Mechanical Engineering

What our students say What our students say

Course Overview

Mechanical Engineering is a subject concerned with the design and manufacture of parts and systems that make up the range of machinery and equipment you see around you, from a can opener to a jet aircraft. Mechanical engineers design the tools and processes necessary to create all man-made products, and are often involved from conceiving of an idea right through to seeing it as a finished product ready for its commercial application. They design everything you think of as a device or machine. Devices used in engines, the components used in transportation, power conversion equipment, like the steam and wind turbines used in modern electric power plants, and processing equipment used in oil and gas rigs all come within the remit of the mechanical engineer.

If you think you have or can develop the skills and knowledge to understand the requirements for designing a moving device or machine for the environment it will be used in as well as understand how it will best be manufactured, then you may make a good mechanical engineer. This degree programme is designed to provide graduates with the skills to face the challenge for newer, better, faster, more reliable, more versatile, longer-lasting and more environmentally friendly products and processes. These skills need also to be complemented by the managerial and personal skills needed to interact with teams on joint projects.  

Learning about Mechanical Engineering will help you to develop your creative side, a part of your thinking that will enable you to design a new product or system and the analytical skills to make it a reality. You will also learn about the value of the teamwork skills that go into the successful production of most devices and processes used in today's world. These are valuable skills that will be useful in other areas of your life also.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Additional Requirements

Course Outline

Year 1

• Engineering Calculus
• Engineering Mathematical Methods
• Engineering Mechanics
• Engineering Chemistry
• Engineering Physics
• Fundamentals of Engineering
• Engineering Graphics
• Engineering Design
• Engineering Computing

Year 2

• Engineering Calculus
• Engineering Algebra
• Engineering Statistics
• Engineering Applied Mathematics
• Introduction to Fluid Mechanics
• Theory of Machines
• Strength of Materials
• Instrumentation
• Electrical Circuits and Systems
• Fundamentals of Operations Engineering
• Engineering Drawing (CADD II)
• Workshop Practice
• Engineering Computing
• Electronic Engineering Laboratories

Year 3

• Mechanical Analysis and Design
• Design Office
• Communications
• Fluid Dynamics
• Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
• Mechanical Vibrations
• Control Systems
• Metals and Metals Processing
• Automated Systems
• Electrical Power and Machines
• Polymer Technologies Laboratory
• Engineering Computing
• Service Learning and Ethics

Year 4

• Energy Conversion
• Finite Element Methods in Engineering Analysis
• Advanced Mechanical Analysis and Design
• Polymers and Polymer Composites
• Technology Innovation and Entrpreneurship
• Professional Engineering Project (PEP)
• Plus two choices from a number of other courses

Year 5 - Optional

Why should I do a 5^th year to obtain a Masters qualification in Engineering?

A Masters degree qualification (ME) from the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway helps you to distinguish yourself in a competitive job market. It enables you to develop specialist skills you will need to succeed at the highest levels in your chosen field. It is part of an integrated (Bachelors + Masters) 4+1 programme of study, which is accredited by the Engineers Ireland under European Framework Standards. This means that the Master of Engineering degree is recognised internationally to be equivalent to accredited engineering degree programmes in many other countries (for example ABET accredited Engineering Degree programs in the United States). These 5 year qualification satisfies the requirements to allow you to apply for a Chartered Engineer title, which is a badge of excellence for the Engineering profession that is awarded for knowledge and competence. Thus with a 5 year Masters Degree in Engineering from NUI Galway, you will be able to have your qualification recognised if you want to secure high value employment in many of the world's leading Engineering/Technology companies.

Follow chosen course of Engineering to Masters level.

The programme combines advanced mechanical engineering modules with a substantial (nine month long) research and development project and modules on engineering transferable skills. The large group development project, which is the capstone of the Master’s, will be conducted in collaboration with an engineering industrial partner to develop new mechanical engineering technology. A key aspect of this programme is the teaching of innovation and entrepreneurship skills and technology, along with research methods. A range of advanced engineering modules (advanced mechanics of materials, advanced finite elements, advanced energy systems) are also taught to build directly on undergraduate mechanical engineering topics and bring students to a more specialized understanding of and ability to conduct state-of-the-art engineering design.

Details for Masters level can be found here.

• AY207 Management Accountancy I
• BME501 Advanced Finite Element Methods
• BME5100 Advanced Computational Biomechanics
• BME6101 Computational Methods in Engineering Analysis
• CE6116 Risk and Reliability Engineering
• EG5101 Advanced Energy Systems Engineering
• IE446 Project Management
• IE450 Lean Systems
• IE520 Ergonomics
• IE522 Safety and Risk Management
• ME3104 Introduction to Regulatory Affairs (online module)
• ME426 Turbo-machines and Advanced Fluid Dynamics
• ME429 Polymer Engineering
• ME431 Systems Reliability
• ME432 Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• ME5106 Advanced Manufacturing
• ME516 Advanced Mechanics of Materials
• ME5171 Combustion Science & Engineering
• ME519 Mechanical Engineering Project/Thesis
• ME521 Research Methods for Engineers
• ME572 Human Reliability
• MP410 Non-linear Elasticity

Details for Year 5 modules can be found here.

Further Education

Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, suitably qualified students have the option to enrol and continue their studies to Masters or PhD level.

Students can advance to Masters level (ME) through our one year taught Masters programme (September-June) that builds on the successful completion of their undergraduate programme, subject to a sufficient standard (2nd Class Honours minimum). This programme is an integrated follow-on to the BE programme and is designed to meet Engineers Ireland’s criterion for Level 9 degrees, providing graduates with a route to Chartered Engineering status that will be recognised worldwide.

Masters degree education is becoming increasingly the norm internationally in Engineering, and this programme strengthens the ability of our graduates to compete nationally and internationally at the highest level for employment in industry and other sectors of the economy.

In PhD research, as well as Masters research projects, students create and use advanced experimental and computational techniques to discover new knowledge in diverse fields including materials, medical devices, fluid dynamics, and energy. We collaborate closely with researchers in biomedical and energy systems engineering, and with industry, both local and international. In industrial engineering, student work on topics including ergonomics, enterprise engineering and health and safety.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

Fees: Tuition

Fees: Student Contribution

Fees: Student levy

Fees: Non EU

Find out More