Overview
Duration: 1 year full-time (taught)
Application deadline: 30 June 2013 (international) / 31 August 2013 (home/EU)
Entry requirements: First degree (UK 1st or 2:1 or international equivalent ) in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering
Language requirements: IELTS 6.5 (at least 6.0 in each of the four components) OR TOEFL (internet): 92 overall, Writing 21, Listening 21, Reading 22, Speaking 23.
MSc Mechatronics
The MSc in Mechatronics is an integration of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. It has been specifically designed to fulfil the needs of modern industry requiring knowledge in both fields and incorporates a significant input from industry to complement its academic foundations.
The programme specialises in enabling students to produce mechatronic components which increase performance and energy efficiency, as sought after by industries worldwide.
Learning outcomes
By studying for our MSc in Mechatronics you will learn to:
- implement the concepts of mechatronics design principles to the solution of complex multi-physics engineering systems
- apply artificial intelligence and modern control and computer engineering techniques to improve the performance of modern equipments and devices
Collaborative working
The programme includes traditionally taught subject-specific units and business and group-orientated modular work. These offer you the chance to gain experience in design, project management and creativity, while working with students from other subjects.
You will complete your MSc through an individual research project under the supervision of two supervisors; one from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and one from Mechanical Engineering, assigned to one of our leading research centres.
Further details
Group project work
In semester 2 you undertake a cross-disciplinary group activity for your professional development, simulating a typical industrial work situation.
Individual project work
In the final semester, you undertake an individual research project directly related to key current research at the University, often commissioned by industry.
See programme catalogue for more detail on individual units.
Semester 1 (October-January)
The first semester covers the fundamental principles of computational artificial intelligence, integrated engineering control techniques and mechatronic systems modelling and simulation.
- Five taught units (three compulsory and two options)
- Includes coursework involving laboratory or small project sessions
- Typically each unit consists of 22 hours of lectures, may involve a number of hours of tutorials/exercises and laboratory activity and approximately 70 hours of private study (report writing, laboratory results processing and revision for examinations)
Further advanced options will give you an in depth knowledge of how electrical and mechanical engineering can be integrated to effect state of the art technologies.
Semester 2 (February-May)
The second semester offers a distinctive project-based learning environment, focusing on your development as an engineering professional in a research and design context. You will gain analytical and team working skills to enable you to deal with the open-ended tasks that typically arise in practice in present-day engineering.
- The semester aims to develop your professional understanding of engineering in a business environment and is taught by academic staff with extensive experience in industry
- Engineering Project Management and Research Methods modules
- Group projects in which students work in a multi-disciplinary team to solve a conceptual structural engineering design problem, just as an industrial design team would operate
- Individual project preliminary work
Summer/Dissertation Period (June-September)
- Individual project leading to MSc dissertation, done under the supervision of two supervisors, one from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and one from Mechanical Engineering
- Depending on the chosen area of interest, the individual project may involve theoretical and/or experimental activities; for both such activities students can use the department computer suites and well-equipped and newly refurbished laboratories for experimental work. The individual projects are generally carried out under the supervision of a member of academic staff. A number of industrially-based projects are available to students
- Examples of typical projects include the design and control of autonomous robots; undersea tidal wave power generators; and the design and control of high speed mechanisms.
- Advanced machinery processes
- Computational intelligence
- Control engineering
- Integrated engineering
- Mechatronic system modelling and simulations
- Medical engineering
- Power electronics and drives
- Signals and information
Graduates with knowledge and training in both electrical and mechanical engineering are very much in demand in aerospace, automotive and manufacturing industries.
More and more of the hydraulic and mechanical aspects of these industries are being replaced by mechatronics components to reduce weight and increase performance and energy efficiency.
The career opportunities in the UK and worldwide are very significant. Jobs our recent graduates have secured include:
- Product Research Development Engineer, KTP Associate, University of Bath, UK
- Project Manager, Guandong Best Control Technology, PR China
- Software Engineer, DIAGNOS, UK
- Engineer, MAN Diesel & Turbo, USA
We also encourage the best of our MSc students to continue their studies with us to PhD level.
