Course description

Meeting the needs of the industry - and you

Our Mechanical Engineering degree will give you the multi-disciplinary skills you'll need to succeed. And you'll have some amazing opportunities.

Employers are increasingly looking for skilled engineers with a broader knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering. So we have developed our degrees to match that flexibility.

All engineering students take the same core modules in the first year to give you an essential engineering foundation. Then, at the end of your first year, you’ll have the opportunity to switch your course.

You can choose either our BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering or BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering degree should you realise your passion falls within this area. Or you can continue on our BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering.

Specialist facilities

You’ll have access to excellent labs and facilities, including:

• Additive manufacturing lab with various 3D-print technology including fused-deposition modelling, stereolithography and polymer
• Manufacturing automation with programmable logic controllers, pneumatics and a smart factory
• Materials testing lab with a hardness testing machine and optical and digital microscopes that allow 3D image reconstruction and measurement
• Dynamic testing lab with fatigue and impact testing equipment
• Wind tunnel and thermodynamics where you’ll test the aerodynamics of objects - and control and test the performance of our very own jet engine
• Mechanical workshop with traditional lathes and milling machines, plus more modern Computerised Numerical Control (CNC) equipment
• Makerspace where you can turn your ideas into a prototype

Challenge yourself

We offer inspiring opportunities for you to take part in high-profile events such as:

• The British Model Flying Association Payload Challenge - competing against national and international teams to design, build and test a radio-controlled aircraft
• The IMechE Railway Challenge in collaboration with Alstom - in 2023 our students won five of the individual challenges, securing second place overall
• The Fantasy Wings programme - a course aimed at helping women and BAME people into the aviation industry

How you will learn

Assessment methods

During your studies, you will be assessed using a mixture of coursework assessment, examinations and professional presentations.

Placement opportunities

You can give yourself a real career advantage by choosing to spend a year on an optional industry placement. The industrial year takes place between the second and final stages of your degree and you will find there is a significant number of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), large, national and international companies looking for placement students each year.

We offer a full range of support to students who are keen to enhance their employability through internships and placements while studying. For more information, please get in touch with our Careers and Employment Service.

Your teaching team

The teaching team has a wide range of experience across a variety of sectors which they bring into their teaching and research. They include:

• Martin Sole: Martin has 30 years of experience in the aerospace and automotive sectors, having been a Service Engineer travelling throughout Europe, Mexico, India and Russia
• John Thorley: John has 25 years of experience in a variety of management and improvement roles in sectors including aerospace, food, power and automotive
• Dr Yiling Lu: Yiling carries out research in mechanical engineering with main applications in bio-engineering. He teaches on a range of modules including Computer Simulation and Engineering Design
• Dr Jianfei Xie: Jianfei teaches and has a research interest in the area of fluid dynamics, particularly in the aerodynamics and structures of aeroplanes
• Professor Zhiyin Yang: Zhiyin is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University. He conducts world-leading research and has published over 100 scientific papers. His teaching covers Thermofluids advanced computational fluid dynamics

Personal academic tutoring

Your personal academic tutor will work with you to help you get the most out of your time at university. Having someone to talk to about your academic progress, your university experience and your professional aspirations is hugely valuable. We want you to feel challenged in your studies, stretched but confident to achieve your academic and professional goals.