Master of Engineering (Mechanical)

The Master of Engineering (Mechanical) at Adelaide University is a two-year postgraduate degree for people who want to work as professional mechanical engineers. It builds on an undergraduate engineering background and takes you into the areas that employers actually hire for: advanced mechanics, thermodynamics and heat transfer, fluid mechanics, machine design, manufacturing processes, and the control and instrumentation that sits alongside them. You'll spend time on analysis and simulation, materials selection, and the maths that holds it all together, then apply that thinking to real design problems.

How the degree is structured

Australian master's degrees by coursework usually run over two years full time, split into semesters or trimesters. You enrol in units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to pass enough of them to reach the total for the award. The first year tends to cover the core mechanical engineering material and the second year moves into advanced electives and a major project or thesis. Many engineering master's degrees finish with a capstone design project or a research thesis where you work on a single problem in depth, often with an industry partner or a research group. Work-integrated learning and professional placement are common in engineering because the field expects graduates to have spent time on site or in a design office before they register. Confirm the exact unit list, credit point totals and placement requirements on the official course page.

What you'll learn

You'll learn to model and analyse mechanical systems, choose materials and manufacturing methods, design components and machines, and use engineering software for simulation and drafting. You'll also pick up the professional side: project management, engineering standards, safety, sustainability, and how to communicate a design to a client or a workshop. Group projects are standard, because that's how engineering work happens. By the end you should be able to take a brief, work through the options, and produce a design that someone can actually build.

Who it suits

This suits graduates with a mechanical engineering bachelor's degree, or a closely related engineering degree, who want to move into professional practice, specialise further, or work toward registration. It also suits people already working in manufacturing, mining, defence, automotive, energy or consulting who want a formal postgraduate qualification. If your first degree is in another engineering discipline, check the entry requirements carefully, because you may need to complete bridging units first. International applicants need to meet the university's English requirement, and the Department of Home Affairs sets its own English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, a Student visa usually allows 48 hours of work per fortnight during term. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets eligible graduates stay and work in Australia. Check current details with the university and Home Affairs before you apply.

• Mechanical engineer in manufacturing, mining, energy, defence, automotive or building services.
• Design or product engineer developing components, machines and consumer or industrial products.
• Project engineer running installation, commissioning and maintenance work on site.
• Maintenance and reliability engineer keeping plant and equipment running in heavy industry.
• HVAC and building services engineer in construction and property firms.
• Consulting engineer in engineering consultancies advising clients on design and compliance.
• Research or development engineer in industry labs, CSIRO-style research organisations or universities.
• Further study toward a PhD or a research career in mechanical engineering.