Two students in the engineering department

Department of Design Engineering and Mathematics

Department of Design Engineering and Mathematics

Located within the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Department of Design Engineering and Mathematics at Middlesex University, London offers a dynamic range of courses that delve into modern industry practices across diverse fields, including design, engineering, automation and manufacturing.

Our undergraduate programmes focus on developing responsible, innovative, confident and passionate graduates ready to enter the world of employment and drive change. Sustainability is at the core of our offering, and our undergraduate programmes are aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Our state-of-the-art facilities boast industry standard equipment, and are supported by partnerships with industry leaders including National Instruments; LabVIEW Academy Cisco Academy; Siemens – Connected Curriculum partner and Altium Academic Partner. Students have access to our state-of-the-art mechatronics and robotics laboratories, extensive workshop facilities, 3D printing facilities, and our Smart Factory lab jointly sponsored by Festo and Siemens.

Our teaching

Led by our expert, research-informed teaching teams and equipped with industrial engagement and collaborations, our practice-led approach offers an unparalleled environment for hands-on, practice-based learning, fostering teamwork and mirroring real-world practice. Our ‘live’ projects with industrial partners, participation in external competitions and workshops and industry speaker series provide our students with a breadth of interactive and engaging activities.

Many of our programmes are accredited by recognised bodies including the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) and the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT), emphasising both the high quality of our teaching and the alignment of our curriculum with current industry standards and practices.

Department of Design Engineering and Mathematics courses

Our research

The Design Engineering and Mathematics department has a breadth of internationally recognised research and offers opportunities for Master’s by Research as well as MPhil/PhD study.  The research conducted by the Design Engineering and Mathematics department is marked by a combination of innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practical application.

The research strengths of the department lie in several key areas: 

For general queries regarding research topics and research programmes please contact the Postgraduate Research Lead for Design Engineering and Mathematics department Dr. Ramona Trestian.  

The department collaborates with industry partners, government agencies, and academic institutions, making its research have a positive impact on various sectors. The interdisciplinary approach fosters innovation by combining product design, engineering, and mathematics, while the state-of-the-art facilities and specialized areas of research, from architectural technology to wireless communication and digital twin modelling facilitates cutting-edge research.

Our dedicated team of experts, bring extensive experience and know-how to the department, ensuring its research remains at the forefront of innovation and practical application in today's ever-evolving world. By merging theory and practice, our department fosters creativity, innovation, and sustainable solutions that impact industries and communities.

Notable research centres, groups, and projects include:

London Digital Twin Research Centre

The London Digital Twin Research Centre (LDTRC), based in Middlesex University London, focuses on the development of state-of-the-art technology in digital realisation of the physical world. The developments in this centre focus on the digital transformation of physical environments, whether it is industry, infrastructure, healthcare or transportation using concepts and technologies from the notion of a “digital twin”. The current work in the LDTRC focuses on the following core aspects: Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 (I4.0), Structure Health Monitoring (SHM), Healthcare Resilience, Heritage Restoration, Agriculture Resilience, 5G/6G Networks, Sociotechnical Twins, and Environment and Enterprise Management.

The 5G/6G and IoT Research Group

The objective of this research group is to focus on the latest research topics on 5G/6G networks and Internet of Things (IoT) and provide innovative solutions to the advanced wireless communications systems.

Our graduates

We have an extensive network of graduates in professional practice around the world in companies such as Apple, Dyson, Airbus and Lego.

Recent student/graduate successes include:

  • Mohamed Shaat: Siemens Connected Curriculum Prize, Overall Winner [BEng Mechatronics graduate, 2024].
  • Mikhaela Roy: World Skills UK Industry 4 National Final Competition winner, also part of Team UK for Industry 4 at WorldSkills International 2024, Lyon, France [BEng Hons Mechatronics graduate, 2023]
  • Gabija Gailiunaite, CIAT Student of the Year Award 2024 [BSc Architectural Technology]
  • Harry Miller-Adams: winner of the Product Design category in the Arts Thread 2023 Global Graduate Design Show in collaboration with Gucci, [BA Product Design graduate, 2023]
  • Viorel Mihailuc: World Skills UK, Digital Construction 2021, Silver Medal [BSc Architectural Technology]

"I wanted a buffet of Engineering Projects to try out - AtkinsRéalis gave me that buffet, but it was Middlesex University who set my appetite for it."

Andrea Pereira, Graduate Engineer at AtkinsRéalis - BEng Computer Systems Engineering alumni

Andrea Pereira - Graduate Engineer profile photo
Design Engineering at Middlesex: Real-World Experience for Future Innovators video thumbnail

My name is Puja Varsani and I'm an Associate Lecturer.

Within engineering, we've got a fair few bits of facilities.

So we've got a Robotics lab, an Electronics lab, we've got a Mechatronics lab, we've got lots of different areas that are very specialist.

And it's really nice because even though we as engineers use it, there are other departments that use it.

And then those conversations between those two different students from different backgrounds and perspectives really does allow the creativeness, innovation and makes for some fantastic projects.

My name is Professor Mehmet Karamanoglu, I'm a head of department for Design, Engineering and Mathematics.

One of the ways that we offer is that actually linking students with industry.

As a department we work very closely with a professional service called MDX Works to offer placements and internships on campus as well as in industry.

So all of our programs are accredited by a professional body and recognized by industry and are highly in demand.

One of the good things about the university being located in North London is the fact that you can access via the underground lots of different locations and destinations that can then expose you to different types of engineering or different types of design. We have weekly guest lectures, which are a great opportunity to connect with people in the industry and get advice on building your portfolio and your presence as a designer.

In my first year, I was actually allowed the opportunity to participate in the IMechE competition.

So the IMechE is a mechanical engineering competition that is organized yearly.

Great experience because I had to participate against schools like Imperial College, UCL, I met a lot of people, yeah, it was very, it was very good experience.

I mean, the key thing is to keep up to date.

So the reason why we use industry equipment, even though it is a little bit more expensive than educational kit, is that the students are, they call them oven ready in industry.

And when we buy some piece of equipment, we're not just a customer, so it comes with the staff training, it comes with resources that they would have given their customers.

So when they graduate, they can actually add value on arrival.The assignments they give are not just random assignments, they are based on real world application.

So it makes you, help you prepare for your future career.

So we work very closely with industry,

and we try and replicate what our graduates will be doing in industry as part of their course.

Having that also the academic freedom to enable that to happen is what's the best that I find at Middlesex.

Design Engineering at Middlesex: Real-World Experience for Future Innovators
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