Program Overview

MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Application

The MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Application is a two-year degree that offers students the opportunity to learn advanced design and research in mechanical engineering and then practically apply this knowledge in an industry placement or project. This program allows those with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering to build upon their existing knowledge and skills in the area. For those from a different engineering background, the program offers the opportunity to develop key Mechanical Engineering knowledge and skills required for professional development.

Key Information

• Level: Postgraduate Taught
• Delivery type: Full Time
• Degree qualification: MSc
• Mode of delivery: On-Campus
• Duration: 2 years
• Location: Edinburgh
• Start date: September

Program Description

The program provides a deep understanding of the core engineering and science underpinning the Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing sector. It is an industry-relevant degree that will provide students with an accredited route to become a Chartered Engineer. During the master's program, students will gain a broad knowledge of the core components in Mechanical Engineering Sciences and practices, whilst developing an extensive, detailed, and critical knowledge and understanding of at least one specialist area within the subject.

Course Content

The flexible degree structure allows students to focus on their specific interests within Advanced Mechanical Engineering. Students will have the opportunity to choose courses from an extensive list, including:

• Fluids
• Dynamics
• Renewable energy technologies
• Heat exchangers and heat transfer
• Robotic mechanical systems
• Advanced thermodynamic applications

In the second year, students will spend their first semester working on their dissertation before reflecting upon their teaching and applying their knowledge and skills to an industrial setting through a placement, or to an interdisciplinary project. This gives students the opportunity to develop their industrial skills and experience within a real-life work environment, whilst gaining some globally recognized and verifiable work experience in the British engineering sector.

Career Opportunities

The career-focused master's program will develop students' technical, scientific, and managerial abilities, and provide them with a specialist education to set them up to become a professional Mechanical Engineer. Upon completion, students will have the skills and knowledge to prepare them for a wide range of technical and managerial careers across the sector, including roles in process and plant design, construction, commissioning, operation, management to specialist consultancy, and advanced research and development.

Your Student Experience

Students' learning will be informed by the expertise of research-active mechanical engineers and academics. 96% of Heriot-Watt University's engineering research was classed as world-leading in the REF 2021 review, which ranked the university 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for engineering research through a joint submission with the University of Edinburgh.

Research Areas

The MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering is directly informed by the world-class research carried out by Heriot-Watt's Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering (IMPEE) research institute, which focuses on promoting excellence across four main research themes:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Engineering
• Energy Harvesting and Conversion
• Multiphase Flow

Course Structure

Year 1

Mandatory Courses

• Computational Fluid Dynamics with Heat Transfer
• Professional and Industrial Studies

Optional Courses

• Incompressible Fluid Dynamics
• Advanced Mechanics of Materials 1
• Dynamics 1
• Heat Exchangers and Heat Transfer
• Renewable Energy Technologies

Mandatory January Courses

• Failure and Accident Analysis
• Critical Analysis and Research Preparation

Optional January Courses

• Compressible Fluid Dynamics
• Advanced Mechanics of Materials 2
• Dynamics 2
• Robotic Mechanical Systems
• Specialist Engineering Technology 2
• Advanced Thermodynamic Applications

Year 2

Mandatory Courses

• Entrepreneurship & Creativity
• Masters Dissertation
• Industrial Placement for Engineering and Physical Sciences

Fees and Funding

• September 2026 intake tuition fees:
  • UK: £12,744
  • International: £28,952
• Fees are payable for each year of this degree.
• Year 2 (Industry placement):
  • UK and International: £3,000

Scholarships and Bursaries

The university offers a wide variety of scholarships and bursaries to encourage well-qualified, ambitious students to study with them. Over £6 million worth of opportunities are available in fee and stipend scholarships, and more than 400 students benefit from this support.

Entry Requirements

• A minimum of honors degree at 2:1 or non-UK equivalent in a relevant subject.
• Degree must contain a minimum of both 3 mathematics modules and 3 physics or engineering modules at 50% or above.
• Relevant degrees can include Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, and Physics.
• Modules that the university hopes to see in an undergraduate degree would include materials, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, dynamics, and structures.
• Work experience in conjunction with a relevant lower Second Class Honours Degree will be considered.
• English language requirements: The minimum English language requirement for entry to this program is IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) with no score lower than 5.5.