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AER8010 : Aerospace Engineering Team Project
- Inactive for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Shaheer Zubairi
- Lecturer: Dr Glynn Atkinson
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 20.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module enables students to work as part of a professional engineering team to deliver a substantial aerospace engineering project from initial requirements through to final presentation of outcomes.
Students will take ownership of project planning, technical development, risk management, team coordination and communication, with limited supervisory input. The module is designed to develop the professional behaviours expected of engineers working towards Chartered Engineer status, including individual accountability, technical judgement, project management, teamwork, leadership and reflective development.
Through a major team-based engineering project, students will apply advanced aerospace knowledge, design methodology and systems thinking to complex engineering problems. They will evaluate technical options, manage uncertainty, consider wider professional responsibilities and communicate project outcomes through written, oral and visual formats used in professional engineering practice.
Outline Of Syllabus
The technical content will vary according to the allocated project and options selected. All projects will typically include:
1. Project definition, requirements capture and engineering specification.
2. Project planning, scheduling, resource allocation and individual work planning.
3. Application of project management methods to a major engineering task.
4. Risk identification, assessment, mitigation and monitoring.
5. Application of engineering design methodology to complex technical problems.
6. Use of appropriate mathematical, scientific, computational, experimental or design methods relevant to the project.
7. Evaluation of technical literature, standards, codes of practice and other sources of engineering evidence.
8. Consideration of safety, sustainability, lifecycle, stakeholder, commercial and professional responsibilities where relevant to the project.
9. Team working, leadership, individual contribution and evaluation of team effectiveness.
10. Professional communication through project files, reports, presentations, visual material, logbooks and technical discussion.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 5:00 | 5:00 | Preparation and completion of Report 3 |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 50:00 | 50:00 | Preparation and production of Report 2 |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Preparation and production of Report 1 |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 5:00 | 5:00 | Preparation and Presentation of Oral Examination 1 |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 3:00 | 3:00 | Preparation and presentation of formative Oral Presentation 1 |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 18 | 1:00 | 18:00 | Supervision |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Dissertation/project related supervision | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | Project supervisor discussion and progress updates |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 300:00 | 300:00 | Recommended regular personal research activity throughout teaching period |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Module talks with module leader (invited talks on projects) |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Introduction to stage-4 projects |
| Total | 400:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The module is delivered through a substantial team-based aerospace engineering project with supervisory guidance, project meetings, independent technical work, team coordination and professional documentation. Students take responsibility for project planning, technical development, risk management, design decisions and delivery of agreed outputs. This approach supports Level 7 learning by requiring students to integrate advanced technical knowledge, engineering judgement, project management, teamwork and professional communication within a realistic engineering context. Individual logbooks, progress discussions and project documentation support reflection, accountability and evidence of individual contribution.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Examination | 20 | 2 | A | 35 | Assessment of understanding and achievement including presentation, discussions, logbooks and other project documents. (20 minutes) AHEP4 (M5, M6, M7, M8, M17) |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 1 | M | 10 | Block 3 end Team Progress Report with Individual contributions. total length of the Team Interim Report is to be 12 pages (sides of A4) maximum for a Team of 6 (one extra page permitted for each Team Member over 6) AHEP4 (M1, M2, M4, M5, M6, M7, M13) |
| Report | 1 | M | 50 | Team Formal Written Report. Team assessed together and peer reviewed. Not exceed 20 pages in length per Team memberAHEP4 (M1, M2, M4, M5, M6, M7, M13, M16, M18) |
| Report | 2 | M | 5 | Team Project File. Project management. Peer reviewed. AHEP4 (M9, M14, M15, M18) |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 1 | M | Product pitch assessment. Team assessed (15 mins). AHEP4 (M17) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The assessment strategy is designed to evidence Masters-level achievement through both team outputs and individually verified contribution. Interim reports, the final report and oral presentation assess students’ ability to formulate and analyse complex aerospace engineering problems, apply advanced technical knowledge, evaluate design options and communicate substantiated engineering conclusions. These outputs support M1, M2, M4, M5, M6 and M17.
The assessed project file provides evidence of project planning, requirements definition, scheduling, resource allocation, risk management and decision tracking. This supports M9, M14 and M15 by requiring students to manage uncertainty, monitor progress and justify project decisions within realistic delivery constraints.
Individual logbooks, detailed discussion and verified statements of achievement provide evidence of each student’s technical contribution, professional responsibility, teamwork, leadership and reflective development. These elements support M16 and M18, and help distinguish individual attainment from team performance.
Where project reports explicitly address safety, sustainability, lifecycle implications, stakeholder needs, standards and professional responsibilities, the assessment also supports M7, M8 and M13. Overall, the assessment pattern aligns strongly with Level 7 expectations by requiring students to integrate technical analysis, design judgement, project management, communication and professional accountability in a substantial team engineering project.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- AER8010's Timetable