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Engineering and Computing Undergraduate Certificate

Engineering and Computing Undergraduate Certificate

The undergraduate certificate in Engineering and Computing prepares students for degrees in:    

  • Automotive Engineering   
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Construction Management and Surveying
  • Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Physics  

See a full list of degrees available to Engineering and Computing Undergraduate Certificate students and the grades needed to progress.  

Academic structure

Core modules

These modules are compulsory for all undergraduate certificate students, regardless of their chosen subject route.  

Academic English skills 1

Develop your ability to read academic texts, write extended texts, write subjective notes, listen effectively and participate in classroom discourse.

Academic English Skills 2

Improve all your abilities developed in AES1 with greater accuracy, speed, coherence, organisation and presentation.

Study skills in the British Environment

Use your study time more effectively, improve your use of, and range of, information sources and develop your research skills in preparation for producing an extended, referenced, academic essay.

Project study

Complete a self-study project on a topic that you will take, in consultation with your tutor, from the academic discipline that you will subsequently study at degree level. This will also include computer (word processing) skills.

Core Mathematics

This module contains both algebra and statistics. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of mathematical terms and techniques and apply these to solving problems, frequently drawn from practical and real-life situations.  

Route modules

These modules are only available to students studying the Undergraduate Certificate in Engineering and Computing.  

Pure Mathematics 2

Learn further algebra, co-ordinate geometry, trigonometry, differentiation, integration, numerical methods and vectors.

Applied Mathematics 1

Learn about vectors, forces and equilibrium, relative motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, friction and work, energy and power.

Applied Mathematics 2

Study advanced vectors, forces as fixed vectors, centres of gravity/centres of mass and particle dynamics.

Physics 1: Properties of Matter and Waves

Learn about sound, reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction, electromagnetic waves, strengths of solids, fluids, heat and gases and the structure of the atom.

Physics 2: Electricity, Electronics and Fields 

Study electrical current and charge, potential difference, resistance, capacitance, transistors and amplifiers, electrical fields, gravitational fields, magnetic fields and electromagnetic fields.  

Elective modules

The computing electives are offered to students interested in a Computing or IT degree and may be substituted for two of the Mathematics modules.

Computing 1

Study HTML and website design, and learn how the use of Javascript promotes website interactivity. You will also be introduced to the programming language Java 1.5.

Computing 2

Continue your study of Java 1.5, developing an understanding of the principles of programming and of the steps involved in running a program written in a high-level language. You will also further develop an understanding of the principles of usability and good design, applied to program and Web interfaces, and yourself apply these principles in practical situations.

Fast-track to the second year of a top ranking degree

The Chemical Engineering
programme at Heriot-Watt was ranked 14th in the UK in the 2011 Times Good University guide. Study the Undergraduate Certificate in Engineering and Computing to fast-track to the second year of this degree!

Key information

Tuition price £6,850
Course length Three terms
Start and end points January to June or April to August
Term dates September 2010 start
Term 1 – 13 September to 10 December 2010
Term 2 – 10 January to 25 March 2011
Term 3 – 11 April to 17 June 2011
January 2011 start
Term 1 – 10 January to 25 March 2011
Term 2 – 11 April to 17 June 2011
Term 3 – 20 June to 26 August 2011
Entry requirements See entry requirements page for academic and English language requirements.
Course structure The programme is modular and comprises five core subjects and five route modules. You take three modules in term 1, three in term 2, four in term 3.
Assessment End of module/term: a combination of examinations, coursework, presentations and extended essays.
Continuous: a mixture of lecture classes, small-group seminar work and directed self-study.
Progression On successful completion of the foundation course students can progress to the second year of a Heriot-Watt University undergraduate degree in selected subject areas.

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