Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Degree Apprenticeship BEng (Hons)

In this module, you'll learn mathematical techniques that you can use for intricate engineering problems.

Over a full year, you'll work through topics including algebra, calculus, matrices and complex numbers, learning to recognise when an engineering problem calls for a given method.

You'll also learn efficient strategies for breaking down and solving multifaceted problems, applicable in both mathematical and engineering activity.

You'll model and analyse simple circuits, explain device operation and electromagnetism, and apply basic logic elements. When you complete the module, you'll have crucial interdisciplinary knowledge at the intersection of key engineering fields.

You’ll examine the classification, evaluation, analysis, and selection of different materials and their fabrication techniques in the context of mechanical and manufacturing engineering.

When you complete this module successfully, you'll be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of theories and underlying principles involved in engineering materials
• Compare and contrast the properties, performances and limitations of different types of engineering materials
• Select the most appropriate materials for engineering applications
• Demonstrate an understanding of a wide range of conventional and advanced manufacturing techniques
• Describe different manufacturing techniques, their capabilities and limitations
• Describe how properties of engineering materials are influenced by manufacturing techniques and use

This module aims to equip you with essential knowledge and skills in engineering design. You will learn about and explore design practice principles, starting from fundamental engineering communication and progressing through design thinking and creative design development.

You will develop these skills through a mixture of collaborative and individual design challenges. These activities will give you opportunities to explore and test a range of technical documentation methods and develop solutions to open ended design problems.

You will build key graphic communication skills, beginning with freehand sketching and British Standards drawing conventions, and progressing to 2 dimensional Computer Aided Design.

You will also learn to demonstrate creative thinking through design research, problem definition, idea generation, and concept development. Throughout the module, you will be challenged to work effectively as part of a design team.

This module provides the essential foundations you need for studying core mechanical engineering principles at university level. You’ll build confidence in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and solid mechanics, while developing the analytical skills needed for more advanced study.

You’ll explore how energy is conserved and transferred through gas laws, properties of substances, steam tables, polytropic processes, and heat transfer. In fluid mechanics, you’ll examine fluid behaviour through buoyancy, continuity, Bernoulli’s equation, impact of jets, dimensional analysis, flow measurement, and an introduction to CFD. In solid mechanics, you’ll study force vectors and resultants, equilibrium of rigid bodies, structural analysis, centroids and moments of inertia, and internal loadings. You’ll also examine normal and shear stress and strain, material properties, and fundamental torsion and bending behaviour.

Through lectures, tutorials, and practical sessions, you’ll develop the ability to analyse systems and apply theory to engineering problems, preparing you for further study in engineering.

In this module, you'll build your confidence in using computers for engineering activity, learning about their capabilities and limitations by producing components. You'll create and evaluate designs, demonstrate injection moulding processes, and use cross-disciplinary knowledge of economics, mathematics and science to inform your analysis of engineering solutions.

In this module, you'll define open-ended problems with product design specifications, then apply problem-solving techniques and knowledge of standard components to create and present a design solution. You'll learn about sources of design information, the effective use of engineering components, and how to size features for creative engineering solutions.

In this module, you'll evaluate metals, polymers, ceramics and composites, and how to use them in mechanical manufacturing applications. Looking at the composition and properties of these materials, you'll identify their capabilities and limitations, and make recommendations of optimal materials for processing techniques. You'll also apply scientific, technological and engineering principles to address problems in next-generation fabrication designs.

Strengthen your skills in thermofluids in this module, building on your introductory studies.

You'll expand on your understanding of the second law of thermodynamics in this module, and learn to apply analytical and semi-empirical methods to practical thermofluid processes.

Then you'll flex your problem-solving skills as you appraise issues in combustion, fluid flow, heat transfer and energy conversion.

This year-long module introduces you to the core principles of Solid Mechanics and Dynamics, helping you understand how structures, components and mechanical systems behave under static and dynamic loading. You’ll build confidence in analysing forces, motion, stress, strain, deformation and failure, while developing the engineering judgement needed to apply theory to practical problems.

In the Solid Mechanics part of the module, you’ll explore how deformable bodies respond to different types of loading. Topics include two-dimensional stress states, elastic stress-strain relationships, stresses and deflections in beams, torsion, combined loading, pressure vessels, thick-walled cylinders, buckling, and failure theories for ductile and brittle materials.

In the Dynamics part, you’ll develop the tools needed to describe and analyse motion in engineering systems. You’ll study constant acceleration, equations of motion, work and energy, circular and projectile motion, impulse and momentum, vectors, plane kinematics and plane kinetics.

Alongside the theoretical content, you’ll take part in laboratory activities that connect analytical predictions with real experimental behaviour. Practical sessions will help you develop measurement, interpretation and evaluation skills through experiments such as thin-walled pressure vessel testing and accelerometer and pendulum investigations.

By the end of the module, you’ll be able to apply solid mechanics and dynamics principles to analyse engineering components and systems, compare theoretical predictions with experimental results, and approach static and dynamic engineering problems with confidence.

In this module, you’ll explore how engineering design links directly to product quality in real-world manufacturing.

You’ll learn how to make effective design decisions that improve quality and support modern production. By the end, you’ll feel more confident contributing to engineering teams and solving practical design challenges.

You will:

Explore proven engineering design approaches used in industry
Understand how design choices affect manufacturability and product quality
Consider key constraints, including standards and codes of practice
Learn methods for testing and improving product quality
Use a range of quality control tools to manage and evaluate products

Overall, this module helps you connect design theory with real industrial practice, preparing you for work in engineering and manufacturing environments.