Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering in UK

Virtually any machine or process you can think of in modern life has benefited from the input of a mechanical engineer.

Mechanical engineers are responsible for the analysis, design and manufacture of an enormous range of industrial products and systems; almost anything with moving parts, from washing machines and wind turbines to automobiles and aircraft.

As a mechanical engineer, you will use your creative and inventive skills to design and improve products and processes alongside fundamental:

• physics
• complex mathematics
• state-of-the-art engineering software

Studying mechanical engineering will open doors to increasingly diverse fields, including:

• bioengineering
• medical engineering
• nanotechnology
• sports engineering
• renewable energy

If you are curious about how things work and have a keen mind for applying what you learn to solve real-world problems, engineering is the perfect career for you.

Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering will suit creative problem solvers who want to develop a deep understanding of manufacturing processes and mechanical design principles for a career working with advanced technologies.

The BEng Mechanical Engineering degree is a high-quality three-year degree designed to offer you the knowledge and skills necessary to join engineering teams on graduation. It is complementary to the four-year Durham MEng, and transfer is possible between the courses up to the end of the second year. It is important to highlight that you also can transfer between the different Engineering programmes that we offer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, etc.) up until the end of the second year, provided that you meet the relevant progression requirements. We believe that students should make an informed decision about their futures and allowing our students to transfer between programmes, once they understand the different disciplines, demonstrates our commitment to this and the Department’s General Engineering philosophy.

Mechanical engineers conceive, design and put into operation devices, machines, engines and energy systems to solve a wide variety of society’s technological challenges.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is targeted for graduate recruitment by more than 60 companies and we're 6th in the UK for Mechanical Engineering in the Complete University Guide League Table 2022.

Study abroad is an option for all our mechanical engineering courses. The named degree (Mechanical Engineering with International Study) ensures that the international study experience is recognised in the title of the degree award.

Mechanical engineers are innovators, building machines, structures and devices of all sizes and for all uses. Study Mechanical Engineering at Aston and we’ll equip you with the tools you need to bring your ideas to life, helping to solve the world’s problems for generations to come. Our Mechanical Engineering degree course offers highly relevant modules in sought-after engineering and scientific subjects. It is driven by the demands of industry to produce graduates with extremely strong engineering and scientific skills. We also support you to develop strong project management and teamwork skills, as well as commercial awareness.

Our degree courses are either three years full-time or four years if you choose to take a year in industry, which will build your professional experience and employability skills.

The vital role of mechanical engineers is becoming increasingly important as society attempts to meet the great challenges facing it in the future. From addressing the demands of a growing and ageing population, to seeking new sustainable energy approaches and preserving our environment, mechanical engineers will be at the heart of delivering solutions to future global issues.

The focus of mechanical engineering on energy and design and its widespread applications within society, provides our graduates with opportunities to pursue a variety of interesting careers. Because it’s so broad, it makes an ideal undergraduate degree – providing an opportunity to learn about the full range of exciting engineering pathways without specialising too early.

In Years 1 and 2 you’ll build a strong foundation in fundamental engineering concepts such as fluid mechanics, design, materials and mathematical modelling, whilst being introduced to Mechanical Engineering through our ‘Explore Mechanical Engineering’ module. Modules in design and experimental practice, will help you to develop the practical workshop and laboratory-based skills necessary for all engineers, and put core programme material into perspective and to practical use.

In Year 3, you’ll be able to choose modules that fit with your own interests and skill set. This includes Designing for a Circular Economy, Robotics, Failure of Materials, Network Engineering, Heat Exchange and Recovery and Process Safety and Loss Prevention. The third-year design project will provide an opportunity for you to concentrate on your specific interests, whilst working on an industry-focused area in collaboration with the School’s world-leading researchers.

Students who choose to take the MEng degree will learn advanced modules and carry out an industry or research-linked project that focuses on solving real engineering research and design problems. Recent projects have included assessing Britain’s Olympic bobsleigh and testing a combustor from a Rolls-Royce micro-gas turbine.

We place strong emphasis not only on the technical content of our modules, such as mechanics, thermodynamics and design, but also on the cross discipline skills vital for an engineer to function in the work place. We have mapped the modules in our programmes to a range of attributes that we would like our students to attain, within the areas of creativity, resilience, communication and professional practice in order to produce well-rounded, interested and highly employable graduates. This not only ensures that the students develop technical knowledge and understanding as they progress through their degree, but it also gives us the confidence that students will graduate with skills they can apply to a range of future careers or higher-level study.

We've recently undertaken a review of our programmes to ensure that they will prepare you for life beyond 2030 and ensure they reflect the global challenges facing both our society and your future as engineers. We have developed the modules we offer in consultation with our students, staff and industry to enhance your student experience and graduate employability.

This three-year Mechanical Engineering degree focuses on developing your knowledge and skills across a wide range of mechanical engineering topics. You'll leave Newcastle University equipped with the abilities you need to succeed anywhere in engineering.

We work closely with industry so that your studies reflect the challenges engineers face in the real world. We ensure your practical, professional and academic skills continually develop through guest lectures, placement opportunities and interactions with the engineering industry through projects and visits.

You'll leave a confident engineer with expert knowledge, enhanced through team projects and studying in areas such as:

• electrical engineering
• engineering design and manufacturing
• engineering mathematics
• engineering operations

You'll build critical teamwork and leadership skills, which are valued by employers, through small team projects and individual engineering investigations.

This specialist, four-year BEng will develop your engineering skills across key areas of mechatronics and robotics, including; mechanical design, electronics, computing, intelligent systems and control. You'll also carry out an industrial placement to enhance your employability.

Modules are informed by our world-leading research and designed with input from our industry partners, so you'll have the best start for your career. You'll use industry-standard equipment and learn about state-of-the-art applications in robotics, industrial control and advanced manufacturing.

Our courses share a common first year. You'll get a foundation in a broad range of mechatronic and robotic areas such as mathematics, computing, control, electronics and embedded systems. In the first year, you'll learn how to control robotic systems and you will work as part of a team to design, analyse and test robots, autonomous vehicles and other complex electro-mechanical systems.

Overview

This multidisciplinary, professionally accredited programme will allow you to benefit from hands-on experience and gain specialist knowledge in product design and integrated systems.

Mechatronic engineering is the study of systems that require a combination of mechanical, electronic and computer engineering, such as robotics, digitally controlled engines and self-driving cars. Our programme was the first of its kind in 1984 and continues to be so well regarded that many of our graduates go on to coordinate teams of engineers or move upwards into engineering management.

Your degree will begin with a common first year, where you will be taught a series of modules that are taken by all first-year engineering students. We will introduce you to many of the key features of engineering, equipping you with a well-rounded understanding and skill set and an appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of the subject.

Following the first year, the Mechatronics programme never loses the interdisciplinary focus that modern engineering has become. You will continue with specialist modules in the areas of mechanical and electronic engineering, as well as subjects such as control. You will also have the freedom to pick modules most appropriate to your areas of interest.

The course encompasses topics such as fluid-dynamics, stress analysis and numerical methods. In addition, you’ll receive training on the latest industry-standard design and solid modelling software, automated manufacturing techniques, as well as sensors, actuators and advanced control systems, which drive modern mechanical engineering products.

For your final year project, you may choose to make the most of Surrey’s partnership with the National Physical Laboratory. You could also explore the cross-disciplinary aspect of mechanical engineering, applying your skills in areas ranging from prosthetics to satellites.

You can apply to study for either a BEng or MEng. The latter is a direct route to a masters qualification. Depending on your progress, you may have the option to switch between the BEng or MEng programs during your studies. Find out more about the benefits of an integrated masters degree.

Mechanical engineers transform pioneering ideas into groundbreaking inventions. The discipline helps to invent, design and manufacture many of the machines we use on a daily basis.

Our degree prepares you for a rewarding career in a range of engineering sectors.

The integrated Engineering Foundation Year programme can lead to any full engineering degree. It is not a qualification in its own right, but the first year of a four-year BEng degree.

As you progress, your developing analytical abilities will combine with hands-on experience of advanced equipment, establishing skills which are vital to securing employment in the wider industry.

Sustainability is becoming more and more important in the automotive industry. Car manufacturers and suppliers are considering how to implement sustainable processes in the development and manufacture of new vehicles.

At Sussex, we cover many aspects of sustainable automotive engineering. On this course, you’ll:

• gain fundamental engineering knowledge including materials, manufacturing processes, mechanics and electrical circuits
• learn CAD modelling, programming and numerical modelling
• explore low-emission vehicle propulsion, new-generation vehicle technology, electrical drive systems and vehicle dynamics.

Our research feeds directly into our teaching. You’ll benefit from our work in the Dynamics, Control, and Vehicle research group. Research projects include automotive on-board diagnostics systems, intelligent controllers and autonomous vehicles.

You’ll study in our Future Technologies Labs that incorporate computer suites and new automation/robotics facilities. There’s also a dedicated manufacturing lab with facilities such as CNC machines and 3-D printers. In our Formula Student projects, you’ll get the chance to be part of a team to design and build an electric single-seat racing car and enter it into a competition.

During your time at Sussex, you’ll be supported by dedicated academic advisers, as well as a team of student mentors. In addition, you’ll benefit from our links to world-leading automotive companies. As a graduate, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges and changes in the automotive industry, including those related to sustainability.

Whether you study for the BEng or the MEng, your Mechanical Engineering degree will emphasise how mechanical engineering has been transformed by the use of powerful computer-aided design, prototyping and manufacturing tools and by the use of modern materials such as composites.

Engineers are innovators who bring about change through their ingenuity, experience and curiosity to improve the quality of life for people throughout the world. Their work is central to thriving economies and competitive industries. It is equally important in developing countries where engineers provide appropriate technologies during difficult times of change.

Professional engineers have a high degree of specialist knowledge but increasingly they use a broad approach to problem solving across a range of engineering disciplines. This is coupled with an awareness of environmental, social, legal, economic and regulatory aspects of the problem at hand.

Mechanical systems are at the core of the manufacturing, process and service industries including:

• Advanced engines, traction and braking systems for vehicles
• Aircraft, satellites and deep space probes
• Biomedical technologies such as imagers, ventilators and prosthetics
• Air and water pollution control equipment
• Transportation and mass transit systems
• Industrial plant for the processing of raw materials and for power generation

Building on a broad foundation of engineering studies in Year 1, you will develop specific expertise and skills in mechanisms and vibrations, structures, mechanical materials, fluid dynamics and thermodynamics.

Successful engineers must be able to analyse and solve complex problems in the industrial context, communicate ideas to others and work effectively in teams and exercise leadership skills. This is why all our Engineering degrees include a selection of management content or specialised modules throughout. Topics covered include business finance, project planning and management, intellectual property, health and safety, motivation theory, marketing, total quality management, ethics and professionalism.

Modern challenges require new and advanced technical solutions, and mechanical engineers are vital to achieving those solutions. It is the technical development of the world that drives us forward.  

By studying our four-year degree in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Engineering you can gain the skills to tackle challenging professional tasks associated with energy provision and utilisation.

You will learn to take responsibility for decision-making in areas related to energy and the environment. Building on a sound engineering foundation, you will be introduced to specialist energy topics as well as environmental impact assessment and management.