Vehicle and Weapon Engineering MSc/PgCert/PgDip:
Course Description:
This course is delivered in Detroit, MI, US. Although open to non-US students it is the responsibility of the student to arrange suitable visas and cover travel costs. The course provides education and training at postgraduate level for those who expect to fill technically demanding appointments concerned with the design, development, procurement and operation of vehicles.
It will provide students with the technical knowledge and understanding of weapon systems and military vehicles to make them effective in their specification, design, development and assessment. Special attention will be given to recent advances in defence technology; and to educating students in the analysis and evaluation of systems against changes and developments in the threat.
Start Months:
June
Full Time/ Part Time:
Part-time
School:
CDS
Theme:
Defence and Security
Entry Requirements:
A first or second class UK Honours degree (or equivalent) ideally in a related subject. Other recognised professional qualifications or several years relevant industrial experience may be accepted as equivalent; subject to approval by the Course Director. For further and specific information please visit the course page.
English Language:
If you are an international student you will need to provide evidence that you have achieved a satisfactory test result in an English qualification. The minimum standard expected from a number of accepted courses are as follows:
IELTS - 7
TOEFL - 100
Pearson PTE Academic - 68
Cambridge English Scale - 190
Cambridge English: Advanced – with a minimum of Grade A
Cambridge English: Proficiency – with a minimum of Grade B
In addition to these minimum scores you are also expected to achieve a balanced score across all elements of the test. We reserve the right to reject any test score if any one element of the test score is too low. We can only accept tests taken within two years of your registration date (with the exception of Cambridge English tests which have no expiry date). Students requiring a Tier 4 (General) visa must ensure they can meet the English language requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and we recommend booking a IELTS for UKVI test.
Duration:
Part-time MSc - up to three years, Part-time PgCert - two years, Part-time PgDip - two years
(For MOD status students the duration may vary, subject to annual review.)
Course format:
Overview:
Delivered in Detroit, MI, USA, this course will provide students with the technical knowledge and understanding of weapon systems and military vehicles to make them effective in their specification, design, development and assessment.
Who is it for?:
The course provides education and training at postgraduate level for those who expect to fill technically demanding appointments concerned with the design, development, procurement and operation of vehicles.
For those who are new to defence or those who plan to come out of military service or are retiring soon and would like to join the defence industry, this course offers the underpinning knowledge and education to enhance their suitability for employability. In the same way it increases a better understanding of those who are working in the industry to improve their quality of work.
The majority of the students attending the course are sponsored by TARDEC, USA and GDLS, USA. In addition, staff from YPG, Yuma and other local organisations have attended individual courses.
The Associates from DoD such as TARDEC, APG, YPG, CRTC and Industry from the USA have either joined the programme or have attended individual class. Recently, Associates from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) have started to attend our classes. Any course listed as part of this programme can also be offered (non-accredited) at customer premises as part of Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Each course is delivered to a class of 20 attendees.
Why this course?:
This is the only MSc in the USA which offers a Master’s degree in Military Vehicles and Weapon Engineering.
The course is designed to offer equally a broad and in-depth coverage of technologies used in the design, development, test and evaluation of weapon systems and military vehicles. Special attention will be given to recent advances in defence technology; and to educating students in the analysis and evaluation of systems against changes and developments in the threat.The course also offers a critical depth to undertake engineering analysis or the evaluation of relevant sub systems.
Each individual course is designed and offered as a standalone course which allows and benefits an individual to understand the fundamental technology required to efficiently perform the relevant job responsibilities.
Your teaching team:
- Rick Adcock
- Peter Barton
- Steve Champion
- Dr Chris Couldrick
- David Diskett
- Dr John Economou
- Dr Shaun Forth
- Dr Hugh Goyder
- Professor Amer Hameed
- Chris Hockley
- Professor Ian Horsfall
- Dr Clare Knock
- Professor Patrick Luk
- Dr David Purdy
- David Simner
- Professor Antonios Tsourdos
- Dr Bidur Khanal
- Dr Timothy Ferris
- Ajay Kumar
Course details:
The taught element consists of 10 core and 4 Optional modules covering major aspects of defence technology, providing a balanced and broad coverage of key aspects, issues and constraints associated with the design, development, performance and integration of weapon and vehicle systems.
Each standard module consists of a one-week (5 days) course of lectures, tutorials and practical sessions. Earning the appropriate credits can lead to the following academic awards: PgCert – any combination of modules (building a total of 60 credits) / PgDip – all modules (120 credits) / MSc – all modules (120 credits) plus project (80 credits).
Individual project
In addition to the taught part of the course, students can opt either to undertake an individual project or participate in a group design project. The aim of the project phase is to enable students to develop expertise in engineering research, design or development. The project phase requires a thesis to be submitted and is worth 80 credit points.
Assessment:
Written exam (50%) and course work (50%)
Core modules:
- Fundamentals of Ballistics
- Weapon System Technology
- Electric Drive Technologies
- Light Weapon Design
- Military Autonomous Vehicles
- Survivability
- Armoured Fighting Vehicle and Weapon Systems Study
- Vehicle Systems Integration
- Reliability and System Effectiveness
- Design Study/Projects
Optional
- Fighting Vehicle Design
- Finite Element Methods in Engineering
- Systems Engineering & Assured Performance
- Modelling, Simulation and Control
- Military Vehicle Dynamics
- Military Vehicles Propulsion and Dynamics
- Gun System Design
Fees and funding:
Home EU Student Fees:
MSc Part-time £30,500 *
PgDip Part-time £20,800 *
PgCert Part-time £10,400 *
Oversees Fees:
MSc Part-time £30,500 *
PgDip Part-time £20,800 *
PgCert Part-time £10,400 *
* Students will be offered the option of paying the full fee up front, or in a maximum of two payments per year; first instalment on receipt of invoice and the second instalment six months later.
Fee notes:
- The fees outlined apply to all students whose initial date of registration falls on or between 1 August 2017 and 31 July 2018.
- All students pay the tuition fee set by the University for the full duration of their registration period agreed at their initial registration.
- Additional fees for extensions to the agreed registration period may be charged and can be found below.
- Fee eligibility at the Home/EU rate is determined with reference to UK Government regulations. As a guiding principle, EU nationals (including UK) who are ordinarily resident in the EU pay Home/EU tuition fees, all other students (including those from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) pay Overseas fees.
Security clearance for Shrivenham:
Some Cranfield University courses are delivered at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham which is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) site. All applicants to courses that are wholly or partially delivered at Shrivenham must complete the BPSS (HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard V4 April 2014) prior to registration on the course or must already hold a security clearance to this level or higher.
Your application and BPSS clearance application will be shared during the application process with the MOD who have ultimate discretion over whether to admit applicants to the Shrivenham site. This information will be returned by the MOD to Cranfield University after checks are completed and no copies will be retained by the MOD.
BPSS checks may involve confirmation of the following:
- Identity (e.g. Photo ID)
- Nationality and Immigration Status
- Employment/Academic History (covering the past 3 years)
- Criminal record (unspent convictions only)
- Additionally, applicants are required to give a reasonable account of any significant periods (6 months or more in the past 3 years) of time spent abroad.
This may be revised from time to time dependent on national security requirements. For more details, please consult the BPSS Guidance.
It will take additional time to process your BPSS clearance application once you have completed your course application.
Inability to access the Shrivenham site as a result of failure to meet security clearance requirements will result in a withdrawal of offer, or, if already registered, a termination of registration.
Your career:
Takes you on to employment within the defence forces or defence research establishments and defence industry.
