51³Ô¹Ïapp

mechatronics

Mechatronics and Robotics BEng/MEng (Hons)

Explore topics including embedded systems, 3D design, robotics and AI, digital electronics and dynamics and control on this multidisciplinary course. You will graduate equipped with in-demand skills and the confidence to face real-world engineering situations.

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Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

Mechatronics and Robotics BEng/MEng covers the integration of mechanical, electronic and intelligent control sub-systems to realise a complete system, which may be a product, machine or process. The multidisciplinary nature of Mechatronics employs design principles, processes, models, toolsets and philosophy unique to mechatronics engineers which enable the design and development of simpler, more economical and reliable systems. Mechatronics and Robotics engineers are in short supply, and enjoy highly versatile careers due to their multidisciplinary skills.

The course covers a unique balance of key analytical subjects and professional skills, ensuring that you graduate well-equipped to face challenging engineering situations in industry. The management skills necessary to operate successfully as a multidisciplinary engineer in industry are promoted and developed at all stages of the course.

You can study Mechatronics and Robotics either as a three-year BEng (Hons) programme, or as a four-year integrated master’s. At the end of year three, you have the option of graduating with a BEng or continuing your studies for a further year for a MEng, subject to meeting the progression requirements.

Key features

  • Benefit from dual accreditation from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)*, which will help you start your journey towards Chartered Engineer status.
  • Be guided by experienced academic staff who help you gain a sound understanding of engineering principles along with transferable professional skills that will enable you to embark on a rewarding career.
  • Learn in dedicated facilities, including our large, open-plan mechanical engineering laboratory designed to accommodate the study of thermofluids, solid mechanics and dynamics; specialist laboratories in material science, dynamics and control, as well as an Engine Test Cell.
  • Gain invaluable experience and explore professional opportunities with a 12-month work placement. Students have undertaken placements as Engineering interns with large organisations such as Rolls Royce, and with our own 51³Ô¹Ïapp Racing team.
  • Gain hands-on experience and meet like-minded people from across the School of Engineering and Sustainable Development by joining our thriving student societies, such as 51³Ô¹Ïapp Flyers, Electronics Club and 51³Ô¹Ïapp Racing.
  • Enjoy an international experience with 51³Ô¹Ïapp Global, which can enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons. Engineering students have previously investigated feats of skyscraper engineering in New York and explored the BMW Motorrad factory in Berlin.
  • Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

 

 

 

You will be taught essential and proven mechatronics and robotics knowledge, skillset, techniques and tools for building integrated systems that will enable you to operate successfully in industry.

Dr Seng Chong, Programme Leader

 

Student success stories

Engineering students secure top prize out of UK universities for sustainable water system design

 

News stories

51³Ô¹Ïapp wins Royal Academy of Engineering grant to champion underrepresented students

Engineer who turns waste into prosthetic limb joints and house bricks to appear at Expo 2020

 

More courses like this:

Aeronautical Engineering BEng / MEng (Hons)

Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng / MEng (Hons)

Mechanical Engineering BEng / MEng (Hons)

Engineering Year Zero Foundation

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS code: 
BEng: HH36
MEng: H675

Duration: Three years full-time, four years full-time with placement

Fees and funding: 

2025/26 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

 

Institution code: D26

UCAS code: 
BEng: HH36
MEng: H675

Duration: Three years full-time, four years full-time with placement

Fees and funding: 

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £16,250

Find out more about available funding for international students.

 

Entry criteria

Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English and Mathematics or equivalent, plus one of the following:

  • Normally 112 UCAS points (120 for MEng) from at least two A-levels or equivalent, including one of the following subjects: Mathematics or Physics at grade 4 or
  • Engineering or Physics BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma at DMM (DDM for MEng)

Alternative qualifications include:

Pass in one of the following QAA accredited Access to HE course:

  • Access to HE Engineering
  • Engineering Science
  • Engineering Science and Mathematics
  • Physics and Engineering
  • Physics and Mathematics
  • Electronics and Computer Engineering

If you are studying an alternative Access course that is related to Engineering, Mathematics or Physics please contact us for more details.

English and Mathematics GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification. We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • International Baccalaureate: 26+ points with Mathematics or Physics at higher level
  • T Levels Merit
  • Engineering Year Zero: Pass

Portfolio Required: No

Interview Required: No

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications

English language

If English is not your first language then an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent) is essential.

English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

 

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer 

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Accreditations 

 

 

Year One

Block 1: General Engineering Tools and Principles 1

Block 2: General Engineering Tools and Principles 2

Block 3: Mechanical Design and Manufacturing 1

Block 4: Mechanical Design and Manufacturing 2

Year Two

Block 1: Advanced Mechatronics Tools and Principles

Block 2: Dynamics, Instrumentation and Control

Blocks 3 and 4: Embedded Application Design and Interfacing and Design and Project Management

Placement Year (Optional)

Year Three

Block 1: Robotics

Block 2: Electrical Transmission and Distribution

Block 3 Choose one of:

  • Advanced Embedded Systems and IoT with Individual Project
  • Fundamentals of Power Electronics with Individual Project
  • Renewable Energy Electronic Devices 1 with Individual Project
  • 3D Printing and FEM for Mechanical Projects 1

Block 4 Students must take the most relevant module to the option chosen in Block 3:

  • Model-Based System Integration with Individual Project
  • Advanced Power Electronics with Individual Project
  • Renewable Energy Electronic Devices 2 with Individual Project 
  • 3D Printing and FEM for Mechanical Projects 2

Year Four (MEng)

Block 1: Engineering Business Environment and Research Methods

Block 2: Machine Vision, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Blocks 3 and 4: Digital Signal Processing and Embedded Systems and Group Project

 

See detailed module information


Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

 

The course is taught by knowledgeable, experienced staff who will help you gain a sound understanding of engineering principles along with the interpersonal skills that will enable you to embark on a rewarding career.

A variety of techniques are used throughout the course with an emphasis on lectures, supporting tutorials and laboratory classes. Student-centred learning takes place through the research and presentation of findings, report writing, individual and group assignments and practical work-based exercises to develop your skills and understanding.

The course has a unique balance of key analytical subjects and professional skills, ensuring that you graduate with the confidence to face challenging engineering situations in industry. The management skills necessary to operate successfully in modern industry are promoted and developed at all stages of the course.

 

 

Accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)* and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)*

*The BEng programme is currently under review for accreditation from the 2024 intake onwards. It will be submitted for Partial CEng accreditation by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in 2024. Formal accreditation will be granted following an accreditation visit and approval from the relevant academic committees.

*The MEng programme is currently under review for accreditation from the 2024 intake onwards. It will be submitted for full CEng accreditation by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in 2024. Formal accreditation will be granted following an accreditation visit and approval from the relevant academic committees.

 

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Accredited Programme Web Small1052

Facilities and features

Mechanical Engineering facilities

 

The Mechatronics engineering facilities include the following three main laboratories:

 

51³Ô¹Ïapp's Mechanical Engineering Laboratory

Mechanical Engineering Laboratory

 

The main mechanical laboratory is a large open-plan space designed to accommodate the study of thermo-fluids, solid mechanics and dynamics and control. It also has an area with machine tools for the manufacture of student designs.

Equipment in this laboratory allows you to study gyroscope theory, vibration theory, no-linear control, inertia bending, etc.

The design studios have many computer laboratories available with CAD and Finite Element Modelling software. The primary packages used are CREO and AUTODESK Simulation for FEA modelling. Students will be using these design software tools from their first year of study. 

Electronic Engineering Laboratory

Electrical and electronic experimental facilities are divided into specialised areas: general electronics and assembly, digital electronics and microprocessor engineering, power electronics, electrical smart grids and control systems engineering. Each facility is equipped with state-of-the-art experimental equipment. An additional CAD design suite provides access to computing facilities with specialist electronics CAD tools, including KiCAD, and LTSpice.

A specialised area incorporating a spacious radio frequency reverberation chamber and Faraday cage allows for experimentation in radio frequency engineering and electromagnetics, while our digital design suite is equipped with 8 and 32-bit embedded microprocessor platforms, together with high speed programmable logic development environments. 

Power generation, transmission, distribution, conversion, drives and control are catered for in our power and control laboratories, equipped for experimentation from the component level to the systems level. Control laboratories are equipped with LabVIEW based control boards along with the MATLAB and Simulink package. Industrial control units, based on the Allen Bradley MicroLogix820 controller, and enable students to perform a comprehensive range of PLC programming tasks using a conveyor belt/pneumatic sorting application.

Our Embedded Systems lab is provisioned with state-of-the-art Rhode and Schwarz equipment for the design, development and testing of both analogue and microcontroller-based systems.

Robotics Laboratory

The new robotics laboratory includes a wide range of robots used in research and industrial applications. From small size Dobot Magician Arm to middle size Cobot (collaborative robot) Franka Emika to a larger robotic arm UR5, we have robotic arms of various sizes equipped with different end-effectors (Robotiq, OnRobot, Vacuum suction) that can be used in various industrial settings and tasks. In addition, the robotics laboratory has a mobile robot (Turtlebot) for service robot applications.

Library and learning zones

 

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our , e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, 51³Ô¹Ïapp Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live , online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our , and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.


 

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘51³Ô¹Ïapp Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

51³Ô¹Ïapp's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities 51³Ô¹Ïapp Careers Team
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Graduate Careers

Multidisciplinary engineers are sought after, and expect significantly enhanced job prospects worldwide. The range of specialist modules studied on this course is reflected by the diversity of careers on offer. You could go into industries including aerospace, automotive, defence and energy as well as large manufacturing industries and domestic/consumer product industries.

You will also be able to work in areas of design, research and development, marketing, sales, production management and quality control.

Recent graduates are now working for large companies such as DB Sander.

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51³Ô¹Ïapp Global

Our innovative international experience programme 51³Ô¹Ïapp Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers. 

Through , we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

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Placements

Work placements are offered as part of this course through 51³Ô¹Ïapp Careers Team, and can boost your skills and experience while studying, as well as improving your chances of gaining a graduate level job.

We have links with organisations both in the UK and internationally, and the placements team will help you find a placement to suit your interests and aspirations.

Take your next steps