Programme Specification for the MEng Degree in Aeronautics

Programme Specification for the MEng Degree in Aeronautics

This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. This specification provides a source of information for students and prospective students seeking an understanding of the nature of the programme and may be used by the College for review purposes and sent to external examiners. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods can be found in the course handbook online at

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/aeronautics/ug/courses.

The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed by the College and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency.

1. Awarding Institution: Imperial College London

2. Teaching Institution: Imperial College London

3. External Accreditation by Professional / Statutory Body: RAeS and IMechE

4. Name of Final Award: MEng/ACGI

5. Programme Title: Aeronautical Engineering / Aeronautical Engineering with a Year Abroad/ Aeronautical Engineering with a Year in Industry

6. Date of production / revision of this programme specification September 2014

7. Name of Home Department: Department of Aeronautics

8. Name of Home Faculty: Engineering

9. UCAS Code: H401/H410/H420

10. Relevant QAA Subject Benchmarking Group(s) and/or other external/internal reference points

http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/Engineering10.pdf

11. Level(s) of programme within the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/quality-code-A1.aspx

Integrated Master’s (MEng) Levels 6 and 7

12. Mode of Study Full-time

13. Language of Study: English

14. Educational aims/objectives of the programme

The Department of Aeronautics aims to provide a course that trains and prepares the future leaders in aeronautics and related engineering disciplines, in a program that ranks as the top aeronautics course in the UK and one of the best World-wide. This is done through an integrated programme of study wherein the specific engineering disciplines are learnt from the first week of the first year; we strongly believe that this is the most appropriate approach to train highly-competitive engineers in the 21st century, and as such the degree programme does not include a general engineering foundation.

We also aim to graduate students of the highest quality, who will not only demonstrate technical and professional leadership in their fields, but who are adaptable and therefore well-suited to careers in both the industrial and service sectors. Our students must demonstrate both knowledge and skills and apply them to problems relevant to modern engineering practice in both general terms and in

discipline-specific terms.

The department teaching activities fully embrace the college’s mission:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/planning/strategy/strategicplan#Mission

The programme aims/objectives are to:

• To provide students with a solid technical basis in all the key areas of the modern discipline-specific Engineering profession through delivery of a coherent, coordinated and balanced degree course, integrating core engineering science with practical application.

• To enable students to acquire a mature appreciation of the context in which engineering projects are developed.

• To develop in our students excellence in oral, written and graphical communication. • To invest graduates with a fitness to enter professional practice and the capacity to have a

beneficial impact upon it, whether in the industrial or service sectors generally or in the specific engineering discipline in particular.

• To develop an understanding of the physical world and of the use of mathematical abstraction to represent it.

• To develop the ability to make rational decisions.

• To develop clarity and style in professional communication.

• To develop skills of management, planning, organisation and teamwork.

• To appreciate the conceptual and creative aspects of design; to develop the ability to incorporate concepts into the design of new products or processes.

• To develop an awareness of the place of the individual in business, society and the environment.

• To develop a commitment to the public interest.

• To inculcate an understanding of professional behaviour.

• To develop the intellectual capacity and breadth of vision to remain a learner for life.

The department maintains very close contact with industry through a joint academic-industry advisory board that was specifically constituted to provide input to the structure and syllabus of the programme. Members of the board include key academics from within the department (Head of Department, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Careers Advisor plus several others) and senior members from a wide variety of UK engineering companies that are influential in the aerospace sector and that might constitute career destinations for the student cohort (Airbus, ARA, BMT Fluid Mechanics Ltd, BAE Systems, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce, Merceds AMG F1, Jaguar Land Rover). Detailed syllabus information is reviewed on a regular basis by the board, and, twice yearly, meetings are held at which a series of prepared papers on the state and future direction of both industry and academia are presented and discussed. The ideas generated at these meetings are transferred back into the department via its various strategic committees.

Contact between students and industry occurs through talks and seminars, specific lecture courses, and projects. For more general talks, a number of visiting industrial speakers are invited each year to present either short lunch-time talks to all undergraduates on their experiences. For specific areas, an industrial speaker may provide a talk to add complementary material to a particular lecture course (e.g. energy and environment in propulsion). Courses in Helicopter Dynamics, Applications of Fluid Dynamics, Structural Dynamics and Design of Experiments are taught in full or in part by industry experts. Input from industry into project work is significant, where undergraduate students benefit in many cases from working with internationally leading engineering companies (normally at their sites) across a broad span of areas. This enables our students to undertake significant project work in demanding areas, either internally or on external placements, which constitutes one of the most significant drivers of our curriculum. Finally, students can arrange year-long internships in relevant

industrial companies as part of the Year in Industry degree. Students in placements, either for a final-year project or during a Year in Industry, will be assigned an academic supervisor to monitor their learning experience and also to provide progress feedback and expert advice.

15. Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes are listed below. Specific Module learning outcomes can be listed within Module Handbooks. The headings correspond to the UK-Spec documentation of 2008-2009.

15.1 Underpinning science, mathematics and associated engineering disciplines

US1 Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and methodology necessary to underpin their education in their engineering discipline, to enable appreciation of its scientific and engineering context, and to support their understanding of historical, current and future developments and technologies.

US1m A comprehensive understanding of the scientific principles of own specialisation and related disciplines.

US2 Knowledge and understanding of mathematical principles necessary to underpin their education in engineering discipline and to enable them to apply mathematical methods, tools and notations proficiently in the analysis and solution of engineering problems.

US2m An awareness of developing technologies related to own specialisation.

US3 Ability to apply and integrate knowledge and understand of other engineering disciplines to support study of their own engineering discipline.

US3m A comprehensive knowledge and understanding of mathematical and computer models relevant to the engineering discipline, and an appreciation of their limitations.

US4m An understanding of concepts from a range of areas including some outside engineering, and the ability to apply them effectively in engineering projects.

15.2 Engineering Analysis

EA1 Understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them to analyse key engineering processes.

EA1m Ability to use fundamental knowledge to investigate new and emerging technologies.

EA2 Ability to identify, classify and describe the performance of systems and components through the use of analytical methods and modelling techniques.

EA2m Ability to apply mathematical and computer based models for solving problems in engineering, and the ability to assess the limitations of particular cases.

EA3 Ability to apply quantitative methods and computer software relevant to the engineering discipline, in order to solve engineering problems.

EA3m Ability to extract data pertinent to an unfamiliar problem, and apply in its solution using computer based engineering tools when appropriate.

EA4 Understanding of and ability to apply a systems approach to engineering problems and to work with uncertainty.

15.3 Design

D1 Investigate and define a problem and identify constraints including environmental and sustainability limitation, health and safety and risk assessment issues.

D1m Wide knowledge and comprehensive understanding of design processes and methodologies and the ability to apply and adapt them in unfamiliar situations.

D2 Understand customer and user needs and the importance of considerations such as aesthetics.

D2m Ability to generate an innovative design for products, systems, components or processes to fulfil new needs.

D3 Identify and manage cost drivers.

D4 Use creativity to establish innovative solutions.

D5 Ensure fitness for purpose for all aspects of the problem including production, operation, maintenance and disposal.

15.4 Economic, social, and environmental context

S1 Knowledge and understanding of commercial and economic context of engineering processes.

S1m Extensive knowledge and understanding of management and business practices, and their limitations, and how these may be applied appropriately.

S2 Knowledge of management techniques which may be used to achieve engineering objectives within that context.

S2m The ability to make general evaluations of commercial risks through some understanding of the basis of such risks.

S3 Understanding of the requirement for engineering activities to promote sustainable development.

S4 Awareness of the framework of relevant legal requirements governing engineering activities, including personnel, health, safety, and risk (including environmental risk).

S5 Understanding of the need for a high level of professional and ethical conduct in engineering. 15.5 Engineering Practice

P1 Knowledge of characteristics of particular materials, equipment, processes, or products. P1m A thorough understanding of current practice and its limitations, and some appreciation of

likely new developments. P2 Workshop and laboratory skills.

P2m Extensive knowledge and understand of a wide rage of engineering materials and components

P3 Understanding of contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied (e.g. operations and management, technology development, etc).

P3m Ability to apply engineering techniques taking account of a range of commercial and industrial constraints.

P4 Understanding use of technical literature and other information sources. P5 Awareness of nature of intellectual property and contractual issues P6 Awareness of appropriate codes of practice and industry standards. P7 Awareness of quality issues.

P8 Ability to work with technical uncertainty.

Additional learning outcomes are listed under the College’s headings below: 15.6. Knowledge and Understanding

These are listed above under the UK-Spec headings. Teaching/learning methods and strategies

Acquisition of knowledge is mainly through lectures, tutorials and associated problems sessions to reinforce the lecture content. There is a substantial amount of directed learning through project work at varying degrees of complexity as the student progresses.

The programme is designed to permit the student, after a thorough grounding in the first two years of study, a high degree of choice in their final years to suit their aptitudes and career aspirations.

Assessment methods and strategies

Assessment varies between courses, but in the majority of courses, it is achieved by a combination of written examinations and continuous assessment of coursework and tutorial material. In the final years, interim and final oral presentations and progress reports are also assessed.

15.7 Skills and other Attributes 15.7.1 Intellectual Skills

1. perform analysis and, thereby, solve problems in specific areas shown above

2. integrate theory and practice in dealing with problems which involve several of the subject areas shown above

3. carry out a synthesis/design of a process when faced with a conflicting set of objectives which are, to some extent, mutually exclusive

4. demonstrate the skills necessary to plan, conduct and report a programme of original research or, alternatively, a project of direct and immediate industrial relevance.

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

Lectures followed by tutorials and practical sessions in core subjects are used widely. Design projects of increasing complexity are used. The final year also has a major research or industrial internship project.

Assessment methods and strategies

Assessment of thinking skills is partly achieved in written examinations, but mostly in assessed project work. At the higher levels, reports and oral presentations are also assessed.

15.7.2 Practical Skills

1. plan and execute safely a series of experiments 2. use laboratory methods to generate data

3. analyse experimental results and determine their accuracy, precision, and validity 4. prepare technical reports

5. give technical presentations

6. use effectively a wide range of computational tools and packages of a general nature

7. use effectively a wide range of computational tools and packages relating specifically to the relevant engineering discipline being studied and to determine the range of their validity

8. make use of knowledge from a number of diverse areas to synthesise a feasible solution to a complex problem of design

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

These are covered primarily by first and second year laboratories (some departments have additional laboratory/technical projects such as the pilot plant in chemical engineering). But practice and teaching in all areas is gained via project work in all years. Conventional computer software and modern mathematical/programming software Matlab is used in all engineering degrees from first year on. Special software packages appropriate to the specific engineering disciplines are used in the later years (e.g. Fluent, ABAQUS, MSC Nastran/Patran, STAR-CD).

Assessment methods and strategies

Assessment is primarily by project reports (and by oral presentations where appropriate). 15.7.3 Professional Skills Development

1. communicate effectively through oral presentations and written reports 2. use Information and Communications Technology

3. develop management skills: group coordination, decision processes, objective criteria, problem definition, project design and evaluation needs

4. work as a team and/or independently, as appropriate

5. be adequately prepared to enter a chosen sector of industry as a professional

6. become aware of the environmental, economic and social impact of the specific engineering discipline being studied

7. integrate and evaluate information from a variety of sources

8. learn effectively for the purpose of continuing professional development Teaching/learning methods and strategies

Students are introduced to these skills via project work early in the first year of the course and these skills are continuously developed and sharpened throughout the remaining years with increasingly challenging projects. All departments include specific group projects at which these skills are enhanced.

Assessment methods and strategies

Assessment is almost exclusively by project reports, presentations, and peer review.

In addition to the skills training embedded in the degree programme, the College is introducing an innovative new co-curricular programme called “Imperial Horizons” (www.imperial.ac.uk/horizons) designed to broaden the undergraduate education experience and enhance career potential. With a broad range of courses available, students have the opportunity to study diverse topics from

languages to business, as well as to investigate global challenges such as climate change and global health. The Careers Advisory Service also provides training and support for students on career options, job seeking and interviews.

Disability Equality Duty (DED):

Please refer to the college for information:

16. The following reference points were used in creating this programme specification

• QAA Benchmarking Criteria

• UG Syllabus and student handbook • Accreditation Panel Recommendations • UK-Spec accreditation documentation • MEng Advisory Board

17. Programme structure and features, curriculum units (modules), ECTS assignment and award requirements

Information on programme structure and features, curriculum units (modules) and award requirements can be found in our Student Handbook, which is available on our Departmental website at http://www.imperial.ac.uk/aeronautics/ug/courses

.

Year 1

Module

Credits

Introduction to Aerodynamics 4.5

Aircraft Performance 2.0

Computing 7.0

Engineering Design and CAD (inc Applications) 6.0 *Option: Management and Business for Aeronautical Engineers 6.0

* Option: Languages 6.0

Properties of Materials 5.0

Mathematics 14.0

Mechanics 6.0

Introduction to Structural Analysis 4.0

Thermodynamics 5.0 Engineering Ethics 0.5 TOTAL 60.0

Year 2

Module

Credits

Computing and Numerical Analysis 4.5

Manufacturing Processes (inc Applications) 5.5

*Option: Managerial Economics 6.0

*Option: Languages 6.0

Circuits, Signals and Systems 6.5

Materials 6.0

Mathematics 10.0

Mechanics of flight 4.0

Propulsion and Turbomachinery 4.0

Structural Mechanics and Dynamics 6.5

The following tables include the ECTS assignment for Years 3 and 4 in the MEng in Aeronautical Engineering and MEng in Aeronautical Engineering with a Year in Industry:

H401/H420 - Year 3

Module

Credits

Aerospace Vehicle Design 6.0

Airframe Design 6.0

Experimental Methods (5 Labs) 2.0

Group Design Project 8.5

*Option 1 - Computational Mechanics 5.0

*Option 2 - Materials in Action 5.0

*Option 3 - Helicopter Dynamics 5.0

*Option 4 - Mathematics 5.0

*Option 5 - Computational Fluid Dynamics 5.0

*Option 6 - Design Led Innovation & New Venture Creation 5.0

*Option 7 - Advanced Propulsion 5.0

*Option 8 - Humanities Language 6.0

*Option 9 - Humanities Non-Language 6.0

*Option 10 - Project Management 6.0

*Option 11 - Introduction to Turbulence and Turbulence Modelling 5.0

*Option 12 - Entrepreneurship 6.0

*Option 13 - Aircraft systems engineering and unmanned vehicle technologies 5.0 *Option 14 - Emerging Technologies for Green Aviation 5.0

*Option 15 – Innovation Management 5.0

TOTAL

60.0 or

61.0*

H401/H420 - Year 4

Module

Credits

Structural Dynamics 5.0

Wing Design 5.0

Individual Project 30.0

*Option 1 - Applications of Fluid Dynamics 5.0

*Option 2 - Computational Fluid Dynamics 5.0

*Option 3 - Computational Mechanics 5.0

*Option 4 - Materials in Action 5.0

*Option 5 - Helicopter Dynamics 5.0

*Option 6 - Design Led Innovation & New Venture Creation 5.0 *Option 7 - Introduction to Turbulence and Turbulence Modelling 5.0

*Option 8 - Humanities Language 6.0

*Option 9 - Entrepreneurship 6.0

*Option 10 - Emerging Technologies for Green Aviation 5.0

*Option 11 - Innovation Management 5.0

TOTAL

60.0 or

61.0*

Students that successfully complete a Year in Industry (H420) during their degree (normally between years 3 and 4) will be allocated additional 60 ECTS credits

The following tables include the ECTS assignment on Years 3 and 4 on the MEng Aeronautical Engineering with a Year Abroad:

H410 - Year 3

Module

Credits

60.0

H410 - Year 4

Module

Credits

Aerospace Vehicle Design 6.0

Airframe Design 6.0

Applications Exercise 1.0

Experimental Methods (3 Labs) 1.0

Individual Project 6.0

*Option 1 - Applications of Fluid Dynamics 5.0

*Option 2 - Computational Fluid Dynamics 5.0

*Option 3 - Computational Mechanics 5.0

*Option 4 - Materials in Action 5.0

*Option 5 - Helicopter Dynamics 5.0

*Option 6 - Control Systems 5.0

*Option 7 - Mathematics 5.0

*Option 8 - Advanced Propulsion 5.0

*Option 9 - Design Led Innovation & New Venture Creation 5.0 *Option 10 - Introduction to Turbulence and Turbulence Modelling 5.0

*Option 11 - Humanities Language 6.0

*Option 12 - Humanities Non-Language 6.0

*Option 13 - Entrepreneurship 6.0

*Option 14 - Project Management 6.0

*Option 15 - Aircraft systems engineering and unmanned vehicle technologies 5.0 *Option 16 - Emerging Technologies for Green Aviation 5.0

*Option 17 - Innovation Management 5.0

TOTAL

60.0 or

61.0*

More information on ECTS can be found on the College’s Key Information Sets (KIS) website at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/proceduresandregulations/qualityassurance/keyinformationsets

18. Support provided to students to assist learning (including collaborative students, where appropriate).

Departmental/Course Induction Programme:

During the first week of the academic year, there is an induction program for first year students. They are introduced to the course structure, the expectations in terms of attendance and assessment, library, computer and laboratory use, health and safety fundamentals, and the role of the personal and senior tutor.

Departmental Facilities:

The Department is equipped with excellent computing and experimental facilities including: Mach 9 hypersonic and Mach 2.2 supersonic wind tunnels; three large low-speed wind tunnels, including rolling road floors for car aerodynamics; two high performance parallel computing clusters; a major water flume facility for experiments on current and wave action; structural load and fatigue testing machines; a composite materials laboratory; impact rigs; a gas gun for high speed impact studies, and a state-of-the-art full-motion flight simulator.

Our lively and relevant teaching programme results from a strong research base, with many active research groups led by nationally and internationally renowned staff covering fields as diverse as:

• Hypersonic aerodynamics and road vehicle aerodynamics • Wind power and the aerodynamics of buildings and bridges • Advanced and multifunctional materials

• Morphing structures • Structural failure

• Design and analysis of carbon composite structures • Computer simulation of dynamic behaviour

• Aerospace control • Turbulence

• Development of new computational methods • Applications to biomedical and marine flows • Design optimization

The Department's MOTUS full-motion flight simulator, is not only used to provide practical demonstration and experience of aircraft handling characteristics, but enables students to fly their own designs for the planes of the future.

Departmental/Course Feedback Policy:

Feedback is an essential part of learning and the Department gives high priority to the timeliness and quality of assessment/feedback to students on all modules. The primary purpose of feedback is to assist learning and the development of skills, by highlighting strengths and weaknesses on one hand, and by identifying actions for improvement on the other. It is important to recognize that: 1) feedback comes in various forms and 2) feedback requires student active engagement.

The various forms of feedback we undertake are:

• Unstructured - for example, from fellow students in group work, or perhaps via dialogue with a lecturer or teacher in or outside of a tutorial, class or laboratory, or by email;

• More structured - for example, via the assessment of practical, laboratory, coursework or project submissions;

• Formal - via progress tests (examinable and non-examinable) or examinations. • Scheduled surgery sessions for coursework and laboratories (for 2nd

3rd/4th labs only) after marking to explain the criteria used in assessment, common errors made, where marks are lost etc.

Blackboard is our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and is used to deliver our courses. All coursework is submitted/marked and feedback-given via Blackboard.

Full details on examined and non-examined assessment can be found in the course descriptors which can be found at http://www.imperial.ac.uk/aeronautics/ug/courses

Welfare and Pastoral Care:

College student welfare services are the responsibility of the Dean of Students, Learning and Teaching who manages the Head of the Student Counselling Service, the Head of the Disability Advisory Service, the College Tutors and the Hall Wardens. The Dean of Students, Learning and Teaching acts as liaison between the College and the College Health Centre (NHS) and the Chaplaincy and works closely with the ICU Deputy President (Welfare) to enhance welfare, advice and support.

On arrival in the department all first year students are assigned a Personal Tutor. They are the students’ first point of contact for personal and academic issues. Students get to know their Personal Tutors both through weekly scheduled meetings in term and through shared laboratory exercises. In later years two personal tutorials per term are scheduled but students are able to request individual meetings with their personal tutor if required. Non-attendance at tutorials triggers investigation by the Senior Tutor.

If the Personal Tutor is unable to help (or if he/she is unavailable), they can go to see the Senior Tutor. In cases where the Senior Tutor cannot help, they are directed to the appropriate person student welfare services as stated above. If the problem is one which the student does not wish to discuss with a member of the Department, the college Student Counsellors have many years experience in helping students and will deal with any kind of personal problem in confidence. They have extensive knowledge of appropriate mechanism to for any special help required.

In the Department we are fully committed to ensuring that our equal opportunities policy is practised, that every student has the opportunity to develop their potential, is made welcome, comfortable and has equal access to all services and facilities. The College has a Disability Equality Scheme which aims to build accommodation of disability into all relevant aspects and functions of our work. This scheme addresses how we can ensure all students with disabilities only encounter positive experiences during their time with us. Among the College’s accessible facilities are the campus libraries (which have hearing loops at all counters), Imperial College Union, most catering outlets, the Student Counselling Service, the Health Centre and Occupational Health Unit, the Careers Service and Ethos – the College Sports Centre. The Senior Tutor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department work with the College Senior Disability Advisor, Ms Mary Bown, to assist such students. Further information may be found via the web link:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/disabilityadvisoryservice

The Library

There are libraries at all Imperial College campuses; with print collections, PCs, study space and other amenities. The Library has extensive electronic resources, including electronic databases, electronic books and full text electronic journals. Students are able to search for electronic resources, using the on-line library catalogue and web pages, and access them from anywhere on and off campus. Further information may be found at the library webpage: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/library English Language Support Programme (ELSP)

The English Language Support Programme (ELSP) offers classes, the majority of which are free of charge, to students and members of Imperial College London who are not native speakers of English.

19. Criteria for Admission

For applicants taking A-levels our minimum requirements are A*A*A with A* in Mathematics and either Physics or Further Mathematics, and an A in a third subject at A2 excluding General Studies. Candidates expecting A*AAA with A* in Mathematics will also be considered. Mathematics and Physics are both required; Further Mathematics is highly desirable but not essential.

Applicants taking the International Baccalaureate must attain 40 points overall with 7 in Mathematics and 6 in Physics at Higher Level. We welcome applications from candidates offering alternative college-approved qualifications. In particular this includes: Scottish Advanced Highers, the Irish Leaving Certificate, the French Baccalaureate, the Romanian Baccalaureate, and the Spanish Titulo

de Bachiller. Our requirements in these, and other, qualifications are set to be equivalent to our

20. Processes used to select students

We are extremely fortunate that our students are of the highest academic ability and are, without doubt, the foundation of the Department’s long history of academic success. Maintenance of this position is a priority and our admissions procedure is central to this.

We require all long-listed candidates from the UK, and strongly encourage all other candidates, to attend an admissions day at the department. These are applicants whom we determine are likely to be of an appropriate calibre based on UCAS and Widening Participation data. The admissions days consist of an introduction to the department and our courses, a technical interview with an academic member of staff lasting approximately 30 minutes, a mathematics test, a tour of the department and campus, and an opportunity to socialize with current undergraduates. For overseas candidates unable to attend in person an alternative paper-based interview is carried out consisting of a personal statement of motivation and an extended technical question.

Offers and rejections are made on the basis of the above process. An offer to a particular candidate will be at, or in excess of, our minimum requirements depending on the individual applicant’s performance.

21. Methods for Evaluating and Improving the Quality and Standards of Teaching and Learning

a) Methods for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the curriculum and outcome standards:

At the college level:

The external examiner system and Boards of Examiners are central to the process by which the College monitors the reliability and validity of its assessment procedures and academic standards. Boards of Examiners comment on the assessment procedures within the College and may suggest improvements for action by relevant departmental teaching Committees.

At programme level, the Head of Department has overall responsibility for academic standards and the quality of the educational experience delivered within the department.

The Faculty Studies Committees and the Graduate School Master’s Quality Committees review and consider the reports of external examiners and accrediting bodies and conduct internal routine reviews of programmes. The Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee conducts external periodic reviews at departmental level. Regular reviews ensure that there is opportunity to highlight examples of good practice and ensure that recommendations for improvement can be made.

Most of the College’s undergraduate programmes are accredited by professional engineering and science bodies or by the General Medical Council. Accreditation provides the College with additional assurance that its programmes are of an appropriate standard and relevant to the requirement of industry and the professions. Some postgraduate taught courses are also accredited.

At the Department of Aeronautics:

The Head of Department has overall responsibility for academic standards and the quality of the educational experience delivered within the department. Additional activities to ensure the quality of the programme include:

• Periodic Curriculum Development.

• Review of module content and delivery, which is done annually by the module lecturers. • Annual course reviews of selected modules, organised by the Director of Undergraduate

• Staff – Student Committee which reports to the Teaching Committee.

• Biennial staff appraisals by Section Heads, reviewed by the Head of Department.

• Peer teaching observations, which are monitored by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and Head of Department.

• External Examiner reports. • Review by the QAA.

• Review of departmental teaching by the Imperial College, Quality and Academic Review Committee (QARC) every 5 years. This includes an external panel with members drawn from other universities and industry

b) Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards: At the college level:

The Senate oversees the quality assurance and regulation of degrees offered by the College. It is charged with promoting the academic work of the College, both in teaching and research, and with regulating and supervising the education and discipline of the students of the College. It has responsibility for approval of changes to the Academic Regulations, major changes to degree programmes and approval of new programmes.

The Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee (QAEC) is the main forum for discussion of QA policy and the regulation of degree programmes at College level. The QAEC develops and advises the Senate on the implementation of College policies and procedures relating to quality assurance, enhancement and internal audit of quality and arrangements necessary to ensure compliance with national and international frameworks and codes of practice relating to academic standards, quality assurance and enhancement.

The Faculty Studies Committees and the Graduate School Master’s Quality Committees are the major vehicle for the quality assurance of undergraduate / Master’s level courses respectively. Their remit includes: setting the standards and framework, and overseeing the processes of quality assurance, for the areas within their remit; monitoring the provision and quality of e-learning; undertaking reviews of new and existing courses; noting minor changes in existing programme curricula approved by departments; approving new modules, changes in module titles, major changes in examination structure and programme specifications for existing programmes; and reviewing proposals for new programmes, and the discontinuation of existing programmes, and making recommendations to Senate as appropriate.

The Faculty Teaching Committees maintain and develop teaching strategies and promote inter-departmental and inter-faculty teaching activities to enhance the efficiency of teaching within Faculties. They also identify and disseminate examples of good practice in teaching.

At the Department of Aeronautics:

The Departmental Teaching Committee has responsibility for the day-to-day oversight of our Department’s programmes including the approval of minor changes to course curricula and examination structures and approval of arrangements for course work. It meets at least once a term. The Staff-Student Committee, which meets minimum of twice a term and provides an avenue for direct communication, and student-to-staff feedback, between the student representatives and the course lectures.

The Departmental Staff Meeting, which meets minimum of once a term and always includes a discussion on on-going teaching matters in the agenda.

The Board of Examiners, which meets in July to consider final degrees and non-finalist results. c) Mechanisms for providing prompt feedback to students on their performance in course

work and examinations and processes for monitoring that these named processes are effective:

• Class subject tutorials are held for all academic subjects (minimum 1 hour of tutorial to 4 hours of lectures).

• Rapid turnaround of marked labs/coursework by staff and postgraduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Return schedules are monitored by the Teaching Office. Clearly states in student handbooks feedback/marks return date (where relevant) and staff have to adhere to these deadlines.

• The Virtual Learning Environment is used in order to provide rapid feedback to students on their coursework and supplement face-to-face feedback as appropriate. All courses have feedback included in the lectures and tutorials, where appropriate.

• GTAs, specifically trained in the marking of coursework and minor project elements ensure prompt return of marked work within the College specifications. Defaults are reported to the Senior Tutor and/or DUGS for appropriate action. Marked and annotated Coursework is returned to students. Academic staff later arranges feedback sessions on each major piece of coursework.

• No engineering department gives their students access to their exam scripts.

d) Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and their learning experience and how students are provided with feedback as to actions taken as a result of their comments:

Students are invited to participate in surveys so that student feedback on the College and its courses can be obtained and used to enhance provision. External surveys in which students participate include:

• National Student Survey (NSS)

• Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) • International Student Barometer (ISB)

Internal surveys include:

• SOLE (undergraduate student online evaluation exercise) • PG SOLE (Master’s student online evaluation exercise) • TOLE (tutor online evaluation exercise)

Staff-Student committees are the primary arenas for staff-student engagement at a departmental level. Staff-student committees are run slightly differently according to the size and UG:PG ratio of the department. Most departments have separate committees for undergraduates and postgraduates. A range of issues are discussed from SOLE and PG SOLE reports, external examiner reports and curriculum changes to practical issues, such as the availability of computers and pastoral care. Staff-Student Committees elect a Chair each year, which could be either a member of staff or a student. If the Chair is a member of staff, the Deputy Chair should be a student, and vice versa. The Chair will liaise with the department and students to agree an agenda for the meeting in advance

.

The DUGS gives detailed feedback on new initiatives and changes in his introductory talks to each year group at the start of each academic year – highlighting changes made in response to student feedback, regulatory changes, etc.

e) Mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness of the personal tutoring system:

The Senior Tutor oversees both the academic tutorial system and the personal tutor meetings. Students are encouraged to communicate feedback directly to the Senior Tutor for personal tutor matters or to directly contact the College tutors.

The College also solicits feedback from all students, specifically on the performance of the tutorial system, centrally via a Tutorial On-Line Evaluation (TOLE), see:

All numerical and written comments are examined by the DUGS and the Senior Tutor who ensure that constructive feedback is positively reviewed and acted upon.

f) Mechanisms for recognising and rewarding excellence in teaching, research supervision, pastoral care and supporting the student experience:

Academic staff members are encouraged to reflect on their teaching, in order to introduce enhancements and develop innovative teaching methods. Each year College awards are presented to academic staff for outstanding contributions to teaching, pastoral care, supporting the student experience or research supervision. A special award for Teaching Innovation, available each year, is presented to a member of staff who has demonstrated an original and innovative approach to teaching. Nominations for these awards come from across the College and students are invited both to nominate staff and to sit on the deciding panels.

g) Staff development priorities for this programme include:

• Support for an active research programme in the Aeronautical Sciences.

• Participation in courses/workshops at the College’s Academic Development Centre. • Feedback via the staff appraisal scheme.

• College Teaching Development Grant Scheme to fund the development of new teaching and appraisal methods.

• Updating professional and IT/computing developments. 22. Regulation of Assessment

a) Assessment Rules and Degree Classification:

The pass mark for all undergraduate programmes is 40%. Classification of degrees will be according to the following range of marks:

First class 70 - 100%

Second class (upper division) 60 - 69.9% Second class (lower division) 50 - 59.9%

Third class 40 - 49.9%

Full assessment details are provided in the “Scheme for the Award of Honours” which can be found in our Student Programme Handbook at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/aeronautics/ug/courses

b) Processes for dealing with mitigating circumstances:

The College’s Extenuating Circumstances Affecting Academic Performance: Policy and Procedures makes provision for Boards of Examiners to use their discretion where extenuating circumstances are independently corroborated and are judged by the advisory panel to be of sufficient severity to have substantially affected performance. It is available online at:

www.imperial.ac.uk/registry/proceduresandregulations/policiesandprocedures/examinationassessment

c) Processes for determining degree classification for borderline candidates:

Candidates who fall near the minimum mark for a higher honours classification shall be eligible for review of their final classification. Details of thresholds and procedures for review can be found in the Regulations for the Examination document, which is available online at:

www.imperial.ac.uk/registry/proceduresandregulations/regulations

d) Role of external examiners

The external examiner system and Boards of Examiners are central to the process by which the College monitors the reliability and validity of its assessment procedures and academic standards. External examiners’ primary duties are to ensure that the standard of the College’s degrees is consistent with that of the national sector; to ensure that assessment processes measure student

achievement rigorously and fairly and that the College is maintaining the threshold academic standards set for its awards in accordance with the frameworks for higher education qualifications and applicable subject benchmarks statements. External examiners gather evidence to support their judgement through the review of course materials, approval of draft question papers, assessment of examination scripts, projects and coursework, and in some instances, through participation in viva voce and clinical examinations. External examiners are members of Boards of Examiners and participate in the determination of degree classifications and student progress.

External examiners submit their reports to the Provost. The reports are scrutinised by the Vice- Provost (Education) and by the Registry QA team to identify any points of concern. These are then referred to the Head of Department and Chairman of the Board of Examiners, with a request to comment on the points raised and to explain how any concerns will be addressed. The reports and departmental comments are subsequently considered by the relevant Faculty Studies Committee or Graduate School Master’s Quality Committees, which may seek further assurances from a department on the resolution of a particular problem. The Committees will also consider examples of good practice raised by the external examiners. Following consideration of the reports, the Registry provides feedback to external examiners. From 2012-13 external examiner reports, and the departmental responses to them, are available on the College’s intranet.

23. Indicators of Quality and Standards The following indicators have been identified:

• Consistently high demand for places on our Undergraduate programme • Consistently high entry qualifications of students

• Highly favourable comments by External Examiners

• Highly favourable comments by accreditors (RAeS and IMechE)

• High proportion of students graduate with upper second and first class honours • Periodic review of degree programmes by external assessors, organised by the QARC • Participation in the Engineering Faculty Teaching Committee and Imperial College Senate • High proportion of our graduates obtain employment and many are actively sought by industry • Many graduates go on to take postgraduate courses in College.

24. Key sources of information about the programme can be found in http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/aeronautics/ug/courses