Mechanical and Design Engineering

department image - mechanical and design

The Department provides a thriving and caring learning environment within which you progress your chosen study route in preparation for the world of work and career development. Teaching teams recognise that engineering technology and management are creative. They involve judgement, scientific understanding, taking risks, working in teams and facing exciting technical and business challenges.

Our mission is to educate and prepare graduates for successful careers in a wide range of product design and engineering related disciplines. We achieve this through maintaining a set of strong and balanced undergraduate programmes relevant to industry within a vibrant and dynamic environment. The Department?s educational objectives include preparing graduates with the ability to apply the principles of basic engineering science, mathematics, design (engineering and product) and innovation to the solution of problems with the use of modern techniques, procedures and information.

Throughout your studies you will be progressively equipped with professional and transferable skills that will enable you to play an active role in modern engineering and business activity, and to contribute to the well being of your nation and society.

In this Department we offer twelve undergraduate courses and four postgraduate courses all compatible with, and relevant to, the needs of the ever changing technological environment within the context of life-long learning.

All of our undergraduate and postgraduate courses are accredited by professional institutions in the UK for the Chartered Engineer (CEng) and the Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status. The accrediting institutions include:

  • The Institution of Engineering and Technology ? IET
  • The Institution of Mechanical Engineers ? IMechE
  • The Institution of Engineering Designers ? IED
  • The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology ? IMarEST
  • The Royal Institution of Naval Architects ? RINA

We are particularly proud of our graduate employment record and enjoy having very interactive and supportive staff/student relationships within the Department.

The Department is particularly proud of the outcome of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), which has recognised and placed MDE amongst the top research active departments in the UK. Research at MDE has been assessed as internationally recognised at the level of 85 per cent ? with 45 per cent of the research assessed as internationally excellent. The Department is also well equipped with state-of-the-art analysis, design, testing, characterisation, rapid prototyping, manufacturing and computational facilities. The department has a track record of conducting quality research, knowledge transfer and consultany in response to practical demands in defence, healthcare, marine, manufacturing and service industries, supported by grants from the EPSRC, MRC, DTI, Royal Society, EU, MOD, US Air Force, UK charities and industries. The research and knowledge transfer in the Department is further complimented by the Mechanical Behaviour of Materials (MBM) Research Group,  Advanced Polymer and Composites (APC) Research Group, System Engineering Research Group, Regional Centre for Manufacturing Industry (RCMI). For further details, please visit the departmental research website.

*A supporting bursary of £4000, sponsored by Xyratex Ltd, will be awarded to the most suitable UK or EU applicant for any of our 2010-2011 MSc courses (confirmation of award will be in mid July).