BEng (Hons) Mechanical Design (Full Time)

Equip yourself with advanced engineering skills and a valuable insight into mechanical design and manufacturing that can offer a range of rewarding career paths.

Course overview

With BEng (Hons) Mechanical Design degree from Southampton Solent Universitythis, you can begin an exciting career in an industry that celebrates creativity and originality, gaining practical skills and discovering the design environment.

The course offers highly focussed teaching in the key principles of mechanical design with a balanced programme of practice and theory. With a foundation in mathematics, the degree explores many diverse areas including computer-aided design (CAD), applied mechanics, materials and analysis of materials.

Individual projects and coursework will be your opportunity to develop your own ideas and creativity, while group projects will develop your communication and cooperative skills, working on tasks as an effective team.

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Industrial focus

To equip you with a package of skills that will be attractive to employers, the course offers an option of business strategy or entrepreneurship in the final year. The unit on entrepreneurship explores starting your own business including sources of finance. This will complement your final-year project, where you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of the design process and possibly work with industry on a live project. In the final year students usually also work in a small group on a real company-based project.

Course content 

Year 1

Six core units:

• Mathematics
• Analogue and Digital Electronics
• Drawing and CAD
• Mechanical Principles
• Manufacturing Concepts
• Professional Skills and Business.

Year 2

Five core units and one option unit:

• Manufacturing Systems
• Applied Mechanics
• Visualisation and Analysis
• Materials
• Instrumentation and Control Systems.

Options:

• Quality Systems and Measurement
• Curriculum Plus.

Four core units and one option unit:

• Manufacturing Operations
• Analysis of Materials
• Mechanical Design Analysis
• Project (double unit).

Options:

• Entrepreneurship
• Business Strategy.

Why choose this course?

• Currently awaiting formal accreditation from the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) for 2012 entry.
• Course accredited by the Engineering Council
• The University funds student IET membership fees and encourages participation in professional body events.
• Working closely with several companies, this degree gives students links to business and has a proven track record of graduate employment.

Assessment

Projects, coursework and end-of-year examinations.

Key career skills

Numeracy, IT, communication, team-work and project management.

Projects/work experience

The Faculty has strong industrial links within a wide range of business sectors and can sometimes offer industrial projects in partnership with companies.

Graduate profile 

Oliver Parry

“I became interested in this subject as I’ve always enjoyed learning about towers, bridges, buildings and so on, and I wanted to know more about them. I applied for this course because it mixes Electronic Engineering and Engineering with Business, so I knew I would be able to develop a wide variety of skills. I really enjoyed my time on this course as I got to mix with other students from across the University, and also got to spend time in the workshops putting principles learned in lectures into practice.

The best thing about student life here at Solent is the social side, Southampton has so many places to go to on a night out and there are plenty of things to do in the daytime besides studying. Bournemouth beach is only a short drive away and it takes less than two hours to get to London. It's ideally situated, with everything nearby.”