Mechanical Engineering with Foundation Year

Mechanical engineers shape the systems and infrastructure that supports our daily life. As automation and robotics expands into new industries, open up future careers in this field with a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Foundation Year degree.

Mechanical engineers manage a wide range of processes, heating systems to refrigerators to cars, from the production of silicone chips to creating jet aircrafts - yet across the world they are in short supply. Designed around real-world problem solving, our will take your engineering knowledge to the next level, so you are ready for exciting career opportunities.

Develop in-demand engineering knowledge and skills
The introductory foundation year is designed to provide a broad introduction to engineering and build your understanding of engineering situations and solving problems. With a focus on ensuring your academic progression, it builds core skills in communication and teamwork that are needed to succeed at an advanced study level. Once you successfully complete and pass the foundation year, you will progress on to our full BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering degree.

Learning takes place at our Peel Park campus, minutes from central Manchester. Across three further years of study - or four, if you choose to include an industry placement year, you’ll develop practical problem-solving skills in our specialist mechanical, aerodynamics, composite material and control and dynamic laboratories, and our Morson Makerspace additive manufacturing and digital fabrication industry facility.

You will study engineering in relation to mathematics, electrical systems, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, engineering structures and dynamics. You’ll explore elements such as engineering dynamics and control engineering and take part in a mechanical group design project. Collaboration is core to our values, so we strive to embed this throughout your studies.

Mechanical Engineering degree courses at Salford are designed to equip you with technical knowledge and transferable skills, and a commitment to the highest professional standards.

Get closer to industry
The course team has long-standing connections with industry, both in the North West and beyond. With a strong management themes running throughout, you will benefit stimulating range of external guest lecturers, industry competitions, projects, and engagement with professional networks. You might even choose to follow in the footsteps of other mechanical engineering alumni and join the Formula Salford society designing a car to race at Silverstone.

Once you join the BEng (Hons) degree, you can also choose to take an industrial placement year, developing your workplace skills and adding ‘with Professional experience’ to your degree award.

Our new home for engineering
In Autumn 2022, we opened our new £65 million hub for science, engineering and the environment - and our new home for engineering. Sustainability-designed and 100% electric powered, the building offers unrivalled teaching, learning and research facilities and provides exciting new spaces for industry collaboration.

Features
• Initially study a foundation year to strengthen your maths, physics and study skills, ready to progress to the BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering degree
• Learn about the relationship between micro-structure and mechanical properties of materials, mechanisms of corrosion and corrosion protection
• Explore specialist modules such as dynamics and control engineering, structural mechanics and Finite Element analysis
• Write concise specifications, present concepts, perform appropriate calculations and select appropriate manufacturing processes
• Gain an understanding of the concepts of engineering thermodynamics and fluid mechanics
• Understand project timings, resource allocation and decision-making methodology used by industry

This course is not open to international students.

Course Modules

Foundation Year:

• Engineering Methodology 1 and 2

• Energy and Power

• Information Technology and Study Skills

• Mechanical Systems

• Experimental Methods

Year One:

• CAD, Mechanical Group Design and Management

• Engineering Dynamics and Electrical Systems

• Engineering Structures and Engineering Materials

• Fundamentals of Engineering Mathematics

• Manufacturing Methods and Processes

• Thermofluid Fundamentals

Year Two:

• Engineering Mathematics

• Engineering Dynamics and Control Engineering

• Engineering Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics

• Manufacturing

• Structural Mechanics

• Mechanical Group Design

Year Three:

• Individual Project

• Industrial Management and Project Preparation

• FEA and Structural Mechanics

• Control Engineering and Engineering Dynamics

• Engineering Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics

• Manufacture and Group Design

You will be assessed using a combination of formats. These include:

• Laboratory exercises
• Examinations
• Reports