Our common first year has been developed to give our students sufficient time and experience to come to an informed choice as to which specific mechanical engineering course they wish to pursue at TUS Athlone. This broad experience of some of the major areas in mechanical, renewable, automation, and robotics will better enable the students to carry on to the second year, knowing they have an interest and aptitude for a particular field.
This is a common first year for the students, which will mean that the core engineering subjects will be taught to a large group of first years. This gives the student additional means to determine their best fit, as they will be able to talk to students in different courses with shared syllabi. Some students who have a passion for robotics may feel that automation and robotics is the course for them, others may feel that a mechanical engineering qualification will provide a strong foundation for an interesting and successful career. Students who have an interest in materials, science and chemistry might pursue polymer and mechanical engineering, while those with a passion for the environment might select mechanical engineering with energy.
During the first year of the programme, the student will be exposed to a learning environment that will allow them to make informed choices about the next stage
of their learning. The options available,
are dependent on the aptitudes, interests and career opportunities in the different fields. The first-year student can talk to lecturers and other students to determine the best approach for them in their career. This gathering of information is very useful for students who know they want to do engineering but are not fully decided on what stream is best suited to them.
Graduates of all four courses will gain a core common set of skills in mechanical engineering while each will be differentiated by distinct streams that target specific discipline areas.
Graduates of the Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering may be employed as technicians within, for example the medical devices, pharmaceutical, ICT, automotive sectors or precision engineering sectors.
Automation and robotics graduates receive a more specific training in electronics automation and mechanical engineering that qualifies them to work as technicians in advanced manufacturing environments, configuring and maintaining production lines or automated mechanical processes. They work across sectors that have high levels of automation.
Mechanical and energy graduates will be employable as mechanical engineers as well as have a specific training in energy technologies, giving them the possibility to work on energy efficiency projects for enterprises or with companies developing renewable energy systems.
Polymer and mechanical engineering graduates can expect to find employment as technicians looking after and taking responsibility for the production of the product. They will also identify processes, equipment, and documentation improvements where possible and take part in improvement projects as assigned.
Why study this course?
This programme provides a common entry year 1 to the following Level 7 programmes:
- BEng in Mechanical Engineering (US770)
- BEng in Mechanical Engineering with Energy (US772)
- BEng in Polymer & Mechanical Engineering (US777)
- BEng in Automation & Robotics (US776)
Further details about each programme can be found in the College Prospectus or on each modules webpage
What will I experience?
At TUS Midlands, Engineering education is very practical. Almost 50% of your time will be spent in state-of-the-art laboratories developing your practical engineering skills, and the other 50% will be spent on engineering theory and its application.
While studying on this course students will:
- visit some of our industrial partners to experience the role of a mechanical engineer.
- gain valuable work experience by completing a six month work placement in industry.
- operate high-end technical engineering equipment in our cutting edge engineering laboratories
- Improve their teamwork and communications skills by working as part of small teams on problem-solving and projects.
- will develop their problem –solving skills and reasoning techniques.
- will work on topic-specific problems, both as part of a team and as an individual and develop your lifelong learning skills.
- Will develop an ethical awarenews with regard to the engineering profession, the environment and society.