Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest and most foundational branches of the engineering family. It applies the principles of physics, mathematics and materials science to the design, analysis, manufacture and maintenance of mechanical systems, from engines and turbines to robots and structures, from microscale devices to large-scale industrial plant. Mechanical engineers are the people who turn ideas about what technology might do into physical systems that actually work, reliably and safely, in the real world.

At the University of Kent, this three-year full-time programme has been designed to give you the experience and skills to design, build and optimise genuinely impactful innovations. You will develop a strong grounding in the mechanics of solids and fluids, thermodynamics, materials, manufacturing processes and computational methods. You will learn to model and analyse mechanical systems using both analytical and numerical techniques, and you will develop the design judgement that comes from working on projects where the constraints of the real world, cost, manufacturability, safety and sustainability, must all be considered alongside the physics.

A typical entry tariff of 120 points makes the programme accessible to students from a range of engineering science backgrounds.

Mechanical engineering is one of the most versatile qualifications in the engineering disciplines. Graduates work in aerospace, automotive, energy, manufacturing, rail, construction, consumer products, defence and medical devices, as well as in consultancy, project management and product development. The analytical and problem-solving skills developed through the programme are transferable across industries, and mechanical engineers with strong quantitative and technical foundations move into senior roles with considerable speed.

Postgraduate study in mechanical, manufacturing or systems engineering offers further specialisation, and the programme supports progression towards chartered engineer status through the relevant professional bodies.