Undergraduate study 2014 prospectus

Course information

Mechanical Engineering is one of the broadest of the engineering disciplines and will offer you a wide choice of options in industry.

MEng

The IMechE accredited MEng degree courses are aimed at the most ambitious of students who wish to develop highflying careers within different industrial sectors and to become the future leaders of industry in companies concerned with Mechanical Engineering.

On completion of this course, students should have acquired a substantial technical depth in core engineering science and engineering design skills, have a good breadth in related disciplines and have developed highly effective communication and leadership skills.

The MEng courses are the preferred route to achieving Chartered Engineer status.

This course of four academic years allows high calibre students to develop their understanding of the role of Mechanical Engineering in the industrial context, over and beyond that of the BEng courses.

MEng Overview

The first two years are common to the BEng structure and provide you with engineering science core skills, combined with engineering design and computational modules. The application of engineering science and the solution of industrial problems is a strong theme throughout the courses. This is practised within the second year Industrial Based Design Project.

In the third and fourth academic years, the MEng courses provide enhanced opportunities to study your chosen specialist subjects in depth. In addition, MEng students follow extra courses in practical business management, design and microprocessor control systems, and are offered the chance to study a European language.

During the fourth academic year, MEng students from different degree courses are brought together in multi-disciplinary teams for a range of year-long projects, to solve challenging industrially based problems at a number of different host companies.

BEng

Our IMechE accredited BEng Mechanical Engineering degree courses provide a balanced, theoretical and practical introduction to fundamental engineering principles and their application to real industrial projects.

The courses provide an excellent platform for graduates wishing to register with the Engineering Council as an Incorporated Engineer or to progress to Chartered Engineer status, while the transferable skills which graduates develop should also suit them to employment and career routes in a wide variety of professions.

Industrial Training

All of our courses can be taken with a salaried industrial placement in Year 3 and over 120 students take this option every year. For the award of a Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS) you need to complete a minimum of 45 weeks work in a company.

We are notified of vacancies and opportunities throughout the academic year, and we provide support and help for you to gain a suitable placement.

Students work in a variety of organisations including automotive, aerospace, electronics, consumer goods, computer software and food processing industries.

Recent placement students have worked for virtually every major engineering company in the UK including; Toyota, Triumph, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, BP, Tata Steel, DERA, Vauxhall, The Boots Co. plc, Eurotherm Drives Ltd, 3M Healthcare, Schlumberger and TRW Lucas Aerospace.

If you choose to follow a MEng or BEng sandwich course you will complete a full year of assessed IMechE accredited industrial training between years 2 and 3 of your academic studies, leading to the additional award of Loughborough’s well respected Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS).

Professional Recognition

The BEng and MEng courses are fully accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Assessment

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, tutorials, practical work, seminars and extensive project work. The emphasis is placed on increasing your independence and encouraging you to develop your study skills while taking part in group activities.

Lecture based modules are assessed by a combination of coursework and formal examinations taken at the end of each semester. Project module assessments require written reports and technical presentations, preparing you for your subsequent career.

In their final year, MEng students prepare a technical exhibition. The proportion of coursework assessment is approximately 30% to 50% depending on degree course, semester/year and optional modules.

International Study

All students on the MEng courses have the opportunity to study abroad in their third or final academic year. If suitable for international study then this will lead to the award of a Diploma in International Studies (DIntS). A network of engineering departments from around 30 institutions throughout Europe cooperate in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Sponsorships and Scholarships

All of our courses have an established reputation with employers in industry. Companies, therefore, target the School with sandwich year opportunities and a number of companies offer sponsorship, for which there is intense competition. Students seeking sponsorship are urged to consult publications such as CRAC and Engineering Opportunities.

Competitive scholarships are also awarded. These may be based on intake qualifications and/or progress through the first year of any of the degree courses.

Students studying Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering degree courses, and intending to take up a career in the Armed Forces or Civil Service, may be eligible for financial support under the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme.

Career Prospects

Recent graduate destinations include: Barclays, Rolls-Royce, H J Heinz Company, Millbrook Proving Ground, Balfour Beatty, Caterpillar, Bombardier Transportation, BAE Systems, Thorntons, and Pirelli.

Course structure

Years 1 and 2

• Application of Engineering
• Design Control Engineering
• Electronics and Electrical Technology
• Engineering Computation
• Engineering Dynamics
• Engineering Mechanics
• Engineering Management
• Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow
• Industry Based Project
• Materials and Manufacturing Processes
• Mathematics
• Mechanics of Materials
• Thermodynamics

Years 3 and 4

Compulsory modules:

• Computer Control and Instrumentation
• Engineering Design Management
• Group Design Project
• Individual Project
• Mechatronics
• New Product Design
• Project Engineering
• Project Leadership

Optional subjects

The following example optional subjects support the MEng and BEng courses:

• Advanced Heat Transfer
• Computer Aided Design
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Contact Mechanics: Tribology
• Design for Assembly
• Design of Machinery
• Digital Image Processing
• Finite Element Analysis
• Healthcare Engineering
• Internal Combustion Engines
• Languages
• Laser Materials Processing
• Laser Optical Measurements
• Materials Engineering
• Materials Processing
• Metrology
• Rapid Prototyping
• Robotics and Control
• Sports Engineering
• Stress Analysis
• Structural Integrity
• Turbomachinery
• Vibration, Noise and Rotordynamics

Please note that optional modules are subject to availability and timetable permitting.

UCAS codes and entry requirements

The entry requirements for each course should be read alongside the University’s general entrance requirements, which give further details on acceptable subjects, alternative qualifications and minimum English language requirements.

SQA AHScottish Qualifications Authority Advanced Highers IBInternational Baccalaureate Diploma DPSDiploma in Professional Studies DISDiploma in Industrial Studies DIntSDiploma in International Studies