Overview

Mechanical Engineering, taken within the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at The University of Western Australia, focuses on how machines and mechanical systems are developed, installed, operated and maintained. Students tackle practical engineering problems with an eye to efficiency, using hands-on laboratory work, industrial equipment and analysis software. The course places strong emphasis on research and design, and its breadth makes mechanical engineering relevant to many sectors, including mining, energy, manufacturing, robotics and aerospace.

What You'll Learn

• Engineering foundations, including mathematics, physics, materials and engineering drawing

• Computer analysis and visualisation, numerical methods and modelling

• Solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, engineering mechanics and dynamics

• Manufacturing, mechanisms and machines

• Thermodynamics, including its applied engineering uses

• Control engineering, measurement and instrumentation

• Vibration and sound

• Analysis and design of machine components

• Optional areas such as robotics, mechatronics, finite element methods, petroleum and offshore engineering, and the failure of materials

• Risk, reliability and safety, project management, and team-based design or research projects

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to apply a strong grounding in mechanical engineering science to solve technical problems, supported by the mathematics behind the discipline. They will develop mechanical components and systems and choose suitable sizes and specifications for stated design needs, while taking technical, social, ethical, cultural, safety and economic factors into account. Students will apply the principles of project planning, risk and safety management and environmental responsibility, communicate ideas clearly to different audiences, and work ethically and collaboratively in teams, bringing leadership and accountability to real-world problems. Graduates will be able to extend their expertise into specialised areas such as control, thermodynamics, robotics, computer simulation and materials.