BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's degree at the University of Plymouth

Undertaking a sandwich-year placement (also known as an industrial or work placement) offers many benefits, including valuable hands-on work-experience and enhanced employability. This module is for first-year students who may undertake a placement in their third year. It is designed to support students in exploring placement opportunities and developing the skills and knowledge required to successfully secure one.

This module covers the essential scientific principles of fluid mechanics for civil, marine, and mechanical engineering applications. We'll also delve into thermodynamics, focusing on the interaction between systems and their surroundings. Lastly, we'll explore the fundamental principles of electrical engineering, providing you with a solid foundation in circuits and electrical systems.

Assessment: 50% Coursework 50% Examinations

Build the maths skills every engineer needs. Want to design bridges, launch rockets, or create the next big tech breakthrough? It all starts here. This module gives you the core math skills and problem-solving techniques every engineer relies on. It's the foundation for everything you'll build in your engineering journey.

Assessment: 50% Coursework 50% Examinations

We'll teach you the fundamental scientific principles of engineering mechanics and structures appropriate for engineering applications. You'll develop a deeper understanding of these key scientific principles through practical applications using hands-on calculations and also computer software tools.

Assessment: 50% Coursework 50% Examinations

Materials science is crucial for designing and manufacturing everything from bridges and airplanes to ships and medical devices. This module will teach you the properties and behaviours of different engineering materials, such as metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, to allow you select or develop materials that meet specific performance, efficiency, safety and environmental requirements.

Assessment: 50% Coursework 50% Examinations

Problem solving is at the heart of everything, but to solve a problem, you must first understand it. Engineering design sharpens this skill, helping you develop valid solutions to real challenges. In Semester 1, you'll develop essential techniques: sketching, computer-aided design, and application of the design process. Then, in Semester 2, you'll put those skills to the test, tackling real-world design problems head-on.

Assessment: 70% Coursework 30% Tests

Here you'll take a hands-on, practical approach to learning the fundamental principles of engineering science, with engaging experiments in our modern, student-centred labs. Along the way, you'll develop essential study habits, strengthen teamwork skills, and build confidence in technical communication - key qualities for any aspiring engineer.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

A year-long work placement is a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience and develop skills that will enhance future career prospects. This module prepares students to begin their placement search by providing practical guidance on where to look, how to apply, and how to present themselves effectively to potential employers; featuring insights from students who have recently returned from their own placements.

Dive into the foundations of control engineering! In this module, you'll explore powerful mathematical tools such as Laplace transforms and discover how they're applied to model and analyse real-world engineering problems. In parallel, you'll be introduced to classical control systems theory, gaining insight into how engineers design controllers that keep everything from robots to airplanes stable and responsive.

Assessment: 70% Examinations 30% Coursework

In this module, you will be introduced to the structural assessment of a range of engineering materials. You will learn both a study of the materials themselves as well as their likely failure mechanisms when subjected to external loads. The module will also help you develop the underpinning mathematical analysis you will need to quantify these effects in an appropriate manner.

Assessment: 50% Coursework 50% Examinations

Here you'll obtain a deep understanding of manufacturing processes through a blend of lectures and hands-on practicals. You'll explore forming, shaping, joining, and machining processes with both metallic and non-metallic materials. Working in our workshops will reinforce key concepts of manufacturing and enable you to use CAD part models to drive additive and subtractive CNC machine tools. It's manufacturing in action!

Assessment: 100% Coursework

In this module, you'll dive into the key concepts of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics that are crucial for mechanical engineering. Discover how energy flow in heat engines and how fluids behave in various engineering scenarios and its application to areas such as aerodynamics.

Assessment: 70% Examinations 30% Coursework

This module is your chance to use your creativity in an exciting mechanical engineering challenge, developing a product that you are proud of. You will learn to apply knowledge of engineering science (combined with 3D modelling) to optimise your designs. You will follow a structured design process as you would in industry, considering factors such as project/risk management, sustainability and product commercialisation.

Assessment: 70% Coursework 30% Tests

This module gives you an understanding of the importance of Total Quality to a manufacturer, its measurement and some of the tools available to the designer/manager to ensure it is profitably achieved. It introduces the concept of the World-Class organisation, its culture and management as well as the international (ISO) management systems (quality, environment and H&S) involved.

Assessment: 70% Examinations 30% Coursework

A year-long work-placement, undertaken with an approved placement provider and in a role relevant to the students programme. Students will leave with practical and relevant work experience, where they put theory into practice. This module is attached to the Placement and provides students with a single digital space to refer to for key reminders, FAQs, contact details, top tips and their Placement-year handbook.

In this module, you will gain expertise in two powerful Computer Aided Engineering methods: Computational Fluid Dynamics for fluid flow challenges and Finite Element Analysis for structural solutions. You'll explore validation techniques to ensure reliable simulation results. You will develop your skills that set you apart in the world of engineering!

Assessment: 100% Tests

From autonomous ships to self-driving cars and aerial drones, this module explores how control engineering and AI power intelligent systems across land, air, and sea. You'll learn how engineers design smart technologies that make real-time decisions, just like the systems behind modern ships, aircraft, and vehicles.

Assessment: 70% Examinations 30% Coursework

Your Honours Project is your chance to focus on what really fascinates you. You will have freedom to choose almost any topic that aligns with your degree programme, and you will develop a deep understanding of it. Much of your work will be done independently (with regular guidance from your supervisor). You will present a poster at the end of the project where you can proudly show all that you have achieved.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

In this module, you'll dive deeper into the fascinating world of thermal and fluid engineering, focusing on topics that are essential for mechanical engineering. Explore advanced concepts such as compressible flows, formation of shocks, heat engines, and thermal plumes and see how they apply to real-world engineering challenges.

Assessment: 50% Coursework 50% Examinations

Composites are lightweight materials enabling sustainable fuel-efficient transport systems and large durable blades for renewable energy systems. In this module you will learn how to design composite materials and the manufacturing processes essential for such high-performance structures. You make a composite laminate, measure selected mechanical properties and compare the data with theoretical predictions.

Assessment: 50% Coursework 50% Examinations

Extending learning from MATS347, you will choose a component, prepare a product design specification (PDS), do individual designs, then agree a group design and manufacturing route, make the prototype(s) and test against the PDS. You also use numerical simulation to optimise the design of the composite structure. The coursework mimics industrial product development with staff acting as customers for your product.

Assessment: 100% Coursework

Supercharge your engineering design skills by creating innovative and sustainable solutions to complex, real-world challenges. Use CAD and CAE tools to bring your ideas to life, validate functionality, and optimise technical performance across the product lifecycle. Explore the ethical responsibilities of engineers by debating real-world dilemmas. This module is a deep dive into creativity, precision, and integrity!

Assessment: 100% Coursework