MEng Mechatronic Engineering with Industrial Experience / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

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MEng 4th Year Project Demo Day
Switch on your career in mechatronic engineering at Manchester, a university with a prestigious engineering history - and a bright focus on the future. Mechatronics, the marriage of mechanical engineering with smart electronics, is vital to subjects including industrial automation and robotics.

To interact with an object, a mechatronic system must know where the object is, be able to move the object and place it in the required new position. The electronics require information from sensors that can detect position, orientation, and visual or audio signals. The electrical inputs from the sensors have to be interpreted and the appropriate signals sent out to the actuators to perform the required operation.

A good understanding of feedback control is also required to make changes in the system from one steady position to another, without oscillations or unpredictable movements. In this course you will learn the techniques necessary for the design and implementation of such intelligent mechatronic systems.

In the final year you will also complete a team project directly funded by industry or inspired by industrial needs. Past projects have included developing an instrumented training wheelchair for para-athletes, creating a new core infrastructure for a robot orchestra, and developing a cyber-secure electricity management system in smart cities.

Spending a year in industry will not only develop your business, team working and transferable skills - all highly sought-after by employers - it will also highlight the broad range of careers on offer to you and guide your choice of subject options. You'll place yourself in a great position to move your career forward.

Aims

  • You will learn robotics, mechatronics, and autonomous system technology and how to incorporate an electronics nervous system into other engineering systems and devices.
  • We will provide ample opportunity for practical application and project work. These are strong themes throughout our course.
  • You will be taught by academics working on the cutting-edge of research, helping to solve the world's biggest challenges.
  • You will gain first-hand industrial experience at a recognised company, acquiring the knowledge and skills to take your learning to the next level.
  •  In the final year you will undertake a team project either directly funded by industry or based on industrial needs.

Special features

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Where Ideas Come to Life

Facilities

Explore  Our Home for Engineering and Materials.

With an extensive range of leading facilities , you'll get hands-on with industry-standard equipment - improving your knowledge and skills, and preparing you for work post-graduation. Our flagship facilities include the High Voltage Lab and Photon Science Institute.

Paid industrial placement

Increase your depth and breadth of electrical and electronic engineering knowledge, and gain valuable practical work experience.

Industry-inspired team project

Final year students undertake a team project that is either directly funded by industry or inspired by industrial needs - providing the experience and skills you need before taking your next career step.

Regular, close support

During the first year, you will be supported by unit-specific tutors, who hold weekly small-group sessions to discuss questions related to your course. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to engage with  our award-winning Peer Assisted Study Session scheme  which allows you to interact with 2nd and 3rd Year students. You'll also be assigned an Academic Advisor, who will support you in terms of your academic progression and career development.

Options and flexibility

The first three semesters of our undergraduate courses share the same content. This allows you to transfer between electrical and electronic, electronic and mechatronic engineering up until halfway through your second year.

Teaching and learning

In your first year of study there is approximately a 50:50 split between your contact time and independent study; about the same as when studying for A-levels.

In subsequent years this split changes to a greater amount of independent learning, with the split being approximately 30:70 in the third year, and 20:80 in the forth. This does not mean that less help is available; our staff are here to help.

Contact time could be in a lecture, example class, tutorial, laboratory class and sometimes may be online (email/e-learning/web blog etc). All of these activities enable you to interact with us to ensure you have the best possible learning experience.

The course contains strong practical elements: a year-long practical build project of an electronic device in Year 1, a year-long practical build project of an autonomous embedded system in Year 2, a year-long practical research project in Year 3, and an industrially related year-long engineering team project in Year 4.

During your year in industry, an academic supervisor will ensure that your activity is strongly related with your degree and you will have the opportunity to spend a year working on engineering projects in an industrial setting.

Coursework and assessment

Assessment of most course units is by examination combined with an element of course work, such as marked laboratory work or marked examples. Substantial projects are assessed by written reports, presentations and demonstrations.

Course unit details

Overview of the year in industry

The year in industry provides a valuable opportunity to experience work as an engineer in real world situations within a commercial UK based company. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to engineering products that will influence the future development of society, and undertaking a year in industry increases the likelihood of securing a job offer after graduation.

Aims of year in industry

  • Provide practical experience of engineering, which may contribute to the engineering practice qualification for IET membership
  • Provide the experience of holding responsibilities associated with industrial employment
  • Provide the opportunity to develop and enhance key soft skills required to work in a team structure  
  • Provide the opportunity to consolidate a technical education with that of the engineering environment
  • Provide a platform to encourage the transformation from student to engineer

Learning outcomes

The year in industry has been designed taking into consideration the requirements of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). This year may be included as a part of the years of experience that together with the academic qualifications allow students to become Chartered Engineers (CEng).

There are four outcomes we want to develop:

  1. The ability to understand and analyse engineering challenges.
  2. The ability to apply engineering techniques to industrial challenges.
  3. To provide technical or commercial guidance, knowledge-sharing or leadership to peers or assistants.
  4. To demonstrate effective interpersonal presentation and technical writing skills.

Teaching and learning methods

Twice during the period in industry you will be visited by your Academic Supervisor. The visits allows us to confirm that the learning outcomes are being met and that you are happy within your placement. 

Assessment methods

Assessment takes place throughout the placement. You are required to submit a preparatory report and deliver a preparatory presentation, and also a final report and final presentation.

Your academic tutor will complete two visits and supply feedback on your submissions.

Final Presentation: 30%

Final Report: 70%

Course content for year 1

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Electronic Materials EEEN10021 10 Mandatory
Circuit Analysis EEEN10121 10 Mandatory
Digital System Design I EEEN10131 10 Mandatory
Electronics Project EEEN10141 10 Mandatory
Measurements & Analytical Software EEEN10151 10 Mandatory
Microcontroller Engineering I EEEN10202 10 Mandatory
Energy Transport and Conversion EEEN10212 10 Mandatory
Electromagnetic Fields EEEN10222 10 Mandatory
Electronic Circuit Design I EEEN10232 10 Mandatory
C Programming EEEN10242 10 Mandatory
Mathematics 1E1 for EEE MATH19681 10 Mandatory
Mathematics 1E2 MATH19682 10 Mandatory
Displaying 10 of 12 course units for year 1

Course content for year 2

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Microcontroller Engineering II EEEN20011 10 Mandatory
Engineering Management EEEN20051 10 Mandatory
Digital Systems Design II EEEN20121 10 Mandatory
Signals and Systems EEEN20131 10 Mandatory
Machines, Drives & Power Electronics EEEN20212 10 Mandatory
Electronic Circuit Design II EEEN20222 10 Mandatory
Control Systems I EEEN20252 10 Mandatory
Applied Mechanics & Industrial Robotics EEEN20282 20 Mandatory
Embedded Systems Project EEEN21000 20 Mandatory
Mathematics 2E1 MATH29681 10 Mandatory

Course content for year 3

Course units for year 3

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Mobile Robots and Autonomous Systems EEEN30072 10 Mandatory
Power Electronics EEEN30121 10 Mandatory
Mechatronic Analysis & Design EEEN30151 10 Mandatory
Control Systems II EEEN30232 10 Mandatory
Sensors & Instrumentation EEEN30242 10 Mandatory
Individual Project EEEN30330 30 Mandatory
Commercial Technology Development MCEL30102 10 Mandatory
Numerical Analysis EEEN30101 10 Optional
Data Networking EEEN30111 10 Optional
Concurrent Systems EEEN30141 10 Optional
High Speed Digital and Mixed Signal Design EEEN30171 10 Optional
Digital Signal Processing EEEN30201 10 Optional
Transmissions Lines & Optical Fibres EEEN30212 10 Optional
Electrical Drive Systems EEEN30262 10 Optional
Independent Study and Technical Explanations EEEN31001 10 Optional
Leadership in Action Online Unit UCIL20031 10 Optional
Leadership in Action Online Unit UCIL20032 10 Optional
Understanding Mental Health UCIL20112 10 Optional
AI: robot overlord, replacement, or colleague? UCIL20122 10 Optional
Trust and Security in a Digital World: From Fake News to Cyber Criminals UCIL20132 10 Optional
Are We Alone? The Search for Extraterrestrial Life UCIL20211 10 Optional
Creating a Sustainable World: 21st Century Challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals UCIL20311 10 Optional
Digital Society: Your Place in a Networked World UCIL26002 10 Optional
Displaying 10 of 23 course units for year 3

Course content for year 4

Course units for year 4

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Advanced Technology Enterprise for EEE MCEL40011 15 Mandatory
Antennas and RF Systems EEEN40121 15 Optional
Machine Learning & Optimisation Techniques EEEN40151 15 Optional
Digital Image Processing EEEN40161 15 Optional
Microwave Circuit Principles and Design EEEN40171 15 Optional
Nanoelectronic Devices and Nanomaterials EEEN40412 15 Optional
Solar Energy Technologies EEEN40421 15 Optional
Process Control & Model Predictive Control EEEN40441 15 Optional
Robotic Manipulators EEEN42012 15 Optional
Digital Control & System Identification EEEN44411 15 Optional
Multi-Sensor Signal Processing & Imaging EEEN44442 15 Optional
Displaying 10 of 11 course units for year 4

Scholarships and bursaries

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages and our Department funding pages .

What our students say

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The future of engineering education at Manchester, MECD.
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Udit tells us about why he chose to study Mechatronic Engineering at Manchester
Find out what it's like to study at Manchester by visiting the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering blog .

Facilities

Come to our Home of Engineering and Materials - a place like no other. This is where engineers, material scientists and fashion students collaborate, innovate and make their mark on the world. Unleash your potential in our creative, academic playground that signals the evolution of a proud history of innovation spanning almost 200 years.   

In this very special place, we’re ripping up the rule book, offering you a truly innovative teaching and learning experience. As well as our creative classrooms, you’ll also have access to world-leading sustainable research facilities in our new buildings.  

Our variety of spaces allows for greater collaboration for all our students, and it is the place to connect and tackle real-life challenges together. So, a chemical engineer could be sat alongside a materials scientist working on clean water, or bump into a fashion student developing their own sustainable brand, or an aerospace engineer sending a rocket into space. It is a place like no other for interactions and one of the biggest communities of engineers and materials scientists in any University in the world.   

Dive into a world of possibilities, whether you are interested in aerospace, robotics, or sustainable fashion, there’s a home for you here. 

Explore  Our Home for Engineering and Material Science

What's more, our strong, ever-growing links with industry not only help to inform our courses, but also boost our excellent teaching and research facilities. These include: 

The University of Manchester also offers extensive   library and online services  , helping you get the most out of your studies. 

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk