BEng (Hons)/MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering

Course details On this course you will usually be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry. Year 1 Core units Electrical & Electronic Principles: You'll gain practical experience through designing and using printed circuit boards (PCBs) for an engineering system. Engineering Mathematics: Gain an understanding of mathematics and how it's used in engineering. Materials & Processing: Learn about important properties of metals, plastics, ceramics and composites and why and how they're picked for product design. Energy and other environmental issues of materials and their processing was also covered. Engineering Principles: The theory and application of a range of mechanical engineering principles relevant to the design of components, structures and machines. You will be expected to apply mathematical analysis to the solution of statics design and dynamic problems and develop realisable solutions of design and engineering problems involving fluids and thermodynamics. Engineering Design: The key engineering tools, methodologies and strategies necessary to design, analyse, validate and communicate an engineering solution. You will identify design constraints of components and simple mechanical systems and utilise analytical methods to develop solutions both as individual and group work. Engineering Practice: The identification, planning and application of key methods of manufacturing and production in the realisation of practical physical outcomes. Year 2 Core units Management & Commercialisation for Technical Projects: An introduction to business and management. You'll learn to identify and use a company's strengths and evaluate opportunities for competitive products. There will be a focus on consumer marketing, decision making, intellectual property rights, product liability and financial and management accounting. Manufacturing & Production: You'll learn about modern manufacturing processes for competitive product development. Engineering Simulation: Take part in engineering design practices and learn about new technologies for mechanical and electronic concepts. You'll become familiar with industry standard simulation technologies. Mechanical Systems Design: You will extend your engineering tools skills to mechanical systems, assemblies and their interfaces, using mathematical and statistical methods. By simulation, control and experimental work, you will gain the ability to generate engineering solutions that meet all aspects of the problem including production, operation and maintenance. This is primarily by teamwork, so you will learn about the different roles within an engineering team, and appreciate the skills in planning, managing and communicating the design process. Stress & Dynamics: develop a further working knowledge, understanding and application of an increased range of mechanical engineering principles relevant to the design of components, structures and machines. Fluids & Thermodynamics: You will need to know about the principal laws and processes of engineering thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and dynamics, and also of fluids and thermodynamics equipment and processes, in order to solve real world problems. Year 3 (Placement) You will complete a minimum 30-week industrial work placement which can be carried out anywhere in the world. You'll get an opportunity to include a period of academic study during this time. The placement year offers a chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future. Year 3/4 (Final year BEng) BEng Project: An individual project which assesses your creative problem-solving skills in engineering design, combined with your mathematical modelling and analytical engineering skills. Business Development: The importance of strategic management in the business development process. You'll raise your entrepreneurial spirit and business decision-making. This will enhance your capacity to recognise and capitalise on competitive and innovative opportunities in a changing business environment. Thermofluids & Energy Conversion: Thermodynamics and energy, forms of energy, energy transfer by heat and energy & environment. You will examine the relationship of heat transfer, types and the characteristics of thermofluids and refrigeration cycles, and develop solutions to a range of complex engineering processes and problems, involving heat, fluids and energy conversion. Computational Engineering: The opportunity to further develop advanced computer based and simulation tool skills. You will also independently select and apply appropriate advanced computational engineering tools for the creation and simulation of complex mechanical assemblies and learn to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions using computational engineering tools to both specialist and non-specialist audiences. Advanced Stress & Vibration: The importance of analytical methods used in the design of structural components and structures. You will develop the ability to apply analytical methods efficiently and effectively in the analysis and design of complex components and structures, and predict their performance in service using both analytical and computer tools. Year 5 (Final year MEng) Structural Integrity: Structural integrity theories for solving a range of engineering problems and diagnosing the causes of structural failure and proposing methods of avoiding them in the future. Group Project: Work in a team in to produce a solution to an engineering problem. You'll learn to determine characteristics in yourself and others by completing a rationale analysis of how these affect group dynamics, and understand strategies for managing yourself and others when working in a team. Materials Failure & Prevention: This unit will teach you about material failures to help you design against and diagnose them. MEng Project: Combine what you've learnt on this course, research findings and industrial experiences. You'll learn about the characteristics and implications inherent in the solution of a complex, real-world problem. Project Management: The methods and techniques for designing and using development projects. You'll learn about human factors that affect these projects. Scheduled learning and teaching activities The hours below give an indication of how you can expect to spend your time during each year of this course. You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. Your independent learning could include reading books and journal articles, working on group projects, preparing presentations, conducting library research and writing your assignments. You will spend time developing practical engineering skills in addition to engineering theory. You have access to workshops, design studios and laboratories equipped with industry standard facilities, including technical workshops with advanced machines as well as state-of-the-art rapid prototyping and manufacturing facilities. Year 1 – 37% of your time will be spent in timetabled learning & teaching activities Learning and teaching: 418 hours Independent learning: 782 hours Non-credit bearing learning and teaching: 52.5 hours Year 2 – 32% of your time will be spent in timetabled learning & teaching activities Learning and teaching: 378 hours Independent learning: 822 hours Year 3 - (Placement year) Year 4 - 13% of your time will be spent in timetabled learning & teaching activities Learning and teaching: 161 hours Independent learning: 1039 hours Year 5 - 14% of your time will be spent in timetabled learning & teaching activities 75% of the course is assessed by coursework Year 1: 68% Year 2: 58% Year 3: 0% (placement year) Year 4: 83% Year 5: 90% Throughout the course you will be assessed by coursework culminating in your final year research project, but you will also undertake group work and written exams. Programme specification Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used. Download the programme specification for MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance. All statistics shown are taken from Unistats, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE), BU institutional data and Ipsos MORI (National Student Survey) unless otherwise stated.