The majority of man-made products are mechanical or have mechanical parts, and mechanical engineers are to be found working in virtually every type of industry, on products as diverse as racing cars, jet engines, cruise ships, farm machinery, sports equipment and domestic appliances. Mechanical engineers therefore have very wide career opportunities and are employed because of their scientific knowledge, design expertise, problem-solving skills and business awareness.

The Foundation degree (FdEng) in Mechanical Engineering is a two-year degree offered by Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC) in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast (QUB).

On completion of the Foundation degree, successful students can then choose to enrol at Stage 2 of a BEng Honours degree in either Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Product Design Engineering, and graduate after a further two years of study. Alternatively, they can progress directly into full-time employment in the design or mechanical/manufacturing industry.

After graduating with the FdEng in Mechanical Engineering, students will have acquired practical and theoretical knowledge and a wide range of skills. They will also have had the benefit of undertaking a major industrially relevant project as part of the industrial placement. As a result, graduates will be in an excellent position to pursue careers in many of the areas where mechanical engineers are employed.