Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (Honours)

The Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (Honours) at Adelaide University is a four-year Australian bachelor honours degree. It sits at level 8 on the Australian Qualifications Framework, which means it combines the breadth of a three-year engineering degree with an extra year of advanced study and a substantial research or design project. You graduate with an honours qualification, not a separate postgraduate award.

What you study

Mechanical engineering is the degree you choose if you want to understand how things move, hold together, heat up, cool down and wear out. You start with the shared engineering core, mathematics, statics and dynamics, materials, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, electrical fundamentals and engineering design. From there you move into mechanical specialisations: machine design, manufacturing processes, vibration and control, heat transfer, and computer-aided engineering. You will spend time in laboratories testing materials, in workshops building and instrumenting prototypes, and at a computer running simulation and finite element analysis. The final year is dominated by an honours project where you investigate a real engineering problem, often with an industry partner, and report it in a thesis.

How the degree is structured

Teaching runs across two semesters each year, with a mid-year break and a summer break. You enrol in units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to pass the required total to graduate. The first two years are largely prescribed core units. Later years open up with electives and a major project. Many students take the optional engineering internship or work-integrated learning unit, which places them with a company for a semester or over the summer. That kind of placement is common in Australian engineering degrees because employers expect graduates to have seen a real workplace before they apply for a graduate role.

Skills you build

You learn to take a vague brief and turn it into a workable design. That means defining the problem, choosing materials, calculating loads and stresses, modelling performance, testing a prototype and writing up the results so another engineer can follow your reasoning. You also pick up the professional habits that Australian engineering employers look for: working in teams, managing a project budget and schedule, presenting to clients, and understanding safety and environmental obligations. The honours component adds research skills, literature review, experimental method, data analysis and technical writing.

Who it suits

This degree suits students who like maths and physics and want to see that knowledge applied to physical things, engines, robots, medical devices, mining equipment, HVAC systems, renewable energy plant. It also suits people who are prepared to spend long hours in labs and workshops, not just in lectures. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. English proficiency is required for admission; check the official Adelaide University page and the CRICOS register for the current IELTS or equivalent requirement, tuition and intake details.

• Mechanical engineer, design, test and maintain machinery and mechanical systems for manufacturers, mining companies, utilities and engineering consultancies.
• Design engineer, work in product development, from concept through to production, in automotive, aerospace, defence or consumer goods.
• Project engineer, manage the technical side of construction, infrastructure or plant projects for contractors and asset owners.
• Maintenance and reliability engineer, keep industrial plant running in mining, oil and gas, food processing, water treatment and power generation.
• HVAC and building services engineer, design heating, ventilation, air conditioning and mechanical services for buildings, often with engineering consultancies.
• Manufacturing engineer, improve production lines, tooling and quality systems in Australian advanced manufacturing.
• Energy and sustainability engineer, work on renewable energy projects, energy efficiency and emissions reduction for utilities, developers and government agencies.
• Consulting engineer, provide technical advice and design services to clients across many industries, from boutique firms to large multidisciplinary practices.
• Research and development engineer, develop new products or processes in industry labs, CSIRO, universities or defence science organisations.
• Further study, a master's by coursework or a PhD in mechanical, aerospace, biomedical or materials engineering.