Powering a World in Motion
Why Choose Mechanical Engineering?
Fascinated by aircrafts, curious about intelligent robots, passionate about sustainable energy, keen to build autonomous vehicles, or eager to create life-changing medical devices? Then Mechanical Engineering is just the degree for you!
Mechanical Engineering is one of the broadest and most versatile of the engineering disciplines, involving the design, analysis, manufacture and control of objects and systems in motion. Virtually every aspect
of modern life is touched by mechanical engineering, from personal electronic devices to space exploration vehicles, including even the human body.
This versatility is an advantage in a world that is constantly and rapidly changing. A mechanical engineering education is an excellent foundation for work in numerous fields, giving you the flexibility to choose your career path. You may design products, develop processes, or analyse and solve problems in a wide range of industries including aerospace, health and medicine, energy conversion, transportation, robotics and manufacturing.
What Will I Learn?
As a mechanical engineer, you turn ideas into reality. You apply the principles of motion and energy to analyse the forces your product or system would encounter and the effects of its thermal environment, designing it for functionality, durability and aesthetics, while also choosing the most suitable material and manufacturing approach to ensure safe and reliable performance within economic and sustainability constraints.
You learn how to determine the movement and forces of objects on land, sea and air in solid and fluid mechanics, analyse energy conversion in thermodynamics, and how
energy is gained or lost through heat transfer You study how to control the motion of components and how to select appropriate materials and manufacturing processes to bring your design to life.
You will build upon these basics by selecting technical electives from a range of mechanical engineering topics in higher years or go deeper into a specific area by opting for one (or even two!) of our specialisations. You get to integrate your knowledge and skills in a capstone individual research-focused finalyear-project, while having the option of an additional group-based mechanical systems design project to solve real-world problems in partnership with a company.
Career Opportunities
Mechanical engineering is integral to our modern world, and you will have access to roles in just about any industry. Moreover, the skills you develop in problem-solving, analysis and design are also highly sought-after in non-engineering fields such as consulting, management and finance.
Thermal Engineer
Aerospace Engineer
Design, develop and test components and systems in aircraft and spacecraft.
Design and develop mechanical systems and structures that involves the movement of heat energy, in applications from microelectronics to medical devices to geothermal systems.
Robotics Engineer
Design, fabricate, test, and assemble complex, intelligent mechanical systems for specific industrial and service applications.
Rail Engineer
Design, maintain and improve rail systems for safety, reliability and efficiency.
Acoustical Engineer
Design, analyse and control sound and vibrations for problems such as noise pollution or rotary vibrations in machines.
Mechanical Design Engineer
Design, develop and test products, systems or processes.
Automation Engineer
Design and develop automated machines and streamline automated processes.
Automotive Engineer
Design, develop and test components and systems for road vehicles, including new sustainable fuel technologies.
Biomedical Engineer
Create devices and systems to improve healthcare, such as implants, artificial organs, exoskeletons, bodyimaging machines and robotic surgical assistants.
Engineering
Manufacturing Engineer
Design and implement systems to manufacture products efficiently and economically and to improve product quality.
Energy Engineer
Design, analyse and optimise energy systems, and develop sustainable methods to harness renewable energy sources.
Controls Engineer
Design and implement instrumentation and control systems for optimising operational efficiency in equipment.
Defence Engineer
Design, develop and test armoured vehicles, drones, weapons systems and other defence technologies.
Our Curriculum
You complete the equivalent of 40 courses, typically over four years. You read 10 common curriculum courses and another 20 ME major courses, including three technical electives. You can even use these three to partially fulfil any of the ME specialisations, each requiring the equivalent of five courses.
If you have a related polytechnic diploma, you get advanced placement credits (APCs) such that most diploma holders can graduate in three years. APCs are given outside of the ME core, so you do not miss out on core content!
4-Year Direct Honours Degree
The remaining 10 Unrestricted Electives (UEs) is where you get to decide the direction of your degree! Opt for a second major (10 courses), or any combination of higher-level ME technical electives, ME specialisations (five courses), minors (five courses), or pretty much any offered NUS course! You can even go on a vacation internship or work on a project under the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)!
for course details
Most Poly Students Graduate in 3 Years
4-year Direct
Honours Degree
10
Choose your own courses
Examples of UEs
Aeronautical Specialisation
Robotics Specialisation
Desired Career
Robotics
20 Courses
Biomechanical Engineer
2nd
Cyberphysical Systems Engineer
10
ME Specialisations
Specialisations let you take a deep dive into a specific area within Mechanical Engineering. You fulfil the requirements by reading five technical electives (TE), while some specialisations also offer the option of three TEs with a final year project (FYP) related to the area of study. The TEs and FYP count towards your major requirements, freeing up your unrestricted electives (UE) for other possibilities!
Specialisation with 5 Technical Electives
Specialisation with three Technical Electives and Final Year Project
Aeronautical Engineering
Learn advanced concepts of flight, aircraft structures and propulsion and control, and be inspired to work on projects such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), flapping-wing Micro Air Vehicles (MAV), and more. Our close collaboration with Temasek Lab @ NUS opens up exciting opportunities in the most advanced aerospace research facilities in Singapore.
Energy & Sustainability
Be part of a clean energy future. Learn about energy systems, traditional and alternative energy sources, energy conversion and storage, all within the broader context of energy management, sustainability and security.
Industry 4.0
In this interdisciplinary specialisation, learn how digital technology is revolutionising manufacturing, in which physical production and operations connect and communicate through the Internet; where big data and machine learning enable better visibility and control for real-time optimisation and faster, smarter decisions.
Robotics
Take an interdisciplinary approach towards learning what goes into intelligent machines – data analytics, machine learning, electronics and mechanical hardware; and prepare yourself for a career where you can continue to grow and expand your skills as the digitalisation of economies accelerates. All specialisations may be fulfilled with 5 Courses TEs
Specialisations in Energy & Sustainability and Robotics offer the option of 3 Courses TEs with FYP
Beyond Boundaries:
Second Majors, Minors and Double Degrees
Complement your mechanical engineering foundation with a second major, a minor or even a double degree. By exploring a new field, such as Biomedical Engineering or Computing, you will gain a deeper appreciation of how various disciplines intersect and work together. This interdisciplinary approach can help you solve complex problems more effectively and develop innovative solutions to multifaced
challenges such as climate change and greying population.
With a selection of double-degrees, and some 40 second majors and 80 minors within engineering and beyond, you can tailor unique skill sets that best suit your interest and career goals. Having a broader knowledge base can also increase your versatility in a rapidly changing job market.
How Do I Apply?
You may select any ME specialisation or the following options together with your application to Mechanical Engineering at NUS; you may also apply to these and many more after enrolment.
• 2nd major in Computing (Design & Engineering)
• 2nd major in Data Analytics
• 2nd major in Economics
• 2nd major in Innovation & Design
• 2nd major in Management
• 2nd major in Mathematics
• 2nd major in Psychology
• 2nd major in Sustainable Urban Development
• 2nd major in Systems Engineering
• Minor in Business Analytics
• Minor in Cities
• Minor in Computing (Design & Engineering)
• Minor in Data Analytics
• Minor in Data Engineering
• Minor in Economics
• Minor in Information Security
• Minor in Innovation & Design
• Minor in Management
• Minor in Mathematics
• Minor in Psychology
• Minor in Visual Communication Design
• Double-degree in Business Administration
• Double-degree in Humanities and Sciences
Profiles of Alumni
Lim Ying Min, Alicia
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering),
Class of 2024, Graduate Engineer, Singapore Airlines
• 2022 iDP Students Club Treasurer
• 2022 NUS Aviation Club General Secretart
• 2021 AeroNUS Admin Director
“I have always been intrigued by an aircraft’s ability to fly and meet transportation needs. Taking a Mechanical Engineering degree with a specialisation in Aeronautical Engineering at NUS has deepened my theoretical knowledge of the workings of an aircraft. Moreover, the many hands-on opportunities available at NUS, including year-long design projects under the Innovation and Design Programme as well as the chance to be part of NUS’ AIAA Design, Build and Fly International Competition Team, have enabled me to acquire practical mechanical skills in the aviation sector. NUS’ wide network has also provided me with invaluable opportunities to intern at Airbus and Singapore Airlines, as well as go on a student exchange at ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse.”
Nur Zaheerah Abdul Aziz
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), Class of 2021
Intermediate Systems Interaction Engineer, HP Inc.
• Former President, NUS Society of Mechanical Engineering (SME) (AY18/19)
• Former General Secretary, Engineers Without Borders (NUS) (AY20/21)
“ME stood out to me for its versatility and broad set of transferable skills and knowledge. Doing my design project with SCDF and interning in the medical tech industry allowed me to apply engineering knowledge to real world issues, which have truly come in handy in my current role as an engineer. Being part of SME and participating in various global opportunities that NUS had to offer, including an exchange to Hanyang University in Korea, also enabled me to hone my leadership and interpersonal skills and widened my perspective of the world.”
Singapore-Cambridge ‘A’ Levels
Pass in H2 Mathematics or Further Mathematics
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass in HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches
NUS High School
A good major GPA in Mathematics
Polytechnic Diplomas
Accredited diploma
