Mechanical Engineering
Learn how to design, analyse and manufacture mechanical systems and gain the teamwork and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in various engineering sectors.
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Key Course Details
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UCAS Code
H304
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Start Date
September
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Location
Pontypridd
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Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£9,535*
International students
£16,200*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
-
Start Date
September
-
Location
Pontypridd
-
Campus Code
A
Fees
Home students
£785*
- Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
Prepare to drive innovation in a dynamic field as you become an accredited engineer and develop your skills with the latest industry-standard tools, techniques and technology. Work with industry experts solving real problems across sectors including automotive, industrial, aviation and renewables.
DESIGNED FOR
Developing technical solutions not only tests your skills, but also your ability to collaborate, research, analyse, and present. If you want to build on these talents and work in mechanical engineering roles across aerospace, energy systems, manufacturing and more, this course is for you.
Accredited By
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), forming the educational base for Incorporated Engineer status and, with further learning, Chartered Engineer status
Career Paths
- Automotive engineer
- Inspection and QC
- Design engineer
- Biomedical engineer
- Project manager
Skills Taught
- Knowledge of cutting-edge technology and software
- Problem-solving and analytical skills
- Teamwork, management and leadership
- Communication and presentation skills
- Professional responsibilities such as sustainability and ethics
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Course Highlights
Module Overview
Prepare to tackle critical technical challenges through our IMechE-accredited course. Learn the fundamentals of mechanical engineering and hone your skills with state-of-the-art machinery and software, before managing a comprehensive engineering project that showcases your capabilities.
Year One
Engineering Mathematics 1 (Year one if part-time)
Design and Manufacture (Year one if part-time)
Professional Engineering Techniques (Year one if part-time)
Mechanical Science 1 (Year two if part-time)
Thermofluids 1 (Year two if part-time)
Measurement Systems (Year two if part-time)
Year Two
Mechanical Science 2 (Year three if part-time)
Thermofluids 2 (Year three if part-time)
Production Processes (Year three if part-time)
Instrumentation and Control Systems (Year four if part-time)
Sustainable Engineering Design (Year four if part-time)
Fundamentals of Business Engineering and Management (Year four if part-time)
Year three
Materials and Manufacture (Year five if part-time)
Operations Management (Year five if part-time)
Computational Analysis (Year five if part-time)
Engineering Dynamics (Year six if part-time)
Individual Project (BSc) (Year six if part-time)
Supervised Work Experience (optional) (Year six if part-time)
A blend of classroom-based learning and practical sessions gives you a good grounding in the latest tools, techniques and theory at the core of mechanical engineering. Develop the key personal and professional skills that underpin future learning and boost your employment prospects.
Engineering Mathematics 1 (Year one if part-time)
Understand the relevance of mathematics in engineering and develop the mathematical and data skills needed to solve engineering problems.
Design and Manufacture (Year one if part-time)
Learn how to define problems, identify requirements and apply engineering principles within design, manufacturing, materials and practice.
Professional Engineering Techniques* (Year one if part-time)
Lay the foundations for personal and professional development, such as research methods, report writing, presentation and communication.
*Half of this module can be studied in Welsh.
Mechanical Science 1 (Year two if part-time)
Explore static and dynamic engineering principles and investigate the major scientific concepts that underpin engineering systems.
Thermofluids 1 (Year two if part-time)
Understand the basic thermodynamic and fluid mechanic properties of both liquids and gases.
Measurement Systems (Year two if part-time)
Learn how to select task-specific sensors, design circuits to convert signals into useful data, and plan how to process, store, and transmit measurement data.
Expand your knowledge of advanced principles and concepts within specific engineering areas. Apply and evaluate these concepts using cutting-edge machinery and software. Build managerial skills that enable you to make informed decisions required to lead engineering projects.
Mechanical Science 2 (Year three if part-time)
Understand static and dynamic systems using experimental analysis, developing your understanding of fundamental concepts to solve engineering problems.
Thermofluids 2 (Year three if part-time)
Combine advanced principles of thermodynamics and apply them to engineering and industrial applications, exploring the different methods of analysis for working fluids.
Production Processes (Year three if part-time)
Gain a more detailed knowledge of manufacturing tech, CAD/CAM, processes and control. Use robotics and advanced printing and cutting techniques.
Instrumentation and Control Systems (Year four if part-time)
Understand the mathematical models, techniques, structures and hardware involved in different types of instrumentation and control systems.
Sustainable Engineering Design (Year four if part-time)
Build upon your knowledge of the design process and enhance your skills and knowledge around computer-aided design using industrial software.
Fundamentals of Business Engineering and Management (Year four if part-time)
Build fundamental managerial skills, enabling you to make decisions around life cycles, risk assessment, project planning and more.
Consolidate your analytical and problem-solving abilities in preparation for your dissertation. Under the guidance of a staff member, you'll manage a detailed engineering project tailored to your interests and aspirations, presenting your findings to demonstrate your expertise.
Materials and Manufacture (Year five if part-time)
Understand how the structure, properties and processing of materials affects their usage by conducting tests and running simulations.
Operations Management (Year five if part-time)
Develop and evaluate complex manufacturing systems and asset management tools and techniques as you report an industrial maintenance and inspection regime.
Computational Analysis (Year five if part-time)
Run computer simulations to model engineering problems, developing your ability to interpret results and use this as a basis to make design decisions.
Engineering Dynamics (Year six if part-time)
Apply analytical and problem-solving skills to complex dynamic systems, drawing on advanced principles and systems within dynamics and thermodynamics.
Individual Project (BSc) (Year six if part-time)
Undertake a detailed project in your chosen area. Independently identify problems, conduct research, develop solutions and present your findings.
Supervised Work Experience (optional) (Year six if part-time)
Spend up to a year working in the industry, learning directly from professional mechanical engineers and forging connections that boost your prospects.
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
You’ll learn through a comprehensive mix of lectures, seminars and tutorials to develop theoretical concepts, and then apply this knowledge through extensive hands-on opportunities. These include lab experiments, industrial visits and collaborative projects using tech such as laser cutters, 3D printers, supercomputers and more.
Your knowledge is assessed through exams, coursework and lab reports. You’ll also have opportunities to present and demonstrate your project work, developing your communication skills and allowing staff to assess your practical performance using evaluation rubrics.
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Teaching staff
Our teaching staff come from a broad range of backgrounds. Some have decades of experience working in engineering roles, while others have a track record of internationally significant research. This blend ensures our staff not only provide the highest level of academic support, but also helps you navigate the industry, providing connections to key organisations and opening doors for future employment.
Our mechanical engineering staff come from all over the world, and their richly diverse cultural backgrounds ensure all students feel part of a vibrant community on our course.
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Placements
Throughout the course, you’ll solve real-world problems, replicate the processes and practices used in the industry, and engage with engineering professionals to give you a taste of working as a mechanical engineer. But we know that nothing can beat the experience of working alongside the experts in the real factories and labs of engineering firms, gaining real insights into engineering operations and applying your skills in meaningful ways.
If you choose to do a placement year, we support you in securing a position that aligns with your career goals and provides a relevant and transformative work experience.
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Facilities
As a BSc Mechanical Engineering student, you’ll enjoy all manner of facilities and labs at the Treforest campus to bring your learning to life. They include a range of manufacturing and testing equipment such as 3D printers, laser scanners, a wind tunnel, non-destructive testing facilities, and high-spec computer suites equipped with industry-standard design and analysis software like SolidWorks, Ansys, and Matlab, as well as our ‘Cluster’ advanced analytics supercomputer. You’ll also develop practical skills under our expert technicians in our specialist workshops, including the CNC machining centre.
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS Points: 96 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Level: CCC to include Mathematics and one other Science subject (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
- Welsh BACC: Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and CC at A Level to include Mathematics and one other Science subject (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
- BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit in a relevant Maths, Science or Engineering subject which must include Maths modules (this is equivalent to 96 UCAS tariff points).
- Access to HE: Pass an Access to HE Diploma in Maths, Science or Engineering and obtain a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points
Additional requirements include:
The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics and English at Grade C or above, or their equivalent but consideration is given to individual circumstances
Advanced Entry: Advanced Entry: Internal applicants (USW and Partner Colleges) taking the HND Mechanical Engineering who achieve a distinction profile with above 70% in mechanical science and thermo fluids are considered for third-year entry onto the full-time BEng Mechanical Engineering. Applicants obtaining an HND from other universities or colleges with lower grade profiles are able to join the third year of the full-time BSc (Hons) Mechanical Engineering or year five of the Part time BSc.
International applications welcomed:
We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.
English language requirements
International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.
Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.
If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.
If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.
USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.
We're here to help
Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.
Fees and Funding
£9,535
per year*£16,200
per year*£785
per 20 credits*Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
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Introducing Calon
We are investing in the future of STEM at USW with an exciting new Computing, Engineering and Technology building at our Pontypridd Campus.
University Quality Assurance
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
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How to apply
All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)
Advanced entry
If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.
International admissions
International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
