Accelerate your career in engineering with a Master's that will prepare you to take on management positions across a range of manufacturing and service industries. Make an impact by optimising supply chains, enhancing manufacturing performance, streamlining process flows and applying a well-rounded combination of industrial engineering and management skills.
The MSc in Engineering and Management of Manufacturing Systems is an established course that develops professionals with a thorough understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to design and manage competitive manufacturing and service operations. It majors on industrially relevant projects, team working, and transferable skills that will enhance your career performance whether you choose to go into manufacturing, service or consultancy sectors. Our graduates enjoy careers soon after completing the course and have typically gone on to work in a wide range of fields, from automotive to retail, and from financial services through to health care.Overview
- Start dateFull-time: March or October. Part-time: throughout the year
- DurationOne year full-time, two-five years part-time
- DeliveryTaught modules 40%, Group project 20% (dissertation for part-time students), Individual project 40%
- QualificationMSc, PgDip, PgCert
- Study typeFull-time / Part-time
- CampusCranfield campus
Who is it for?
This course is suitable for graduates with engineering, management, IT or related degrees keen to develop their careers in manufacturing or related industries, including academia. We also welcome graduates currently working in industry who are keen to extend their qualifications or pursue a career change, as well as individuals with other qualifications who possess considerable relevant experience.
I recommend Cranfield as the university of choice for students who wish to excel within manufacturing. The industry-informed taught modules have provided me a wide knowledge, and will guide my professional development in the longer term.
Boyang Song, PhD student
Why this course?
There are numerous benefits associated with undertaking the MSc in Engineering and Management of Manufacturing Systems at Cranfield University. These include:
- Study in a postgraduate-only environment where Masters' graduates can secure positions in full-time employment in their chosen field, or undertake academic research.
- Teaching by leading academics as well as industrial practitioners.
- Work alongside a strong research team.
- Dedicated support for off-campus learners including extensive information resources managed by the University's library.
- Consultancy to companies supporting their employees on part-time programmes, in relation to individual projects.
- Course design and delivery is informed by Industry.
The Master's degree is designed to meet the training needs of industry and we have a strong input from experts in the sector. As a course, it aims to develop well-rounded professionals, capable of addressing both engineering and management problems and finding innovative solutions that enable companies to improve their efficiencies and performance. As a student, you will gain the opportunity to work with best-in-class companies and apply your previously attained engineering knowledge with a competitive layer of management capabilities.
Informed by Industry
Our courses are designed to meet the training needs of industry and have a strong input from experts in their sector. Students who have excelled have their performances recognised through course awards. The awards are provided by high profile organisations and individuals, and are often sponsored by our industrial partners. Awards are presented on Graduation Day.
Companies that we typically work with, or have worked with in the past include:
- Becton Dickinson (BD) Group
- GKN Aerospace
- BVI Medical
- Syan Farms
- Denso
- Ideal Standard
- DPD
- Airbus
- Siemens
- The IET
- Gambica
Course details
The course comprises eight assessed modules, a group project and an individual project. The modules include lectures and tutorials, and are assessed through practical work, written examinations, case studies, essays, presentations and tests. These provide the 'tools' required for the group and individual projects.
Course delivery
Taught modules 40%, Group project 20% (dissertation for part-time students), Individual project 40%
Group project
The group project experience is highly valued by both students and prospective employers. Teams of students work to solve an industrial problem. The project applies technical knowledge and provides training in teamwork and the opportunity to develop non-technical aspects of the taught programme. Part-time students can prepare a dissertation on an agreed topic in place of the group project.
Industrially orientated, our team projects have support from external organisations. As a result of external engagement Cranfield students enjoy a higher degree of success when it comes to securing employment. Prospective employers value the student experience where team working to find solutions to industrially based problems are concerned.
Individual project
A key element of the Master's programme is the project work undertaken. The individual research project is either industrially or Cranfield University driven. Students select the individual project in consultation with the Course Director. It provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate independent research ability, the ability to think and work in an original way, contribute to knowledge, and overcome genuine problems in manufacturing. The projects are sponsored by industrial organisations.
Please note part-time students instead carry out a dissertation with their employer.
Modules
Keeping our courses up-to-date and current requires constant innovation and change. The modules we offer reflect the needs of business and industry and the research interests of our staff and, as a result, may change or be withdrawn due to research developments, legislation changes or for a variety of other reasons. Changes may also be designed to improve the student learning experience or to respond to feedback from students, external examiners, accreditation bodies and industrial advisory panels.
To give you a taster, we have listed the compulsory and elective (where applicable) modules which are currently affiliated with this course. All modules are indicative only, and may be subject to change for your year of entry.
Course modules
Compulsory modules
All the modules in the following list need to be taken as part of this course.
Operations Management
| Aim |
To introduce you to the core factors of managing operations and the concept of flow in operations. |
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
• An introduction to manufacturing organisations and functions. • The theory of operations, flow in manufacturing and what enables/inhibits it. • Order winners, Order qualifiers, and competitive priorities. • Key Performance Indicators in manufacturing. • Product/Process matrix, facility layouts, production strategies, product families. • Customer Demand and capacity planning, and standardization. • Process flow diagrams, and value stream maps. • S&OP, Master Production Scheduling, BOM, and scheduling rules. • Push vs Pull production. • Information systems; MRP, MPRll, ERP, and Kanban systems. • Maintenance management strategies. • Dimensions of Quality, Quality management frameworks, and the cost of quality. • Roles of inventory; inventory management systems and measures. • Lean Manufacturing. • Class discussion of cases, exercises, and videos to support this syllabus. |
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you will be able to: 1. Discuss the importance of the operations functions of an organisation and how operations performance can impact the success of the whole organisation. 2. Assess production and capacity management strategies that can be deployed to meet customer demand for products and services. 3. Assess the importance of inventory, maintenance, and quality management systems in achieving high levels of operational performance. 4. Determine the role of information in planning, control, and scheduling, including the role of IT systems. 5. Critique the different attributes of the Lean Production System and how they apply to contemporary operational contexts. |
Managing Change in Manufacturing
| Aim |
To prepare you with the knowledge and skills required to influence, lead, and manage feasible change programmes effectively within the manufacturing industry. |
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
• Business Finance. • Fundamentals of Business Finance. • Financial Ratios for Manufacturing. • Feasibility Study. • Cash flow vs Profit. • Business Case Development. • Business Case Structure. • Agile/waterfall Project Management techniques. • Stakeholder Mapping & Communication. • Negotiation. • Procurement. • Risk Assessment. • Implementing Change. • Industrial & Organisation Psychology. • Organisational Structure & Culture. • The Role of People in Change. • Change Management Metrics. • Sustaining Change. • Innovation & Technology. • Technology as enabler of change. • Technology Analysis. • Technology roadmapping. • Incremental (Kaizen) vs Radical (Kaikaku) Innovation. • Enablers and Inhibitors of Innovation. • Innovation Tools. |
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you will be able to: |
Operations Analysis
| Aim |
To develop your skills to a rigorous and logical application of tools and techniques for the design and control operational systems. |
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
• Six Sigma, Process capability, common and special cause variability, control charts, acceptance sampling. • Lean Manufacturing elements such as Value Stream Mapping and Waste identification. • Analysis of systems to produce simple models. IDEF0 and IDEF3 and their application. Business process fundamentals and the process review. Improvement procedures, modelling methods and process models. Performance measurement. Responding to and improving reliability. |
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you will be able to: 1) Combine tools for assessing, controlling and improving processes, and their strengths and limitations. 2) Analyze the relationship between work-in-process, lead-time and output in a production system and the impact of variability. 3) Decide the appropriate Six Sigma, Statistical Process Control tools and techniques and lean manufacturing approaches for different manufacturing cases. 4) Develop a ‘systems view’ of manufacturing and servicing operations. 5) Integrate unreliabilityin maintenance techniques can be deployed. 6) Critically appraise appropriate performance measurement system deployment. |
Manufacturing Systems Engineering
| Aim |
|
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
• Introduction to modelling: taxonomy, overview of methods and techniques. • Design of manufacturing layouts. • Manufacturing layout Manufacturing Systems modelling using discrete-event simulation, Systems dynamics and Agent-based simulation techniques and methodologies. • Case study Analysis of manufacturing systems using simulation. |
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to: 1. Differentiate the applicability of different modelling approaches applicable in manufacturing businesses. 2. Assess how production layout and system design influence manufacturing system performance. 3. Design a graphical simulation model using an industry-leading discrete-event simulation tool to feed to the experimental testing procedure. 4. Appraise the effectiveness of manufacturing layout configurations. 5. Evaluate the potential benefits and limitations of using AI in the early design of manufacturing systems and integrating AI methods into various design scenarios. |
Sustainability in Manufacturing Systems
| Aim |
Provide an understanding of the methods and tools and develop the skills that enable sustainability-related decision-making in manufacturing systems at different scoping levels: from individual processes to world-wide complex supply chains. |
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
What is sustainable manufacturing system analysis? Sustainable manufacturing basics. Net Zero targets drivers and challenges (barriers) Sustainable: • processes, • enterprises, • supply chains. Industry 4.0 contribution to sustainability. Analysis tools:
• Green VSM. • LCA and relevant certification. • Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis. • Examples and case studies: - process selection - material selection, - lean improvements. |
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to:
|
Smart Manufacturing
| Aim |
|
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
• Smart manufacturing – Smart products. • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). • Industrial Internet of Things. • Cyber Physical Production Systems (CPPS). • Life Cycle Management. • Programmable Logical Controller (PLC). • Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. • Manufacturing Execution System (MES). • Machine Learning. • Cloud Manufacturing. • Business Transformation. • SAP systems. |
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to: 1. Define key concepts of Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing. 2. Describe the functions and applications of SCADA systems, Enterprise Systems, IIoT, CPPS, and SAP in the context of Smart Manufacturing. 3. Assess the opportunities for integrating Machine Learning and AI models into manufacturing processes. 4. Implement data analytics techniques on SCADA systems for production analysis and data-driven solutions using the appropriate methods. 5. Appraise the upcoming changes in the manufacturing landscape such as human-machine interaction and digital product life cycle management. |
Supply Chain Management
| Aim |
To introduce you to the wider issues surrounding the management and optimisation of supply chains. |
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
|
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you will be able to: 1. Evaluate issues surrounding the development of the right supply chain strategy for the business / product groups. 2. Create strategies for managing the information flows in a supply network in order to reduce the bullwhip effect and the challenges of accurate demand and forecast planning. 3. Evaluate the challenges with improving performance of supply networks and gain familiarity with the application of a variety of supply chain tools to help in the re-design of the SC. 4. Apply criteria in the sourcing, evaluation and validation of suitable providers of parts, design and manufacturing services for the supply of a complex engineered product. 5. Critically evaluate the impact of digital data and intelligent agents (AI) in Supply Chain 4.0. |
Manufacturing Strategy
| Aim |
To develop your skills to analyse and manage the direction of a business, to design and develop manufacturing strategy to deliver competitive advantage and plan effective deployment of a strategy. |
|---|---|
| Syllabus |
• Benchmarking of manufacturing system performance. • Manufacturing strategy in business success. • Strategy formation and formulation, leading on to system design. • Structured strategy formulation and system design methodologies. • Approaches to strategy formulation in differing business contexts. • Realisation of new strategies/system designs, including approaches to implementation. • Case study on design of competitive manufacturing strategy. |
| Intended learning outcomes |
On successful completion of this module you should be able to: 1. Distinguish manufacturing strategy from corporate strategy. 2. Demonstrate manufacturing strategy formulation. 3. Apply a structured methodology to create a competitive manufacturing strategy. 4. Assess the impact of a proposed manufacturing strategy on business performance. |
Teaching team
You will be taught by internationally leading academics and practitioners. This will ensure you are aware of cutting-edge tools, techniques and innovations. The course is directed by an industrial advisory committee comprising senior representatives from leading manufacturing and business organisations. This means the skills and knowledge you acquire are relevant to employer requirements. The Course Director for this programme is Dr Mohamed Afy-Shararah.
Accreditation
The Engineering and Management of Manufacturing Systems MSc is accredited by Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for further learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to show that they have satisfied the educational base for CEng registration.
Please note accreditation applies to the MSc award, PgDip and PgCert (if offered) do not meet in full the further learning requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer.
Your career
Cranfield manufacturing graduates are highly sought after by industry. Many graduates take on appointments with a wide range of manufacturing enterprises or, increasingly, apply their skills to other sectors from from automotive to retail, and from financial services through to health care.
Students have gone into roles including:
- Analyst.
- Associate.
- Manufacturing Engineer.
- Supply Chain Analyst.
- Continuous Improvement Manager.
- Work Area Manager.
- Operations Manager.
- Consultant.
Companies that have employed our students include:
- Amazon.
- Procter & Gamble.
- Inverto Consulting (a BCG company).
- Jaguar Land Rover.
- Inverto Consulting.
- Efficio Consulting.
- Airbus (France).
- BVI Medical (Mexico).
- ECM Group (France).
- CERN (Switzerland).
- Wavestone (Switzerland).
- Danone.
- General Electric.
- Lufthansa Cargo.
- Ocado Group.
Cranfield’s Career Service is dedicated to helping you meet your career aspirations. You will have access to career coaching and advice, CV development, interview practice, access to hundreds of available jobs via our Symplicity platform and opportunities to meet recruiting employers at our careers fairs. Our strong reputation and links with potential employers provide you with outstanding opportunities to secure interesting jobs and develop successful careers. Support continues after graduation and as a Cranfield alumnus, you have free life-long access to a range of career resources to help you continue your education and enhance your career.
Part-time route
We welcome students looking to enhance their career prospects whilst continuing in full-time employment. The part-time study option that we offer is designed to provide a manageable balance that allows you to continue employment with minimal disruption whilst also benefiting from the full breadth of learning opportunities and facilities available to all students. The University is very well located for visiting part-time students from all over the world and offers a range of library and support facilities to support your studies.
As a part-time student you will be required to attend teaching on campus in one-week blocks, for a total of 8 blocks over the 2-3 year period that you are with us. Teaching blocks are typically run during the period from October to June, followed by independent study and project work where contact with your supervisors and cohort can take place in person or online. Students looking to study towards the MSc will commence their studies in the October or March intakes.
We believe that this setup allows you to personally and professionally manage your time between work, study and family commitments, whilst also working towards achieving a Master's degree.
How to apply
Click on the ‘Apply now’ button below to start your online application.
See our Application guide for information on our application process and entry requirements.
