There are many facets to an engineering education. Theoretical principles and methods of analysis have to be learnt and practised. Engineers must also be aware of experimental procedures and instruments, and develop their practical skills. All of this equips the aspiring to practise the skills of synthesis, in creating design solutions to engineering problems. Successful design also requires a sensitivity to commercial and cultural constraints, skills in organisation and communication, and the qualities of judgement and integrity.
One aspect of the course at Cambridge sets it aside from the specialised courses in Mechanical, Electrical and Civil Engineering offered at many other Universities. All students study the same subjects for the first year and a half. These extend across the whole range engineering and include mechanical, electrical, information and civil engineering, design, manufacture and management, together with the mathematical and computing skills that underpin much of modern engineering. The aim of the Cambridge M.Eng. course is to enable its graduates to be flexible and able to master changing technical and management demands throughout their working lives. Cambridge graduates are ultimately able to lead multi-disciplinary teams, or to apply new technologies in novel situations.
The Engineering Department