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Mechanical Engineering

Entry requirements


Access to HE Diploma

M:18

An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 18 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above, from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language at grade C or 4, and Maths at grade C or 4.

UCAS Tariff

128-136

This must include at least 64 points from two A levels, equivalent BTEC National qualifications or T levels (to include mathematics and least one other science subject such as physics or chemistry) but excludes general studies. For example: ABB-AAB at A Level including relevant subjects, DDD in BTEC Extended Diploma in a relevant subject, Distinction overall from a T level qualification- must include B from Core and be from an engineering T level (excluding Design and development for engineering and manufacturing), or a combination of qualifications (which must include relevant subjects and may include AS levels and EPQ).

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

5 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Mechanical engineering

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.**

**Course summary**

- Become a professional mechanical engineer from day one.

- Apply your skills by completing industry-linked projects and placements.

- Develop the techniques to design, analyse, simulate and test mechanical systems.

- Create engineering solutions for the optimal performance of mechanical systems.

- Enhance your versatility with multidisciplinary insights into mechanical engineering.

This course prepares you for diverse engineering roles – with a practice-based approach to mechanical science, design, systems, engineering practice, materials, and manufacture. You’ll emerge as a highly-skilled graduate – ready to provide optimal and sustainable solutions to future problems across the industry.

BEng Mechanical Engineering and MEng Mechanical Engineering are taught together for the first 3 years.

**How you learn**

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

This course is designed for you to gain experience as a professional engineer from day one, developing technical and professional skills from the very start. The multidisciplinary nature of mechanical engineering means you’ll work collaboratively with professionals from other engineering disciplines, further enhancing your versatility in the field.

You’ll engage in a variety of learning activities as you progress through the course. The balance of these activities changes at each level of study to encourage you to become increasingly independent learners, developing the ability to take the initiative, plan, organise and complete programmes of work – as an individual, a leader and a member of a team.

**Course topics**

The course adopts an applied problem-based and research-informed approach, and is based on core subject areas. These include mechanical engineering design, solid mechanics, dynamics, thermofluids, engineering practice, materials, manufacturing and engineering mathematics.

As you advance in the course, the modules will focus on applying mechanical engineering principles to real-world industrial challenges – emphasising the strength of mechanical systems through design and advanced computational engineering tools.

Your final-year project is your chance to demonstrate independent learning and establish a foundation for your future career.

**Applied learning**

You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV. 

Previous students have worked at organisations such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus UK, Bentley Motors, Lockheed Martin, BMW Manufacturing and McLaren Racing Limited. Placement years involve an application process to secure your position, which your tutors and our Careers and Employability Team will support you with.

**Live projects**

You’ll gain experience of live projects at every level of the course. Projects range from hands-on lab sessions run by external organisations to practical group projects where you’ll present your findings to our industrial partners.

Previous students have worked on real projects like designing a removable connecting system for poured concrete at Build-Lite UK, as well as evaluating the suitability of polystyrene for their materials recycling. They’ve also explored methods to catch and sort number plates using flowstore at Jepson & Co Ltd. And they’ve worked to solve a manufacturing challenge alongside process engineers at the McLaren Composite Technology Centre (MCTC).

Modules

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

**Important notice:** The structure for this course is currently being reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment are all likely to change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Once the changes have been confirmed, updated module information will be published on this page.

You can take an optional placement in year 4.

**Year 1**

**Compulsory modules**

Mechanical Engineering Design And C.A.D.
Mechanical Engineering Practice
Principles Of Dynamics And Thermodynamics, Manufacturing Processes And Mathematics
Principles Of Mechanics Of Solids And Fluids, Engineering Materials And Mathematics

**Year 2**

**Compulsory modules**

Application Of Engineering Analysis
Applied Dynamics And Thermodynamics
Applied Solid And Fluid Mechanics, And Control Systems
Machine Elements Design

**Year 3**

**Optional modules**

Placement Year

**Year 4**

**Compulsory modules**

Further Engineering Science And Numerical Analysis
Project: Implementation
Project: Management And Scoping

**Elective modules**

Artificial Intelligence And The Internet Of Things
Computer Aided Design And Computer Aided Manufacture
Engineering Management And Entrepreneurship

**Final year**

**Compulsory modules**

Digital Engineering & Prototyping
Industrial Group Project
Interdisciplinary Engineering Systems And Emerging Technology

**Elective modules**

Advanced Computational Methods In Engineering
Artificial Intelligence Concepts And Applications
Process Improvement Methodologies
Robotics And Autonomous Systems

Assessment methods

Coursework | Exam | Practical

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
£16,655
per year
International
£16,655
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

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni


Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

College of Business Technology and Engineering

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.

39%
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

44%
Staff make the subject interesting
58%
Staff are good at explaining things
58%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
64%
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

64%
Library resources
78%
IT resources
68%
Course specific equipment and facilities
29%
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?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
94%
Male students
6%
Female students
70%
2:1 or above
19%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
89%
low
Employed or in further education
63%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

51%
Engineering professionals
7%
Draughtspersons and related architectural technicians
6%
Science, engineering and production technicians

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.

£27k

£27k

£34k

£34k

£37k

£37k

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