Mechanical Engineering

Undergraduate opportunities 2020

www.eng.ed.ac.uk

What is mechanical engineering?Professional mechanical engineers are responsible for the design and manufacture of an enormous range of industrial products; almost anything with moving parts, from aircraft to washing machines. As a mechanical engineer, you may find yourself using fundamental physics, complex mathematics and state-of-the-art computers, as well as your creative and inventive skills in designing and improving products. You may rapidly find yourself responsible for managing a large team of people and large financial budgets in producing new processes and products.

The main applications of mechanical engineering are usually thought of as planes, trains and automobiles. These industries have mechanical engineering principles and mechanical engineers at the very core of their businesses, but the subject opens doors to a much wider range of topics than you might think. A glance at the subject matter of recent final year projects gives a hint of what can be in store: automotive; aeronautical and aerospace; renewable energy; robotics; biomechanics; sports engineering; medical engineering; manufacturing; and management and business.

Degree choicesMechanical Engineering (BEng)UCAS Code: H300 Duration: four years, full-time

Mechanical Engineering (MEng)UCAS Code: H303Duration: five years, full-time

Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (BEng)UCAS Code: HH36 Duration: four years, full-time

Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (MEng)UCAS Code: HHH6 Duration: five years, full-time

Why study mechanical engineering at Edinburgh?The School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh is of a medium-size with a strong emphasis on both teaching and research. In 2014, Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions recognised the excellence of our staff with 94 per cent of our overall research activity being world leading or internationally excellent. We provide a friendly environment for learning, with guidance and pastoral care being offered throughout our degrees. The School is well provided with the equipment required to cover all aspects of the subject area. Up-to-date computing facilities are available to all students. Increasingly, teaching materials and support are provided electronically using these facilities. Students also use advanced design software packages that are commonly used in industry. There is an emphasis on experimental work throughout all the degree programmes, and we have a broad range of equipment available for undergraduate study.

What can I study mechanical engineering with?The structure of the engineering courses at Edinburgh is flexible, allowing students to defer the choice of specialisation until at least the end of first year. This flexibility means that a mechanical engineering student can keep open the option of civil or electrical engineering, and even a science option such as physics, chemistry or computer science. For all students, entry to MEng Honours is based upon third year performance.

What sort of teaching and assessment methods are used?Your degree is structured to develop a critical, creative, and inquiring approach to engineering design and problem solving. We cover techniques used in industry today, but we also prepare our graduates to use the design tools of tomorrow. We combine a variety of teaching methods, using a hybrid blend of digital resources, face-to-face teaching, lectures, group work, tutorials and laboratory classes. Group design exercises are also used throughout the degree programmes. Assessment is through a combination of continuously assessed material, projects, coursework and by examination. We use group and individual project work to develop conceptual and detailed design skills, as well as professional skills including project management.

Course structurePlease note that years 1, 2 and 3 are the same for both BEng and MEng courses. For more detailed information about the these courses and their structure refer to the degree proramme tables: www.drps.ed.ac.uk/20-21/dpt/drps_eng.htm

Year 1Engineers are creative problem solvers, adept at working in professional, interdisciplinary teams to tackle society’s ever-more complex challenges. In Engineering Principles you will experience a wide range of such challenges, developing essential engineering skills and gaining an understanding of the subject’s breadth

and the role your chosen discipline plays. In Engineering Design you will work as part of a team on an interdisciplinary engineering task – getting involved in design, and using your engineering judgement to evaluate your solution to a task.

These introductory courses will help you to develop the confidence, advanced thinking, team-working and problem-solving skills that you will later rely on as a professional engineer.

You will also study mathematical topics with particular relevance to engineers. In addition, you will choose courses from across the University to complement your engineering studies, with options available in sciences, arts and humanities.

Year 2

In year 2 you will specialise in core mechanical engineering topics including fluids, solids, dynamics and thermodynamics, building the foundations of each of these subjects in preparation for specialisation at honours level. These courses cover technical concepts and where possible, give you the opportunity to apply them in a practical situation, allowing you extend and deepen your engineering design skills. You will study programming to develop your skills in computer control and simulation – essentials in the engineer’s toolkit. Engineering mathematics is also studied. You will continue your professional development with a course on essential professional skills for engineers.

Year 3The third year develops your study of

second year topics to the point at which we consider you to have the ‘core’ mechanical engineering knowledge. Up until the end of third year, you need to know it all; after third year you start to have a choice! The third year curriculum includes a little variety too – we introduce a series of industrial visits and a series of industrial seminars.

Year 4For the MEng degrees, the fourth year splits into two very different halves. The first half of the year is spent in an intensive series of advanced lecture courses and a multidisciplinary Group Design Project supervised by visiting professors from industry. The second is spent on industrial placement. Placements in previous years have included Jaguar Land Rover, Edinburgh Designs, Touch Bionics, Lotus F1 Team, Ferrari and Leonardo. The BEng fourth year stream spends the first half of the year doing intensive lecture courses (as the MEng stream) but, after these are over, the BEng class proceeds to a major individual project for most of the second half of the year.

Year 5The MEng fifth year comprises a major individual project and advanced study modules.

Links with industryAs would be expected with an engineering school, our links with the industrial sector beyond university are strong. Students on the MEng programmes undertake a six-month placement, the majority of which are taken in industry. Previous placements have included BMW, Ford, Glenmorangie, npower, Rolls Royce, Shell, TUV NEL and Volkswagen. We also have an ‘Industrial Liaison Board’ comprising representatives of a spectrum of companies which meets annually. It reviews our degree content to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of industrial employers, and suggests innovations

Year abroadFor many students, a period of studying abroad can be a valuable and rewarding experience. Studying mechanical engineering at Edinburgh offers a wide variety of overseas study opportunities. We have a well established exchange programme with many international universities through the Erasmus programme (Europe) and the University’s International Exchange Programme (rest of the world) – under which students spend their whole third year overseas.

Students have recently undertaken their third year at The University of California, Caltech, The University of Melbourne, The University of British Columbia and many more.

AccreditationThe BEng degrees are accredited as fully satisfying the educational base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and partially satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). An accredited programme is needed to complete the educational base for CEng. The MEng programme is accredited as fully satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Entry RequirementsStandard entry requirementThe standard entry requirement is:

SQA Highers: AAAA - AAAB by end of S5. If not achieved by the end of S5 we may consider your application based on a strong performance in S6. A minimum of BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.

A Levels: AAA - ABB in one set of exams.

IB: 37 points with 666 at HL - 32 points with 555 at HL.

Minimum entry requirementThe minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

SQA Highers: AABB by end of S6, with a minimum of BBB achieved in one year of S4-S6.

A Levels: ABB.

IB: 32 points with 555 at HL.

Required subjectsThe grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

SQA: Higher: mathematics at grade A, and either physics or engineering science.

A Levels: mathematics, plus either physics (preferred), engineering or design & technology (excluding food technology).

IB: HL: mathematics (from 2021, mathematics: analysis and approaches only) and one from physics or design & technology.

Second year entryFor direct entry to second year the minimum requirements must be exceeded, including the following:

SQA Advanced Highers: AA to include mathematics and either physics,

engineering science or technological studies, plus Highers at AB in two other subjects.

A Levels: A*AA in one set of exams, to include mathematics and either physics, engineering or design & technology (excluding food technology), or AAA in one set of exams, to include mathematics, further mathematics and either physics, engineering or design & technology (excluding food technology).

IB: 38 points overall and award of IB Diploma with 666 at HL to include mathematics (from 2021, mathematics: analysis and approaches only) and one from physics or design & technology.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your spoken and written English:

IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component

TOEFL-iBT 92 or above with 20 in each section

Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency overall 176 with 162 in each component

Pearson Test of English (Academic): Total 61 with at least 51 in each ‘Communicative Skills’ section

Trinity ISE: ISE II with a distinction in all four components

Career prospectsThe skills you will gain whilst studying this degree are highly sought after in industry. Recent graduates have left for jobs with companies across a wide range of industries: automotive (Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover), aerospace (BAE Systems, Rolls Royce), oil and gas (ExxonMobil, Shell), energy (ScottishPower, npower) and renewable energy (Garrad Hassan). Many others choose to further their studies by proceeding to postgraduate level (PhD or MSc).

Our graduates have not only found employment in industries associated with engineering. A number have moved into areas such as management consulting (working for consultants such as Accenture, Deloitte or PriceWaterhouseCoopers), where a background in management, along with numeracy and problem-solving skills is highly valued.

© The University of Edinburgh. All information correct at time of going to print (May 2020). No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the University.

The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

FeesFees for the 2020-21* session are as follows:

Home - Scotland/EU: £1,820Home - RUK: £9,250Overseas/international: £27,550

*Fees changed annually

ScholarshipsThe School of Engineering offer several scholarships and bursaries alongside those offered by the University. For more information please visit: www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding/search-scholarships

Contact usE ugenquiries@eng.ed.ac.ukT +44 (0)131 650 7352

www.eng.ed.ac.uk

School of EngineeringThe University of EdinburghFaraday BuildingThe King’s BuildingsEdinburgh EH9 3JL