Course overview

This degree equips you with specialist skills for a career producing efficient transport systems in sectors such as the automotive, railway and transport industries.

You master the fundamentals of mechanical engineering before specialising later in your degree, with specialist modules including:

• structural optimisation
• energy sources and storage
• vehicle drives and dynamics

You showcase your professional skills – including project management and the application of design methodology – through an industry-relevant team project in your final year.

Please note: this degree was previously advertised as Mechanical and Low Carbon Transport Engineering MEng Honours (H390).

Download information about this course as a PDF

Additional information

This degree allows you to explore several engineering disciplines in year one. This flexible route is taught across Civil, Electrical & Electronic and Mechanical Engineering.

You'll gain an understanding of engineering in a multidisciplinary context. You'll develop diverse skills relevant to the needs of industry and today’s global challenges.

After successfully completing Stage 1, you'll have the option of transferring on to one of the accredited Civil, Electrical & Electronic or Mechanical Engineering degrees. This is subject to the degree programme regulations and capacity of the degree you are transferring to.

Quality and ranking

We have a long tradition of excellence in teaching, recognised in many external surveys and assessments, but also by our own students.

Our commitment to teaching quality and an excellent student experience is reflected through our results in national and international student satisfaction surveys.

Teaching excellence

TEF Gold

A ringing endorsement of Newcastle University’s long tradition of excellence in teaching.

Professional accreditation

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

This means future employers will recognise the quality of your degree because it meets high professional standards.

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body.

Modules and learning

Modules

The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage. 

Our teaching is informed by research, and course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, student feedback, or numbers of students interested in an optional module.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Stage 1 will provide a broad introduction to the principles of engineering. You'll get hands-on from the very beginning of your degree, working in a team to design and build a working wind turbine as part of a project.

Compulsory modules

• Engineering Mathematics I
• Design and Professional Skills I
• Electrical and Magnetic Systems
• Electronics and Sensors
• Thermofluid Mechanics
• Materials I
• Mechanics I

Stage 2 covers: mechanical, electrical and materials engineering sciences (50%) engineering design and manufacturing (20%) engineering mathematics (18%), and management and professional skills, such as computing and enterprise (12%).

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Electrical Engineering II	10
Accounting, Finance and Law for Engineers	10
Engineering Mathematics II and Statistical Data Analysis	20
Materials Science II	10
Applications of Thermofluid Dynamics	20
Design and Manufacturing II	20
Mechanical Engineering Professional Skills II	10
Mechanics II	20

In Stage 3, your studies continue to cover a broad range of topics, so you develop a wide set of skills and knowledge ready to take into the workplace alongside advanced specialist topics, such as:

• structural optimisation and crashworthiness
• energy sources and storage
• instrumentation and drive systems

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Materials degradation and Component Life	15
Computational Modelling	15
Instrumentation and Drive Systems	15
Managing Engineering Operations	15
Design for Industry	15
Structural Optimisation and Crashworthiness	15
Mechanical Engineering Project	30

In your final year you will study advanced specialist topics and complete another major project. You also complete a major project, and mechanical engineering team project designed to develop your project management and design methodology skills, relevant to your career as an engineer.

Recent examples of final-year projects include cellular manufacturing of automotive sub-assemblies and fire testing of composite materials. 

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Energy sources and storage	20
Vehicle Drives and Dynamics	20
Design for Human - Systems Integration	20
Design of Mechanical Power Transmissions	20
Mechanical Engineering Team Project	40

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods

Over the first two years you will have around 20 timetabled hours per week; 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 years 3 and 4, your timetable will allow more time for your major project work.

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

• 

  Coursework

• 

  Examinations – practical or online

• 

  Projects

Skills and experience

Research skills

The teaching of your mechanical engineering degree is informed by the research of our expert staff based in our research institutes, which specialise in bioengineering, design, manufacture and material and fluid dynamic and thermal systems.

These research groups allow you to draw on the expertise of staff and their connections with industry as well as providing access to specialist facilities.

Business skills

You'll build critical teamwork and leadership skills, which are valued by employers, through small team projects and individual engineering investigations.

Between Stage 3 and Stage 4, you'll have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the sector on a work placement. 

Practical skills

You will have access to a wide range of facilities in the School of Engineering, including state-of-the-art CAD and CAE 3D design facilities, wind tunnels and manufacturing labs, among others. You'll also work with local industry throughout your degree through various projects, and learn about real-world engineering through guest lectures.

Opportunities

Work placement

Get career ready with a work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organisation in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement. Work placements take place between stages 3 and 4.

You'll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Placements are subject to availability.

Find out more about work placements

Facilities and environment

Facilities

As a mechanical engineering student you'll be based in the School of Engineering in the heart of our city-centre campus.

You'll have access to a wide range of industry-standard facilities and laboratories such as:

• labs for design-make-test projects: making and testing machines and structures
• strengths (testing) labs with machines up to 500kN and access to machines up to 8MN
• mechantronics/electronics labs for programming robots and automated devices
• bio-engineering lab for bio-materials manufacture and testing of components
• manufacturing lab with good selection of modern CNC machine tools
• composite materials lab with fire test facilities

We also provide high-quality, specialist facilities to support your studies: 

• state-of-the-art CAD and CAE 3D design facilities
• HE-Ion and other microscopes with resolutions down to 0.3nm
• wide range of rapid prototyping facilities for projects and research 
• engine test cells, wind-tunnel and water flow channels with laser flow management
• Formula Student car design, build and test facilities
• gear and drive system testing machines up to 8MW capacity
• our own 1750hp main-line diesel-electric locomotive

Support

To support you in your studies, all new students entering year 1 or year 2 will receive:

• a tablet so you can download the online learning resources you'll need for your course (helping us to make our campus more sustainable)
• a start-up pack containing essential personal protective equipment and textbooks

You'll have the support of an academic member of staff as a personal tutor throughout your degree to help with academic and personal issues.

Peer mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer any questions you have when starting university.

Your future

As well as the technical and practical expertise that you gain from studying mechanical engineering, our degrees are designed to provide you with opportunities to learn and develop a range of skills that are vital to the workplace, such as:

• analytical and problem-solving
• project-working both as part of a team and on your own
• communicating with others
• planning and time management
• computer literacy

The majority of mechanical engineering graduates wish to enter engineering-related careers in order to become professionally qualified. Popular areas are research and development, design, production, manufacturing, consultancy, contracting, purchasing and quality assurance.

Opportunities exist in a wide range of sectors, including transport and logistics, health, defence, manufacturing, automobile, renewable energy, amongst others.

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Careers support

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ inititiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme

This degree is approved by DTUS, a Ministry of Defence sponsorship programme for students who wish to join the Royal Navy, British Army, RAF, or Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG) as technical officers after graduation. 

Find out more about the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme

Additional information

Advice on maths and science requirements

If you don’t think you will have the exact mathematics and science qualifications referred to in our entry requirements by the time you need them, you may not be sure what to do.

• If you have a maths qualification but will not have it at A Level (or equivalent) when you start your degree, you should apply for the relevant degree with Foundation Year. We may give you the opportunity to take the Newcastle University Pre-Entry Maths Course* and the option to start in Year 1 if we think that this will be the best route for you.
• If you have A Level Maths (or equivalent) already but not at the required grade, you should contact us for advice. We may decide that you could be considered for Foundation Year entry, or it may be that this course is not the best option for you.
• If you will not have the equivalent of an A Level in the science subject (if any) required, you should apply for the relevant degree with Foundation Year.

If you are still not sure, don’t worry. Whatever you apply for, our Admissions Tutors will help you decide which is the best route for you. They may, therefore, make you an offer for a different course from the one you apply for (eg Foundation Year entry instead of Year 1 entry).

*The Newcastle University Pre-Entry Maths Course aims to provide the requisite mathematical skills and concepts needed on our engineering, maths and physics degree courses and to prepare students for the modes of learning they will encounter. The materials for the course are delivered electronically and include opportunities to practise your skills. You study the materials in your own time and, when you are ready, you book your exam with the Engineering School to which you have applied. A fee of £150 is payable at the time of booking the exam or shortly before the date set for examination.

Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for 2020 entry (per year)

UK Students

£9250

International Students

£22800

The maximum fee that we are permitted to charge for UK students is set by the UK government.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Read more about fees and funding

You will be charged tuition fees for each year of your degree programme (unless you are on a shorter exchange programme).

The tuition fee amount you will pay may increase slightly year on year as a result of inflation.

Read more about fees and funding

Year abroad and additional costs

For programmes where you can spend a year on a work placement or studying abroad, you will receive a significant fee reduction for that year. 

Some of our degrees involve additional costs which are not covered by your tuition fees.

Find out more about:

• different tuition fees
• additional costs

Scholarships

Find out more about:

• scholarships for UK, EU and international students
• scholarships for students applying to study at our London campus
• Student Loans and Government financial support for UK and EU students

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle University, you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All UK schools and colleges, and a small number of EU and international establishments, are registered with UCAS. You will need:

• the UCAS name and institution codes for Newcastle University (NEWC/N21)
• the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for
• the UCAS 'buzzword' for your school or college

If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.

Apply through UCAS

Apply through an agent

International students often apply to us through an agent. Have a look at our recommended agents and get in touch with them.

Visit our International pages