Cross Cutting Modules

This module is aimed at providing the students with the minimum skills to conduct research in their final year of study. The students will learn how to apply the engineering research process and inquiry methods to solve these problems; introducing them to some of the methods and techniques of research and their methodological frameworks.  The module aims to present research as a dynamic process leading from the beginning to the end; from questions to answers, showing how the researcher progresses from one stage to the next, decisions making, choosing of questions, and how conclusions are drawn. It will involve understanding of the research process, critical analysis of research in the discipline of study and development of competence in data collection methods and tools, analyses and evaluation of research results and analyse and evaluate the results and reviewing their quality and limitations. Students will also learn how to write feasible project proposals, building on the Creating Job Creators (CJC) concept framework, and communicating findings in technical reports and presentations to specific engineering formats to specialist audiences. 

Brief description

This module is aimed at the students learning the art of problem solving through the scientific method of project formulation, data collection, analysis and drawing of conclusions, and presenting of the findings through a technical report and oral presentation.

Learning outcomes

Having successfully completed this module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Undertake independent detailed formulation and exploration of research from a given problem and perform thorough relevant literature searches. 
• Conduct a critical review of literature.
• Assess and reassess theoretical and conceptual frameworks.
• Apply usable tools (field, laboratory or otherwise) that reflect practical data measurement scales.
• Draft and write up factual research report elements/chapters.
• Disseminate research information/requirements conventionally and innovatively through presentations, seminars and reports.

Research Project Coordinator: Eng. Fabrice Uwiduhaye

This course is designed to give engineering students an operational knowledge of financial analysis and planning in technology-based enterprises including publicly owned corporations and privately held consultancy and engineering service companies, equipping them with an understanding of financial statements and financial performance of the business. Financial management aspects of business organizations with emphasis to sources, costs, uses and budgeting control of organizational funds will also be part of packaged assets to the student.

This course is designed to give engineering students an operational knowledge of financial analysis and planning in technology-based enterprises including publicly owned corporations and privately held consultancy and engineering service companies, equipping them with an understanding of financial statements, financial performance of the business, financial management aspects of business organizations with emphasis to sources, costs, uses and budgeting control of organizational funds.

This course is designed to give engineering students an operational knowledge of financial analysis and planning in technology-based enterprises including publicly owned corporations and privately held consultancy and engineering service companies. This course equips the student to understand financial statements and financial performance of the business.

1. Brief Description: 

In this module, final year students, under the guidance of academic supervisors,  will fully execute the research work plan, undertake detailed data collection and data analysis, perform extensive literature searches and critical reviews, write up the research and submit a final year project report (in a School approved format) towards the end of Semester II. The students will also make, towards the end of Semester II, an oral presentation of their research report with findings/results to a panel of examiners comprising their academic supervisors and selected academic and research staff.

2. Aims:

The module is aimed at the students learning the art of problem solving through the scientific method of project formulation, data collection, analysis and drawing of conclusions, and presenting of the findings through a technical report and oral presentation. Specific objectives of the module include:

• Undertaking independent practical and original research in engineering (modeled on the CJC programme framework); fully executing the research work plan (formulated in the detailed research project proposal in the prerequisite module) with complete data collection,
• Critically reviewing and appraising existing relevant literature,
• Developing research, analysis, writing and editing and organisation skills through an extended exploration of a single CJC focused topic; evidenced in the final year project report,
• Presentation of the final year project research report with results/findings to a panel comprising the academic supervisors and selected academic and research staff, and
• Publication of the research results/findings of the research topic related inquiries and literature through the final year project report (and a technical article and/or poster presentation under the guidance of the academic supervisors wherever possible).

3. Content Summary:

5. Assessment criteria:

• Assessment will be done through the submitted final year project report and their oral presentation towards the end of Semester II
• For the project report marking, the University of Rwanda (UR) generic marking criteria shall apply; the School of Engineering (SoE) Research Project Coordinator formulating a related marks distribution and grading template approved within the SoE 
• For the oral presentation, criteria will be drawn appropriate to the topic, on the basis of the UR generic marking criteria; SoE Research Project Coordinator formulating a related marks distribution and oral presentation grading template approved within SoE

This course is designed to help you understand what it means to be an entrepreneur, to help you decide whether and when it is necessary to start an entrepreneurial ride, and to give you some basic tools to pursue such a path successfully. In particular, the course aims to help the participants to identify and evaluate business opportunities, using various approaches to critically assess projects feasibility, to be able to evolve from a business idea to a business concept and finally, to establish a basis to assess the feasibility of a “winning concept” that you, as an entrepreneur, have developed.

The Module aims at introducing to students various means of solving various professional problems and how to act and behave in a professional and ethical manner. It will focus mainly on issues of professional conduct in relation to their various activities at their work places.

1. Course description

This course is designed to give engineering students an operational knowledge of financial analysis and planning in technology-based enterprises including publicly owned corporations and privately held consultancy and engineering service companies. This course equips the student to understand financial statements and financial performance of the business. It further equips the student the knowledge on economic decisions making, engineering costs and estimation, cash flow, interest and equivalence, cash flow and rate of return analysis, etc.

2. Welcome remarks

Dear Student,

Welcome to Finance and Economics for Engineers. In this course we seek to provide you with an operational knowledge of financial analysis and planning in technology-based enterprises including publicly owned corporations and privately held consultancy and engineering service companies. We will cover a fair amount of material but be assured that the outcomes are rewarding.  I expect that your views on   financial management aspects of business organizations with emphasis to sources, costs, uses and budgeting control of organizational funds issues will change as you come to a greater appreciation for the role of financial management and economics in our lives. Treat the course as a learning opportunity and do enjoy the experience.

HAKIZIMANA Khan  Jean de Dieu

3. Goals/ Aims

It is designed to equip the students with an understanding of financial management aspects of business organizations with emphasis to sources, costs, uses and budgeting control of organizational funds.

4. Description of the module content

In order to to give engineering students an operational knowledge of financial analysis and planning in technology-based enterprises including publicly owned corporations and privately held consultancy and engineering service companies; the course will  almost cover all topics in financial management. These include  the Uses of Business finance, Measuring Business Performance, Working capital decisions, Analysis of costs, and Budgets and Budgetary Control.

 5. Learning outcomes

At the end of the course you should be:

• Apply finance decision in investment
• Determine cost of capital of a company
• Determine the necessary amount of capital
• Determine the financial health of a business
• Calculate Net Present Value of a project

Summary:

Engineers in training need industrial exposure and on-job-training during the academic programmes of study. As part of the programme’s training regime, at the end of Semester II, students are required to attend placements in industry for period of at least 320 hours over a period of about 8-10 weeks. Building on the Creating Job Creators (CJC) concept framework, training can be undertaken in CJC specific businesses in line with the students’ CJC focused activities and interests conducted in the second and third years of study. Where community or outreach engagements are possible, the students may be directly engaged in the community applying and learning engineering problem solving skills in activities related to their CJC activities with verifiable engineering problem solving accrued from the attachment/engagement

Research Methodology for undergraduate students  in the field of Mechanical Engineering and related fields is designed for delivering the basic knowledge for conducting research. This module will facilitate them to conduct their final year projects.