Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

Mechanical and electrical engineering together address the two dominant streams of engineering that underpin the design and operation of almost every piece of complex industrial equipment. Mechanical engineering concerns itself with the physical systems, structures, and machines that convert and transmit force and energy. Electrical engineering is concerned with the generation, transmission, and use of electrical power, and with the electronic systems that control and monitor modern machinery.

In practice, the two disciplines are increasingly integrated: almost no modern machine operates without both mechanical components and electrical or electronic control systems, and engineers who can work across both are in consistent demand. At Robert Gordon University, the BEng Mechanical and Electrical Engineering is a part-time programme designed to meet precisely this industry need.

The degree develops your knowledge of both disciplines to a level of genuine professional competence. You will study mechanics, thermodynamics, and materials science alongside electronics, electrical machines, power systems, and control engineering, developing the analytical and design skills that apply across both domains. The programme is explicitly designed to produce engineers who can find innovative solutions to challenges faced by industry, which means that design, problem-solving, and the ability to integrate mechanical and electrical thinking are central to the curriculum.

The part-time mode makes the degree accessible to those already working in engineering roles who wish to develop their formal qualifications alongside their professional practice.

Graduates of combined mechanical and electrical engineering programmes are in demand across a wide range of industrial and technical sectors. Energy, including both conventional and renewable generation; manufacturing; oil and gas; marine engineering; automated systems; and defence are all significant employers. Roles span design engineering, systems engineering, project engineering, and technical management.

The professional formation pathway through the relevant chartered engineering institutions, particularly the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, provides a recognised route to chartered status. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study to deepen their expertise in a specialist area, while others progress within their existing organisations having gained the formal qualification their experience required.