Mechanical Engineering

Why study Mechanical Engineering at Dundee?

Modern mechanical engineering requires people who are able to combine a very broad range of technical, scientific, creative and management skills to achieve goals in sectors ranging from space exploration to energy management to surgical innovation.

At Dundee we pride ourselves in taking a modern systems based approach to developing these mechanical engineering skills within our students. We also have invested heavily in important new areas of engineering including rapid prototyping, renewable energy and embedded control technology.

A BEng (hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering, as with medicine or law, is regarded as a professional qualification. This means that an external body, in this case the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) regularly checks the quality and structure of our courses; our graduates of these courses can then ultimately become Chartered Engineers.

What's so good about Mechanical Engineering at Dundee?

• You will study mechatronics (the integration of electronics and computer control with mechanical engineering), giving you a broad range of skills for the development of modern, high performance products.
• Formula Student gives students a unique opportunity to experience a 'real world' challenge, to design and build a prototype racing car, the Dundee team, DRIVE, won prizes for safety (crash avoidance) and cost..

Teaching & Assessment

The Mechanical Engineering course is taught by staff from the Division of Mechanical Engineering & Mechatronics within the School of Engineering, Physics & Mathematics.

The staff are extremely research active and students have the opportunity to work with staff and external industrial partners at the forefront of developing new technologies.

Careers

Mechanical engineering graduates from Dundee are highly employable and enjoy a broad range of career options. There is growing demand for high calibre, intelligent and numerate mechanical engineers in industry, commerce and the government sectors across the spectrum of activity from technological specialist to senior management.

Many graduates progress directly into working in mainstream engineering sectors including the energy (oil industry and renewable energy), aerospace, automotive and defence sectors.

The ability to solve practical problems is also highly attractive to employers and opens opportunities in consultancy, finance, teaching and the armed forces.

A number of our graduates go on to study our MSc Biomedical Engineering or MSc Design for Medical Technologies courses at Dundee whilst others decide to continue their studies at PhD level in the exciting area of biomedical engineering and biotechnology which is a main research strength of the department.

Entry Requirements

The following are the typical requirements, please note qualifications have to be obtained at the first sitting of examinations.

Courses starting September 2013

Level 1 entry

Advanced Entry (to Level 2)

Other Qualifications

Fees and Funding

There have been many changes to the arrangements for funding students entering higher education in recent years, yet a degree from the University of Dundee, with its high rate of employment success, remains a cost-effective option.

The fees you pay will, in most cases, depend on your current country of residence.

The fee shown is annual, and may be subject to an increase each year.

Living Costs

• Dundee is ranked as one of the most affordable places for students to live in the UK, and the cost of living is around 15% cheaper than the UK average.
• Increasing numbers of students are successfully undertaking part-time work to supplement their income. You can get advice from our Careers Service, both about job opportunities and how to find a suitable study/work/life balance. EU and international students are also allowed to work up to 20 hours per week.
• As a student in Scotland, you have free access to the National Health Service. Visits to doctors and hospitals, as well as prescriptions, sight tests and dental checkups, are available free of charge.

Your Application

All applications must be made through UCAS

UCAS Codes

Institution Code: D65

UCAS Application Process

What skills, qualities and experience do I need?

• You will need to be enthusiastic about engineering, and show evidence of your enthusiasm in the personal statement. Explain why you are interested in mechanical engineering, and whether there are aspects of the subject that you would like to focus on. Have you done any relevant reading about the subject? We'll also be very interested to know about any previous engineering experience, for example, work experience in industry.
• You'll need to have a real grasp of some sort of activity that requires technical understanding. Do you own a car or bicycle and do you do your own maintenance. Do you make models, or do any art or craft activities?
• You should show evidence of clear thinking and understanding. You should be able to extract the essential elements of a problem and analyse possible solutions.
• You should show that you could work as part of a team. For example, maybe you have worked as part of a group in a project at school, or maybe you have collaborated with others for part of a Duke of Edinburgh award?
• You should have good written and oral communication skills. Your written skills could be shown by the clarity of your personal statement.
• You should give an account of your participation and achievement in non-academic or extracurricular activities and interests. Assessors will be interested to see that you can balance your academic and non-academic work, as you will need to be self-organised and motivated at university. What skills have you learnt? Why do you enjoy these activities?
• Is the programme appropriate to your declared interests and ambitions? Assessors will be looking to see that your choice of degree course complements your future aims.

Tips for your application

• In the first year of study it is usually easy to transfer from one engineering programme to another; therefore, you should apply for only one course. If you are unsure about which programme you would like to follow, then you are advised to apply in the first instance for the BEng in Mechanical Engineering (H300).
• We'll be looking to see that your personal statement explains your interest in the subject, how you possess the desirable skills and how the course is appropriate to your future plans.
• Referees should note that the reference would be used as a basis for the assessment of academic performance and as support for the personal statement. Assessors will want to consider the accuracy and consistency of the predicted grades in the light of previous level achievement (or reasons why this is not the case), evidence of effort and a positive attitude towards studies, and if there are any educational or special circumstances.

International Applicants

We have information specifically for international applicants on our International website:

• Your Home Country - including information about qualifications from individual countries
• Fees and Funding
• English Language Requirements
• International Student Support

Any questions?

If you have any further questions about the application process, please contact: