Course Title: Professional Project Part 1

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Project Part 1

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

OENG1058

Bundoora Campus

Undergraduate

115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2011,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014

Course Coordinator: Professor Simon Watkins

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6084

Course Coordinator Email: simon.watkins@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 251.3.12, Bundoora East Campus


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Six semester "core" of Mechanical, Manufacturing, Automotive or Aerospace Engineering.

 


Course Description

This course is intended to represent the first half (initiation phase) of a project that a new graduate might be expected to undertake shortly after starting work as a professional engineer;
In this course students are required to undertake a project which requires them to demonstrate technical skills and personal attributes at levels which are commensurate with professional engineering practice. By the end of this course students should have planned their project, conducted a critical review of relevant published material (a “literature review”), and done sufficient work to produce some initial findings. Typically, projects will require substantial elements of at least some of the following types of engineering work:
• analysis
• design
• testing
• programming
• reflection
This engineering project activity either is done in conjunction with industry or simulates a real engineering work environment, thereby contributing to Work Integrated Learning.
Students receive supervision from an internal RMIT supervisor and they may also have an external supervisor (such as an industry-based practitioner).
As appropriate to the level of professionalism that is required in this course, students are expected to perform their project work with a high degree of independence and with only limited guidance from staff and/or external industry supervisors.
The project will be completed in the companion course Professional Project Part 2.
 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Students will enhance their ability to conduct an engineering project as they progress through this course. It is expected that students will apply their knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals throughout the course. Students are required to demonstrate an in-depth technical competence in at least one engineering discipline, and the ability to use appropriate techniques and resources. They should develop the ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution. Students will demonstrate the ability to engage in design and to execute designs at an appropriate professional standard. They should develop their ability to use a systems approach to design where appropriate. There will be scope for them to demonstate their capacity for creativity and innovation. Students will develop the capacity to undertake lifelong learning.

Students will develop the ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at large, and to manage the information and documentation associated with an engineering project. They will learn to function effectively as an individual and in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team member.

Students will develop an understanding of the social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities of the professional Engineer, and the principles of sustainable design and development. An emphasis will be placed on the understanding of and commitment to professional and ethical responsibilities. Students will reflect on the place of their project in engineering endeavour and in turn on the place of that branch of engineering endeavour in society.

There will be significant input from the individual student. Due to the discrete nature of each project, each student will have a different learning outcome for this course.
 



Overview of Learning Activities

Students will undertake work in the initial part of a project which will be of either an analytical, experimental, design or computational nature (or a combination of these).
Learning will take pllace primarily through the students independent research, guided by the student’s supervisor and occasional lectures.
 


Overview of Learning Resources

Students will typically need to use professional level resources such as specialist books and journals that are accessible in the RMIT library and other major libraries. The internet and course notes may be helpful, but will not be sufficient by themselves to support an entire project at this level.


Overview of Assessment

The assessment of this course will take a range of forms that are appropriate to assess student performance in a range of skills such as planning and management of a project, critical thinking, communication, technical competency relevant to the chosen topic area, and professionalism.