88
NUI Galway – Undergraduate Prospectus 2014
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical)
What is Mechanical Engineering?
What placement opportunities does this course offer?
Mechanical Engineering is a subject concerned with the design and manufacture of parts and systems that make up the range of machinery and equipment you see around you, from a can opener to a jet aircraft. Mechanical engineers design the tools and processes necessary to create all man-made products, and are often involved in the conceiving of an idea right through to seeing it as a finished product ready for commercial application. They design everything you think of as a device or machine. Devices used in engines, the components used in transportation, power conversion equipment like the steam and wind turbines used in modern electric power plants, and processing equipment used in oil and gas rigs all come within the remit of the mechanical engineer.
Students will undertake a five-month (April to August), off-campus work placement following completion of their third year of study. In the event that no external placement is available, students will be given projects on campus. This Professional Experience Programme gives students an opportunity to work on projects relevant to their course of study, and it significantly improves their chances of obtaining employment after graduation.
Why should I study Mechanical Engineering? If you think you have or can develop the skills and knowledge to understand the requirements for designing a moving device or machine for the environment it will be used in as well as understand how it will best be manufactured, then you may make a good mechanical engineer. This degree programme is designed to provide graduates with the skills to face the challenge for newer, better, faster, more reliable, more versatile, longer-lasting and more environmentally friendly products and processes. These skills need also to be complemented by the managerial and personal skills required to interact with teams on joint projects.
How will I benefit from studying this subject? Learning about Mechanical Engineering will help you develop your creative side, a part of your thinking that will enable you to design a new product or system and the analytical skills to make it a reality. You will also learn about the value of the teamwork skills that go into the successful production of most devices and processes used in today’s world. These are valuable skills that will be useful in other areas of your life also.
What postgraduate and career prospects will I have from this course? As Mechanical Engineering is perhaps the most wide-ranging of engineering disciplines, it offers diverse career opportunities. Graduates go on to work in such areas as research, industrial design, project management, environmental protection, energy production, technical sales, process control, manufacturing, aeronautics, and materials and product development. The ME Masters in Mechanical Engineering (60 ECTS) programme is designed to provide the additional one-year educational requirements for Chartered Engineer status and for parity with equivalent international engineering degree programmes. For students interested in pursuing further education, the PhD and MEngSc degrees are obtained through doing research work along with advanced study. Research students specialise in an area of research, working with a high degree of independence.