BEng (Hons) Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
- UCAS code: HH37
- Mode of study: Full time or sandwich with work placement
- Duration: 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry requirements 2013: 200-240 points to include 160 points from a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent, including Mathematics plus Science or Technology subjects.
- Please see details of the range of other qualifications that will also be considered on the 'Entry Requirements' tab below. Please do contact us for advice on other qualifications that aren't listed here.
Find out more:
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 2555
Email: technology.admissions@port.ac.uk
Department: School of Engineering (ENG)
Course overview
Mechanical engineers see their profession as the most diverse and exciting of all the engineering disciplines because it involves design, development, installation, operation and maintenance of just about anything that has moveable parts. All products must be manufactured so manufacturing engineering skills are essential during their design, development and manufacture.
Engineers are the people who turn plans into products by applying the scientific and numerical principles to practical ends. They are continually working to find solutions to problems that affect our day-to-day life using the latest technologies and are involved with the planning and designing of new production processes. Engineers are characterised by their ability to use new technology creatively and innovatively. They maintain, manage and undertake projects in design, development, manufacture, construction and operation. Our courses are designed around these skills and principles, building a solid foundation for a successful career as a chartered engineer (CEng) or an incorporated engineer (IEng) within the varied disciplines of the engineering industry.
Career focused
The entrance criteria of this degree have been designed to comply with the requirements of the major engineering graduate programmes. Competent students can have the opportunity to apply their skills to real-life practical problems as part of the department’s partnership scheme with charities, local and global organisations. Please view the 'Career prospects' section for further details.
To find out more about placement opportunities in the Faculty of Technology, please visit our Placements Office pages.
Accreditation
Registration by the Engineering Council as an incorporated engineer establishes an engineer’s knowledge, understanding and competence. The BEng (Hons) Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering meets the full academic requirements and has been accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for academic exemption leading to CEng status.
Course content
You will be taught a range of topics within engineering science and engineering design, including computer aided engineering (CAE). As you progress through the course you will become involved in project work with other students.
Year one
You will learn the foundations of engineering science and engineering design through courses on materials and manufacture, communication and business, and computer aided design. You will have around 20 hours of timetabled activity per week to be supplemented by personal study in your own time. You will also study a handson engineering technology appreciation unit covering the relationship between materials and manufacturing. There is also an introduction to design where you manufacture a product to your own concept.
Year two
You will build on knowledge gained in the first year by studying further engineering materials, manufacture and design, mechanical engineering science, engineering programming, CAE and business units. Your understanding of real systems will be developed in instrumentation and control and you will integrate your design, CAE and manufacturing knowledge by studying product modelling for manufacture. You will then have the opportunity to take an optional sandwich placement year.
Sandwich year (optional year in industry)
The sandwich year involves at least 36 weeks paid work for an organisation. We will assist you in arranging a placement, subject to interview. We will also monitor your progress throughout the year. Placements can also be arranged abroad if you want the opportunity to travel. Students have recently worked for the University of Hamburg in Germany and the University of Saint Etienne in France.
A placement year is not compulsory, but is strongly recommended because they often make a substantial difference to what you get out of the course and what you can offer employers after you graduate. Almost 60 per cent of our students who complete a sandwich year either receive sponsorship for their final year of study, a job offer on graduation or both.
Final year
Study subjects include materials, manufacturing systems and CAE (product realisation). You will also be able to choose subjects like CAE (numerical analysis), project management, engineering systems and design, and you will undertake an individual project, working on your own design, make and test activity. You will also participate in a group engineering business project involving students from other disciplines.
Teaching and assessment
At Portsmouth you will experience a lively and modern learning environment with lectures, seminars, tutorials (personal and academic), laboratory and project work, CAE system activity and open access study. We have a distinguished record and pride ourselves on working at the leading-edge of technology and learning practices.
These courses offer many individual subject choices allowing you to tailor the programme to your individual strengths and interests. Practical experience is emphasised throughout the courses and you will be encouraged to put your ideas into practice, experience application software relating to the area of study and generate computer simulations to detect and solve engineering problems.
Assessment is carried out through a mix of formal examinations, coursework, tests and presentations. It is geared towards the subject matter in a way that encourages a deeper understanding and allows you to develop your skills.
Career prospects
Placement opportunities
In the Faculty of Technology we feel that students should be given as many opportunities as possible to gain meaningful work experience and build employability skills throughout their studies to make them more attractive to future employers.
Working with other University services, the Faculty’s Student Placement and Employability Centre (SPEC) ensure students have access to a range of volunteering and work experience opportunities, including year-long industrial placements (either in the UK or your home country), and provide support for the different types of application processes.
Examples of companies our students have taken up placements with include:
- GE
- Mercedes
- Frictec
Types of placement roles that could be relevant to this course include:
- Research and Development Engineer
- Trainee Project Engineer
- AutoCAD Drawing Assistant
To find out more about how you can gain work experience whilst studying BEng (Hons) Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, please visit our Placements Office pages.
Graduate roles
It is generally accepted that there is a current shortage of engineers and these courses are aimed at educating engineers for a multitude of different careers in engineering and technology. You could work for a large company, in the Armed Forces or in one of the many small companies within this sector. There are also opportunities to start your own specialist company.
These courses develop your analytical skills and there is a whole range of careers which rely on numerate graduates that you could consider. Many engineering graduates are employed in a wide range of careers which utilise team working, analytical abilities and numeracy skills developed during the course.
Facilities and features
You will have easy access to a wide range of powerful multimedia computers equipped with the latest software and associated hardware, as well as contact with knowledgeable, enthusiastic and highly motivated staff. Academic staff maintain close links with industry, both in Portsmouth and further afield, in particular the Royal Navy. This ensures that our courses reflect the current and future needs of industry.
The School of Engineering has laboratories and a manufacturing workshop which can be used for project work. There is also a drawing office and four teaching computer rooms available as open access rooms, two purely open access rooms, plus networked PCs available in the laboratories. There is also an open access design studio room and a design-and-make workroom.
The School includes a Regional Centre for Manufacturing Industry and was recently assessed by the UK Government as having 85 per cent of research at international level or higher – an excellent result, demonstrating real originality and significance.
Formula Student
Formula Student offers engineering students an exceptional opportunity to develop their engineering, project management and team working skills. Working in their spare time, they design, construct and test a competitive race car. Contending with over 100 teams from around the world they aim to produce the most innovative, high performance and reliable vehicle. The event itself is dramatic, with more than 3,000 students converging on the famous Silverstone circuit as teams compete for a range of prizes. Mingling with dozens of judges, scrutineers and motorsport experts, many from Formula 1, there are unrivalled opportunities to network and discover a range of career options.
Maths Café
The Maths Café is a daily drop-in facility, where ANY student of the University can receive help on any maths or statistics problem they encounter in their studies. We operate in a friendly, informal location which we hope will encourage students to visit us. Handouts on key topics are available to take away. Students can be shown how to use computer aided learning packages, which can be accessed from any computer attached to the University's computer network.