Which Universities do people recommend for Mechanical Engineering?

[andy cotParticipant @andycot69569]

[andy cotParticipant @andycot69569]

Hello, this is my first thread/post so I don't know if i'm doing it correctly, HOWEVER

I was wondering if anyone can recommend any good universities for mechanical engineering, I'm expecting AAB-ABB and I've had a look at a few (i.e. Cardiff, Oxford Brookes, UCL, Kingston)

Just wondering if anyone has anything to say about them, or others

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

I may be biased having gained degrees at these two universities but have a look at Southampton and Surrey . Southampton in particular has a very wide range of courses to suit all interests.

Of course the Enginering Tripos at Cambridge is very good but probably out of reach..

Good luck with your grades.

Russell.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I can't give any advice, having done plan t& animal ecology 30 years ago!

But good luck Andy, anybody with the wits to do some research instead of expecting it all on a plate deserves success.

Neil

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

Hi Andy,

It very much depands on what you want to do with the qualification, and what you expect to get out of the course. I went to Imperial College 35 odd years ago, studying Aero Eng, although we shared many lectures with Mech Eng. I wanted to be able to make things and although the Imperial course is very highly regarded, it was, in hindsight, too theoretical for what I wanted. I probably would have been better going to Loughborough, which at the time offered far more practical courses. (That said, having a degree from Imperial has done me no harm whatsoever…)

So think about what you want to do on the course and after it – what is the course leading to – and study the course content very carefully to make sure it is what you expect.

Above all – enjoy!

John

[Francis SykesParticipant @francissykes95134]

I went to Brunel University in Uxbridge – it was (early 90's) at the time the best university for percentage of graduates in jobs within 6 months of finishing the course. Mostly this was down to the majority of courses being run as sandwich courses.

So, first piece of advice, whatever university, do a sandwich course (it adds a year ot the qualification, mostly now they'll be thick sandwiches, i.e. study years 1,2 and 4, but year 3 is out working, that's for a BEng). It'll put you nearer the top of the CV pile when it comes to applications, apart from the practical real business grounding it will give you.

Where I work we've got most of our undergraduate placement engineers from Loughborough, good university, many companies like to get Loughborough students, and quite a few of them big names too.

There are other good universities of course, I'm just speaking of the ones I know!

My brother did UCL for his mech eng degree too, but then he went into IT, so it must have been rubbish… (joke, btw).

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

In my last year at school Bath Uni was highly regarded – because it had the highest proportion of women. I ended up at a place with only 8% female undergrads and the first year engineering had just 1%. Probably different now.

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Andy I believe Lancaster university has a good reputation for engineering, not too suprising with all the engineering industry in the NW.

Good luck with your studies — engineers are what we need for the future

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

I went to Oxford University.

Didn't study anything, just delivered 22 tonnes of bricks.

John S.

[BobParticipant @bob17059]

Hi Andy

First point to consider is is the course accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. See this link for more details http://www.imeche.org/membership/professional-registration/eligibility/academic-requirements/accrediteddegrees

Not all University Engineering degrees are equalin the eyes of the Institution and choosing the wrong degree course may delay achieving CEng status by several years and entail a lengthy process of gaining postgraduate experience.

Remember, just because it has got engineering in its title it is not necessarily an accredited degree course.

Another resource you should consult is the Engineering Council. They produce a very clear document on pathways to CEng status http://www.engc.org.uk/professional-qualifications/chartered-engineer/about-chartered-engineer

You should also look at the Royal Academy of Engineering website http://www.raeng.org.uk/ and the Arkwright Trust http://www.arkwright.org.uk/

Another helpful organisation is the Engineering Education Scheme http://www.etrust.org.uk/eese/what_is_ees.cfm (This link is for England and Scotland) or The Engineering education Scheme Wales http://www.stemcymru.org.uk/en/getinvolved/eesw/default.php if you are based in the Principality.

It is sad to relate that in my experience the Careers Service (I am being vague here) are ill-informed about routes to achieve CEng status and may not give the best advice on this matter.

Bob

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Leeds, Birmingham, Cambridge.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I never went to university.

Only the rich people went to university

 

…looks like it's heading back that way again too…

9,000 a year, and they only really do from october to march…with a month off for xmas…lol

Edited By Ady1 on 10/04/2012 09:05:18

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Ady1 on 10/04/2012 09:03:27:

I never went to university.

Only the rich people went to university

When was that Ady? When I first went to university in 1964 the fees were paid by the County Council as was the grant. The grant was sufficient to pay for all accomodation and living expenses. I came from a working class background and would certainly not have gone to university with todays system which is certainly for the rich

Russell

[Anonymous]

Posted by Ady1 on 10/04/2012 09:03:27:

Only the rich people went to university

That might have been partly true in the first half of the 20th century, but it certainly wasn't the case in the second half. Both my uncles went to university in the 1960s, and they weren't rich; my grandfather was a building site labourer. However, I would agree that it's probably more the case now, thanks to tuition fees; that's socialism for you.

I can't answer the OP directly as I read electronics, and I expect the situation has changed since the 1970s. Personally I'd look for a course that deals with the fundamentals, rather than the latest whizzy stuff. The whizzy stuff gets outdated but the fundamentals don't change. Look at the Russell group of universities. The object of the exercise is to get the best class of degree from the best university possible. That's what's going to get you interviews, once you're in the interview it's up to you, but if you never get the interview you can't shine! It may be a culture shock but I think it's good to go to university away from home.

I wouldn't be frightened by Oxbridge, there are some mind bogglingly clever people there, but the vast majority are not. Personally I think the Cambridge Tripos is a bit too mathematical; I'm glad I didn't do it as an undergraduate. It was stressful enough having to work through it in order to supervise the undergrads!

I suspect that chartered status may be more relevant in mechanical engineering, but I've never found it to be a handicap not having it. I've never, ever, been asked about it in an interview, nor asked why I wasn't a member of the relevant professional body. That may be because I've always worked for fairly small companies, where it's ability and attitude that count.

Regards,

Andrew

PS: To save people having to read my profile I did my first degree at Liverpool, and my PhD at King's College, Cambridge. I'm just damn glad I went through the system when I did, not only were there no tuition fees I actually got paid to go. I did a thick sandwich course with MOD, and got a salary while I was an undergraduate, not the usual LEA grant. I've been very lucky.

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