Mechanical Engineering (with an industrial placement year) MEng

Key information

Duration:
5 years full time
UCAS code:
H34F
Start date:
September 2025
  • 87.9% of our research outputs in Engineering were assessed to be world leading or internationally excellent (REF 2021) 

The Master of Engineering (MEng) degree lets you specialise your degree with a range of options and provides you with the educational requirements needed to become a Chartered Engineer. The optional placement year also gives you the chance to get real work experience for a year in industry, while still being supported by the department at Sussex.

At Sussex, we undertake world-class research, which enriches your teaching. Our Dynamics, Control and Vehicle Research Group and the Thermo-Fluid Mechanics Research Centre, develop innovative concepts in vehicle technology and efficient aero-engines, among other things.

You’ll study in our Future Technologies Labs that incorporate computer suites and new automation/robotics facilities. There is a dedicated manufacturing lab with state-of-the-art facilities such as CNC machines and 3-D printers. You'll be able to specialise in subjects such as CAD, computational fluid dynamics through optional modules. You'll also work on areas such as control, vibration, tribology, or aerodynamics through project work including Formula Student and Wind-driven car projects.

We have dedicated academic advisers to support you during you time at Sussex, as well as a team of student mentors. 

Accreditation

Our courses are accredited to include the 2023 intake. We are currently in the process of securing re-accreditation for the 2024 intake onwards, according to the rules of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which require periodic re-accreditation.

    To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. This can be a fantastic opportunity to gain real-life insight into industry as well as skills valued by employers. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can help you:

    • find an employer
    • draft an application
    • prepare for interviews.

    Don’t worry if you’re not successful, you’ll simply transfer to a non-placement version of your course.

    We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

    MEng or BEng?

    We also offer this course without the industrial placement year, as a four-year BEng with an industrial placement year, or as a three-year BEngFind out about the benefits of an integrated Masters year.

    The facilities are excellent. I particularly enjoy the fast-speed computers, which have allowed me to run powerful softwares with ease.Abigail Berhane
    Mechanical Engineering BEng

    Open Days and virtual visits

    Meet us on campus or online

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    Entry requirements

    Entry requirements for this course are currently under review – please check back in early March 2024.

    Modules

    This is a single-honours course, allowing you to focus in depth on your core subject.

    Find out about our types of undergraduate degrees, their structure, modules and credits

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Global Design Challenge

    You join all first-year students in the School of Engineering and Informatics in a team-based, week-long activity, the Global Design Challenge. Each team designs a solution to a problem faced by a community in the developing world. You develop transferable skills, benefiting both your studies and your future employability.

    We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

    We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

    Check back in January 2025 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2025/26.

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

    We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

    Check back in January 2025 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2025/26.

    An industrial placement gives you the chance to spend a year working with an organisation, in an area relevant to your course, while being paid. It’s a proven way to fast-track your career. Recent students have gone on placements at:

    • EDF Energy
    • GE Aviation
    • YASA Motors.

    You develop your technical, team-working and transferable skills, and apply what you have learnt in your studies to a business environment.

    Find out more about placements and internships

    Find out about the latest award-winning design from one of our placement students

    Our careers team offers dedicated support to help you obtain a placement, including:

    • finding an employer
    • drafting an application
    • preparing for interviews
    • ongoing help throughout a placement.

    Don’t worry if you’re not successful in securing a placement, you’ll simply transfer to a non-placement version of your course.

    I owe my current academic and career progress to the opportunities that my placement gave me.”Thomas Westwood
    Mechanical Engineering (with industrial placement year) MEng
    Product Support Engineer, Eschmann Equipment

    Please note that if you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t undertake your placement in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

    We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

    Check back in January 2025 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2025/26.

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

    We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

    Check back in January 2025 for more details of the modules running in the academic year 2025/26.

    Societies and partnerships

    You’ll be welcomed into our active, student-run engineering societies, and benefit from our partnerships with:

     

    Studying Mechanical Engineering at Sussex

    TEF 2023 silver

    Silver

    The student experience and student outcomes are typically very high quality.
    This rating was awarded in 2023, for four years.
    (Teaching Excellence Framework 2023)

    Find out more about our approach to teaching and supporting you to thrive

    Our staff

    My favourite part of teaching is when my students connect the theory we’ve explored to real-life engineering issues. Finding innovative solutions is a great motivation!Dr Esra Sorguven
    Senior Lecturer in Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics

    Fees

    Fees are not yet set for the academic year 2025/26 – please check back in September 2024. Note that your fees, once they’re set, may be subject to an increase on an annual basis.

    Find out about typical living costs for studying at Sussex

    Find out about our terms and conditions

    Scholarships

    Details of our scholarships are not yet set for entry in the academic year 2025/26.

    Careers

    Gain the skills for a career in engineering, and benefit from our industry links with companies like Jaguar, IBM, Siemens and Thales. The technical, team-working and design skills you develop on this course mean you can go into graduate jobs in sectors including:

    • aerospace and energy
    • construction and manufacturing
    • automotive.

    You can also meet graduate employers at careers events. Recent sessions have included talks by IBM and Atkins, and advice on applying for graduate schemes.

     

    Working while you study

    Our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work

    The facilities are excellent. I particularly enjoy the fast-speed computers, which have allowed me to run powerful softwares with ease.” Abigail Berhane
    Mechanical Engineering MEng 
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