Mechanical Engineering (NMS1)

Mechanical Engineering graduates from UCD are highly sought after both at home and abroad.

Curricular information is subject to change

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This programme provides students with an internationally recognised professional training in mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineering is the branch of engineering dealing with the design, construction and use of machines - from small intricate devices to large complex systems. The role of a mechanical engineer is to take a concept from an initial idea to a final marketplace product. Mechanical engineering requires inquisitive and creative minds, which combine energy and passion for original design, in-depth analysis and innovative problem solving, while never losing sight of underlying ethical, environmental or human interaction that are central to the engineering profession. You will learn by participating in stimulating lectures, as well as engaging in team and project based learning activities.  Assessment is by a combination of end-of-trimester examinations, as well as continuous assessment based on individual assignments, practical laboratory exercises and team projects. In your final year, an individual engineering project is carried out, often in collaboration with an industrial partner or university research groups.  Students graduate with a Bachelor qualification or can progress to the professionally accredited Masters programme in Mechanical Engineering. Given the broad nature of your training, you can also pursue a career in mechanical engineering or other disciplines such as, business, finance or project management.  


1 - Students will acquire the necessary knowledge and understanding of mathematics, science, engineering science and technologies which underpin mechanical engineering.
2 - Students will have the ability to identify, formulate, analyse and solve challenges and problems related to mechanical engineering.
3 - Students will have the capability of designing systems, components or processes to meet specified mechanical engineering needs.
4 - Students will have the ability to design and conduct experiments as well as conducting research or technical projects.
5 - Students will appreciate and understand the need for high ethical standards in the practice of mechanical engineering, including the responsibilities of the engineering profession towards people and the environment.
6 - Students will have the ability to work effectively as an individual, in teams or in multidisciplinary settings, together with the capacity to undertake lifelong learning.
7 - Students will be effective communicators with the ability to communicate their own ideas and solutions to colleagues, clients and the public as well as having the capability of listening to the needs of clients, society and colleagues.
8 - Students will have the confidence to be independent critical thinkers with the willingness to engage in self-directed learning throughout their careers.
Mechanical Engineering graduates from UCD are highly sought after both at home and abroad.

Mechanical Engineering graduates can work in a wide variety of industries including:

- Aerospace: From rocket motors to life-support systems

- Automotive: The design, development, testing and manufacture of cars, buses, trucks, bulldozers and tractors

- Biomedical: The design of highly successful medical devices, such as heart valves and artificial joints

- Heavy industry: The efficient production of steel and other metals

- Manufacturing: Computer chips, catheters, mirrors and matches: mechanical engineers design the product, the process and the machinery to manufacture them in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way

- Power generation: Electricity may be taken for granted, but generating it would be impossible without mechanical engineers to design, operate and control the powerful machinery that drives the generators

- Software: Mechanical engineers make excellent computer programmers. Many have joined software firms, while others have started their own

As the leader in Mechanical Engineering research and education in the country, laboratory and workshop facilities at UCD are very comprehensive. The BE in Mechanical Engineering is a professional, as well as an academic, qualification of the highest international standard, entitling the bearer to membership of professional engineering bodies across the globe. The degree is accredited by Engineers Ireland and, through the Washington Accord, by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and by professional engineering institutions worldwide.
STAGE 1
You will receive a solid grounding in science and computing, with an introduction to core Mechanical Engineering subjects.

STAGES 2 & 3
These stages are tailored to focus on the application, in a Mechanical Engineering context, of the sciences you studied in Stage 1, and to develop your analytical and critical capabilities. Key new Mechanical Engineering subjects are introduced and additional laboratory sessions encourage you to apply your new knowledge in a real-world context. Later, you will concentrate on the design of systems and will work in groups to develop novel designs in specific areas.

STAGE 4
In your final stage you build on your knowledge and also pursue a range of optional modules. A key objective is to develop your understanding of the mechanical engineer's role in a global society. You will undertake a substantial project, which could involve anything from building a rocket motor to designing a wheelchair.
During Stage 3, subject to academic approval, students can spend one or two trimesters abroad, as part of their Engineering Programme. Additionally, between Stages 3 and 4, students can apply to spend a year studying and working in Japan under the EU Vulcanus programme, or in Europe under the Erasmus programme.

Opportunities are extraordinarily diverse, making graduates highly resilient to changing economic circumstances. Recent graduates are currently employed in:

 




  • Energy, biomedical, aeronautical and manufacturing sectors

  • IT companies

  • Management and project management

  • Research





Graduates can pursue taught or research master's in Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, Engineering with Business, or Biomedical Engineering in UCD or elsewhere. Those with a strong interest in research also have the opportunity to pursue a PhD.



Professional Work Experience (PWE) is incorporated in the ME programme. Six-to eight-month internships (the majority of which are paid) have included the following employers: AbbVie, Accenture, Boston Scientific, Fingleton White, Glen Dimplex, Henkel, Hilti, Jacobs Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover, and Nypro.


UCD Engineering and Architecture Programme Office,
Engineering and Materials Science Centre,
Belfield,
Dublin 4
Tel: +353 1 716 1868
Email: eng.arch@ucd.ie
Web: www.ucd.ie/engineer

Stage 2

Stage 2 Mechanical Engineering comprises 50 credits of Core Modules, and 10 credits of Elective/Additional Option Modules. Students should choose one of their Elective/Additional Option Modules from each Trimester so as to ensure a balanced workload of 30 credits per Trimester. Students progressing towards the BSc (Engineering Science) and in turn ME degrees must obtain 100 Level 2 and Level 3 credits over the combined Stages (Years) 1, 2, and 3. Please check your Credit Statement for compliance with this.

Stage 3

Stage 3 Mechanical Engineering comprises 50 credits of Core Modules and 10 credits of Elective/Additional Modules. Students should choose an Elective/Additional Option Module from each Trimester, so as to ensure a balanced workload of 30 credits per Trimester. Students progressing towards the BSc (Engineering Science) and in turn ME degrees must obtain 100 Level 2 and Level 3 credits over the combined Stages (Years) 1, 2, and 3. Please check your Credit Statement for compliance with this.

Module ID Module Title Trimester Credits
Stage 2 Core Modules
     
EEEN20020 Electrical and Electronic Circuits Autumn 5
MATH20290 Multivariable Calculus for Eng Autumn 5
MEEN20010 Mechanics of Fluids I Autumn 5
MEEN20020 Manufacturing Engineering I Autumn 5
MEEN20050 Heat Transfer Autumn 5
MEEN20030 Applied Dynamics I Spring 5
MEEN20040 Mechanics of Solids I Spring 5
MEEN20060 Mechanical Engineering Design I Spring 5
MEEN20070 Materials Science and Eng. I Spring 5
STAT20060 Statistics & Probability Spring 5
Stage 2 Core Modules
     
Stage 2 Options - B)MIN0OF:
All Stage 2 Mechanical Engineering students may select two Elective Modules, one in each Trimester to ensure a balanced workload of 30 credits per Trimester. However, if preferred, students may select other Modules related to Engineering by choosing one or two of the following ADDITIONAL OPTION Modules, to give a total workload of 30 credits per Trimester.
     
COMP20080 Computer Science for Engineers II Autumn 5
EEEN20010 Computer Engineering Autumn 5
SCI20020 Introduction to Project Management and Leadership Autumn and Spring (separate) 5
COMP10060 Computer Science for Engineers I Spring 5
Stage 2 Options - B)MIN0OF:
All Stage 2 Mechanical Engineering students may select two Elective Modules, one in each Trimester to ensure a balanced workload of 30 credits per Trimester. However, if preferred, students may select other Modules related to Engineering by choosing one or two of the following ADDITIONAL OPTION Modules, to give a total workload of 30 credits per Trimester.
     
Stage 3 Core Modules
     
ACM30030 Multivariable Calculus Eng II Autumn 5
MEEN30030 Mechanical Engineering Design II Autumn 5
MEEN30040 Measurement & Instrumentation Autumn 5
MEEN30090 Materials Science and Engineering II Autumn 5
MEEN30100 Engineering Thermodynamics II Autumn 5
EEEN20090 Electrical Energy Systems Spring 5
EEEN30150 Modelling and Simulation Spring 5
MEEN30010 Applied Dynamics II Spring 5
MEEN30020 Mechanics of Solids II Spring 5
MEEN30140 Professional Engineering (Finance) Spring 5
Stage 3 Core Modules
     
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN0OF:
All Stage 3 Mechanical Engineering students may select two Elective Modules, one in each Trimester to ensure a balanced workload of 30 credits per Trimester. However, if preferred, students may select other Modules related to Engineering by choosing one or two of the following ADDITIONAL OPTION Modules, to give a total workload of 30 credits per Trimester.
     
SCI20020 Introduction to Project Management and Leadership Autumn and Spring (separate) 5
MEEN30130 Energy Systems in Buildings I Spring 5
MEEN30160 Biofluids Spring 5
Stage 3 Options - A)MIN0OF:
All Stage 3 Mechanical Engineering students may select two Elective Modules, one in each Trimester to ensure a balanced workload of 30 credits per Trimester. However, if preferred, students may select other Modules related to Engineering by choosing one or two of the following ADDITIONAL OPTION Modules, to give a total workload of 30 credits per Trimester.
     
Stage 4 Core Modules
     
MEEN30180 Prof. Eng. Project (Mech) 2 Trimester duration (Aut-Spr) 15
MEEN40010 Engineering Thermodynamics III Autumn 5
MEEN40020 Mechanics of Fluids II Autumn 5
MEEN40030 Manufacturing Engineering II Autumn 5
MEEN40050 Computational Continuum Mechanics I Autumn 5
MEEN40430 Professional Engineering (Management) Spring 5
MEEN41150 Advanced Metals Processing Spring 5
Stage 4 Core Modules
     
Stage 4 Options - A)1OF:
Select 1 Option Module:
     
EEEN40010 Control Theory Autumn 5
CHEN40560 Process Control Spring 5
Stage 4 Options - A)1OF:
Select 1 Option Module:
     
Stage 4 Options - B)2OF:
Select 2 Option Modules:
     
MEEN40080 Technical Ceramics Autumn 5
MEEN40090 Energy Systems and Climate Change Autumn 5
MEEN40160 Materials Thermodynamics and Kinetics Autumn 5
MEEN40600 Medical Device Design Autumn 5
MEEN40110 Advanced Polymer Engineering Spring 5
Stage 4 Options - B)2OF:
Select 2 Option Modules:
     
See the UCD Assessment website for further details

Module Weighting Info  
  Award GPA
Programme Module Weightings Rule Description Description >= <=
BHENG001 Stage 4 - 70.00%
Stage 3 - 30.00%
Standard Honours Award First Class Honours

3.68

4.20

Second Class Honours, Grade 1

3.08

3.67

Second Class Honours, Grade 2

2.48

3.07

Pass

2.00

2.47


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