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BEng (Hons) Digital Engineering

With Foundation Year

Locations
Birmingham
London Stratford
Manchester

Attendance
Weekdays (Blended)

Duration
Full-time: 4 years (Blended)

What makes Arden University special?

Education for everyone, everywhere

Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.

You decide how and where to study

We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.

Full support both online and on-site

We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.

Strong focus on employability

You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.

Course Overview

The BEng (Hons) Digital Engineering with Foundation Year prepares you to use digital technology to improve how products and industrial processes are designed, tested and manufactured. You will develop practical skills in programming, digital design, materials science, data simulation and automation.

Arden and Google Cloud logos

Developed with Google Cloud, this programme combines Google's industry expertise with Arden's academic experience. You will develop core digital engineering skills alongside AI knowledge and tools, learning how technology can support your studies and future career.

The foundation year helps you build the confidence and core skills needed for further study in digital engineering. You’ll prepare for more technical learning while beginning to understand how digital tools can shape the way products and industrial processes are designed and improved.

You’ll have access to Google Gemini Enterprise throughout your degree, which will help you study course content in different formats, from revision notes and audio overviews to visual summaries.

You will also work with AI simulations that reflect contemporary engineering projects and working processes. These practical scenarios give you experience in digital twin modelling, process automation, predictive maintenance and more.

You will have the chance to:

Develop digital engineering skills, covering CAD design, materials performance, programming and automated manufacturing.
Learn through Google Cloud co-development, connecting your studies with current technology and industry practice.
Work with agentic AI simulations, using digital tools to solve engineering and manufacturing challenges.
Personalise your learning using Gemini Enterprise to support your studies and work at your own pace.
Build workplace skills, including data-driven decision-making, problem-solving and project management.

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Career development resources

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Course details and modules

Engineering and manufacturing are increasingly using digital design tools and AI to improve processes and efficiency. This course helps you develop the technical and digital skills employers are looking for.

Throughout the course, you will learn to evaluate products, analyse operational data and improve manufacturing processes. You will also gain practical experience through projects developed with Google Cloud.

By combining academic learning with practical digital engineering experience, you will build the knowledge, skills and confidence to prepare for a career in modern engineering and manufacturing.

Modules

Foundation Year

CREATE (30 credits)
Fundamentals of Software Development (30 credits)
Applied Tech Concepts (30 credits)
Skills for University Study (30 credits)

Level 4

Professional Digital Practice (Employability) (30 credits)
Programming for Digital Professionals (30 credits)
Simulating Material Behaviour (30 credits)
Computer Aided Design and Design Practice (30 credits)

Level 5

Applied Professional Skills: Automated Workflows (30 credits)
Applied Data Intelligence (30 credits)
Materials and Manufacturing (30 credits)
Advanced Design Simulation & Material Performance (30 credits)

Level 6

Arden Impact Module: Design Engineering (30 credits)
Future Design: AI Tools, Creativity & Critical Evaluation (30 credits)
Sustainable Design & Lifecycle Engineering (30 credits)
Applied Simulation & Digital Prototyping (30 credits)

How do we assess you?

Assessment is designed to help you apply your learning to real-world engineering challenges. You could complete practical, industry-focused assessments including design and modelling projects, simulations, technical reports, presentations and projects. This gives you the flexibility to play to your strengths while developing practical communication, problem-solving, digital and professional skills.

Study options

This course is available to study through Arden’s blended learning study mode at our campuses in London Ealing, London Stratford, London Holborn, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, and Nottingham.

Blended learning

How does it work?

When you choose our blended learning study mode, each week you’ll have eight hours of timetabled classes spread over two days at the Arden campus of your choice. This is combined with around 25 hours of independent study, which takes place through ilearn, our university campus in the cloud. ilearn contains all the resources you need to study successfully. As a blended learning student you’ll also have access to our Library Portal, an extensive digital library with thousands of journal titles, eBooks, and a range of academic and industry databases that you can use to research and gain in-depth information on your area of study. At Arden, all of your course materials are provided free of charge, removing the need for you to buy expensive textbooks to study your degree successfully.

Blended learning is the best option for students who prefer the structure of regular face to face classes with their tutor and fellow classmates, and is particularly suited to students who live within commuting or driving distance of one of our UK campuses.

If you're a student from England who is enrolling on a blended learning course with Arden (based in one of our UK campuses) then you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan to help pay for your living expenses. You can find more information on our fees and funding page. If you're a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can find information about obtaining a student loan to cover your costs from your student finance body.

Learn more about blended learning

Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.

Eligibility

To be able to study this course, we need to see that you have:

A minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 completed within the last 3 years, or an equivalent qualification.
Applicants may be considered based on a minimum of 2 years of professional work experience evidenced with a CV and Reference.
We also offer this course as a standard Bachelor’s degree without foundation year. To view the course details, please click here.

English Proficiency

IELTS 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 80; or equivalent

We’ll ask you for a personal statement that demonstrates your ability to study the course. We may also want references and evidence of relevant experiences.

Course fees and funding

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Meet the faculty

Professor John Parkinson, PhD, PGDip, FHEA

A future-facing faculty preparing graduates for an AI-enabled world

Hello, I’m Professor John Parkinson, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences & Technology (FoSST) at Arden University. I joined Arden after twenty-five years of research, teaching, and leadership in UK higher education. Throughout my career, I have been driven by a passion for understanding human behaviour and creating learning environments that help people thrive.

My academic career has centred on behavioural science, human motivation, applied research, and public policy. Beyond academia, I am a qualified counsellor and a strong advocate for student-centred, future-focused education. These experiences have shown me how quickly society shifts — and how vital it is that education keeps pace. At Arden, we are committed to ensuring that every student encounters an AI-infused curriculum, develops the literacies needed to thrive in data-rich workplaces, and learns to apply
technology ethically and insightfully to real-world challenges.

Throughout the Faculty, we have a deep commitment to applied, interdisciplinary learning, preparing students for the complexities of an evolving world. Across psychology, computing and data science, criminology, law, and the social sciences, our faculty brings together disciplines that are all being reshaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change. With the university’s new investment and strategic focus on digital transformation, our mission is clear: to prepare graduates who can harness the power of AI responsibly, creatively, and confidently.

We champion interdisciplinary thinking because the future will demand nothing less. Whatever programme you study, you will experience learning that is flexible, applied, technology-enabled, and grounded in strong academic foundations. Our goal is to not only help you succeed academically, but to ensure you graduate ready for the emerging AI-augmented professions of the future — resilient, skilled, and able to make a positive impact on society.

Welcome to the Faculty of Social Sciences & Technology. I look forward to supporting you as we build this ambitious, future-ready community together.

Professor John Parkinson, PhD, PGDip, FHEA

Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences & Technology

Career prospects

In a collaboration with Google Cloud, we’ve created brand-new, future-focused degree programmes. Designed with Google Cloud experts, these courses bridge the gap between higher education and cutting-edge tech industry demands, helping you build skills for a successful career across engineering, manufacturing, product development, design and digital technology.

A New Partnership in AI Education | Arden University & Google Cloud

related courses

What will BEng (Hons) Digital Engineering with Foundation Year do for me?

Develop the skills to design, test and improve engineering solutions

Our BEng (Hons) Digital Engineering with Foundation Year degree will develop your practical digital engineering skills, enable you to solve engineering problems using digital tools and bring your designs to life. This will prepare you for modern engineering workplaces which are increasingly using automation and digital technologies

You’ll graduate with a adaptable skillset that enables you to not only professionally adapt to new technologies but apply and build custom solutions, with Google Cloud’s world-leading technical expertise.

What can I do after Arden University?

Take your digital engineering skills into industry or further study

You could start a career in digital engineering, design, manufacturing, simulation or automation, or continue to postgraduate study in engineering, digital engineering, manufacturing or a related subject. Your skills could prepare you for roles such as:

Digital Engineer
Design Engineer
CAD Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Simulation Engineer
Materials Engineer
Automation Engineer
Digital Manufacturing Specialist

Industry skills

Future-defining degrees, developed with Google Cloud

Designed with Google Cloud experts, our created brand-new, future-focused degree programmes bridge the gap between higher education and cutting-edge tech industry demands covering cyber security, data science, AI systems engineering, applied AI in business management, and more.