Home

Mechanical Engineering MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This Master’s will provide you with the technical, analysis and design skills to work in any sector of the mechanical engineering industry. You’ll also gain advanced understanding of a carefully curated set of in-demand specialisms such as new and renewable energy systems, control and robotics.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£20,500
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£39,800
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university in a suitable engineering subject or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Candidates with qualifications in other subjects will be considered. Candidates must have studied fluid dynamics while knowledge of thermodynamics and control is desirable. Applicants who are yet to complete their degree should include a list of subjects they are currently studying as well as those already completed.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

If you are intending to apply for a time-limited visa to complete your UCL studies (e.g., Student visa, Skilled worker visa, PBS dependant visa etc.) you may be required to obtain ATAS clearance. This will be confirmed to you if you obtain an offer of a place. Please note that ATAS processing times can take up to six months, so we recommend you consider these timelines when submitting your application to UCL.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree


This one-year multidisciplinary MSc is the ideal engineering career foundation, transforming you into a well-rounded mechanical engineer ready for almost any modern industry. 

Designed by experts from UCL Mechanical Engineering and the UCL School of Management, the core modules of this programme will provide you with extensive specialist knowledge of fields of materials science and advanced computer applications in engineering systems.

 You’ll also become adept in applying your technical skills and knowledge in a wide variety of commercial engineering and organisational contexts. You’ll learn the strategies, tools and techniques of project management, using methodologies to account for the sustainability, safety, environmental, social and economic implications and impacts of your work. 

Your individual research project and optional module choices will let you shape your studies around your own engineering career ambitions and interests. 

Funded by UKRI, the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust, we also work in close collaboration with leading industrial partners such as Jaguar Land Rover, to ensure that you gain as much real-world experience and as many career-boosting networking opportunities as possible during your time with us.

Who this course is for

The programme is for students with a relevant first degree, such as in engineering, physics or applied mathematics. It will prepare you for further study, for a career as a Chartered Professional Engineer, and for senior roles in management, advanced engineering, manufacturing and power engineering.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities. 

  • A postgraduate degree from a top-ranked university. UCL is consistently ranked among the best universities globally (ranked 9th in the latest QS World University Rankings 2025), providing you with a prestigious qualification that is highly regarded by employers worldwide. 
  • The chance to study at UCL Mechanical Engineering, the first in the world to introduce laboratories in engineering education in 1878. 
  • A Master’s degree accredited by the IMechE on behalf of the Engineering Council – which means that on completion of this MSc you can meet the academic requirements to register as a Chartered Engineer. 
  • A working understanding of advanced computer applications in engineering, and how to apply theoretical approaches such as finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). 
  • The skills to analyse new and sustainable energy systems, and assess their suitability for different engineering contexts according to their technical limitations, their key parameters and applications, and their relationship with the energy grid and local environment. 
  • Perspectives from leading experts in mechanical engineering, with regular consultation hours, module-specific discussion forums and a self-directed individual research project developed in close liaison with your project supervisor. 
  • A university experience in the world's best city for university students (QS Best Student Cities 2024). UCL’s Bloomsbury campus is in the heart of a London district famous for its cultural and educational institutions.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
Making an impact
UCL Portico building with welcome sign between columns.

Case study: Engineering trust in autonomous vehicles

Mechanical Engineering experts discuss how robot-human interactions are fundamental to engagement and trust in autonomous vehicles.

The foundation of your career

Mechanical Engineering graduates are in high demand and our graduates go on to senior positions across many sectors and industries; from engineering and manufacturing to consultancy and finance. 

Employability

This Master’s is specifically designed to give you the skills and theoretical knowledge to succeed in virtually any mechanical engineering role, in any industry. With a carefully selected set of core and optional modules that focus on in-demand specialisms and technologies, you’ll be well positioned to achieve your engineering career ambitions. 

Recent UCL Mechanical Engineering graduates have gone onto work for organisations such as Rolls Royce, SpaceX, Mercedes AMG and the Royal Navy. Others have successfully launched their own enterprises, including environmental firm Greenr, custom-fit cycle helmet company Hexr, and biomedical outfit Oxford Heartbeat.

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your Master’s. 

  • Explore a wealth of tailored events at both the faculty and departmental level facilitated by UCL Careers, UCL’s alumni team, and UCL Innovation and Enterprise. 
  • Attend student-led events, such as industry visits or guest lectures, with a focus on specific industrial sectors. 
  • If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, connect with like-minded innovators and successful entrepreneurs through UCL’s innovation hubs and startup incubators.

Accreditation

The Mechanical Engineering MSc has been accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST) on behalf of the Engineering Council as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for registration as a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Marine Engineer. Candidates must hold a CEng accredited BEng/BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree to comply with full CEng registration requirements. The accredited MSc will meet, in part, the exemplifying academic benchmark requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Accredited MSc graduates who also have a BEng (Hons) accredited for CEng will be able to show that they have satisfied the educational base for CEng registration.

Teaching and learning

This MSc programme is delivered through a mix of tutorials, lectures, projects, which frequently draw upon real-life industry case studies.

Assessment is through examinations, presentations, coursework, the group design project, and your individual research project.

Full-time students on this programme can expect approximately 12-16 hours of contact hours per teaching week. The exact number of contact hours and composition varies throughout the terms depending on the module choices of the student. A full-time weekly schedule will amount to 35-40 hours a week, which comprises contact time, self-directed study, and preparing for assessments.

Your project module will see you conduct research, write up your final report, and engage in regular contact with your project supervisor(s), who will guide and support you throughout your project.

Modules

The taught part of the programme is comprised of seven subject modules: four compulsory modules (one of which is the group project), and three optional modules. The taught modules consist of lectures, seminars, tutorials and example classes.  

The first two academic terms consist of the taught modules, including the group project. The Individual Research Project comprises a large part of the programme running from March to September. This is carried out under the supervision of an academic member of staff and is assessed on the basis of a written report and a project presentation.

Compulsory modules







Optional modules







Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Mechanical Engineering.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

Five students in mechanical engineering lab housing multiple computers and technical equipment on tables

UCL Mechanical Engineering’s facilities are fundamental to our students’ studies and research. From a Thermofluids Laboratory focusing on fuels and emissions, and our Fluids Laboratory, to MechSpace, a large, dedicated teaching lab that sees students design and build prototypes, honing practical engineering skills. The Department also offers excellent resources in our Advanced Propulsion Lab (APL), the Advanced Characterisation Laboratories for Materials & Manufacturing (ACLMM), and now UCL East’s state-of-the-art Manufacturing Futures Lab (MFL), where we take a multidisciplinary approach to the creation of next generation sustainable manufacturing technologies, supported by a Precision Fabrication Workshop (PFW).

Find out more

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £20,500
Tuition fees (2025/26) £39,800

Students from participating countries are eligible for Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans.

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There may occasionally be small, incidental expenses which can be reimbursed by the department once claimed.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

UCL East London Scholarship

Deadline: 26 June 2025
Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Mechanical Engineering at graduate level
  • why you want to study Mechanical Engineering at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic and/or professional background meets the demands of a challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

graduate-info@meng.ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.