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Mechanical engineers design and manufacture a diverse range of products from cars, trains and turbines in power stations through to space rockets, satellites, mobile phones and the components that power medical equipment. Courses involve combining physics, maths and computing to analyse engineering systems and learn the skills to design, make and test the products you have built.
Here's a guide to what to expect from the application process - also check individual university entry requirements, as these may differ.
January application
October application
Personal statement
Portfolio
Interview
Entry test
Work experience
Audition
Personal statement advice
You'll need a tailored personal statement that ticks all the right boxes with engineering tutors - think 'personal', 'relevant', 'evidence' and 'reflective'.
Graduate employment in this field has been affected by the recession, although things have improved this year. Nevertheless, engineers are in demand across multiple industries, but most stay in engineering, particularly in the oil industry, and in the car industry, in design and manufacturing. Jobs are all around the country, with Scotland and the South East the most likely places for a new mechanical engineer to find work at the moment – starting salaries for mechanical engineers in Scotland are actually higher there than in London, thanks to the oil industry, and only bettered by a handful of courses. 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.
A mechanical engineering degree will help you gain specific technical training, knowledge of environmental and safety issues and the ability to plan, prioritise and solve problems under pressure and to deadlines. You can also gain a number of useful transferable skills, like numeracy, problem-solving, team-working and the ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds. These skills are in demand from employers in the oil and gas industry, aerospace, car industry, electricity generators and suppliers, technical consultancy, defence and the Armed Forces.
