Attend an upcoming led by Course Director, Professor John Erkoyuncu. 

During this webinar, we will share insights into the programme both in terms of how it's structured but also the content that will be covered. There will also be time for Q&A.

This part-time programme is also available as an apprenticeship. Find out more about the apprenticeship route.

The Digital and Technology Solutions MSc is designed to empower professionals to deliver the digital transformation of manufacturing and other complex sectors. In an era where innovation drives competitiveness, this programme equips you with the skills to design and implement cutting-edge digital solutions that redefine how your sector operates. The course focuses on giving hands-on skills in critical areas such as AI and Machine Learning, Digital Twins, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Data Analytics, and Data Management (e.g. ontologies). You will learn to integrate these technologies and approaches to optimise production and maintenance, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver sustainable value.

This MSc provides the knowledge to design and develop bespoke digital solutions that address industry-specific challenges gaining hands-on experience with tools and techniques that enable smarter factories, predictive maintenance, and more agile supply chains transforming the way products are designed, built, and delivered. This programme prepares you to develop and lead change and innovate at the highest levels, giving you a distinct advantage in driving the next wave of industrial digitalisation.

For eligible organisations, the course is offered also as a Level 7 Apprenticeship, which covers the fees in full through the levy.

Take the opportunity to shape the future of your organisation and set yourself apart as a leader in digital transformation.

Overview

  • Start dateSeptember
  • Duration24 months part-time
  • DeliveryTaught modules 80 credits, group project 40 credits, individual practical project 80 credits.
  • QualificationMSc
  • Â鶹´«Ã½AV typePart-time
  • CampusOnline and Cranfield campus

Who is it for?

The Digital and Technology Solutions MSc is designed for professionals aiming to advance their careers in the digital transformation of manufacturing and complex industries. It is ideal for individuals with a background in engineering, technology, business, or related fields, seeking to enhance their expertise in cutting-edge digital technologies to drive industry change, optimise production, and shape the future of manufacturing or complex systems.

This programme is suitable for: 

  • Early and mid-career professionals who want a “real-world” based education that they can apply directly to their workplace throughout the course. 
  • Second career professionals seeking a change into a digitally driven organisation. 
  • Individuals with expertise in IT or engineering who want to expand their knowledge in AI, data analytics, digital twins, AR/VR, and related technologies. 
  • Professionals aiming to lead digital innovation and implement strategies in the future. 
  • Those wishing to develop digital solutions that address industry-specific challenges or bring innovation to manufacturing and complex sectors.

Informed by industry

The MSc in Digital and Technology Solutions was developed with significant input from industry and wider stakeholders. Based on the guidance captures, the course is aiming to close the skills gaps around taking a systems perspective to design and develop digital technologies and solutions across sectors that rely on digitalisation.

During the course, you will move beyond developing awareness of digital technologies and processes and build the capability and understanding to develop suitable solutions to key challenges.

In addition to developing your technical skills, the course will support you to: 

  • Develop digital engineering skills to make operational and strategic improvements in enterprises and projects. 
  • Develop critical knowledge, skills, and behaviours while applying what you learn directly in your workplace. The programme will support your career progression, preparing you, if you so wish to, to successfully carry out senior leadership roles in the future. 
  • Apply digital technologies and solutions to address challenges and introduce innovation. 
  • Discover and develop your leadership and team-working style. 
  • Develop and lead change and prepare the business to face digital transformation.

Throughout the course, you will develop a blend of technical and managerial skills to promote the creation, adoption, and evolution of digital technologies and solutions. We put problem-based learning at the heart of this educational experience, which involves group-based work to solve real-world challenges. The course is geared towards developing practical solutions throughout the programme.

 

Why this course?

Choosing the Digital and Technology Solutions MSc equips you with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in a rapidly changing digital landscape and offers several compelling advantages for your career such as: 

  • With industries increasingly adopting digital technologies, there is a growing demand for professionals skilled in AI, digital solutions, and data management. The MSc ensures you stay ahead in this competitive job market. 
  • The hands-on, real-world learning allows you to apply new skills directly to your workplace, optimising operations and contributing to digital projects from day one. 
  • Opens doors to various roles, such as Digital Transformation Leader, Data Analyst, AI Specialist, Innovation Manager, and Industry Consultant, all of which are in high demand across sectors. 
  • Whether you are starting your career or looking to move into leadership in the future, this MSc helps bridge the gap between technical expertise and strategic business management. 
  • Focuses on building leadership and managerial skills, preparing you to lead digital initiatives and manage teams, opening doors to senior roles. 
  • Gain valuable industry connections through collaborations with peers and experts, which can enhance job opportunities and industry insights.
I applied for the MSc to formalise my previous data analysis experience, current and previous roles in the digital space, alongside future leadership aspirations. The course combines the technical, operational, strategic and people centric approach necessary for her my role in transforming digital manufacturing. So far, it has helped bring together my understanding of how everything fits together. This has been critical for me, as someone without an engineering or manufacturing background.
The two specialist routes really allow students to customise their studies to best suit their workplace and career. The landscape of digital technologies is constantly evolving and this course truly prepares you to make an impact in your organisation through its applied approach to tackle the challenges of today and the future. The course is taught by a mixture of academics and industry professionals ensuring that we meet both the academic rigour and provide an understanding of the practical opportunities.

Course details

The course is planned as a 24 month programme. There are three main parts to the course: 

  • Eight modules between month 1-18 (80 credits – 10 for each module). 
  • Group project - 40 credits between month 6-12.
  • An 80 credit individual project between month 14-24.   

Course delivery

Taught modules 80 credits, group project 40 credits, individual practical project 80 credits.

Modules

Keeping our courses up-to-date and current requires constant innovation and change. The modules we offer reflect the needs of business and industry and the research interests of our staff and, as a result, may change or be withdrawn due to research developments, legislation changes or for a variety of other reasons. Changes may also be designed to improve the student learning experience or to respond to feedback from students, external examiners, accreditation bodies and industrial advisory panels.

To give you a taster, we have listed the compulsory and elective (where applicable) modules which are currently affiliated with this course. All modules are indicative only, and may be subject to change for your year of entry.


Course modules

Compulsory modules
All the modules in the following list need to be taken as part of this course.

Adaptive Visualisation

Aim
    This module aims to provide the ability to design and develop digital visualisation platforms that enable agile decision-making capability.
Syllabus
    • Introduction to visualisation methods.
    • Awareness of human machine interfaces and the associated challenges and solutions.
    • Communication skills for effective illustration and collaboration on complex results.
    • Design and develop dashboards, virtual and augmented reality demonstrators.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Appraise different methods of visualisation for detailed data analysis.
  2. 2. Evaluate human-computer interaction methods and their relevance to visualisation.
  3. 3. Assess technical narrative and consolidated information for knowledge exchange and effective decision making.
  4. 4. Justify the use of dashboards, virtual and augmented reality for adaptive visualisation through case studies.

Introduction to Digital Engineering

Aim
    This module provides the skills to choose and justify new digital technologies and solutions by implementing appropriate requirements analysis, technology road-mapping and strategy development considering alternative targets such as return on investment and customer value.
Syllabus
    • Introduction to digital engineering including digitalisation vs digitisation vs digital transformation.
    • Introduction to requirements capture and systems engineering.
    • Justifying Prevent, Safeguarding and British Values in the context of the digital technologies and solutions that will be considered for adoption.
    • Building awareness and justification of digital technologies and solutions.
    • Technology road-mapping to evaluate future potential technological developments.
    • Return on Investment analysis in the context of digital technology and solutions.
    • Developing a strategic plan for digital transformation and the future work environment considering the role of technology leadership, change management and continuous improvement.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Justify appropriate methods for requirements capture for digital technology and solutions within the system of system context.
  2. 2. Appraise the opportunities that digital engineering offers by developing roadmaps for alternative digital technologies and solutions.
  3. 3. Critique and design methodologies to evaluate and prioritise digital technologies for alternative requirements including return on investment.
  4. 4. Critically evaluate human-machine collaboration in the face of automation and manual tasks in industrial settings.
  5. 5. Develop a strategic plan to seize the potential benefits of digital engineering via workplace transformations whilst considering a variety of factors such as ethics, human factors, IP, culture, sustainability, and value.

Digital Integration and System Testing

Aim
    This module will provide the skills to be able to integrate a set of digital technologies and solutions for a wider application and offer the means to test the integrated solution for assurance purposes.
Syllabus
    • Introduction to system integration methods.
    • Awareness of technical standards and the associated requirement and implementations.
    • The processes for test case development and developing a test management plan.
    • Understanding of safety and mission assurance and associated QA processes.
    • Critical evaluation criteria and risk assessment strategies for digital engineering.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Justify with sufficient evidence the efficient integration of a set of digital engineering technologies and solutions.
  2. 2. Appraise testing standards and qualify their relevance to quality assurance (QA) processes.
  3. 3. Compare, contrast and develop test management strategies for new digital technologies and solutions.
  4. 4. Critically evaluate safety and mission assurance for a digital engineering technology and solution.

Digital Twins

Aim
    This module focuses on providing the skills to design and develop federated digital twin systems that are integrated in terms of their data, models and visualisation.
Syllabus
    • Introduction to digital twins and demonstration of use cases.
    • Introduce the key enabling technologies for digital twins -such as ontologies, AI, and IoT.
    • Design detailed digital twin architectures including solutions for interoperability.
    • Standards available to design and develop digital twins.
    • Develop digital twin demonstrations considering the spectrum of data, model and visualisation interfaces.
    • Demonstrate the added value that digital twins can offer.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Appraise the contextual need for digital twins and design the digital twin architecture justified by suitable requirements and organisational benefits.
  2. 2. Compare and contrast alternative digital twin architectures, which meet the functional and strategic requirements.
  3. 3. Justify efficient use of digital twins considering human needs in the context of seamless data, model and visualisation interaction.
  4. 4. Construct suitable resilience methods that enable continuous use of digital twins.
  5. 5. Evaluate the added value generated from digital twins with a view to offer workplace transformations.

Integrated Data Management

Aim
    This module provides the skills to design and develop integrated data management approaches and systems to address data related challenges, including managing large volumes of data from disparate sources, identifying and resolving data quality issues, handling disparate data lacking integration and generating insights for agile decision making.
Syllabus
    • Introduction to software programming with a view to developing data management systems.
    • Evaluate existing standards related to data management.
    • Apply methods for data needs analysis.
    • Establish mechanisms for enabling connectivity of data acquired from alternative sources – e.g. people, sensors, 5G, IoT.
    • Develop data structures and approaches to data modelling using ontologies and reference architectures.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Assess the system requirements for the integration and accessibility of data to deliver value in complex systems.
  2. 2. Critically evaluate existing approaches to acquire data from fixed and mobile sources.
  3. 3. Appraise strategies and techniques to measure and optimise the quality of data.
  4. 4. Construct efficient data structures enabled by ontologies and reference architectures to allow continuous and standardised data flow.
  5. 5. Justify mechanisms for allowing connectivity of data to enable links to models and visualisation platforms.

Elective modules
Two of the modules from the following list need to be taken as part of this course.

Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Aim
    This module will provide the processes to design and develop artificial intelligence (AI) based approaches to be trained for data analytics on a spectrum of data types (e.g. messy data, data gaps or big data), whilst also considering the ethical implications.
Syllabus
    • Theory of data analytics, AI, ML, data mining, statistics and supervised learning, e.g., probability, decision trees, regression and classification.
    • Experience of real-world AI/ML applications, in areas such as engineering, business, social media, medical data and financial data.
    • Evaluate alternative ethical considerations including human-machine collaboration that are related to the use of AI/ML.
    • The opportunity to work on industry problems that can benefit from AI/ML approaches.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Compare and contrast data analytics methods including machine learning (ML) in terms of its current and future concepts, principles and theories.
  2. 2. Construct ML concepts and methods to impart innovative problem-solving skills in a variety of data maturity scenarios.
  3. 3. Evaluate value creation opportunities from ML, develop value propositions and revenue models for businesses and organisations.
  4. 4. Construct data analytics based methods for real world problems with the changing nature of digital technology infrastructure and varying volume and quality of data.
  5. 5. Appraise ethical responsibility considering human-machine collaboration in data analytics by reflecting on intelligent systems that benefit society.

Digital Business Analysis

Aim
    This module will provide the skills to be able to build a system simulation architecture and associated model for agile decision making within an enterprise context.
Syllabus
    • Introduction to modelling including overview of simulation methods and techniques.
    • Simulation design and development.
    • Root cause analysis and risk management for digital engineering.
    • Business process analysis and outcomes prediction.
    • Environmental sustainability analysis.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Appraise different methods for business systems simulation design.
  2. 2. Justify the use of simulation models to address significant decisional needs in business management.
  3. 3. Compare and contrast the performance of alternative digital business processes through case studies.
  4. 4. Construct alternative decision-making models for business process optimisation through case studies.

Digitalisation of Cost Engineering

Aim
    This module will provide the skills to apply emerging digital technologies and solutions in the context of cost engineering with a focus on optimising the lifecycle cost and value.
Syllabus
    • Cost engineering principles, estimation techniques, processes, commercial tools and software.
    • Creating value and enhanced sustainability, through advanced modelling and simulation for cost engineering.
    • Real-time and stochastic cost modelling, risk analysis and uncertainty management using digital platforms.
    • Big data, cost ontologies, knowledge-based systems, machine learning and AI for cost engineering.
    • Cost visualisation, validation and reporting.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Appraise the benefits that can be gathered through cost engineering (e.g. cost reduction, sustainability growth, optimised performance).
  2. 2. Assess the role of data in cost engineering using appropriate data science methods and techniques such as ontologies and natural language processing.
  3. 3. Justify the next generation of modelling, and simulation (e.g. machine learning) in the context of developing robust cost estimates.
  4. 4. Evaluate risk and uncertainty in cost estimates using emerging dynamic modelling and simulation approaches such as agent-based modelling and machine learning.
  5. 5. Assess the potential of continuous improvement in value creation and in achieving targets in projects/programmes through cost engineering.

Digitally Enabled Servitisation

Aim
    This module will enable you to compare and contrast alternative approaches to servitisation. It will also offer approaches involving digital technologies and processes to design and deliver servitisation approaches.
Syllabus
    • Introduction to servitisation and the alternative models of delivery.
    • Compare and contrast alternative types of servitisation for different scenarios.
    • Evaluate alternative digital technologies and processes that can be used for the design and delivery of servitisation.
    • Provide case studies to reflect on good/bad practices and how to learn lessons from these within the context of servitisation.
Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  1. 1. Compare and contrast alternative contractual options for servitisation in different scenarios.
  2. 2. Appraise organisational transformation processes (including human factors) to evaluate the likely success of servitisation.
  3. 3. Justify appropriate digital technologies and solutions to enable robust servitisation.
  4. 4. Critically evaluate the pros and cons of digitalisation in the context of servitisation through case study analysis.

Teaching team

You will be taught by a wide range of subject specialists here and from outside the University who draw on their research and industrial experience to provide stimulating and relevant input to your learning experience. Many of the lecturers have worked in industry themselves, some at Managing Director level, and have experience of leading the design, development and implementation of digital engineering and solutions. Guest lecturers include speakers from Rolls-Royce plc, BAE Systems, MoD and Siemens. Excellent staff to student ratios lead to focused discussion about real-world issues in implementing operations excellence. The Course Director and Admissions Tutor for this programme is John Erkoyuncu.

Your career

The programme will support your career progression, preparing you to successfully carry out senior leadership roles in the future.

Roles that past students have taken on include:

  • Data Scientist
  • IT Operations Manager
  • Model Factory Manager
  • Service Engineer

Some example organisations  that are on this course include:

  • Airbus
  • BAE Systems
  • MoD
  • Siemens Energy
  • Rolls-Royce
  • Lenovo

Cranfield’s Career Service is dedicated to helping you meet your career aspirations. You will have access to career coaching and advice, CV development, interview practice, access to hundreds of available jobs via our Symplicity platform and opportunities to meet recruiting employers at our careers fairs. Our strong reputation and links with potential employers provide you with outstanding opportunities to secure interesting jobs and develop successful careers. Support continues after graduation and as a Cranfield alumnus, you have free life-long access to a range of career resources to help you continue your education and enhance your career.


Part-time study

The course is delivered part time over a 24-month timeframe, which enables students looking to enhance their career prospects to continue in full-time employment. This will provide a manageable balance that allows you to pursue employment with minimal disruption whilst also benefiting from the full breadth of learning opportunities and facilities available to all students. The University is very well located for visiting part-time students from all over the world and offers a range of library and support facilities to support your studies remotely.

The format comprises 8 compulsory modules spread between months 1 and 16. The taught content spreads over 5 days for each module. Modules 1 and 8 are delivered in person from Monday to Friday. Modules 2-7 are delivered online, between Wednesday and Tuesday, where we have the weekend as a break. Friday’s we typically finish the modules at around 13.00.

We believe that this setup allows you to personally and professionally manage your time between work, study and family commitments, whilst also working towards achieving a Master's degree.

How to apply

Click on the ‘Apply now’ button below to start your online application.

See our Application guide for information on our application process and entry requirements.