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MEEN40430

Academic Year 2026/2027

Professional Engineering (Management) (MEEN40430)

Subject:
Mechanical Engineering
College:
Engineering & Architecture
School:
Mechanical & Materials Eng
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Kevin Roche
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Engineering decisions are often affected by far more than just technical considerations. As professional engineers it is essential recognise these factors, and also to recognise how our work may impact others both within and outside our organisation. This module addresses four aspects of professional engineering practice: management, applied ethics, economics, legal and regulatory aspects of engineering. Each of these practices encompasses the following indicative contents.

(1) Management: management principles; environmental, social, economic, and technical interactions; influences of individual and organisational biases; analysis and decision making tools; planning and monitoring of work and projects.

(2) Applied Ethics: Ethical theory and principles; professional codes; the ethical use of technology and data; managing ethical dilemmas.

(3) Economics: macro and microeconomic fundamentals; ecological economics; engineering for sustainable development.

(4) Legal/Regulatory: contract law; professional liability; product liability; arbitration; employment law; negligence; employment equality; safety in the workplace; safety regulations; data law.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1. Apply management principles and tools for planning, decision-making, and problem-solving in engineering organisations and projects.
2. Question implicit assumptions and common biases in individual and group analysis and decision making, to improve decision-making processes.
3. Evaluate engineering decisions within an ethical framework.
4. Analyse complex interactions between economic, social, and environmental priorities in an organisation or project.
5. Recognise legal and ethical responsibilities of professional engineering practitioners to employers, coworkers, customers, and wider society.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Online Learning

12
Total

114

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module utilized some of the key teaching and learning approaches used in higher education such as:
(1) Active/task-based learning; which is an approach where the planning of learning materials and teaching sessions are based around doing a task.

(2) Peer and group work: which is a form of voluntary association of members benefiting from cooperative learning, that enhances the total output of the activity than when done individually.

(3) Lectures: face-to-face presentation and discussions with module lecturers related to each topic.

(4) Case/Problem-based learning; which is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of solving an open-ended problem found in trigger material.

(5) Student presentations: which requires students to present the outcomes of their projects individually or in a group.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Professional Engineering (Mgt) (EEME40260)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): Final exam covering management, economics, and law. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
55
 No
Group Work Assignment: Ethical dilemma creation and analysis. Pre-recorded group presentation. Week 9 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
30
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: In-class activities throughout the trimester. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
15
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Gerald Byrne Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Gerald Byrne Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Ciaran Mac Domhnaill Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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