Autonomous Vehicle Dynamics and Control MSc/PgCert/PgDip
Course descriptionCourse Description: In light of this expanding industry, this unique MSc in Autonomous Vehicle Dynamics and Control will equip graduates and engineering professionals with the fundamental knowledge and enabling skills required to develop a successful career. Cranfield University is unique in that it offers an MSc which covers a wide application within the autonomous vehicle industry. Achieving this highly sort after qualification with its strong industry links will enable you to differentiate yourself in todays competitive employment market. Start Months: October Full Time School: School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing Theme: Aerospace 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 - 6.5 TOEFL - 92 Pearson PTE Academic - 65 Cambridge English Scale - 180 Cambridge English: Advanced - C Cambridge English: Proficiency - C 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: Full-time MSc - one year, Full-time PgCert - one year, Full-time PgDip - one year Course Format: TaughtMSc/PgCert/PgDipOverview: The global market for unmanned and autonomous vehicles is expanding rapidly. This unique MSc aims to equip graduates and engineering professionals with the fundamental knowledge and enabling skills required to develop a successful career. Who is it for?: Suitable for graduates in engineering, physics, or mathematics and aims to prepare you for an exciting career, ranging from being an autonomous systems engineer, design engineer or in an operations role. Why this course?: We are unique in that we offer an MSc which covers a wide application within the autonomous vehicle industry. Achieving this highly sought after qualification with its strong industry links will enable you to differentiate yourself in today's competitive employment market. This masters covers the fundamentals of autonomous vehicle design and control, whilst enabling you to specialise in appropriate subject areas via optional modules and an individual research project. This flexibility means that you may tailor the course to your own particular interests and career aspirations. This is enhanced by a three-stage programme from a Postgraduate Certificate, to a Postgraduate Diploma through to an MSc. Informed by Industry: The course is directed by an Industrial Advisory Board comprising senior industry professionals. This group meets twice a year and ensures that the course content equips students with the skills and knowledge required by their organisations. There are a number of opportunities for students to engage with these members throughout the year, building crucial rapport with future employers. The Industry Advisory Board includes representatives from: Selex ES Astrium BAE Systems Leica Geosystems MBDA Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV) European Aeronautics Defence and Space Company (EADS).Your teaching team: You will be taught by Cranfield's experienced academic staff including: Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Course Director. Dr Al Savvaris Professor Rafal Zbikowski Dr Hyo-Sang Shin. Our staff are practitioners as well as tutors, with clients that include European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) Astrium, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), McLaren Electronic Systems, Selex ES and Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV) Unmanned Marine Systems. Our teaching team works closely with business and has academic and industrial experience. Knowledge gained working with our clients is continually fed back into the teaching programme, to ensure that you benefit from the very latest knowledge and techniques affecting industry. The course also benefits from visiting lecturers from industry who will relate the theory to current best practice. Accreditation: Accreditation is being sought for the MSc in Automotive Mechatronics from the following Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements. Course details: The taught course element consists of lectures in three areas: dynamics, control systems, and autonomous systems and technology. The MSc consists of two equally weighted components, taught modules and an individual research project. Individual project: Our industry partners sponsor individual research projects allowing you to choose a topic that is commercially relevant and current. Topics are chosen during the first teaching period in October and you begin work during the second half of the MSc course (May - August). The project allows you to delve deeper into an area of specific interest, taking the theory from the taught modules and joining it with practical experience. Projects encompass various aspects of operations, not only concerned with design but including payloads, civil applications, system, sensors and other feasibility studies industry wishes to explore. For the duration of the project, each student is assigned both a university and industry supervisor. In recent years, students have been based at sponsor companies for sections of their research and have been given access to company software/facilities. During the thesis project all students give regular presentations to the course team and class, which provides an opportunity to improve your presentation skills and learn more about the broad range of industry sponsored projects. Previous projects have included: Underwater 'station hold' for a ROV Multi-sensor tracking and fusion for maritime surveillance Adaptive flight control systems UAV freighter aircraft cargo operations Optimal tasking of mobile sensors to observe mobile targets.Assessment: Taught modules 50%, Individual research project 50%. Please note: Modules for this course are under review, and more information will be available soon. Funding Opportunities: To help students find and secure appropriate funding, we have created a funding finder where you can search for suitable sources of funding by filtering the results to suit your needs. Bursaries may be available, however please be aware that funding will, in most cases, only be discussed once you have secured a firm offer of a place on the course. Please contact the Enquiries Office for further details. Cranfield Postgraduate Loan Scheme (CPLS) The Cranfield Postgraduate Loan Scheme (CPLS) is a funding programme providing affordable tuition fee and maintenance loans for full-time UK/EU students studying technology-based MSc courses. Conacyt (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia) Cranfield offers competitive scholarships for Mexican students in conjunction with Conacyt (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia) in science, technology and engineering Your career: The industry-led education makes Cranfield graduates some of the most desirable all over the world for recruitment by companies competing in the autonomous vehicle market including: BAE Systems Defence Science and Technology Laboratory MBDA Other companies from our Industrial Advisory Board. Graduates from this course will be equipped with the advanced skills which could be applied to the security, defence, marine, environmental and aerospace industries. This approach offers you a wide range of career choices as an autonomous systems engineer, design engineer or in an operations role, at graduation and in the future. Others decide to continue their education through PhD studies available within Cranfield University or elsewhere.