Mechanical engineers build the world around us. From the tiniest nanotechnology, through to cars and buildings, to airplanes and space stations, mechanical engineers are responsible for the design and development of most things.

Studying mechanical engineering is a combination of science, maths, and computing. It’s the study of machinery, and how to manufacture and maintain it at all levels. It’s a limitless subject, which plays a role in everything from vehicles to cities, energy to artificial intelligence, military to healthcare, and everything in between.

Mechanical engineering course entry requirements

Mechanical engineering is considered to be one of the most challenging undergraduate degrees on offer, so you won’t be surprised to hear that entry requirements can be steep. Generally, you’ll need to have a qualification in maths and/or physics. But, just as importantly, you’ll need to show good grades in whichever subjects you’re studying.

Other subjects that will support an application for mechanical engineering include further maths, design technology, computing, product design, and the other sciences. When it comes to your skills and extracurricular activities, universities will be looking for practicality, attention to detail, proficiency with technology, computing, and numeracy.What you will need to do

Apply by 26 January
Attend an interview
Show work experience

What you won’t need to do

Submit a portfolio
Audition for a place

Can I still apply if I don’t have good grades in maths and physics?

Each university has its own entry requirements. Maths and physics are generally the most important subjects for mechanical engineering, but many students manage to get on a course without having studied them. Showing a strong personal profile can sometimes be just as important as an academic one. Always check with the university you’re applying to.

Find out what studying engineering is like

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Why study mechanical engineering at university?

Mechanical engineering is the broadest of the engineering subjects, giving you an insight into the others, and giving you the most wide-ranging career options. When you combine this with the fact that mechanical engineers are in demand in almost every sector, play your cards right and you may end up as one of the most employable graduates around.

If you’re looking for a future-proof skill, then remember that mechanical engineers are heavily involved in automation, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence. The rapid development of technology also means that studying mechanical engineering is never going to be boring. You’ll be among the first to test emerging techniques and technologies, and much of your study will be practical and hands-on.

Some modules you may study are:

Structural materials
Engineering concepts
Solid mechanics
Thermodynamics
Thermofluids
Biomedical and bioengineering
Electromechanicals
Systems modelling

Even if you don’t decide to stay in engineering, the transferable skills you master will set you up for careers in a wide range of sectors.

What kind of work experience should I be able to show?

It’s unlikely you’ll have much experience with mechanical engineering at 17 or 18. Universities will be looking for personal or professional experience in something related – working with cars, or in maintenance, or something technical. Universities are looking for commitment to the type of skills an engineer has, not just engineering itself.

Entry requirements

A levels – Entry requirements range from CCC to A*AA, with the universities and colleges most commonly asking for AAB.

Scottish Highers – Entry requirements for Highers (the most common qualification) range from ABBB to AAAAB, with universities or colleges most frequently requiring AABBB. Occasionally, universities ask for Advanced Highers to supplement Highers. If Advanced Highers are requested, universities or colleges typically ask for AA.

Vocational courses – Other Level 3/Level 6 qualifications (e.g. Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma, or an SCQF Level 6) may be accepted as an alternative to A levels/Highers by some providers. It’s essential that you check alternative entry requirements with universities or colleges.

What can you do with a mechanical engineering degree?

Most mechanical engineering graduates will remain in engineering, as:

mechanical engineer
structural engineer
aerospace engineer
civil engineer

But some engineering graduates use their diverse skillset to move into other sectors, as:

auto electrician
transport planner
model maker
CNC machinist

What’s it like to study mechanical engineering?

Mechanical engineering is challenging, but that’s because it’s also rewarding. Don’t expect to be sitting in lectures and seminars for the entirety of your degree, which will generally last three or four years. During that time, you’ll be involved in lots of practical and demonstration sessions, as well as laboratory and workshop lessons. Engineering graduates are awarded a BEng, rather than the more common BA or BSc.

As the broadest of the engineering subjects, mechanical engineering gives you an overall grounding in the discipline, before allowing you to specialise from your third year onwards. You might decide to branch into aerospace, medical, structural, or robotic, by taking specific modules. To support this, some universities offer placement years which allow you to spend time in industry, with a company that relates to your passion or specialism.

While studying mechanical engineering, you’ll be:

writing reports and essays
attending lectures, seminars, and laboratory lessons
going to design workshops and practical sessions
completing group and project assignments
completing design and computer-based assignments

Mechanical engineering requires a lot of study, theory, and practice. For some universities, this means up to 24 hours per week with tutors. For others, it means lots of self-study and, therefore. high levels of motivation. Whichever it is, you’ll be spending your time in many different environments: classrooms, laboratories, and workshops.

Are you considering an accelerated degree? Click here to read more about the possibility of completing your undergraduate course in two years rather than three.

Important Qualities

Creativity. Mechanical engineers design and build complex pieces of equipment and machinery. A creative mind is essential for this kind of work.

Listening skills. Mechanical engineers often work on projects with others, such as architects and computer scientists. They must listen to and analyze different approaches made by other experts to complete the task at hand.

Math skills. Mechanical engineers use the principles of calculus, statistics, and other advanced subjects in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.

Mechanical skills. Mechanical skills allow engineers to apply basic engineering concepts and mechanical processes to the design of new devices and systems.

Problem-solving skills. Mechanical engineers need good problem-solving skills to take scientific principles and discoveries and use them to design and build useful products.

Apprenticeships

If you want to combine work and study while earning a salary, you could consider an apprenticeship. Which apprenticeships are available, and how you apply, depends on where you live.

Find out more about apprenticeships across the UK.

There are approximately 90 apprenticeships in the engineering sector available in England, with more in development.

Each apprenticeship sets out occupational standards for specific job roles, designed by employers. The standards outline the skills, knowledge, and behaviours required to demonstrate that an apprentice is fully competent in the job role.

Higher apprenticeships (Level 4)

Degree apprenticeships (Levels 5 – 7)

Applying For Admission

MIT Graduate Admissions Policy Update

In response to the challenges of teaching, learning, and assessing academic performance during the global COVID-19 pandemic, MIT has adopted the following principle: MIT’s admissions committees and offices for graduate and professional schools will take the significant disruptions of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 into account when reviewing students’ transcripts and other admissions materials as part of their regular practice of performing individualized, holistic reviews of each applicant.Read Full MIT Graduate Admissions Statement

For the 2022 graduate admission process, given the potential difficulty in access to testing due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the department of Mechanical Engineering will not require GRE tests for applications for graduate admission for 2022. We will thus not use GRE scores as a basis for evaluating candidates for admission in the 2022 application process.

General Admissions Information

Applications to the Mechanical Engineering (MechE) Graduate Program are accepted from persons who have completed, or will have completed by the time they arrive, a Bachelor’s degree. Most incoming students will have a degree in mechanical engineering or ocean engineering. However, the department’s admission criteria are not specific in this regard, and talented students with backgrounds in other branches of engineering or in science may gain entry. To qualify for a graduate degree, applicants are expected to have at least an undergraduate-level exposure to most of the core MechE disciplines (solid mechanics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, materials, control, design and manufacturing), and to be familiar with basic electric circuits and electromagnetic field theory. Those who are deemed deficient may be asked to make up courses in certain areas before they graduate. The make-up courses may be at the undergraduate-level (in which case they are relatively elementary and usually cannot be applied toward graduate credit), or at the graduate-level (in which case they carry graduate credit).

A completed application consists of:

The completed application form
Minimum of three letters of recommendation
Uploaded official/unofficial copies of transcripts. We will require official transcripts upon admission.
~~Self-report GRE results – general test only. Please ask ETS to send the official GRE scores to us. Inst. code 3514, Dept. code 1502.~~ GRE Not Required. Applicants to the 2N program may have additional requirements (such as the GRE); please refer to the 2N Website and faculty for details.
IELTS (preferred) or TOEFL for international students whose native language is not English. Minimum acceptable score for IELTS = 7.0; TOEFL = 100 IBT, 577 PBT. Please ask British Council to send us the official IELTS score or ETS to send us the official TOEFL score (Inst. code 3514 and Dept. code 68).
The IELTS/TOEFL will be waived for any student graduating from a US school.

Application Process

The application website (see link below) is now available as of September 20, 2021 for students who wish to apply for graduate admission in September 2022. The deadline for submitting completed applications is December 15, 2021.

Applicants to the MIT MechE graduate program should apply using the MechE online admissions site: https://apply.mit.edu/apply/

For any questions not answered by the FAQs, please send inquiries to megradoffice@mit.edu.

Graduate Degree Programs

The department offers the following degrees:

Master of Science (SM)
Master of Engineering in the discipline of Manufacturing Only (MEng)
Naval Engineer’s Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Science (ScD)

Early Admission (for MIT ME Seniors only)

The intent of the Early Admission program is to allow seniors with a high GPA, and who are ahead of the eight term graduation schedule, to spend time in the Spring Term of the senior year to make a start on their graduate work. This year we encourage applications from seniors with a GPA of 4.8 and above. An important part of the application will be a statement of how you intend to use the Spring Term in preparation for Graduate School. All applications should include a separate statement that outlines how you will spend the Spring Term, including:

The remaining undergraduate commitments that you will need to satisfy during the Spring Term.
How you will use the Spring Term to make a start on your Graduate work, either in terms of taking graduate classes and/or by working with a faculty member on a potential thesis project. It would be very helpful if you are able to identify a faculty member who has agreed to work with you.

You can submit this statement online following your statement of objectives.

The deadline for submitting your application for Early Admission is November 1, with decisions made by December 1. It is expected that students who accept an offer of early admission will not be entertaining offers of admission to other programs or taking a leave/deferral for work. Deferrals will not be granted for early admission.

The department will not enter into any discussion on reasons for rejecting any application. Rejection of your application for Early Admission does not necessarily mean that you have failed to meet our criteria for admission to the graduate program through the regular application process. All applications for Early Admission that are not accepted will be automatically entered into the regular admission process, unless explicitly withdrawn by you.

If you have further questions, please contact the Graduate Office in Room 1-112, or megradoffice@mit.edu.

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mit mechanical engineering degree requirements