Mechanical Engineering (with Foundation Year and Optional Year in Industry)

Optional year in industry: The year in industry option will help you gain valuable work experience which will help you enhance your graduate employability prospects. During your placement you develop transferable skills such as communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, self-reliance and commercial awareness. At the end of your work placement you return to complete your degree and prepare to enter employment with improved confidence.

Our work placement officer and the University’s careers service are available to help you find and apply for your work placement. Advice is also available on job hunting and networking.

Course overview: This course includes a foundation year - ideal if you need additional preparation or if you don't have sufficient grades to join Year 1. If you are interested in solving problems and the technicalities of how things work, then this degree is for you.

Mechanical engineers design and manufacture anything that has moving parts, from automotive transmissions to prosthetic devices, gas turbines, wind turbines, robots and machine tools. You gain knowledge and understanding of mechanical engineering subjects including mechanics, dynamics, fluids, thermodynamics, materials, digital engineering, computer-aided-design, electrical principles, finite element analysis, manufacturing, product development and assembly line modelling.

You are prepared for the world of work through company visits and industry inspired project work, and placements and industry events with North East Regional Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Cleveland Institution of Engineers.

Top reasons to study this course

1. Practical learning: get involved with our hands on approach to teaching through lab work, site visits and projects including the Design Challenge, Formula Student and Formula Student AI.
2. Industry experience: get a foot on the career ladder and gain experience of working in the sector with an optional year in industry.
3. Prepare for your studies: develop your understanding in maths with our free online Mathematics for University course.
4. Professional accreditation: this course is accredited by The Institution of Engineering and Technology on behalf of the Engineering Council for meeting the requirement for registration as an incorporated engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a chartered engineer.
5. International visits: you have opportunities to travel internationally through student mobility visits or spending a semester studying abroad with one of our partners in countries such as China, the Czech Republic, Spain and Malaysia.

After the course: Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest engineering disciplines, giving you a variety of career options. You can seek employment in almost every sector of industry including automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, marine, medical, rail, power, processing, chemical, oil and gas, and food production industries. Graduates have been employed by companies such as Cummins Engines Ltd, Caterpillar Ltd, Gestamp Talent, Hitachi Rail, Nissan, Rolls Royce plc, PD Ports Ltd, Sabre Rail Services Ltd, Sellafield Ltd, Subsea Innovation Ltd.