Nuclear Engineering - Pearson Qualifications

PearsonHigher Nationals inNuclear EngineeringQualification GuideFirst Teaching from September 2017First Certification from 2018Issue NationalDiploma

vIntroducing your new PearsonBTEC Higher Nationals inNuclear EngineeringBTEC is the world’s most successful and best-loved applied learningbrand, engaging students in practical, interpersonal and thinking skillsfor more than thirty years.Pearson BTECs are work-related qualifications for students taking theirfirst steps into employment or those already in employment and seekingcareer development opportunities. Pearson BTECs provide progressioninto the workplace either directly or via study at university and are alsodesigned to meet employer’s needs. Pearson BTEC Higher Nationalqualifications are therefore widely recognised by industry and highereducation as the principal technical professional qualification at Levels4 and 5.The Pearson BTEC HigherNational Certificate (HNC) is atlevel 4 (the same as the first yearof a UK honours degree).The Pearson BTEC HigherNational Diploma (HND) is at level4 and level 5 (the same as the firsttwo years of a UK honours degree).Professional courses developedcollaboratively with subject expertsWith input from industry, employers, professional bodies, tutors, students, and highereducation institutions, your new Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals have been designed tobetter meet the needs of a changing market. The result is a qualification suite designedand developed to meet professional standards, recognised by employers and universities,which develop not only academic skills and abilities, but work‑readiness skills.The objectives of the redevelopment of the Higher Nationals have been to ensure: employer engagement; work relatedness; opportunities for progression to further higher education; alignment with UK higher education expectations; and qualifications which are up to date with current professional practice and include professionalrecognition where possibleWhat’s new?For your new Pearson BTEC Higher National qualifications, we are building on what you’ve told usyou value most: Essential subject knowledge needed by engineering students to progress successfully intofurther study or to the world of work or continued employment; A simplified structure students undertake a substantial core of learning, required by allengineers, with limited specialism in the Higher National Certificate, building on this in theHigher National Diploma, with further specialist and optional units linked to their specialist areaof study; Two discipline-specific pathways (Electrical/Electronic and Mechanical) at Level 4 and onebroad-based pathway (Nuclear Engineering) at Level 5, which reflect industries’ needs forengineers skilled in one or other of these two areas, prior to Level 5 specialisation within NuclearEngineering, so there is something to suit each student’s preference for study and futureprogression plans; Refreshed content that is closely aligned with professional bodies’, employers’ and highereducation needs for a skilled future workforce; Assessments that consider cognitive skills (what students know) along with affective andpsychomotor skills (what they can do and how they behave); An assessment strategy that supports progression to Level 6 studies and also allows centresto offer assessment relevant to the local employers, thereby accommodating and enhancingdifferent learning styles; Learning outcomes mapped against professional body standards where appropriate; Unit-specific grading and Pearson-set assignments Robust quality assurance measures that serve to ensure that all stakeholders (e.g. professionalbodies, universities, employers, centres and students) can feel confident in the integrity and theintegrity and value of the qualification.

Flexible choice of subject areasand progression opportunitiesThe Level 4 Higher National Certificatein Nuclear Engineering offers students abroad introduction to the subject area via amandatory core of learning, while allowingfor the acquisition of some sector-specificskills and experience through the specialistunits, with the opportunity to pursue aparticular interest through the appropriateselection of optional unitsThe Level 5 Higher National Diploma inNuclear Engineering offers students apathway designed to support progressioninto relevant occupational areas or ontodegree-level study. This pathway is linkedto Professional Body standards (whereappropriate) and can provide progressiontowards professional status or entry to thelater stages of an appropriate degree.At Level 5 students continue to build on theessential skills, knowledge and techniquesnecessary for all engineers whilst workingthrough a larger number of subject-specificspecialist and optional units.Each Higher National unit has a clearpurpose: to cater for the increasing needfor high quality professional and technicaleducation pathways at levels 4 and 5,providing students with a clear line of sightto employment or progression to a degreeat level 6.The Higher National Certificate (HNC) isa Level 4 qualification made up of 120credits. It is usually studied full-time overone year, or part-time over two years.The Higher National Diploma (HND) is aLevel 4 and Level 5 qualification made upof 240 credits. It is usually studied full-timeover two years, or part-time over four years.BTEC Higher Nationals consist of core units,specialist units and optional units: Core units are mandatory Specialist units are designed to providea specific occupational focus to thequalification and are aligned to ProfessionalBody standards Required combinations of optional units areclearly set out in the tables.Level 4 Higher NationalCertificate in NuclearEngineering (Electrical andElectronic)Level 4 Higher NationalCertificate in NuclearEngineering (Mechanical)1 Engineering Design1 Engineering Design2 Engineering Maths2 Engineering Maths3 Engineering Science3 Engineering Science4 Managing a ProfessionalEngineering Project(Pearson‑set)4 Managing a ProfessionalEngineering Project(Pearson‑set)19 Electrical and ElectronicPrinciples8 Mechanical Principles22 Electronic Circuits andDevices13 Fundamentals ofThermodynamics and HeatEngines33 Fundamentals of NuclearPower Engineering33 Fundamentals of NuclearPower EngineeringPlus one optional unit from OptionalUnit Bank Level 4 (see below)Plus one optional unit from OptionalUnit Bank Level 4 (see below)Optional Unit Bank Level 45 Renewable Energy6 Mechatronics7 Machining and Processing ofEngineering Materials8 Mechanical Principles9 Materials, Properties andTesting10 Mechanical WorkshopPractices11 Fluid Mechanics12 Engineering Management13 Fundamentals ofThermodynamics and HeatEngines17 Quality and ProcessImprovement18 Maintenance Engineering19 Electrical and ElectronicPrinciples20 Digital Principles21 Electrical Machines22 Electronic Circuits andDevices23 Computer Aided Design andManufacture (CAD/CAM)29 Electro, Pneumatic andHydraulic Systems30 Operations and PlantManagement14 Production Engineering forManufacture31 Electrical Systems and FaultFinding15 Automation, Robotics andProgrammable Logic Controllers32 CAD for MaintenanceEngineers16 Instrumentation and ControlSystemsCore UnitsSpecialist UnitsOptional Units

Flexible choice of subject areasand progression opportunitiesLevel 5 Higher National Diploma in Nuclear EngineeringLevel 4 Pathway units (Electricaland Electronic)Level 4 Pathway units(Mechanical)1 Engineering Design1 Engineering Design2 Engineering Maths2 Engineering Maths3 Engineering Science3 Engineering Science4 Managing a ProfessionalEngineering Project(Pearson‑set)4 Managing a ProfessionalEngineering Project(Pearson‑set)19 E lectrical and ElectronicPrinciples8 Mechanical Principles22 E lectronic Circuits andDevices13 Fundamentals ofThermodynamics andHeat Engines33 F undamentals of NuclearPower Engineering33 Fundamentals of NuclearPower EngineeringPlus one optional unit from OptionalUnit Bank Level 4 (see above)Plus one optional unit from OptionalUnit Bank Level 4 (see above)Higher National Diploma Optional Unit BankLevel 5Higher National Diploma Optional Unit BankLevel 5General Optional:Group D:36 Advanced Mechanical Principles65 Nuclear Reactor Operations37 Virtual Engineering66 Nuclear Reactor Chemistry38 Further Thermodynamics67 Nuclear Radiation Protection Technology39 Further Mathematics68 Nuclear Reactor Materials40 Commercial Programming Software69 Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technology41 Distributed Control Systems70 Nuclear Decommissioning and RadioactiveWaste Management Technology42 Further Programmable Logic Controllers(PLCs)43 Further Electrical Machines and Drives44 Industrial Power, Electronics and Storage45 Industrial Systems46 Embedded Systems47 Analogue Electronic Systems34 Research Project48 Manufacturing Systems Engineering35 Professional Engineering Management (Pearson-set)49 Lean Manufacturing39 Further Mathematics50 Advanced Manufacturing TechnologyPlus one optional unit from Optional Unit Bank Level 5 Group D (see right)51 SustainabilityPlus one optional unit from Optional Unit Bank Level 5 Group D (see right)52 Further Electrical, Electronic and DigitalPrinciplesPlus one optional unit from Optional Unit Bank Level 5 Group D (see right)Plus one optional unit from Optional Unit Bank Level 5 Group D or GeneralOptional (see right)53 Utilisation of Electrical Power54 Further Control Systems Engineering63 Industrial ServicesCore UnitsSpecialist UnitsOptional Units64 Thermofluids71 Nuclear Criticality Control72 Nuclear Safety Case development

Progressionopportunities:The purpose of Pearson BTEC Higher Nationalsin Nuclear Engineering is to develop students asprofessional, self-reflecting individuals, able tomeet the demands of employers in the nuclearreactor sector and adapt to a constantly changingworld. The qualifications aim to widen access tohigher education and enhance the career prospectsof those who undertake them.Qualifications in engineering within the UK arereferenced against the Engineering Council’s UKspecifications, which set standards at Levels 3, 6and 8.The Pearson BTEC Higher Nationals in NuclearEngineering are set at Level 4 and 5 and have beenwritten with reference to the Engineering Councilspecification for Level 3 and 6. The content andlevel has been written following advice from theEngineering Professional Bodies and is intendedto exempt holders of this qualification from theLevel 4 and 5 requirements of these bodies, andarticulate with the Level 6 in engineering degreecourses.Holders of a BTEC Higher National in NuclearEngineering meet the academic requirements forthe Engineering Council Engineering TechnicianStandard (EngTech).Level 4 HigherNational Certificatein NuclearEngineeringElectrical andElectronic PathwayLevel 5 HigherNational Certificatein NuclearEngineeringOrMechanical PathwayLevel 6 BA (Hons)DegreeEmployment / Career ProgressionEmploymentOn successful completion of the Level 5 HigherNational Diploma, students can develop theircareers in the engineering sector through: Entering employment; Continuing existing employment; Linking with the appropriate Professional Body; Committing to Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment (CPD); Progressing to university.