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Mechanical Engineering

Entry requirements


International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

with Maths or Physics at higher level

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Engineering or Physics BTEC National Diploma / Extended Diploma Plus, five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and Mathematics or equivalent.

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

112

from at least two A-levels including Mathematics or Physics at grade C or above Plus, five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and Mathematics or equivalent

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Mechanical engineering

Develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a professional engineer by studying the design, development, installation, operation and maintenance of just about all movable parts, and prepare for a career in this diverse field of engineering.

Mechanical engineering touches virtually every aspect of modern life. It’s at the forefront of developing new technologies for a multitude of industries including transport, healthcare, construction, and robotics.

You will learn fundamental skills and knowledge by studying modules such as Engineering Tools and Principles and Mechanical Design and Manufacturing. Modules such as Advanced Mechanical Materials and Professional Practice, Engineering Project Management and Engineering Business Environment equip you with the professional and transferable skills you need to work in industry.

Our teaching and course content are informed by our research in diverse areas, including aerodynamics, fluid systems, transportation, manufacturing and sustainable development.

You can study Mechanical Engineering either as a three-year BEng (Hons) programme, or as a four-year integrated master’s. At the end of year three, you have the option of graduating with a BEng or continuing your studies for a further year for a MEng, subject to meeting the progression requirements.

**Key features**
- Benefit from dual accreditation from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)*. This will help you start your journey towards becoming a Chartered Engineer.

- Through block teaching, you will focus on one module at a time instead of several at once. This means that you will be able to focus closely on each subject and absorb your learning material in more depth, whilst working more closely with your tutors and course mates.

- Study a range of topics including computer-aided design, thermodynamics and heat transfer, solid mechanics, dynamics and control, materials engineering and processing and fracture mechanics.

- Access specialist facilities, such as our control and dynamics laboratories, mechanics and materials laboratories, engine test cell and Rohde and Schwarz embedded systems laboratories.

- Join student societies such as DMU Racing and take part in Formula Student, an annual initiative set up by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers which challenges universities to design, build and race a single-seat racing car.

- Explore professional opportunities by taking a placement year in industry. Mechanical Engineering students have undertaken placements at large organisations including Cummins, Caterpillar and the National Grid.

- Open your career prospects across a range of fields, including automotive, defence and energy, product manufacturing and the food and beverage industries.

*Due to delays relating to the pandemic, we are currently undergoing the process of renewing our accreditation and expect to have this in place for the start of the 2022/2023 academic year.

Modules

**First year**
Year One

Block 1: General Engineering Tools and Principles 1

Block 2: General Engineering Tools and Principles 2

Block 3: Mechanical Design and Manufacturing 1

Block 4: Mechanical Design and Manufacturing 2

Year Two

Block 1: Mechanical, Energy and Aeronautical Tools and Principles

Block 2: Dynamics, Instrumentation and Control

Block 3: Mechanical Materials and Structures

Block 4: Design and Project Management

Placement Year (Optional)

Year Three
Block 1: Advanced Mechanical Materials and Professional Practice

Block 2: Mechanical Energy Analysis

Block 3 Choose one of:

Modelling and Simulation for Mechanical Projects 1
Analysis, Programming and Simulation for Mechanical Projects 1
Materials and Design for Mechanical Projects 1
3D Printing and FEM for Mechanical Projects 1
Block 4 Students must take the most relevant module to the option chosen in Block 3:

Modelling and Simulation for Mechanical Projects 2
Analysis, Programming and Simulation for Mechanical Projects 2
Materials and Design for Mechanical Projects 2
3D Printing and FEM for Mechanical Projects 2
Year Four (MEng)

Block 1: Engineering Business Environment and Research Methods

Block 2: Advanced Materials, Structures and Design

Block 3: Advanced Mechanical Engineering

Block 4: Group Project

Assessment methods

A variety of techniques are used throughout the Mechanical Engineering course with an emphasis on lectures, supporting tutorials and laboratory classes.

Student-centred learning takes place through the research and presentation of findings, report writing, individual and group assignments and practical work-based exercises to develop your skills and understanding.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,250
per year
International
£16,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Leicester Campus

Department:

Computing, Engineering and Media

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

70%
Mechanical engineering

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mechanical engineering

Teaching and learning

65%
Staff make the subject interesting
74%
Staff are good at explaining things
77%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
74%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

82%
Library resources
79%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
48%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

73%
UK students
27%
International students
94%
Male students
6%
Female students
73%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
E
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Mechanical engineering

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£22,000
low
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
61%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

35%
Engineering professionals
26%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
10%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

We're short of engineers in a lot of areas and mechanical engineering is no exception. Mechanical engineers are in demand across multiple industries, with vehicle manufacturing most popular, with roles especially common in design and manufacturing. Other important sectors include aerospace, the oil and gas industry, consultancy and defence. Jobs are all around the country, with London, the Midlands, Scotland and the South East the most likely places for a new mechanical engineer to find work at the moment, and starting salaries are good. Although large employers are much the most likely place to get work, some of the most challenging, cutting edge jobs are with small niche engineering firms, so keep your eyes peeled if you want something a little different. Bear in mind that a lot of courses are four years long, and lead to an MEng qualification — this is necessary if you want to become a Chartered Engineer.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Mechanical engineering

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£23k

£23k

£24k

£24k

£28k

£28k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here