Courses

Headstart Courses are divided into four distinct categories: Engineering (broad-based), Focus (single discipline), Insight (girls only), and Science and Society.

Choose five courses which interest you after looking through the tables below. We will take these into account when allocating places.   Dates, locations and features are provisional, so check the website again in November.  Courses will be allocated first to British subjects: students from other nationalities will be considered thereafter. 

The cost to attend is the numeric part of the course code - eg. CAR/220 explains the fee to attend Headstart at Cardiff is £220. This includes all accommodation and meals during the course, but not travel costs to and from the University.  Some bursaries are available where financial hardship would prevent attendance, and many schools will help with the course fee.

The date of your course will be confirmed by Headstart in March if you are offered a place, and the University will send Joining Instructions 3/4 weeks before the start.

For courses starting on Sunday, register at the university by 4pm.  Registration on weekdays is 10am.  Courses finish by mid-afternoon on the last day.

Focus - Computer Science

~Course Details to be Confirmed~

Focus Course - Mechanical Engineering

Headstart at Bath will give talented budding engineers the chance to experience undergraduate life in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  Within the broad topic of Mechanical Engineering we will aim to include topics relating to our degree disciplines of 

• Aerospace Engineering
• Automotive Engineering 
• Design 
• Manufacturing 
• Mechanical 

Based in the world heritage city of Bath students will live as undergraduates in our campus accommodation.  Guided by young and enthusiastic staff and students you will participate in a range of practical projects and lectures designed to encourage teamwork and competition.

 Focus - Maths

~ Course Details to be Confirmed ~

Broad Based Engineering

Headstart’s course at the University of Birmingham provides you with an opportunity for a hands-on engineering experience in an excellent campus environment.  You will be involved in an Engineering Design exercise and a First Year lecture.  You will visit our laboratories, perform experiments and use some of our major facilities.  For example, you can visit the Automotive workshops where our undergraduates design and build their own racing cars.

During the week you will visit industry to see how products are designed and manufactured in real time.  In 2009, delegates visited either Jaguar Cars, the Arup campus at Solihull to gain experience of civil engineering design, or A Rolls-Royce Plc and Goodrich Corporation Joint Venture to see electronics in an industrial setting.

You will meet lecturers from each of our main Engineering Schools: Chemical; Civil; Electronic, Electrical & Computer; Mechanical; and Metallurgy and Materials.  They will give you a flavour of student life within their Schools and an overview of the career options available to you as a graduate.  You will also be introduced to some of our specialist degree options such as Sports Materials and see where our Energy Engineering modules are leading to in terms of fuel cell technology. 

Your accommodation will be in a hall on or close to campus, within easy reach of the Engineering Schools and the University’s extensive sports and leisure facilities.  Evening entertainment will include bowling, sports and an end of course restaurant dinner.  The whole course will be rounded off by a walk through the City and some shopping in the Bullring, followed by an ‘all you can eat’ lunch at the Big Wok in Birmingham’s China Town.

Focus - Civil Engineering

This Focus course at The University of Birmingham gives an overview of what it is like to study Civil Engineering as a student, and also what a career in Civil Engineering involves.

You've probably heard that Civil Engineers enjoy their job because every day brings a fresh challenge - usually away from the office - and seeing their design constructed gives a never-to-be-forgotten "I built that" feeling.

You believe that this career will allow you to apply your enjoyment of mathematics to something useful, but are not quite sure what Civil Engineers really do: in which case, this course is for you.

A range of hands-on activities in our laboratories is complemented by talks from practising engineers, and the course includes a site visit to one of the many construction developments in England’s second city.  Lecture sessions introduce the subject, but are kept to a minimum. 

You will work as part of a small team throughout the week as a Consultancy on a project involving a sequence of real design decisions, culminating in a presentation to the Client. 

The course is designed to be intense and informative, balanced by a range of evening social activities.  Accommodation is in a hall on or close to the campus, within easy reach of the Department, and also the University’s extensive sports and leisure facilities.

Bristol Broad Based Engineering

The Headstart course at Bristol will give you the opportunity to explore the different engineering disciplines within the Faculty of Engineering.  You’ll experience a range of lectures and hands-on challenges that will provide a flavour of the academic side of undergraduate life.  You will live as students in the hall of residence and the academic programme will be complemented by a mix of independent and organised social activities. 

Typical engineering sessions may include: 

• Aerospace Engineering – A brief introduction to the basic concepts of wind turbine design, followed by a team exercise to design and build a model turbine using simple materials.
• Civil Engineering – A short talk on structural design concepts with a design and build activity for a model sports stadium or earthquake resistant building.
• Computer Science - A hands-on session learning about state-of-the-art developments in human-computer interaction, using for example multi-touch tables.
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering – A team exercise to design an efficient model electric car, involving theoretical analysis and practical testing.
• Engineering Mathematics – A lecture on the mathematical modelling of oscillations in real world systems.
• Mechanical Engineering – A lecture and demonstrations on the role of material behaviour in the failure of structures and machines.

There will also be opportunities for discussion and advice on Engineering as a degree or career option.

Focus - Electronic Engineering

The Focus course on Electrical and Electronic Engineering (E&EE) at the University of Bristol aims to give you a taste of this wide-ranging subject.  There is no need to have done Electronics before - students both with and without experience are equally welcome. 

We hope that by the end of the course you will agree that Electrical and Electronic Engineering is an excellent choice for someone who wants to keep their career options open.

Your accommodation will be in one of our halls of residence and you'll take part in a schedule of academic and social activities designed to give you some idea of what it's like to be an E&EE student. 

The academic programme will take place in the Engineering Faculty in the University Precinct and will include a mix of lectures and hands-on laboratory sessions covering topics such as Analogue Electronics, Digital Systems, Electrical Control Systems and Computing. 

There will be a design challenge in which a model electric vehicle has to travel as far as possible on a fixed amount of energy.

During your free time you'll get the chance to see other parts of the
University, as well as some of the sights of Bristol - such as Brunel's
Clifton Suspension Bridge.  Throughout the course, student helpers will be available to assist you, and you'll be able to discuss your career choices with academic staff if you wish.

Cambridge Broad Based Engineering

You will be treated as though you are a first-year undergraduate, with lectures, experimental work and projects in the University's Department of Engineering. You will live in Jesus College and experience a Cambridge supervision (be taught in pairs by a senior member of the University). Some of the topics will stretch you considerably but you should enjoy them if you're good at mathematics and physics.

Topics likely to be included:

• Structures: Learning how to analyse the forces in structures made from trusses 
• Fluids: Learn why water may suddenly jump when flowing in a channel 
• Engines: Strip down a diesel engine, rebuild it and get it going
• Materials: Test a number of materials and discover how they behave and why
• Design: Design, construct, program and test robot vehicles

Science and Society Course - The Physical Sciences

The aim of this Focus course at the University of Cambridge is to introduce students to the way in which physical and biological sciences (including History and Philosophy of Science) are taught during the first two years of a student's life in the university. This is called the Natural Sciences Tripos and enables students to experience a wide range of subjects during their first two years of study. Then they specialise in one subject for their final degree: seventeen science departments are involved.

This Headstart course at Cambridge focuses on the physical sciences even though the Natural Sciences Tripos includes a very wide range of both biological and physical sciences. Faculty tutors (staff and current and recent students) will introduce you to a range of activities largely based on chemistry, materials science and physics. These will include:

• lectures and informal discussions
• tours with a scientific bias
• hands-on practical sessions
• admissions information
• examples of innovation and enterprise - entrepreneurship
• team projects

The programme gives a feel for the ways in which different courses are taught to first year students and how they can provide a basis for the scientific, business and commercial challenges that a graduate might face later in his/her career.   

Cardiff Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Cardiff will give you a good insight into the variety of engineering by examining degree schemes available at Cardiff, i.e. Architectural, Civil, Environmental, Integrated, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic, and Medical Engineering, as well as an introduction to university life. You will be housed in one of the university Halls of Residence and have access to university sporting facilities. The Cardiff course is designed to sample different engineering disciplines by -

• Introductory presentations on each of the degree schemes
• A choice of hands-on laboratory sessions to explore practical principles in engineering
• A choice of visits to engineering firms / construction sites to see engineering at work
•  Group-based design, build and test projects 

During the course, you will have tours of the facilities in the School and the Student’s Union and opportunities to meet and question Admission Tutors. Postgraduate students will join the course in the social activities, and they can explain at first-hand the undergraduate student’s life.

There will also be a presentation from a recent graduate to show what life can be like soon after graduation. Social activities include various sports, bowling and a course dinner.

Please note - COURSE DETAILS TO BE CONFIRMED

 (information received January 2009)

The University of Colorado at Boulder is situated in a scenic valley 30 miles northwest of Denver near the Rocky Mountains, in the western part of the United States. The High School Honours Institute sponsored by the College of Engineering and Applied Science provides an opportunity for students in Year 12 to explore the engineering/engineering related disciplines – aerospace, applied mathematics, chemical, civil and architectural, computer science, electrical and computer, engineering physics, environmental and mechanical. Students will select 2 areas of interest for the major part of the programme and be introduced to 3 other additional areas.

Activities will include –

• Lectures, demonstrations and hands-on experiments in the new integrated teaching laboratory
• Contacts with major US companies such as Lucent, Sun Microsystems, IBM, Lockheed Martin
• Evenings at the CU Recreation Centre and Pool

Students accepted for Headstart in Colorado will need to ensure they make travel arrangements to arrive in time to register at Boulder by 3pm on the Sunday. In addition to the Headstart application form, you must complete a Colorado HSHI application, and may require a visa to visit the United States. Successful applicants interested in Colorado will be offered a UK course as an alternative, and will have the opportunity to take one or both. You must apply direct to HSHI to be considered for the Colorado course and will be expected to make your own travel arrangements.

Durham Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Durham provides a dynamic and enjoyable course spanning a variety of engineering technologies including elements of mechanical, civil, electrical and manufacturing engineering. You will take on three design, build and test projects during the week. Recent projects include electromagnetic cranes, marine vehicles to collect surface debris (table tennis balls) and a fully functioning lightweight hovercraft to carry the team. You will get to stay in one of the university's colleges and experience many aspects of student life. Activities include:

• Design construction and testing of three varied projects
• Industrial visits to local engineering companies and sites
• Interview and video presentation exercise
• Discussion of higher education options and careers in engineering
• Leisure evenings in Durham

The University of Durham Headstart experience reflects the broad-based approach of the School of Engineering to allow you to see the different branches of engineering and make an informed choice for your university options and future career in the profession.

Headstart at Durham features 'Dragonfly', an exciting new module for girls. See the website News Page for more details.

Dragonfly at Durham is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Focus - Science

This exciting new course will cover a variety of topics run by the Schools of Biology, Chemistry, Computing Science, Environmental Sciences,  Mathematics and Pharmacy. 

You will be working in laboratories with academics to program robots, synthesise RNA and DNA, investigate the implications of mutations and extract naturally occurring bactericides in order to assay them for potency.

Heriot Watt Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Heriot Watt University allows you to experience a taste of the main engineering disciplines in pleasant campus surroundings just outside Edinburgh. During the course, you will see something of -

• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering

And how they interact in several important multi-disciplinary areas including:-

• Optical Engineering
• Robotics
• Automotive Engineering
• Energy Engineering

During the programme, you will experience engineering as it is taught to undergraduates, with lectures, practical's, projects and problem-solving classes. You will have the opportunity to meet with senior students including postgraduates to get an idea of what motivates and excites them about engineering.  Admissions Tutors and Lecturers will be available to meet informally, to talk about engineering careers and engineering education. Other activities include visits to local industry, the Falkink Wheel, and of course, the vibrant City of Edinburgh.

Focus Course - Automotive Engineering

This Focus course on Automotive Engineering at the University of Huddersfield is designed to allow students to gain experience in the programming and operation of state of the art automotive test facilities and to consider the responsibility of the automotive industry and its impact on society and the environment.

You will evaluate bio-fuels and their effect on engine performance, exhaust emissions and issues that address the growing international concerns of global warming.

During the week you will work with control equipment with a value of over a million pounds: this equipment includes a robotically-controlled 2-wheel transmission dynamometer, 4-post ride simulator, a steady state engine test rig, a transient rig and a wind tunnel testing a model that you will create using rapid prototyping technology.

You will learn to appreciate the task of a professional automotive engineer in providing safe control of the family car – more than a tonne of metal moving at 150kph when only 4 tyres are gripping the road, each with a road contact area the size of your hand.  A task completed so successfully that the driver does not give failure a second thought.

The course features lectures and seminars and thought provoking discussion on the future of the automotive industry and its responsibility to society.

In addition to the practical sessions described above, visits are arranged to a major automotive manufacturing company and a principal component supplier.

Imperial College London Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Imperial College will provide you with an experience of Aeronautical, Bioengineering, Civil, Electrical, Geology, Materials and Mechanical Engineering. The programme will involve lectures, demonstrations and laboratory activities including:

• Test a car in the Honda wind tunnel
• Advanced structural and geo-technical research
• Discover how physics, electronics and mechanics can be applied to solve healthcare problems.
• Build a volcano and record earthquakes on a seismometer.
• Team work in a Design, make and test of a model bridge. 
• Design, market specification, and building an electronic toy. 
• Hands-on experience in hydraulics, vibrations, CAD and strength of materials laboratories.

Living in a College Hall of Residence, you will be involved in various evening events, including a visit to the London Eye, and a meeting with graduate engineers. 

Focus - Physics

~ Course Details to be Confirmed ~

Focus Course - Aerospace Engineering

Headstart at Liverpool is organised around the multi-disciplinary theme of aerospace engineering and is led by the Flight Science Group. This Group is currently working with industry and the civil and military authorities on a variety of projects including the European tilt rotor aircraft, CFD aerodynamics and display systems for flight in poor visibility. Course subjects include -

• airframe structures and materials
• avionics
• flight technologies and aerodynamics
• design and manufacturing issues for aircraft

During the programme, students work in small teams solving specific aerospace problems. CAD and other computing facilities are used, and there are opportunities to fly the Bibby Flight Simulator in fixed wing, helicopter or tilt rotor mode. The simulator offers a unique opportunity for students to develop new aircraft concepts during the week.  Optional sport and other evening leisure activities reflect the richness of life and work in the City of Liverpool.

Headstart at Liverpool features 'Dragonfly', an exciting new module for girls. See the website News Page for more details.

Dragonfly at Liverpool is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Loughborough Broad Based Engineering

This Headstart broad-based course at Loughborough comprises a blend of lectures, visits to engineering departments and a design project to demonstrate the broad range of engineering disciplines available to students. Lectures illustrate the impact of current research and challenging applications of engineering arising from the following disciplines -

• Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil and Building Engineering
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Opportunities will be provided to meet young engineering graduates and for evening social activities.

Headstart at Loughborough features 'Dragonfly', an exciting new module for girls. See the website News Page for more details.

Dragonfly at Loughborough is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Focus Course - Systems Engineering  
  
Systems Engineering is a relatively new and very exciting field, quite different in its approach from conventional engineering disciplines.

What do we mean by ‘Systems'? Systems are collections of parts brought together in a particular way to achieve a specific purpose: so just about anything we produce can be thought of as a system, including a telephone call centre, a mobile phone network, a jet fighter, a car, etc.

When even the simple things today are complicated, really big things are definitely more than one person's brain can handle. And that's where Systems Engineering comes in.

As a Systems Engineer you manage and implement complex, inter-disciplinary projects through all their phases including specification, design, development and maintenance. To do this effectively you develop in-depth knowledge across a wide range of subjects along with the ability to analyse a problem, organise work on solutions into manageable components and reintegrate these sub-systems into an efficient and effective whole. It is this special study of the interaction of sub-systems that sets Systems Engineers apart and explains why they are in such demand.

The principles of Systems Engineering are relatively simple but have an enormous effect and applied properly ensure the greatest possible chance of project success. Teamwork and communication skills are essential - Systems Engineers can't work on their own.

During the Focus week at Loughborough you will explore the application and benefits of these principles through a project which considers the whole lifecycle of a typical engineering system. You will meet real Systems Engineers, work with current undergraduates, and have a taste of how you could help shape the future of science and engineering.

Opportunities to explore the various student facilities at Loughborough will be provided during the week.

BAE SYSTEMS is lead sponsor for Grapevine at Loughborough's Focus course on Understanding Systems Engineering and also sponsors the undergraduate programme at Loughborough.

Manchester Broad Based Engineering

Students experience a real taste of life as an undergraduate at the University of Manchester. This course involves lectures, laboratory based project sessions and problem solving activities.

Engineering disciplines covered will include Chemical, Civil and Structural, Electrical and Electronics and Mechanical. Recent projects have included - 

• Chemical Engineering model pipe system
• Using CAD to examine distillation pilot plant functions
• Design of a water irrigation system for developing countries
• Design and construction of dam/suspension bridge models
• Using and programming microprocessor boards
• Construction of a modulated radio receiver
• Visualisation of fluid flow dynamics using smoke tunnels and hydrogen bubble tanks
• Examining the static and dynamic properties of engineering materials

Opportunities to meet lecturers, undergraduates and other staff will be provided to ensure you experience living and working at university to the full during your stay at the University of Manchester.

Headstart at Manchester includes the 'Dragonfly' module, an opportunity for younger girls from the Manchester area to attend an extra day on the programme. 

Dragonfly at Manchester is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Newcastle Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Newcastle is for those who are undecided about engineering as a degree or career option. You may be interested in an engineering degree but cannot be sure about what kind. A comprehensive range of disciplines is covered to help you make an informed decision. These include:-

• Civil Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture

The course will begin to develop key engineering skills such as teamwork and problem solving to help you perform to the best of your ability at university, interviews for sponsorship and for Year in Industry applications. The course is designed to help make sure you know where you want to go, and to prepare you for getting there.

Headstart at Newcastle features 'Dragonfly', an exciting new module for girls. See the website News Page for more details.

Dragonfly at Newcastle is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Science and Society Course - Climate Change

This Headstart Science course at Newcastle focuses on how changes in the global and local climate affect the environments in which we live.  Participants will examine the complexities of environments, the effects of shifts and changes we are witnessing and also how researchers at Newcastle University are trying to predict and plan for what will happen in the future.

The course is a collaborative project between the biological, physical and computing sciences as well as maths.  We aim to demonstrate how a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach is required to solving complex problems.

Workshops include:

• Lectures, discussion and debate
• Field work at the various field stations operated by the university
• Laboratory and practical sessions
• Skills development sessions including team-working and communication
• Advice, guidance and careers sessions

Participants will also get the opportunity to experience how students live at Newcastle University, staying in halls of residence and enjoying a full and enriching social programme in the evenings.

This course will show you how the work of scientists at The University of Newcastle has a direct bearing on society and the world in which you live.

Focus - Chemistry

~ Course Details to be Confirmed ~

Focus - Materials and Chemistry

The Materials Science and Chemistry departments at the University of Oxford are combining to offer this Focus course which aims to give an insight into both Chemistry and Materials Science, or Materials Engineering as it is also known.  The course will allow participants to experience what it is like to study at Oxford University by residing in one of Oxford University’s Colleges attending lectures covering both Chemistry and Materials topics, and taking laboratory sessions aimed not only at giving a general idea about the two subjects, but also conducting experiments similar to those performed by undergraduates.  Follow-up work will give a taste of how the tutorial system works to pose challenges and stimulate self-discovery.  An Industrial visit to a local Science and Technology Facilities Council site will enable participants to experience the contribution that “Big Science” makes to research and development. A project aimed at simulating the commercial aspects of scientific research will also be carried out.

Materials Science is a vast interdisciplinary subject – which frequently brings together researchers from different physical and engineering sciences, but can also involve the Life and Medical Sciences, too.  Essentially, it is the Materials Scientist who makes good use of the science developed by physicists, chemists and engineers by making it possible to improve and even develop new materials for novel purposes and help to maintain the role of the UK as a leading Industrial Nation.

The Oxford Chemistry Department is one of the largest, if not the largest, in the world. Each year 195-200 chemists graduate from our unique four-year course, spending their final year working full-time on a project with internationally leading researchers, while 80 graduate researchers receive doctorates. The Department has ten active Fellows of the Royal Society and has produced four Nobel prize-winners.

Some of the areas which may be covered in the course include:

• Aeronautical – Designing materials to make jet engine turbine blades.
• Biomedical – Can we make a bone analogue material to coat metal implants – and one day produce replacement organs for transplant?
• Ceramics – Superconducting materials.
• Electron Microscopy – Scanning EM and Transmission EM.
• Entrepreneurship – How scientists become businessmen to market their own discoveries.
• Nano Technology – Engineering at the atomic level.
• Polymers – Applications of conductive polymers to produce cheap polymer photovoltaic cells.

By meeting staff and postgraduate students, you will gain even greater insights into the worlds of Chemistry and Materials Research but most of all, you will enjoy finding out what makes both subjects so important and interesting – and let’s not forget that the whole course is fun, too.

Oxford Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Oxford provides the opportunity to taste undergraduate life with lectures, experimental work and projects in the University's Engineering Science Department, where students will experience social life based on one of the University's colleges.

Topics expected to be included are:

• Civil engineering: design, build and testing of a structure
• Fluid mechanics: see interesting things happen when water flows at high speed
• Properties of modern materials
• Electronics: build and test an electronic circuit
• Optoelectronics: see signals go down an optical fibre
• Robotics: learn to write a control program for a robot

In addition, there are visits to a local industrial company, opportunities to experience the University's facilities, and a design competition.

Focus Course - Materials Engineering

This Focus course at the University of Oxford aims to give an insight into Materials Science, or Materials Engineering as it is also known.  The course will give insights into what it is like to study at Oxford University by residing in one of Oxford University’s Colleges attending lectures covering a range of Materials topics, taking laboratory sessions aimed not only at giving a general idea about Materials Science, but there also conducting experiments similar to those performed by undergraduates.  A project aimed at simulating the commercial aspects of scientific research will also be carried out.

Materials Science is a vast interdisciplinary subject – which frequently brings together researchers from different physical and engineering sciences, but can also involve the Life and Medical Sciences, too.  Essentially, it is the Materials Scientist who makes good use of the science developed by physicists, chemists and engineers by making it possible to improve and even develop new materials for novel purposes and help to maintain the role of the UK as a leading Industrial Nation.

Some of the areas which may be covered in the course include:

• Aeronautical – Designing materials to make jet engine turbine blades.
• Biomedical – Can we make a bone analogue material to coat metal implants – and one day produce replacement organs for transplant?
• Ceramics – Superconducting materials.
• Electron Microscopy – Scanning EM and Transmission EM.
• Entrepreneurship – How scientists become businessmen to market their own discoveries.
• Nano Technology – Engineering at the atomic level.
• Polymers – Applications of conductive polymers to produce cheap polymer photovoltaic cells.

By meeting staff and postgraduate students, you will gain even greater insights into the world of Materials Research but most of all, you will enjoy finding out what makes Materials Science so important and interesting – and lets not forget that the whole course is fun, too.

Plymouth Broad Based Engineering

The aim of Headstart at Plymouth is to show that engineering is fun, interesting and can lead to a great career. We will do this by involving you in some exciting, hands-on activities and visits which may include:

• designing and testing a wave energy device
• playing robot football with cup winning robots
• designing a component using software then testing it to destruction
• visiting a local company to see luxury motor yachts being built.
• learning how to make a humanoid robot dance and score a goal

The course will allow you to explore careers in: 

• Civil, Coastal and Structural Engineering 
• Mechanical, Marine and Materials Engineering 
• Electronic Engineering 
• Robotics and Computing 
• Mathematics and Statistics

You will also:

• Stay in student halls of residence
• explore by boat some of the coastal structures protecting the city
• socialise with current students, lecturers and practising engineers
• and participate in various leisure activities. 

Focus - Maths

~ Course Details to be Confirmed ~

Insight Course - Girls only

The School of Computing, Science and Engineering provides an integrated approach by combining computing with engineering and the physical sciences. We are therefore able to offer a range of exciting undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that not only provide a solid grounding in a particular subject but can also allow students to broaden their knowledge and capability. This, we believe, is what students will increasingly require to enter the modern day workplace.

Headstart’s Insight at Salford involves team exercises and a one day project work in one of the following areas: physics, biomedical engineering, audio, video, acoustics, aeronautical engineering, mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, civil engineering, computing. You will also have a chance visit industry, participate in group presentations and listen to talks by practising women engineers and scientists, admissions tutors and careers services.

Visits to companies in the North West have included British Airways Engineering, British Aerospace Systems, The BBC, Kellogg’s, Manchester Airport, Airbus and Ove Arup.

Insight at Salford is a valuable introduction to engineering and science and life on campus, but it is not all work: you will make new friends at the social events - fun activities in the University’s own swimming pool, visit the theatre, a tour of concord at Manchester Aviation Park and the course dinner with an after-dinner speaker from industry.

This Headstart course includes a ‘Dragonfly’ module, where younger students from local schools are mentored by some of the girls attending the main course earlier in the week.

Dragonfly at Salford is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Sheffield Broad Based Engineering

Do you enjoy Maths and Science? Think you might enjoy a career in Engineering? Not sure which field interests you most? Want to experience life at university? If the answer to any of these questions is 'Yes' then you should think about attending Headstart at the University of Sheffield.

During your four days at Sheffield you will carry out exciting, interesting and challenging activities associated with several different engineering disciplines including:

• Aerospace
• Automatic Control and Systems Engineering
• Bio-engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil and Structural Engineering
• Computer Science
• Electronic and Electrical engineering
• Engineering Materials
• Mechanical Engineering

Activities will include, design and build a waterslide out at Rother Valley Country Park,  how efficient is your diesel engine?, fly in a flight simulator, how to mend a broken heart,  why does candy floss?, why do corns pop? And many more exciting projects.

You will gain an insight into all aspects of university life while you live in a university hall of residence during the course, meet current undergraduates, meet graduates who are now working in industry and have opportunities to meet and discuss engineering with members of the academic staff.

Social aspects of university life are also important and you will be able to relax in the evenings by taking part in activities which last year included bowling, sports evening, barbecues and karaoke.

This Headstart course includes a ‘Dragonfly’ module, where younger students from local schools are mentored by some of the girls attending the main course earlier in the week.

Dragonfly at Sheffield is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Southampton Broad Based Engineering

The Design Triathlon

Fly a plane, race a Greenpower Electric Car and design a power-boat during  the University of Southampton’s award-winning ‘Design Triathlon’ Headstart week.

Experience what Aeronautics & Astronautics, Mechanical Engineering and Ship Science are all about with hands-on projects under the guidance of expert staff and students in the School of Engineering Sciences:

• Design a plane, manufacture it, test it in a wind-tunnel and compete in the grand fly-off
• Build, setup and race Greenpower Electric Cars against other teams to see who is in pole position
• Get wet with power boat design, test in the towing tank and then compete in a nail-biting race in the University swimming pool.

Participants will do all of the projects to experience what each discipline has to offer at Southampton. Will you be able to triumph in all three races to win the triathlon?

Talks from recent graduates currently working in industry give you an idea of what you can achieve with an engineering degree.

Living in student halls provides a taste of student life and you will have the opportunity to ask current students what it is really like at university. There will be a different activity every evening and a night out on the last evening. See www.soton.ac.uk/ses/outreach/ for more details, photos and movies.

Design, build, test, float, fly & race - can you rise to the challenge?

This Headstart course includes a ‘Dragonfly’ module, where younger students from local schools are mentored by some of the girls attending the main course earlier in the week.

Dragonfly at Southampton is supported by The Royal Air Force and we are pleased to welcome their participation as Lead Sponsor for the Dragonfly programme.

Focus Course - Marine Engineering and Nautical Science

During this Focus course at The University of Southampton, you will learn the basic principles of designing ships, yachts and marine structures in order to understand how the world's oceans can be exploited to harness environmentally safe energy, all under the guidance of expert staff and students in Ship Science at the School of Engineering Sciences.

During the course, you will:-

• discover how to make a structure strong enough to survive the harsh marine environment
• carry out experiments in a towing tank to discover what it takes to power a ship
• find out what it takes to design a marine propeller

Talks, lectures and seminars from graduates in Ship Science, research and the marine industry will show you a wealth of subjects and careers to be gained in the marine world, from designing autonomous robot submarines to marine environmental energy extraction to advanced racing yacht design.

Working in teams, you will apply your imagination and new-found skills to see who can generate the most electricity from tidal energy. Applying specific design, build and test principles, you will present your findings in competition with other students at the end of the course.

Living in typical student halls during the week you will be able to ask students on this degree course what it's really like at university.

Science and Society - Sustainable Energy Technologies

The Earth’s natural resources are running out.  Wind, wave, solar, hydro-electric, nuclear, tidal energies and fuel cells are our sustainable alternatives for the future.

The aim of this Headstart Science and Society course is to educate students on the generation of sustainable energy through different technology solutions, its distribution and the implications to society through environmental climate change.  The course is suitable for students with interests in mathematics, physics and chemistry and will focus on problems engineers encounter in providing solutions through lectures and visits to external organisations (e.g. National Oceanographic Centre Southampton). 

In groups, the students will undertake a design and build project with the artefacts tested in the School of Engineering Sciences’ facilities (design studios, wind tunnels, towing tank, and laboratories).

During the week students will experience life as an undergraduate, live in student halls and have the opportunity to talk to current undergraduate students about what living and studying is like in the School of Engineering Sciences.

Strathclyde Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Strathclyde offers a challenging and fun-packed week with a range of activities from a number of the University's engineering departments:

• Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management
• Mechanical Engineering (including Aeronautical)
• Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
• Chemical and Process Engineering
• Architecture
• Prosthetics and Orthotics

The course focuses on project-based activities across a number of Engineering areas with an emphasis on hands-on problem-solving in teams.

There will be competitions, a visit to an Engineering company, a careers seminar, chillout activities and a final dinner. Participants will have opportunities to experience the social life of Strathclyde University, meet current Engineering students and live in the University's student village in the centre of Glasgow.

The University has developed a dedicated website for students interested in Headstart at Strathclyde - www.strath.ac.uk/headstart - where more detailed information and photos of previous courses can be seen online.

Surrey Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Surrey involves Chemical, Civil, Electronic, Materials and Mechanical Engineering, with Environmental, Biomedical, Satellite and Aerospace Engineering for good measure. The course aims, through lectures and hands-on activities in most areas, to allow you to discover what engineering is all about and to find out what a rewarding career it offers. You will -

• Spend half a day in each of the main areas - in laboratories, on design or on projects as well as a topical lecture
• Visit a local company or industrial research laboratory
• Explore an up-to-the-minute research topic and then give a presentation on it
• Meet staff and former students to get inside information and find out about their experiences

Time will be made available to taste student life both at work and leisure and there will be opportunities for organised leisure activities or just for socialising.  

Surrey will feature the 'Dragonfly' module for girls - an extra day as described on the website News Page.

Swansea Broad Based Engineering

Headstart at Swansea provides the opportunity to work closely with lecturers and postgraduates from several engineering departments: Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Materials and Chemical and Biological Processing. You will be part of a team which will take on 5 design, build and test projects. The focus of each project is the application of engineering in the design of a high performance balloon. Projects include-

• Civil Engineering - design and construction of a pneumatic balloon structure
• Mechanical Engineering - undertaking a product and design exercise to determine the properties of a high performance balloon pressure capsule
• Electrical Engineering - to develop a communications system similar to that used on the Breitling round the world challenge balloon
• Materials Engineering - using a Scanning Electron Microscope and other material engineering analysis techniques you are to determine the effects of weathering on balloon fabric
• Chemical Engineering - to determine the chemical and physical properties of ballooning material by carrying out comprehensive research

Grapevine at The University of Swansea is supported by The Welsh Assembly Government.

Science and Society Course -
Biochemical Engineering For New Medicines

New antibiotics to overcome superbugs; next generation vaccines for AIDS; tissue repair to deal with accidents in fast moving lives; antibodies for cancer therapy - these are just some of the new medicines in the discovery pipeline.

How will the challenge of making these new medicines be met, in a safe and reliable fashion at affordable prices?

Headstart at UCL will explore this challenge and the key role played by Biochemical Engineers.

If you are studying mathematics or physics and chemistry or biology then you will be suitably prepared and ready to explore major biochemical engineering issues such as:

• How are bioreactors best operated to support growth of cells to produce new therapeutic materials?
• How can new medicines be produced economically at full scale?
• What routes should be explored to develop new vaccines?
• What are the challenges behind effective tissue engineering?

Team studies will be used to tackle these and other issues which will face the biochemical engineer of the future.

In addition to team activities you will be invited to social events organised by the biochemical engineering Students' Society to show something of university life in London. You will be accommodated in a local hall of residence and have plenty of opportunities to meet faculty tutors and alumni to discuss the life of Biochemical Engineers, their degree course, and career opportunities.

Warwick Broad Based Engineering

~ Course Details to be Confirmed ~

Bloodhound SCC

~ Course Details to be Confirmed ~

Focus Course - Computer Science

The Focus course on Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of York aims to communicate the challenges of and approaches to industrial scale software development. It explains the principles of developing embedded software used to control engineered systems, for example in cars and aircraft.

This course is intended to give students a flavour of life in York and particularly living on the University Campus. First hand experience and advice is offered by student helpers who reside with the Headstart students in campus accommodation. The course introduces -

• Quantum Computing
• Artificial Intelligence and its applications
• Security & Cryptology
• Safety Critical Systems
• Introduction to Programming using ALICE (see http://www.alice.org)

In addition, students will be involved in hands-on projects using a programming language eg the building and programming of a robot using Lego and Quicksort software language, demonstrations of modern software engineering tools, lectures on aspects of computer science and software engineering, application of working systems, visits to applications in modern aerospace projects, a visit to the Campus 'Smart House' and social activities including the famous "ghost tour" of York.

Departmental staff are available to offer advice on degree courses, university application procedures and career opportunities. The course includes tours of the university campus and facilities, and student helpers are on hand to assist with project work.