Mechanical Engineering BEng (Hons)

Course overview

We aim to produce graduates with the versatility and depth of understanding to deal with new and unusual challenges in mechanical engineering, alongside the necessary imagination and creativity to innovate.

• In our ever-changing world, mechanical engineers develop new and differing uses for technologies and materials, in order to improve the mechanical operation of equipment and devices used in anything from food and oil production to international construction projects or the design of toys.

What you'll study

We aim to produce graduates with the versatility and depth of understanding to deal with new and unusual challenges in mechanical engineering, alongside the necessary imagination and creativity to innovate.

The undergraduate degree will provide you with the opportunity to develop essential knowledge and skills in science, commerce, design, manufacturing and management to help prepare you for a career across a broad range of industries with, for example, major equipment manufacturers, design consultancies or supply-chain companies.

As the course progresses, your learning will become more specialised, for example, examining instrumentation and control in Year Two, then thermodynamics and fluid mechanics in Year Three. You will also be able to tailor your course to suit your interests and career aspirations, choosing from a range of optional modules in subjects like finite element analysis or control systems engineering.

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Actual teaching contact hours will vary depending on the level of study and the requirements of a particular semester. In a typical week your contact hours will be divided amongst:

• Lectures with associated practice, laboratory, workshop exercises and tutorials
• Problem-based learning in groups with tutor or industrial mentor support
• Group learning
• Formative modelling exercises
• Independent research of library resources, the internet and engineering companies

In addition, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study each week, approximately 16-20 hours depending on the demands of individual modules. The number of contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 15 contact hours per week in the first and second year dropping to around 14 contact hours per week in the third and final year as you become a more independent learner.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods may include coursework, tests, essays, formal examinations, practical or project work, group work and presentations and posters.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Job ready

Upon successful completion, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of: the function, materials, manufacture and assembly of a wide range of engineering products; the principles of engineering science and mathematics and their application and capability in defining and proving the performance of innovative engineering products; aspects of innovative mechanical design, including the design process, design standards and codes, selection of materials and methods of manufacture, and design tools for optimised performance, reliability, weight, cost and sustainability.
• Develop and test strategies for engineering products involving appropriate instrumentation, experimental methods, and data analysis techniques.
• Manage people, processes and engineering projects to promote the commercial success of an engineering enterprise.
• Model and analyse innovative engineering systems using appropriate engineering science and mathematical analysis techniques, such as analysis of aerodynamics, thermodynamic cycles, control systems, stress and dynamics.
• Synthesise solutions to innovative engineering design problems.
• Select appropriate instrumentation for the functional design of innovative engineering products and systems and to support development and test work.
• Search for, and evaluate information sources to identify information essential to solving engineering problems.
• Use test equipment and machines specific to your course, which may include 20% scale model wind tunnel, composites lab, metrology lab, four-pot shaker rig, flow lab, AVL engine test cell, automotive workshop, fatigue and tensile testing (Instron), Modal analysis hardware and software, for experimental work to support product development.
• Use commercial software specific to your course in the solution of engineering problems, which may include noise and vibration, aerodynamic drag and lift and stress analysis.
• Communicate graphically the design of a component or system through sketches, CAD etc.