Engineering Management MSc

I came to Brunel in September 2010 to do my Master’s degree in Engineering Management.

Looking back, I had a great year at Brunel. Brunel is a campus university with all facilities within short walking distance.

The teaching at Brunel is state of the art. As all lecturers are experts in their fields of study, the course content not only covers best practices and theory, but also practical examples and current research trends, which cannot be found in any academic publication yet. On top of that, the lecturers always search the dialogue with the students, rather than performing a one-way monologue, although the Engineering Management programme is a relatively big course of about 70 students.

My dissertation was set up in collaboration with BAA, the airport operator of Heathrow Airport. Its topic was about using system modelling and simulation techniques to improve passenger security screening from a passenger throughput perspective. This project was initiated by BAA, giving me the opportunity to deal with a real-life problem in an existing operational environment, and to apply tools and techniques that I have learned in several modules across the programme. The work together with BAA then helped me to get my first step into my current job – Process Consultant for BAA.

Only two months after I submitted my dissertation I was called by one of my contacts from BAA regarding a job opportunity. Now, I am in this role for about eight weeks and really enjoy the work I do. I work in the Process Engineering Department, dealing with process optimisation and improvement projects against the background of airport security processes. This involves for example capacity requirements planning, operational performance analysis or solution findings to overcome operational constraints. Within the short time I have been here, I already came across a number of tools and techniques covered in my Engineering Management course, such as the use of computer simulation software (Systems Modelling and Simulation) or quality tools like SPC, FMEA and DOE (Quality Management and Reliability).

If you are considering studying a programme which covers a broad range of topics like systems thinking, operations, general management, project management or supply chain, Engineering Management at Brunel would be the right choice. You will not only get to know the latest trends and best practices in your specific field of study, but also enjoy the vast opportunities besides your academic life, joining clubs and getting in touch with people from all over the world.