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Mechanical Engineering at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

7Dec
University of Portsmouth Open Day
Undergraduate

Course summary

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview With huge technological advances taking place in areas of transport, energy, healthcare and robotics, studying mechanical engineering can put you in a position to influence the future of global industries. To meet the challenges of the engineering world, you'll study the design, development, modelling and operation of engineered products and systems. To establish your expertise in engineering, you'll get to specialise in subjects such as sustainable development, computer-aided engineering and computational fluid dynamics. BEng or MEng? The 3-year Bachelor's degree (BEng) and 4-year integrated Master's degree (MEng) share many of the same modules in years 1–3. The MEng allows you to achieve a Master’s level degree with an extra year of undergraduate study, which can further enhance your career prospects. Course highlights

  • Learn about the underlying elements of successful engineering and manufacturing projects, including engineering analysis, optimisation and design
  • Work on a project proposal sponsored by an external company – previous students have worked on a heat loss optimisation with Rolls Royce, fire alarms with Apollo Fire Detectors and wind turbine blade production with Vestas
  • Get the chance to be involved in Formula Student, where you'll design, construct and test a competitive race car with fellow students to be judged and raced at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix
Accreditation This course is accredited by European Engineering Programmes (EUR-ACE), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). The BEng meets in part the academic requirement for registration as Chartered Engineer (CEng) and the MEng meets in full the academic requirement for registration as Chartered Engineer (CEng). Careers and opportunities This mechanical engineering degree course will give you the skills and experience you need to work in any industry that depends on mechanical systems, from transport and construction to the armed forces and energy. And your skills will be in demand when you graduate – all mechanical engineering roles are listed in the UK Government’s 'skills shortage list'. This is backed up by the fact that 90% of our MEng graduates are in work and/or further study 15 months after they graduate, with 80% of those in highly skilled work. 5 years after graduation, students on our mechanical engineering courses are earning an average of £35,000 a year. Graduate destinations Our graduates have worked for national and global companies such as:
  • Babcock International
  • Pall Corporation
  • Rolls-Royce
  • Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
  • Bosch Thermotechnology
  • Wärtsilä
  • Mercedes-AMG
What jobs can you do with a mechanical engineering degree? Roles you could go onto include:
  • mechanical engineer
  • design engineer
  • test engineer
  • project manager
  • energy storage analyst
  • mechanical design engineer
Other graduates have continued their studies at postgraduate level or set up successful businesses with help and support from the University. After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career. "Formula Student has given me the confidence in my ability as an engineer, as components that I have designed were built and proven to withstand their environment." Simon Hotchkiss, Mechanical Engineering Student

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Electrical and Electronic Principles (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Design (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Materials and Manufacture (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Solid Mechanics and Dynamics (20 credits)
  • Introduction to Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics (20 credits)
  • Mathematical Principles (20 credits)
There are no optional modules in this year. Year 2 Core modules in this year include:
  • Computer Aided Engineering and Product Manufacture (20 credits)
  • Engineering Design (20 credits)
  • Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Analysis (20 credits)
  • Solid Mechanics and Dynamics (20 credits)
  • Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
  • Engineering Programming (20 credits)
  • Materials and Manufacture (20 credits)
  • Robotics and Automation (20 credits)
Year 3
  • Design for Quality (20 credits)
  • Finite Element Analysis in Solid Mechanics (20 credits)
  • Meng Individual Project (3Rd Year) (40 credits)
  • Sustainable Development and Environmental Management (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
  • Advanced Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics (20 credits)
  • Big Data Applications (20 credits)
Placement year (optional) On this course, you can do an optional work placement year after your 2nd or 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You’ll be assessed through:

  • written examinations
  • coursework
  • practical tests
  • project work
  • presentations
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future. The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows:
  • Year one students: 84% by written exams and 16% by coursework
  • Year two students: 56% by written exams, 13% by practical exams and 31% by coursework
- Year three students: 60% by written exams and 40% by coursework

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Engineering and Technology, Institution of
  • Accreditation of European Engineering Programmes (EUR-ACE)
  • Mechanical Engineers, Institution of

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
PTE Academic62An overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
60%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
75%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9535 Year 1
England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
International £19200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad (at the time of publishing for 2024/25): UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 EU – £1,385 (including Transition Scholarship) International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. All fees are subject to annual increase. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Mechanical Engineering at University of Portsmouth - UCAS