Preparing for the job market
Chris Bolton-Stewart is a third year Mechanical Engineering student in the Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing.
Overview
Mechanical Engineering is the basis for many of the engineering disciplines, including the automotive, aero, marine and medical sectors.
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.
Ranked 3rd in the UK for the study of Mechanical Engineering (Guardian University Guide 2020), our professionally accredited course gives you the opportunity to qualify first at bachelor and, if you choose to continue, to master’s degree level. It meets the educational requirements of the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC), which sets out the competence and commitment required for registration, so that upon successful completion you can practice eventually as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
To ensure an optimised and continual student experience, the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedTeaching Excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their fieldCourse essentials
A degree which offers you more, at no extra costAccreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
The Mechanical Engineering MEng and BEng (Hons) courses are accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for 2020-21 entry. The MEng route fully meets the exemplifying academic benchmark requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and the BEng route enables membership and registration as an Associate Member (AMIMECHE) of the IMechE. Following changes which have been made to improve the course, we will apply for re-accreditation for entrants of 2021/22. If any changes occur with respect to our accreditation related to this course, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
Our Facilities
Metals Workshop
Participate in technical work in a hands-on way. The workshop includes lathes, milling machines, fabrication equipment for sheet metal work, CNC machines, work benches, welding lines and a fitting assembly area.
Harrier Jet
Our Harrier T4 allows students to gain hands-on experience with the parts, tools and mechanical aspects of a real aircraft. It is used by many engineering disciplines to learn how an aircraft works and how to maintain it.
Metrology Laboratories
Coventry University is a recognised leader for independent measurement expertise and services in the field of metrology. Facilities in our metrology laboratory include an impressive range of dimensional metrology equipment.
What our students say...
My experience in the Engineering, Environment and Computing faculty has been amazing, and I wouldn’t change it for anything! I have had fantastic opportunities to go on international trips, attend inspiring conferences and have had the support of the faculty and staff for my degree throughout the whole experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year, and am very grateful to the faculty employability and placements team for the events they host, advice and 1-1 meetings which allowed me to get my placement.
Course information
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 2, then thermodynamics and fluid mechanics in Year 3. 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.
At master’s level, we will provide you with the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the core subjects involved in the application of science, processes, materials, design and management to enable you to solve problems of increasing complexity. You will have the option to progress to a MEng following successful completion of Year 2 (subject to meeting specific grading criteria).
97%
of BEng students in work or doing further study within six months after finishing.
Discover Uni, 2020
Course specification
Download PDF
Modules
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.
3rd
Our mechanical engineering courses are ranked 3rd in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020.
In more detail...
The BEng/MEng in Mechanical Engineering aims to produce mechanical engineering 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.
It is designed to give graduates the opportunity to equip themselves with relevant, up-to-date skills and knowledge necessary to work as a mechanical engineer in a broad variety of businesses, including engineering management, research, engineering design, development and consultancy.
- Opportunity to participate in field trips abroad, which have recently included trips to Poland, Bulgaria, China, Belgium and the USA.*
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any trip, placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student. - Dedicated industrial placement tutor, who can help you with your applications for placements and support you if you choose to spend a year in industry*. Past placements have included roles in Aston Martin Lagonda, Babcock International Group, Cummins, GE-Aviation and GKN.*
- Access to modern facilities in our High Performance Engineering Centre, which houses a 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), a full size Harrier Jet, three further simulators, civil engineering specialist testing equipment, a range of CNC machinery and a laser workshop.
- Free student membership of the IMechE
- Free student membership of WES, the Women’s Engineering Society, which is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity society open to all regardless of gender identity.
Our main study themes are:
- Design: The innovative resolution of design problems focused on commercially viable solutions.
- Analysis: The investigation and manipulation of variables and principles that determine the behaviour of products and systems.
- Management: The application of principles and practices utilised to assure effective business operation.
- Sustainability: An ethical approach to work by protecting the best interests of life and the environment.
- Practical: Investigation and analysis using laboratory, workshop and computer-based techniques.
This course can be studied full-time over three years for BEng and four years for MEng. However, you can extend this by one further year if you are successful in securing a year on placement or studying abroad* between Year 2 and Year 3 of the BEng. Our students have previously worked for Aston Martin Lagonda, Babcock International Group, Cummins, GE-Aviation and GKN on placement and gone to universities in Germany, Spain and Korea to broaden their experience.
Our innovative ‘Activity-Led Learning’ (ALL) approach means you will be given opportunities to work with staff on real-world problems from industry (subject to availability), commerce and research groups, as you would in professional practice. This provides you with an opportunity to develop professional skills at the same time as learning the technical content of your degree. Practical project work may, for example, involve manufacturing prototypes with 3D-printing, reverse engineering of current and past products to produce 3d scanning to create engineering data and geometry to create design models, which can then be used through CAM software to generate CNC machining programs, ready to produce physical products.
The full range of teaching methods include: 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; and independent research of library resources, the internet and engineering companies. In addition, your personal tutor will review and discuss your progress with you and will be available for advice.
* Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
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.
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.
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 [personal tutorials and small group teaching]; medium group teaching (e.g. [seminars, tutorial sessions, lab sessions and workshops]); and large group teaching (lectures).
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.
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Further overseas field trips have previously included: test work at the GM proving ground; a tour of the Ford F150 factory in Detroit, USA; a tour of Hirata, a Japanese Tier 1 automotive supplier for Ford, Chrysler and GM; participation on a certificated training course with Altair on Inspire; and visits to Mahle Powertrain, the University of Michigan and Chrysler Building.
We also encourage you to undertake a placement year or study year abroad* after your second year of study. Previously students have been placed in Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands, CERN in Switzerland and Bertrandt in Germany.
*Please note that we are unable to guarantee any fieldtrip, placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2018/19, we were able to provide a total of 5,469 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
What our students say...
The tutors on the course are easily available to contact for help and guidance either via email or through face to face meetings.
Entry Requirements
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
For more information, please visit our Finance pages.
Course essentials at no extra cost
We're committed to communicating study costs clearly to make sure you're not faced with having to make any unexpected payments.
This is why our ‘Flying Start’ package provides you with a few course essentials. Your full-time fee for an undergraduate degree will cover the following:
UK field trips
Any mandatory site visits and trips within the United Kingdom.Key material
This can include core textbooks, software and equipment.Laser prints
1,000 A4 sides of black and white laser printing credits per year.Optional year
Pay no tuition fees for optional work placements or study abroad trips.This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.
This course may incur additional costs associated with any equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire.
The following are additional costs not included in your tuition fees: Any optional overseas field trips or visits.
EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
What our students say...
My experience at Coventry University has been fantastic, from the teaching staff to the facilities and the environment, I have had a wonderful time. I now feel ready to take on the world.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
Mechanical engineers are sought after and highly paid professionals in UK business.
We will actively encourage and help to prepare you for the world of work. This includes support in identifying placements* and employment. Recent student placements include: GE Oil and Gas in subsea systems and design; LH Group examining rail industry servicing; vehicle build for Jaguar Land Rover; and engine development for Cummins Engines.
Fully accredited by the IMechE**, the course is as such recognised in industry, providing credibility of the technical standard of our graduates among employers, thus supporting your opportunity to improve your career prospects. Through the practical projects and placements, you will stay abreast of the emerging issues and challenges for mechanical engineers.
Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The University’s Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
* This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.
** This course is currently accredited by IMechE. Following changes which have been made to improve the course, we will apply for re-accreditation for entrants of 2021/22. If any changes occur with respect to our accreditation related to this course, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
Where our graduates work
Successful completion of this course provides a possible route, into many careers within the global engineering industry, including such industries as aerospace, automotive, rail, marine, chemical construction and defence.
What our students say...
The opportunities you get from this university is what makes it stand out from other universities. The career support unit helped me develop the skills to achieve a placement at a prestigious global conglomerate, Tata Technologies.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
