Mechanical Engineering (with Integrated Foundation Year)

A Brighton Mechanical Engineering degree prepares you for careers across manufacturing, renewable energy, aerospace, automotive engineering and advanced engineering sectors.

At Brighton you’ll be part of a supportive community that helps you grow, no matter your background. Our integrated foundation year course offers an extra year to prepare you for study at degree level. You’ll have loads of opportunities to build real-world experience through exciting team projects, placements and internships. Our inclusive approach to learning means we’ll help you play to your strengths and learn in ways that suit you best.

Brighton graduates are working in organisations such as Rolls-Royce, National Rail, Bosch, Mott-Macdonald and Ove Arup.

Top reasons to choose this course

• Foundation year that opens up opportunities in engineering if you don’t have the required qualifications, are changing career or returning to study.

• Start hands-on learning from day one through design-build-test projects including fighting robots, water rockets and rocket cars, the Engineering Without Borders international design challenge, CAD modelling and laboratory work.

• Progress to a degree that is dual accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), providing recognition of its professional quality and a pathway towards Chartered Engineer status.

• Make a difference and solve energy challenges in our student-led Sustainable Technology and Engineering Projects (STEP) lab.

• Learn in industry-standard facilities including flight and car simulators, wind tunnel, prototyping labs and workshops, CNC machines and robotics and VR labs.

• Boost your CV with an optional paid placement year after year two or paid internship opportunities.

• Contribute to research in mechanical system design, robotics, advanced manufacturing processes, automation and artificial intelligence.

• Undertake a major individual project supported by expert staff, applying your knowledge to a technical challenge of your choice.

• 100% of our engineering research impact is rated as ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ for reach and significance – Research Excellence Framework 2021.

Why Brighton is a great place to study mechanical engineering
Brighton & Hove is the UK’s leading city for new economy businesses (Centre for Cities, 2025). This includes sectors such as advanced engineering, sustainable aviation, green technology and clean energy – industries where demand for skilled engineers is rapidly growing. Studying here means you’ll be part of a hub for innovation, with opportunities to directly connect your learning to the future of engineering.

Brighton & Hove has also been named one of the best cities on the planet and third best city in the UK by Time Out.

Course Modules

Foundation year
The foundation year is shared across all engineering courses and gives you the preparation you need to start your degree, covering areas including core maths and science.

Core modules
Core Mathematics
Core Science
Engineering Mathematics
Engineering Science
Mechanics
Foundation Year Project

Year 1
In your first year, you will be introduced to the principles of mechanical engineering and develop skills such as Computer Aided Design (CAD). In a major design project you will put your learned knowledge of conceptual design, manufacturing and testing into practice.

Core modules
Engineering Mathematics
Engineering Practice
Mechanical Design
Energy Systems
Design Project
Materials and Manufacture

Year 2
In the second year, you’ll learn to model, analyse and control the behaviour of mechanical and thermal systems while deepening your understanding of materials and energy conversion. You’ll also strengthen your engineering practice through multidisciplinary design projects and gain practical skills in manufacturing processes, quality control and designing products for real-world applications.

Core modules
Dynamics and Control
Engineering Systems
Mechanics of Materials
Thermofluids
Engineering Design
Manufacturing Engineering

Optional Placement Year
By doing a year placement in industry you’ll gain the right amount of work experience to reach Engineering Technician (EngTech) status. Our students have been on placement with companies such as Paxton, Triumph and Caterpillar.

Final year
In your final year, you’ll deepen your expertise in control systems, product design and advanced manufacturing, learning to analyse, simulate and optimise complex engineering applications while considering real-world societal and environmental needs. You’ll also undertake an individual project that brings together your research, design and technical skills, with the option to further specialise through advanced study in materials engineering or renewable technologies.

Core modules
Dynamics and Control
Product Design
Manufacturing Systems
Individual Project

Options*
Advanced Materials Engineering
Renewable Technologies

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.