MEng (Hons) Engineering (International)

Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology

The facilities and campus are top quality, both the lecture rooms and labs, along with the first year accommodation pods and gym. Each lecture theatre is very well equipped and the layout encourages for group collaboration both in lectures and self-study time. The labs are well set-up for group and individual work, with lots of equipment to use also. Small student number makes it difficult for a proper student union, however there are many opportunities for different clubs, both sport and others, along with numerous day-trips and nights out to keep us busy when we're not working or studying. Student support is great, with a support advisor for every year group and monthly catch-ups. We also have days out of work every few months to focus on specific wellbeing topics. The location is a slight downside. Malmesbury is a lovely town, however, as a student there isn't much going on. There are a few pubs, and nice walks, but for any student life and shopping, Bristol is the nearest place for this. Many people do like Malmesbury, and the tight-knit community of students, but some do choose to move to Bristol, which is well connected with commuter busses to Dyson, and can then experience the 'typical' university life and living in a big city.

The environment that you are in is phenomenal. Because the company is so high tech, it has development budgets that obviously transcend that of a university. The facilities that you walk past as you go about your day and the equipment/manufacturing techniques that you are able to learn about are amazing. You get to kick start your career 3-4 years early and don't have to take out student loans. Salary is competitive. The student support is great as the ratio of support staff to students is clearly not even comparable to a traditional university. The degree is still new and growing so you have the chance to make changes and your feedback is listened to. The undergrad experience committee (most closely compared to a student union) put in effort to ensure that we do not miss out on the student experience (organising socials, formals, clubs and trips and bookable equipment). The lectures are generally excellent and are not all about Dyson products as people often assume. The small cohort size is really beneficial in lectures as you are in a group of 50 max, as opposed to some courses which have a shared first year and therefore hundreds of students in a lecture. First year accommodation is really nice. Sides that are not necessarily bad but are important to know: Firstly it is a lot of work. Nothing that isn't doable but you are squeezing a 3 year degree into 2 days a week (4 years) which clearly means more intense work. Secondly the degree (specifically delivered by Dyson) is in its infancy meaning that the kinks have not all been worked out, but this does mean that you often get a say in changes that need to be made and they do seem to take feedback on board. Whilst most things around the degree have been considered, some of the more student experience focused areas on the periphery are perhaps forgotten (or some aren't feasible). For example whilst the facilities that we do have are excellent, when compared to the facilities that are on offer as standard at most universities there are some gaps. There's plenty of academic provision: Library, multiple lecture theatres, workshop/labs, but you wont find music practice rooms or a piano, art rooms, dance studios, no common room or dedicated student space / building that isn't for studying. In terms of sports, there is a lovely gym but of course no sports hall, squash courts, 3g pitch, swimming pool etc. Although most of these can be found as public facilities in the surrounding area Unlike universities you cannot use any lab facilities/ machinery for personal projects so that is worth considering if that is something important to you. There are also no extra classes eg languages like you may find at a uni. Also some things that are worth considering but not necessarily negative: The campus is based in a small town so for some it can be a bit quiet and boring but as stated, there is a strong effort to boost student life from the UEC and also many students move to the busier student city of Bristol in second year.

The course comprises of apprenticeship within the Dyson workplace providing on the job training. Pay is very competitive and allows for a more luxurious lifestyle compared to other students. Time management is key to succeeding as you will be completing a full time degree as well as working a full time job and so would not be recommended to those who can't deal with high workloads or giving up free time to complete lecture work.

We work 3 days a week and study 2 days a week, and both the work and studying is interesting. There is a really good community of students and it is great living in the pods together in the first year.

The Dyson Institute is a really great place to study engineering. I really like the setup of the apprenticeship, it makes the work you do really varied, which keeps things interesting, even though there is a lot of work to do. Facilities and the on site first year accommodation is excellent, with lots of things such as kitchenware and laundry facilities included. The only downside is the location, Malmesbury is a very nice small town on the edge of the Cotswolds, and while there are some small shops and supermarkets which cover the essentials, there isn't any nightlife or much to do in the town. There are however, regular night out trips to Bristol and other nearby cities, and lots of social trips and societies. Also, most people have cars, which means that there are loads of bigger towns and cities just a short drive away.