Departmental news

Congratulations to the WMG graduates who celebrated their achievements at the University of Warwick's Winter Ceremonies.

A total of 1307 Master’s, Postgraduate Research and Undergraduate students graduated from across WMG Including:

• 1,212 Master’s students; with 1,123 of those full-time, 38 part-time, and 51 studying overseas.

• 11 PhD students and one EngD student

• 83 Undergraduate students from Applied Engineering; Digital and Technology Solutions; Cyber Security; and Digital Healthcare Science

At the event, keynote speeches were delivered by members of the WMG alumni community - Dr Andy Palmer CMG, MSc Manufacturing Systems Engineering, (1990), former COO at Nissan and President & Group CEO of Aston Martin; Paul Faithfull MSc/EngD Engineering (UK), (1997), Chairman, Watt Electric Vehicles and Jim Shaw, MSc Engineering Business Management, (1996), Chief Experience Officer, bloom³.

WMG at the University of Warwick celebrated the success of its full-time Master’sLink opens in a new window students at the annual Scholarship Dinner on Thursday 16 January 2025.

The event was held to celebrate the achievements of the scholars, with over 178 from 46 countries attending, and gave them the opportunity to network with peers and faculty members.

WMG’s prestigious departmental scholarships are merit-based awards, offering tuition fee discounts to outstanding candidates. Among this year’s scholars, 135 were recipients of the highly competitive WMG Excellence ScholarshipLink opens in a new window.

Additionally, 63 students were supported by over 20 international funding bodies, including governments, charities, development funds, and industry organisations. Notable among these were Chevening Scholars, funded by the UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

On 14 January 2025, WMG at The University of Warwick hosted the inaugural lecture of award-winning designer and WMG Industrial Professor, Sebastian Conran.

The lecture was held in the Design Showroom in the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), with an audience of design and engineering partners, staff and students.

The evening was opened by Professor Robin ClarkLink opens in a new window, Dean of WMG, who spoke about the future of the manufacturing industry and the need for designers and engineers to work together seamlessly to meet society’s challenges. Professor Clark highlighted Sebastian Conran’s work in the design engineering space, and his role in the development of WMG’s new Master’s in Engineering Design ManagementLink opens in a new window.

Sebastian’s lecture, titled ‘Engineering Emotional Experiences’ - Lessons in Collaborative Implementation of Innovation, took the audience on a journey from his early years growing up and wanting to be an inventor, to his teenage years stacking shelves at Habitat, his time at art school studying industrial design engineering, and his career where he’s seen thousands of products through from concept to consumer.

WMG at the University of Warwick has added three new courses, to its Master's education portfolio, in AI; engineering design and digital healthcare.

From September 2025, WMG is now offering:

• MSc Applied Artificial Intelligence  Link opens in a new window(AAI)

This programme is designed to meet the booming demand for AI specialists. With artificial intelligence transforming industries and creating new career paths, the course emphasises real-world applications, ethics, and AI-driven decision-making.

• MSc Engineering Design Management  Link opens in a new window(EDM)

EDM targets professionals who want to combine technical engineering knowledge with advanced management skills. This course is tailored to produce graduates capable of overseeing complex design processes while managing teams and resources efficiently.

• MSc Digital Transformation for Healthcare  Link opens in a new window(DTH)

This course has been designed to respond to the growing demand for digital innovation in healthcare. With an emphasis on using digital tools to improve patient care, data management, and healthcare delivery, this programme is intended for both healthcare professionals and those in technology roles who wish to make an impact in healthcare systems.

This is a collaborative programme delivered by WMG, Warwick Medical School, and the NHS.

Dr Alex Baker is named winner of the RSC’s Early Career Prize for Excellence in HE in recognition of brilliance in chemistry education. bit.ly/4fRBPye

WMG at the University of Warwick's collaborative, industry-driven approach was noted in a recent Ofsted report, where the University was praised for its commitment to delivering high-quality and transformative degree apprenticeship programmes.

The inspection highlighted Warwick's dedication to fostering valuable learning experiences across its degree apprenticeships, which are provided by key departments including WMG, Warwick Medical School; the School of Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, and the Centre for Lifelong Learning.

Warwick's approach was praised by the Ofsted inspectors, who found that the training offered aligns closely with local, regional and national skills shortages.

Professor Rob Thornton, Associate Dean Undergraduate Programmes, at WMG said: “On behalf of the entire team, I’m thrilled that the inspectors have recognised the strengths of the University’s degree apprenticeships, with over 60% based here in WMG, spanning Engineering and Digital Technologies.”

The Department of Chemistry is to benefit from an unprecedented £700m capital investment announced by The University of Warwick. bit.ly/406tMc0

WMG at The University of Warwick, has welcomed a record number of degree apprentices onto its BEng Applied Professional Engineering Programme (APEP) and BSc Digital and Technology Solutions (DTS).

This academic year a total of 215 students have enrolled across the two Degree Apprenticeship programmes.

APEP has grown significantly since it was first launched in 2021 when 59 apprentices enrolled. Today, that number has increased by a huge 179%, with the 2024 intake standing at 165.

Both APEP and DTS have been designed following extensive consultation with industry partners to ensure the course content aligned with the future needs of the engineering sector.

Professor Rob Thornton, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at WMG, explained: “I’m delighted to see our Degree Apprenticeship programmes growing in popularity.

“Working with employers is fundamental to the development, delivery and success of all our programmes. They play a crucial part in driving economic growth and productivity, and Degree Apprenticeships offer the opportunity to learn industry-relevant skills with a regular salary and huge career prospects.

“The applied nature of our course means apprentices complete work-based assignments and projects throughout, so they gain a real understanding of the principles taught and how this can benefit their companies.”

Both courses have been designed to meet the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) accreditation requirements, therefore in the future students should be able to attain CEng (Chartered Engineer) professional registration status.

Find out more about Degree Apprenticeships at WMG here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/study/degree-apprenticeships/

On Saturday (28th September), WMG at The University of Warwick and The Dyson Institute celebrated their fourth and final cohort of 35 graduates at a ceremony held across Dyson’s UK R&D campus.

A total of 160 students have now successfully completed the BEng Engineering Degree Apprenticeship, through the WMG and Dyson partnership, which first began in 2017.

This is the final cohort to graduate with a degree from The University of Warwick, as the Dyson Institute now moves to independent delivery and degree awarding powers.

The ceremony included speeches from Sir James Dyson, Founder of Dyson; Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick, Mary Curnock Cook, Chair of Council; and Babajide Popoola, Class of 2024 Graduate.

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, said: “It has been a privilege to work with colleagues and learners at Dyson in realising the vision of the Engineering Degree Apprenticeship. The collaboration and mutual respect have resulted in, what I believe to be, an exemplar of how academia and industry can work together to achieve amazing results. My congratulations to everyone involved and I look forward to us building on this firm foundation together in the future.”

Sir James Dyson reflected on the success of the seven-year partnership with WMG in his commencement address: “This graduation marks another change for us as we step out from the partnership with WMG and the University of Warwick. I would like to thank Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG; and Professor Stuart Croft, Vice Chancellor of Warwick University. Thank you for saying ‘yes’ to joining us on this pioneering adventure back in 2017. You took on our pioneering adventure, it was an unselfish undertaking by you, a brave decision. I am sure you are as proud as I am at the achievements of the undergraduates, and the institution they’ve created. I sincerely hope our close association will continue.”

Find out more about WMG’s training and skills programmes for businesses: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/study/why-study-in-wmg/for-business/