What is mechanical, materials and manufacturing engineering?
The Department offers a range of degree courses in the areas of mechanical and manufacturing engineering, design and materials. Mechanical engineering focuses on the application of scientific knowledge to solve problems and design machines to help us enjoy a better, more sustainable lifestyle: in product design, the focus is more on visual creativity in designing products that meet people's needs in a modern lifestyle; design engineering combines mechanical engineering with the wider skills needed to create successful products; manufacturing engineering is about the process of making products with high-quality parts supplied in a competitive global market at the lowest cost in the shortest time; and biomedical materials is the study of the materials used in the biomedical industries to make products that can be used in the body, such as artificial joints and implants. At the end of year one, there is flexibility to transfer between any of the engineering degree courses within the Department.
How will I study?
The Department has an international reputation for the high quality of its research and teaching. Lectures and laboratory classes take place in modern, state-of-the-art facilities. Research in the Department is characterised by strong industrial collaboration with many well-known companies, such as Rolls-Royce and Ford.
The first two years of your course will be made up of lectures, laboratory classes, workshops and design classes, covering the core engineering science and design skills needed to give you a solid foundation. We have modern lecture theatres and state-of-the-art facilities and we make good use of e-learning approaches. In later years there is the opportunity to specialise and we offer a wide range of optional modules. Project work takes place throughout the course with students finding the ‘design and make’ projects particularly rewarding. Our overall aim is to support you in becoming an independent learner and a successful, skilled and focused engineer.
Assessment is usually carried out by a mixture of coursework and exams. Coursework typically makes up about a third of the marks that contribute towards a degree. After the first year, all marks contribute towards the class of degree awarded.
We strongly encourage you to obtain relevant industrial experience, either before or during your degree course. Once at Nottingham you may choose to undertake a summer placement or take a year out as part of our Industrial Placement Award scheme. We will assist you in finding an industrial placement.
MEng courses are the main route to the professional engineering qualification of Chartered Engineer (CEng) and our MEng and BEng honours degree courses are all accredited by the appropriate UK professional organisations, under licence to the Engineering Council. Accreditation by these bodies is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).
An accredited degree will provide you with some or all of the underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills for eventual registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
The BSc degree course in biomedical materials science falls outside the remit of existing engineering institutions but is still highly regarded by employers.
Many students have the opportunity to take up to a year out to study abroad at a top international university, including at our Malaysia Campus and at universities in the Universitas 21 group.
Further information can be found on our study abroad web pages.
Career prospects and employability
The Department is targeted by a large number of major industrial and commercial companies for recruitment and many of our past graduates are in senior positions.
The average starting salary for 2010/11 full-time graduates of the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering was £25,659.*
*Average starting salary from known destinations of first-degree leavers who studied full-time, 2010/11.
Application and interview
Offers are usually made without interview, except for the product design course.
Applicants who are made an offer will be given the opportunity to visit the Department. For University-wide open days, please see www.nottingham.ac.uk/opendays