Program Overview

BEng (Hons) Marine and Mechanical Engineering

Why study this course with LJMU?

• Excellent student support from academic tutors, technical staff and student mentors in both practical and academic activities throughout all levels of study
• Professionally-accredited, design-led engineering curriculum emphasizes developing understanding through application
• Teaching is supported by well-equipped laboratories and workshops with state-of-the-art software and excellent technical support
• Accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, giving exemption from theoretical components of the Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) professional qualifications, up to and including the level of Chief Engineer
• International Foundation Year course available offering direct progression onto this degree programme
• LJMU ranked 15th university in the UK for general engineering degrees (The Times UK University Rankings 2025)

About your course

The professionally-accredited BEng (Hons) Marine and Mechanical Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University offers you exciting paid placement opportunities plus the chance to transfer onto the MEng programme, where you could secure a Masters-level qualification.

Completing this BEng degree will give you an in-depth understanding of the scientific principles and advanced design technology plus the problem-solving and management skills required to be a successful marine engineer.

This is one of the UK's leading engineering departments, with a supportive staff team and excellent facilities including engine test facilities, full marine engine room and bridge simulators, materials testing laboratories, and digital design studios, which you have full use of in practical sessions.

Links with national and international companies such as Bibby Line, Rolls Royce, Shell, and Castrol mean that the course is tailored to the needs of employers and, as an extension of this, we offer you the opportunity to undertake a year's paid placement in industry.

Course modules

Year 1

• Core modules:
  • Engineering Mathematics 1a (10 credits)
  • Engineering Mathematics 1b (10 credits)
  • Applied Mechanics 1 (20 credits)
  • Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics 1 (20 credits)
  • Materials (20 credits)
  • Engineering Practice (20 credits)
  • Mechatronics 1 (20 credits)

Year 2

• Core modules:
  • Engineering Mathematics 2 (20 credits)
  • Materials and Processes (10 credits)
  • Applied Mechanics 2 (20 credits)
  • Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics 2 (20 credits)
  • Marine Electrical Systems (20 credits)
  • Marine Design and Technology (20 credits)
  • Modelling and Simulation (10 credits)

Year 3

• Core modules:
  • Engineering Project (40 credits)
  • Industrial Management (20 credits)
  • Marine Design and Propulsion (20 credits)
• Optional modules:
  • Finite Element Analysis (10 credits)
  • Thermodynamics (10 credits)
  • Materials Engineering (10 credits)
  • Structural Integrity (10 credits)
  • Manufacturing Systems (10 credits)
  • Dynamics and Control (10 credits)
  • Sensors and Robotics (10 credits)
  • Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer (10 credits)
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (10 credits)

Professional accreditation

LJMU's policy is to ensure that MEng and BEng engineering degrees are accredited by the relevant UK professional engineering institution and provide the educational base for graduates to gain Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

Accredited MEng degrees enable graduates to gain CEng status without further study, while accredited BEng degrees will require a further period of study after graduation. If you have demonstrated consistently strong performance at the end of Level 5, you may be offered the opportunity to transfer to the MEng programme. Gaining professional status will be of considerable benefit to you in your future career, especially if you join a multinational company and/or need to have your qualification recognized overseas.

The School has held over 30 years of continuous professional accreditation by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The MEng and BEng in Marine and Mechanical Engineering programmes can both lead to marine engineering officer of the watch certification and academic exemption from Class 1 and 2 Engineering Certificates of Competency issued by the MCA.

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

• Teaching is via a combination of lectures supported by small, group tutorials, online activities, seminars, and practical sessions. Initially, formal teaching accounts for approximately 23 hours of your week, but decreases to around 14 hours as the course progresses and independent study time increases from approximately 27 to 36 hours per week.
• Work-related Learning: This course offers an invaluable opportunity to undertake an industrial placement after your second year. This experience cannot be underestimated as it will give you a chance to put into practice what you have learned in the first two years, enhance your skills, and provide a taste of what it's really like to work in industry. It will also give you a head start when you come to negotiate your way around the competitive job market.
• Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support: Undoubtedly, you will need academic and personal support at times during your course, and for this reason, you will be allocated a personal tutor to discuss course-related issues, work on a personal development plan, and set your own targets.

Career paths

Marine Engineers find employment in a variety of areas in the maritime industry both shore-based and sea-going.

Specific employment sectors include marine surveying with companies including:

• Lloyds of London
• Ship and port operations
• Offshore structures
• Petrochemicals
• Offshore renewable energy
• And power generation

Recent graduate roles include: sea-going chief engineer, marine superintendent, power plant manager, marine surveyor, and petrochemical plant manager.

Tuition fees and funding

Home International

• Full-time per year: £9,535
• Placement year: £1,905

Entry requirements

• GCSEs and equivalents: Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/Numeracy.
• A levels: BBC-BBB Minimum Number of A Levels: 2 Maximum AS UCAS Points: 20 Subject requirements: Grade C from Maths and a Grade C from one of the following: Physics, Chemistry, Computing, Further Maths, Electronics, or Engineering.
• BTECs: Extended Diploma: DMM in Engineering discipline + Distinction in Further Engineering Maths
• Access awards: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications
• International Baccalaureate: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications including a minimum score of 5 in both Maths and Physics at higher Level
• OCR Cambridge Technical: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications From a relevant subject. Must include appropriate mathematical content.
• Irish awards: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications from a minimum of 5 subjects. Must include appropriate mathematical and physics content.
• T levels: Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications. You need to obtain the required UCAS points from a related subject area. Must include appropriate mathematical content.

International requirements

• IELTS: 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5, taken within two years of the course start date.