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In September 2024, the University of Roehampton will launch three brand-new degree programmes focused on the built environment, aiming to train the next generation of professionals with industry-ready green skills to help the world achieve the ambitious target of a carbon-zero future.
When we speak to Professor Stephen Pretlove, he stresses the importance of ensuring future graduates have the knowledge and skills to find solutions to making the built environment more sustainable:
“Our programmes are driven by a need to confront climatic changes caused by humankind, very often primarily by the built environment,” he said. “We sadly cause a significant proportion of carbon emissions, but this means that we are in an ideal position to train the next generation of built environment professionals to tackle some of those global challenges.”
We sat down with Prof. Pretlove to learn more about the future of sustainable engineering and technology education at the University of Roehampton and how the university is ensuring its courses are providing graduates with the skills they need to hit the ground running professionally.
Can you give us a brief overview of why the University of Roehampton is investing in this area of education.
The University of Roehampton has had significant growth in a number of new and broad STEM-based subjects, including computing and nursing. This is the latest major new area that the university is looking at developing: sustainable engineering and technology education.
There's a plan to introduce a series of brand-new programmes into a facility on campus which will be the result of a year-long sustainable refurbishment to house state-of-the-art teaching spaces, equipment and laboratories to deliver these programmes.
Our facilities will be equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, including heavy engineering testing and fabrication workshops, and digital and environmental labs. The equipment will facilitate digital surveying, design, engineering and fabrication. The built environment is a rapidly changing and innovative sector and we need to keep abreast of the technologies that are being used and the direction that industry is moving in.
In September 2024 we are introducing programmes in three key disciplines: civil engineering, construction management, and architectural technology. In following years, we will introduce architecture, architectural engineering, environmental engineering and surveying and disciplines like interior design, as well as a number of other technician-level apprenticeships.
What are the unique and innovative qualities of these degree programmes?
We are keen to ensure our programmes offer a significant number of opportunities to enrol and our programmes have multiple entry points. We have broad widened access so there will be foundation level programmes for applicants that do not meet our entry requirements at degree level, but we are also offering CertHE, DipHE and Degree Apprenticeship programmes.
The second key difference is that our vision is about teaching students in an interdisciplinary environment similar to the environment that graduates would expect to work in industry. This means that for the first three programmes we offer – civil engineering, construction management, and architectural technology – students will, wherever possible, be taught in the same environment as students of other disciplines. Furthermore, where possible project-based learning will be implemented in the teaching and learning strategy for all programmes.
So, a civil engineer will, for example, learn and work on practice-based live projects with an architectural technology student. There is a genuine vision here that what we are trying to do is produce graduates who are genuinely industry-ready.
Can you tell us a bit more about what students should expect from this multi-disciplinary approach to teaching?
We are moving away from the traditional approach of programme delivery, where students would primarily attend formal lectures two to three times a week and are replacing this with informal, open-plan spaces, and basing a lot of what we do on project-based learning. Typically, a project brief will be introduced that might run for a number of weeks, and then different topics will be informally presented through discussions, seminars and tutorials in a less formal setting.
Because the work is project-based and interdisciplinary, it will involve students using equipment a lot more than they traditionally would. We want students to develop a hands-on approach, to experience the feel of equipment and understand how it works in order to apply that when they work in industry.
How will these programmes ensure graduates are industry-ready?
In order to do this, we are developing partnerships with a number of key stakeholders. We are keen to develop partnerships not only with local employers but also with local authorities with respect to the people who live in those authorities and what their needs are.
We are also talking to other bodies that deal with some of the challenging issues with respect to diversity, including the lack of women in the built environment sector. Equality, diversity and inclusion is one of our key commitments.
Like most built environment departments in the HE sector, we are driven almost entirely by professional body requirements. This a challenge, because our programme delivery has got to satisfy the professional bodies that validate and accredit our courses, and more so because of the interdisciplinary nature of our programme development plans.
What are some of the skills gaps you’re looking to address?
There is a recognised lack of knowledge and skills with respect to the most basic issues associated with sustainability. We are committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and these are embedded in everything that we do, and into our programme curricula.
The other critical thing here is that we are establishing a professional advisory board to influence the curriculum development, and to guide us on what knowledge and skills our graduates need to be practice-ready.
Graduates often leave university having learned about a whole series of different subjects, but they rarely have experience of the practical application of this knowledge in a working environment. So, we will offer placement opportunities and opportunities to study abroad. We want our students to be exposed to industry and real-life situations and projects.
How can a student interested in this career path identify the particular degree which best suits their skillset and interests?
It has always been a challenge because in many cases, students come to us wanting to study a particular discipline when they will not have had any formal education in that field. Sadly, some students spend a year or two, studying one discipline only to discover that it is not what they want to do, or it is not for them.
One of the approaches we are taking to deal with this situation is built into our programmes, because we share a lot of the teaching and share a lot of the modules. You might come to us studying the first year of construction management and then find that you prefer the architectural technology programme, and so we are designing our programmes to maximise opportunities for moving between disciplines wherever possible.
What are the academic requirements for your degree programmes?
There are very specific requirements for some of our programmes. For example, if you wanted to join our undergraduate programme in civil engineering, you would have to have a strong background in maths and science. Without this background, you would likely need to enrol first on a foundation programme where the basic knowledge and skills in maths and science would be developed.
We would expect architecture applicants to have some sort of art and design background, but we would also expect them to have studied maths or physics because architecture is becoming an increasingly technical and scientific discipline.
As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.
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Q&A: Inside the university leading the way in sustainable engineering and technology education
Craig OCallaghan
Updated Dec 13, 2023Save
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Sponsored by the University of Roehampton
In September 2024, the University of Roehampton will launch three brand-new degree programmes focused on the built environment, aiming to train the next generation of professionals with industry-ready green skills to help the world achieve the ambitious target of a carbon-zero future.
When we speak to Professor Stephen Pretlove, he stresses the importance of ensuring future graduates have the knowledge and skills to find solutions to making the built environment more sustainable:
“Our programmes are driven by a need to confront climatic changes caused by humankind, very often primarily by the built environment,” he said. “We sadly cause a significant proportion of carbon emissions, but this means that we are in an ideal position to train the next generation of built environment professionals to tackle some of those global challenges.”
We sat down with Prof. Pretlove to learn more about the future of sustainable engineering and technology education at the University of Roehampton and how the university is ensuring its courses are providing graduates with the skills they need to hit the ground running professionally.
Can you give us a brief overview of why the University of Roehampton is investing in this area of education.
The University of Roehampton has had significant growth in a number of new and broad STEM-based subjects, including computing and nursing. This is the latest major new area that the university is looking at developing: sustainable engineering and technology education.
There's a plan to introduce a series of brand-new programmes into a facility on campus which will be the result of a year-long sustainable refurbishment to house state-of-the-art teaching spaces, equipment and laboratories to deliver these programmes.
Our facilities will be equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, including heavy engineering testing and fabrication workshops, and digital and environmental labs. The equipment will facilitate digital surveying, design, engineering and fabrication. The built environment is a rapidly changing and innovative sector and we need to keep abreast of the technologies that are being used and the direction that industry is moving in.
In September 2024 we are introducing programmes in three key disciplines: civil engineering, construction management, and architectural technology. In following years, we will introduce architecture, architectural engineering, environmental engineering and surveying and disciplines like interior design, as well as a number of other technician-level apprenticeships.
What are the unique and innovative qualities of these degree programmes?
We are keen to ensure our programmes offer a significant number of opportunities to enrol and our programmes have multiple entry points. We have broad widened access so there will be foundation level programmes for applicants that do not meet our entry requirements at degree level, but we are also offering CertHE, DipHE and Degree Apprenticeship programmes.
The second key difference is that our vision is about teaching students in an interdisciplinary environment similar to the environment that graduates would expect to work in industry. This means that for the first three programmes we offer – civil engineering, construction management, and architectural technology – students will, wherever possible, be taught in the same environment as students of other disciplines. Furthermore, where possible project-based learning will be implemented in the teaching and learning strategy for all programmes.
So, a civil engineer will, for example, learn and work on practice-based live projects with an architectural technology student. There is a genuine vision here that what we are trying to do is produce graduates who are genuinely industry-ready.
Can you tell us a bit more about what students should expect from this multi-disciplinary approach to teaching?
We are moving away from the traditional approach of programme delivery, where students would primarily attend formal lectures two to three times a week and are replacing this with informal, open-plan spaces, and basing a lot of what we do on project-based learning. Typically, a project brief will be introduced that might run for a number of weeks, and then different topics will be informally presented through discussions, seminars and tutorials in a less formal setting.
Because the work is project-based and interdisciplinary, it will involve students using equipment a lot more than they traditionally would. We want students to develop a hands-on approach, to experience the feel of equipment and understand how it works in order to apply that when they work in industry.
How will these programmes ensure graduates are industry-ready?
In order to do this, we are developing partnerships with a number of key stakeholders. We are keen to develop partnerships not only with local employers but also with local authorities with respect to the people who live in those authorities and what their needs are.
We are also talking to other bodies that deal with some of the challenging issues with respect to diversity, including the lack of women in the built environment sector. Equality, diversity and inclusion is one of our key commitments.
Like most built environment departments in the HE sector, we are driven almost entirely by professional body requirements. This a challenge, because our programme delivery has got to satisfy the professional bodies that validate and accredit our courses, and more so because of the interdisciplinary nature of our programme development plans.
What are some of the skills gaps you’re looking to address?
There is a recognised lack of knowledge and skills with respect to the most basic issues associated with sustainability. We are committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and these are embedded in everything that we do, and into our programme curricula.
The other critical thing here is that we are establishing a professional advisory board to influence the curriculum development, and to guide us on what knowledge and skills our graduates need to be practice-ready.
Graduates often leave university having learned about a whole series of different subjects, but they rarely have experience of the practical application of this knowledge in a working environment. So, we will offer placement opportunities and opportunities to study abroad. We want our students to be exposed to industry and real-life situations and projects.
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How can a student interested in this career path identify the particular degree which best suits their skillset and interests?
It has always been a challenge because in many cases, students come to us wanting to study a particular discipline when they will not have had any formal education in that field. Sadly, some students spend a year or two, studying one discipline only to discover that it is not what they want to do, or it is not for them.
One of the approaches we are taking to deal with this situation is built into our programmes, because we share a lot of the teaching and share a lot of the modules. You might come to us studying the first year of construction management and then find that you prefer the architectural technology programme, and so we are designing our programmes to maximise opportunities for moving between disciplines wherever possible.
What are the academic requirements for your degree programmes?
There are very specific requirements for some of our programmes. For example, if you wanted to join our undergraduate programme in civil engineering, you would have to have a strong background in maths and science. Without this background, you would likely need to enrol first on a foundation programme where the basic knowledge and skills in maths and science would be developed.
We would expect architecture applicants to have some sort of art and design background, but we would also expect them to have studied maths or physics because architecture is becoming an increasingly technical and scientific discipline.
As Head of Content, Craig is responsible for all articles and guides published across TopUniversities and TopMBA. He has nearly 10 years of experience writing for a student audience and extensive knowledge of universities and study programs around the world.
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