Design Practice: Creativity, Prototyping and Communication Design Practice: Inclusive Design Design Technologies: Digital Manufacturing Year 2 In your second year you’ll learn to develop products for a real market, consider the commercial side of product development – including design for manufacturability and assembly, costing and fulfilment – and learn how to prototype with a range of technologies. You’ll also build on the fundamental engineering topics covered in your first year. Project work covers control systems and includes building a self-balancing robot, modelling dynamics of vehicles and a project that brings together heat transfer and thermal modelling with fluids and structures. Core modules Design Practice: Design to Market Design Technologies: Interactions and Experiences Design Engineering: Systems Design Practice: Responsible Design Optional Placement Year A placement year gives you the opportunity to gain professional experience either through external work placements with industry partners or working on live projects. Year 3 In your third year you will develop expertise through an advanced engineering project informed by research, such as working on the design and development of bike force pedal sensors for Team GB. You’ll undertake a project informed by an industry or research brief which will incorporate the values, principles, skills and experience you have gained in design outcomes that are well resolved and well communicated. Core modules Design Engineering: Specialist Design Practice: Professional Practices Design Engineering: Self-directed Project Design Technologies: Self-directed Project Final year In your final year, the engineering management module gives you a professional focus – as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will make a proposal for a new business venture. You will also focus on a specialist area in an emerging field of technology and work in teams to make a proposal for a new innovation in advanced design. You’ll take part in a major team project that is linked with a real-world industry or research brief for a client. Alongside this, you will carry out independent study in an area of your choice. Core modules Engineering Management Professional Development Major Team Project Emerging Technologies in Design Engineering


How to apply

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements


English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)66.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5. in each element, or equivalent English Language qualification.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
0%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
0%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
EU £17250 Year 1
International £17250 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

The fees listed in the table above are for full-time UK undergraduate students in academic year 2025-26. You will pay further fees in each year of your course. Fees may increase each year. UK undergraduate and certain postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government. The annual fee increase will not exceed the UK government's maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant academic year. Many of our courses include the option of a salaried placement year. Tuition fees for a placement year are charged at a lower rate of £1850. The international tuition fees listed above are for full-time courses during the academic year 2025-26. Further tuition fees are payable in each year of study. Non-regulated tuition fees, which usually apply to international students and UK postgraduate students* are subject to an annual increase of a maximum of 5% or the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), whichever is higher. *Some designated postgraduate courses are regulated by the UK government – the annual fee increase for eligible UK / Home students on these designated courses will not exceed the UK government’s regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant academic year.
Design Engineering at University of Brighton - UCAS