CSU44E02 – Computer Engineering Project

Module CodeCSU44E02
Module NameComputer Engineering Project
ECTS Weighting [1]20 ECTS
Semester TaughtSemester 1 & 2
Module Coordinator/sPaula Roberts
Individual project supervisors are drawn from academic staff in the School of Computer Science & Statistics

Module Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

  1. Derive, apply and adapt solutions from the discipline specific knowledge gained in lectures and coursework, to address a real world engineering problem;
  2. Undertake a project involving independent enquiry and investigation of a practical engineering problem, application or topic;
  3. Identify, formulate, analyze, and solve an engineering problem;
  4. Formulate a project outline, including the project goals and schedule to achieve the aims of the project;
  5. Design a system, component or process to meet a specified engineering goal;
  6. Analyze and interpret results from experiments conducted during the module in order to modify, improve or explain the functionality of the system, component or process being created;
  7. Communicate effectively in technical and scientific writing, and present scientific/technical ideas at an appropriate level to a technical audience that may not be expert in the specific domain of the project;
  8. Manage workflow and task scheduling within the constraints of the resources available to meet specific design goals and deadlines;
  9. Work in a team as required, particularly with technical staff members and peers to achieve the project goals;
  10. Use industry standard hardware and software tools and codes of practice for all aspects of design including analysis and presentation;
  11. Examine and discuss the impact of the project on society, giving consideration to ethical norms and standards.

Module Content

This module sees students take responsibility for a project of significant scale, where they act on the basis of knowledge and understanding acquired over the course of their Engineering degree programme to date, and new knowledge they are motivated to acquire beyond the lecture room. They must think critically to identify creative solutions to problems encountered over the course of their project, adapting their initial plans along the way, with substantive analysis and synthesis of the results of the project. The project will be presented both orally and in an engineering report, at a technical level appropriate for a graduate engineer. Engineering research is an essential component of industry driving the development of new products and processes. In an academic context, engineering research can lead to technologies with significant societal benefits.


The aim of this module is to provide exposure to the concepts and processes of research in engineering to prepare students for conducting their first engineering research project in Year 5 or the future. The taught element of the course is delivered via the EEU44E03: Research Methods Module which is directly incorporated into this CSU44E02 module for Semester 1.


Individual Engineering Projects are conducted in Semester 2, and are allocated in the areas of research expertise and interest of members of the academic staff in the School of Computer Science and Statistics. Students are expected to do sufficient background reading such that they are ready to engage fully in the technical work of the project in Semester 2.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Students attend all lectures associated with module EEU44E03: Research Methods in Semester 1. There are no formal timetabled hours in Semester 2, but students are expected to fully engage with their project and spend the time it takes to make progress and to keep in regular contact with their supervisors. It is recommended that students make a formal arrangement with their supervisors to meet on a weekly basis, preferably at a regular appointed time.

Assessment Details

Assessment Component Brief Description Learning Outcomes Addressed % of Total Week Set Week Due
MCQThis component is dealt with in the Research Methods module, EEU44E032.5
Summary Project PlanThe specific contents of the report should be discussed with your supervisor well in advance of the deadline. All5 N/A Date TBC
Project DemonstrationEach student must give a presentation and (where appropriate) a demonstration of their final year project to an audience consisting of the supervisor and the second reader. LO7 17.5 N/A Date TBC
Final ReportWritten report.LO7 75 N/A Date TBC

Reassessment Details

100% based on a final report with an optional interview should the supervisor request it.

Contact Hours and Indicative Student Workload

Contact Hours (scheduled hours per student over full module), broken down by: 404 hours
Independent Study (preparation for course and review of materials) Semester 120 hours
Independent Study (preparation for assessment, incl. completion of assessment) Semester 1: 8 hours/week
Semester 2: 24 hours/week
96 hours
288 hours
Total Hours404 hours

Recommended Reading List

As specified by the project supervisor.

Module Pre-requisites

This module enables the student to integrate the theoretical and practical knowledge gained across all of the years of their study, thus all prior modules prescribed in the programme are mandatory  

Module Co-requisites

EEU44E03: Research Methods

Module Website

Blackboard