Program Overview

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Why study this course with LJMU?

Interdisciplinary course fusing mechanical, electronic and control engineering Well-equipped electronics and computing laboratories State-of-the-art software and excellent technical support To be accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Options for sandwich with year-long industrial placement or study abroad LJMU ranked 15th university in the UK for general engineering degrees (The Times UK University Rankings 2025)

About your course

Mechatronic and autonomous systems build and run the world we live in. From the robots that built your car to fast food restaurant interactive kiosks, intelligent machines are the future. The MEng(Hons) in Mechatronics and Autonomous Systems will make sure you take an important part in that future.

This programme has been developed to answer a need in industry for engineers with the fusion of electronic and mechanical skills required to develop modern automation systems. LJMU has built a good relationship with North West engineering companies and their feedback has been a big factor in the development of this programme. We live in an information age and our graduates leave equipped with the software and hardware skills required to succeed in the exciting times ahead.

Research undertaken by the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering is based within the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Research Centre. The Centre has two key research groups the Microelectronics Research Group and the Electric Machines and Drives Research Group. These two research groups have expertise within the following key research areas:

• New materials and devices for future microelectronic industry
• New characterisation techniques for VLSI devices
• Development of advanced techniques for variables-speed electric drives
• Qualification, modelling and aging prediction
• Development of novel control techniques for power electronic converters
• Modelling, simulation and experimental characterisation of power electronic converters and variable speed drives

Research staff are encouraged to make use of their expertise during undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

Course modules

What you will study on this degree

Further guidance on modules

Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.

Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.

Year 1

• Engineering Mathematics 1a (10 credits)
• Engineering Mathematics 1b (10 credits)
• Applied Mechanics 1 (20 credits)
• Software Development for Embedded Systems (20 credits)
• Engineering Circuit Analysis (20 credits)
• Analogue Electronics (20 credits)
• Professional Practice and the Environment (20 credits)

Year 2

• Applied Mechanics 2 (20 credits)
• Mechatronics 2 (20 credits)
• Linear Electronics Design and the Environment (10 credits)
• Instrumentation and Control Engineering (20 credits)
• Professional Practice Integrative Project (20 credits)
• Local Communications Systems and Applications (20 credits)
• Advanced Mathematics (10 credits)

Year 3

• Dynamics and Control (10 credits)
• Automation and IoT (20 credits)
• Process Control and Applications (20 credits)
• Autonomous Systems and Machine Learning (20 credits)
• Mechatronics Engineering Project (40 credits)
• Engineering Management (10 credits)

Year 4

• Professional Practice (20 credits)
• Control Engineering (20 credits)
• Digital Control (10 credits)
• Group Design Project (30 credits)

Optional modules

• Sandwich Year - Electrical and Electronic Engineering (120 credits)
• Study Year Abroad - Electrical and Electronic Engineering (120 credits)
• Modelling and Control of Electric Machines and Drives (20 credits)
• Artificial Intelligence (20 credits)
• Embedded Systems (20 credits)

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. We aim to seek reaccreditation, however this cannot be guaranteed at this stage. Accreditation status will be updated when new information is available. If you require any further information, please contact the University directly.

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Support Assessment

Excellent facilities and learning resources

We have three modern electronics laboratories containing sixty-five workstations equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including computers with industry standard software such as Proteus, Matlab and LabVIEW. The department has two computer suites of its own, one is a sixty-seater with air conditioning, as well as access to further large computer suites. Specialist facilities include a Mechatronics lab equipped with Festo automation rigs and Siemens PLCs, an Electrical Machines lab and TV and audio recording studios.

Work-related Learning

The Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering has a very high success rate in terms of its graduates finding employment within their chosen field of study. Employers recognise that, because of the department's strong focus on practical work, our graduates are able to make a useful contribution within a very short time-frame.

Career paths

Where will my MEng in Mechatronics and Autonomous systems take me?

Quite literally anywhere in the world. All industry now uses industrial automation systems, whether the company is involved in manufacturing or process control. Modern automobile production would be impossible without the robots, CNC machines and automated test equipment that make sure the sub- assemblies the human workers bolt together, fit properly and work as intended.

Robotics and autonomous systems are a red-hot topic now, with the move toward self-driving automobiles, which will almost certainly be upon us in the next few years. This will be the biggest change in transport since the invention of the "horseless carriage".

Even service industries are now using automated systems. Fast food restaurants use automatic serving kiosks, not only to save on wages, but because they have found to their surprise that customers actually like them! Machines allow the customer to be in control and choose whatever weird meal combination they want.

Recent LJMU engineering graduates are now working at Sellafield, Jaguar Landrover, Aston Martin and IBM.

Tuition fees and funding

Home International

Full-time per year:

• £9,535
• Placement year: £1,905

Fees

The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus Wi-Fi.

Financial Support

The University offers a range of scholarships to support students through their studies. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist funding pages, including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.

Additional Costs

In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:

• Accommodation
• Travel costs including those for placements, visas and travel for studying abroad and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
• Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in accordance with any changes to the maximum allowable fees set by the UK Parliament. In the event of such a change, any fee increase will be subject to a maximum cap of 10% of the total course cost as originally stated at the time of your offer.

Full-time per year:

• £18,250
• Placement year: £3,910

International Scholarships and payment plans

Liverpool John Moores University is committed to supporting international students by providing a range of scholarships and flexible payment plans to help students manage their tuition fees.

Scholarships

LJMU provides a variety of undergraduate scholarships to support international students. Scholarships are available to self-funded students who have accepted their offer and met all the conditions outlined in their offer letter. Students must also demonstrate that they can cover living costs, travel, and other expenses associated to studying at the university.

All self-funded international students are eligible for an automatic scholarship worth up to £4,000. For more details and to view our full list of scholarships, visit the international scholarship webpages.

Deposit

All students must pay a £5,000 deposit before they can receive their CAS letter.

For more information view our deposit page.

Tuition Fee Payment Plan

After paying their £5,000 deposit, students have the option to pay their fees in full or in three equal instalments minus any internal scholarships and discounts. There are two payment options available for international students. You can either pay your tuition fees in full before enrolment or opt for a payment plan. With the payment plan, you can pay your fees in three instalments after making your £5,000 deposit. The first instalment is due before enrolment.

All payments should be made through Flywire. Full details can be found in the How to Pay Guide.

Early Bird Tuition Fee discount

We are excited to introduce a £500 Early Payment Discount to all self-funded international students. Eligible self-funded students who pay their fees by the required deadlines will get a discount which will be automatically deducted from the 1st year of tuition fees.

To see the required deadlines please visit the webpage

Entry requirements

Please choose your qualifications below to view requirements

Grades/points required from qualifications: ABB (128)

Work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth by visiting the UCAS Tariff Calculator.

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Qualification requirements

Show all sections

GCSEs and equivalents

Grade 4 or grade C or above in English Language and Mathematics/ Numeracy.

GCSE Equivalences accepted:

• Key Skills Level 2 in English/Maths
• NVQ Level 2 Functional skills in Maths and English Writing and or Reading
• Skills for Life Level 2 in Numeracy/English
• Higher Diploma in Maths/English
• Northern Ireland Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number
• Wales Essential Skills Level 2 in Communication or Application of Number

A levels

ABB

Minimum Number of A Levels: 2

Maximum AS UCAS Points: 20

Subject requirements: Grade B from Maths and Grade B from one of the following: Physics, Chemistry, Computing, Further Maths, Electronics, or Engineering.

BTECs

Extended Diploma: DDM in Engineering discipline + Distinction in Further Engineering Maths

Access awards

Not accepted on MEng-students studying Access can be considered for Beng programme

International Baccalaureate

Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications including minimum score of 6 in HL Mathematics and 6 in HL Physics

OCR Cambridge Technical

Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications From a relevant subject that includes Maths.

Irish awards

Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications from a minimum of 5 subjects including H1 in Maths and H1 in one other relevant subject (e.g. Physics)

T levels

Acceptable on its own and combined with other qualifications. From a relevant subject that includes Maths. T Level Building Services Engineering for Construction is acceptable.

Further information

• DBS, Occupational Health requirements
• Reduced offer scheme

At LJMU, we are dedicated to widening participation in education. We understand that academic potential isn't always accurately represented by grades alone. Therefore, we consider additional information included in your application. If you meet certain eligibility criteria, we may make an offer lower than our typical entry requirements.

International requirements

IELTS

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

Further information

• DBS, Occupational Health requirements

Find your country

Please Note: All international qualifications are subject to a qualification equivalency check.

How to apply

Securing your place at LJMU

UCAS is the official application route for our full-time undergraduate courses. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here