Newcastle University

Mechanical Engineering with Bioengineering MEng Honours
UCAS Code: H3H8 (4 Years)

• Course Overview
• Modules
• Entry Requirements
• Careers
• Finance

Mechanical engineers are responsible for the design and manufacture of the majority of products around us, from cars and televisions to chairs and hypodermic needles.

Mechanical engineering also provides us with the tools and machines to make everything from motorways to computer chips.

Bioengineering embraces a wide range of engineering and medical techniques. The design and manufacture of artificial joints, the effect of wear and tear on biomaterials used in the body, and how engineering can help humans and animals to stay physically mobile for longer are all the concern of the bioengineer.

Bioengineering embraces a wide range of engineering and medical techniques, including biomechanics, biotribology, biomaterials and biosensors. Not only are new artificial joints being designed and others investigated, new materials to assist in the repair of the soft tissues are also under development as is the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment.

This degree will equip you to work in a range of jobs in industries supporting the health sector, or in that sector itself.

Professional accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). This provides industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

Quality and ranking

Newcastle is ranked in the top 10 UK universities for Mechanical Engineering in The Complete University Guide 2013.

Teaching and assessment

Our research feeds directly into our teaching, particularly our research in bioengineering. The importance of this to you is that you will have the chance to learn about developments that are at the cutting edge of your subject area.

Engineering degrees are amongst the most demanding - both in terms of contact hours and content - but employers appreciate the range of skills and motivation that our graduates display.

Over the first two years your contact hours are typically half lectures, one quarter seminars and tutorials, and one quarter practical and hands-on classes. There are also industrial visits, interviews, business games, management, and a variety of projects. In Stages 3 and 4, your timetable will be less full to give time for your major project work. Further information can be found on our undergraduate web pages about the approach to teaching and learning at Newcastle University.

Assessment is by course work and examination. Teaching and assessment methods may vary from module to module, more information can be found in our individual module listings.

Flexible degree structure

All of our Mechanical Engineering students study the same broad programme for the first two years covering:

• mechanical, electrical and materials engineering sciences (50%)
• engineering design and manufacturing (20%)
• engineering mathematics (18%) management and professional skills, such as computing and enterprise (12%)

At the end of this shared period, you have the option to transfer between our degrees should you find your interests have changed, though transfer from a BEng degree to a MEng degree is subject to you achieving the appropriate academic standard.

In Stage 3 and Stage 4 (MEng only) you balance general engineering topics with specific advanced topics relevant to your particular degree as well as undertaking a number of design projects.

Industry links

We have particularly strong links with local and national companies, resulting in guest lecturers from industry and interview training.

A high percentage of our teaching staff have worked in industry and/or still have contacts within the mechanical engineering industry and can bring your teaching to life with examples of real-world engineering problems, which you will have the chance to work on.

Our contacts with industry often also lead to opportunities for vacation work placements or an industrial placement year.

During Stage 3, you work in small teams on projects in local industry, working with some of the North East’s leading engineering companies.

You will also undertake a project in your final year and a significant number of these projects are based on our industrial links.

Facilities

Our base in the Stephenson Building houses a wide range of state-of-the-art, specialist facilities to support your studies including:

• PC cluster with 124 3D workstations with large monitors: the workstations are specifically built for tasks such as computer-aided design, and finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics
• 3D motion capture
• artificial joint testing
• nanomeasurement
• engine testing
• robotics
• micro-electromechanical systems
• railway systems
• composite materials fire test
• gear manufacture and testing
• X-ray diffraction

School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering

Study at Newcastle and you will join a vibrant community in the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering.

Each year, a team of our students enters the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Formula Student competition. This annual event challenges university teams across the globe to develop a high performance single-seat racing car, which is then put to the test at the famous Silverstone Circuit.

Places in our Formula Student team, Newcastle Racing, are available each year on a competitive basis.

Find out more about the benefits of studying Mechanical Engineering at Newcastle on the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering's website.