Achieving Success with the Engineering Dissertation

This book guides the student reader in preparing their dissertation or major project, including both report and presentation, and explains how to use them as a bridge to the ＂next big thing＂ - the graduate’s first job, or their next degree.

The dissertation is the single most important component of an engineering degree, not only carrying the most marks, but bridging from academic study to professional practice. Achieving Success with the Engineering Dissertation describes the different types of dissertation, how to pick the best project and how a student can prepare themselves to succeed with their own dissertation.

The authors explain how best to plan and execute the project, including the roles of the student, supervisor and project sponsor, and what they should expect from each other. Further material includes details of competitions that can be entered with dissertation projects, presentation of data, using the dissertation in job interviews, and creating research publications.

Achieving Success with the Engineering Dissertation will be of use to both undergraduate and postgraduate students in all fields of Engineering, and to their supervisors.

Petra Gratton is an Engineer and past president of the Women’s Engineering Society, with 20 years’ experience of university teaching and dissertation supervision at bachelors and masters level. Prior to that she specialised in the building industry, in both project supervision and training roles. Petra Gratton is presently module leader for the individual major project in Brunel University London’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Guy Gratton is a Chartered Engineer with 15 years’ experience of university teaching, 12 of those supervising dissertations at bachelors and masters level. Prior to that he worked as an aeronautical engineer across military and civil aviation, and presently he is a research professor in airborne science at Cranfield University. Guy Gratton has written two previous books: the Microlight Flyers Handbook (Camber 2009) and Initial Airworthiness (Springer 2014 and 2018), and has previously been module leader for the group design projects in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Brunel University London.