Mechanical Engineering

This is a Connected Degree

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview

With huge technological advances taking place in areas of transport, energy, healthcare and robotics, studying mechanical engineering can put you in a position to influence the future of global industries.

To meet the challenges of the engineering world, you'll study the design, development, modelling and operation of engineered products and systems. To establish your expertise in engineering, you'll get to specialise in subjects such as sustainable development, computer-aided engineering and computational fluid dynamics.

BEng or MEng?

The 3-year Bachelor's degree (BEng) and 4-year integrated Master's degree (MEng) share many of the same modules in years 1–3. The MEng allows you to achieve a Master’s level degree with an extra year of undergraduate study, which can further enhance your career prospects.

Course highlights

• Learn about the underlying elements of successful engineering and manufacturing projects, including engineering analysis, optimisation and design

• Work on a project proposal sponsored by an external company – previous students have worked on a heat loss optimisation with Rolls Royce, fire alarms with Apollo Fire Detectors and wind turbine blade production with Vestas

• Get the chance to be involved in Formula Student, where you'll design, construct and test a competitive race car with fellow students to be judged and raced at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix

Accreditation

This course is accredited by European Engineering Programmes (EUR-ACE), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). The BEng meets in part the academic requirement for registration as Chartered Engineer (CEng) and the MEng meets in full the academic requirement for registration as Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Careers and opportunities

This mechanical engineering degree course will give you the skills and experience you need to work in any industry that depends on mechanical systems, from transport and construction to the armed forces and energy.

And your skills will be in demand when you graduate – all mechanical engineering roles are listed in the UK Government’s 'skills shortage list'. This is backed up by the fact that 90% of our MEng graduates are in work and/or further study 15 months after they graduate, with 80% of those in highly skilled work. 5 years after graduation, students on our mechanical engineering courses are earning an average of £35,000 a year.

Graduate destinations

Our graduates have worked for national and global companies such as:

• Babcock International

• Pall Corporation

• Rolls-Royce

• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

• Bosch Thermotechnology

• Wärtsilä

• Mercedes-AMG

What jobs can you do with a mechanical engineering degree?

Roles you could go onto include:

• mechanical engineer

• design engineer

• test engineer

• project manager

• energy storage analyst

• mechanical design engineer

Other graduates have continued their studies at postgraduate level or set up successful businesses with help and support from the University.

After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.

"Formula Student has given me the confidence in my ability as an engineer, as components that I have designed were built and proven to withstand their environment." Simon Hotchkiss, Mechanical Engineering Student