Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
Full time: 12 months
Part time: 24 months
Location: Headington
Overview
By combining theory and hands-on learning, our postgraduate Mechanical Engineering master’s degree helps you get ready for a career in the field. Our facilities, which include our High Voltage Energy Storage lab and Joining Technology Research Centre, double as teaching and research spaces.
Use your dissertation and extra-curricular activities to explore your passion and sharpen your skills, and let visiting professionals from the industry show you what a career in this discipline has to offer.
You’ll analyse and test your designs using industry standard CAD and simulation packages, before moving onto design implementation. Our tutors are experts in their fields, and their collective research spans design and simulation, sustainable engineering, materials and joining technology. This course is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Why Oxford Brookes University?
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Taught by experts
Teaching staff are industry professionals, with specialist knowledge in topics including design, risk and reliability and composite materials.
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Brand new facilities
All Engineering and Motorsport courses have moved to brand new, custom designed buildings at our main Headington site. These buildings open in the 2024/25 academic year. You'll benefit from state-of-the-art facilities and equipment including a VR cave and material science labs, composite lab, autodynamics workshop and wind tunnel, as well as social learning spaces, teaching rooms and cafe space.
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Hands-on research
Labs double as our teaching spaces, so you’ll get practical experience and expand your research knowledge in the same places.
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Meet recruiters
Employers visit the University as part of our Industrial Lecture Series, and attend our careers fair letting you know what your career options are.
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Dive into your passion
Join Formula Student as part of Oxford Brookes Racing, or the Formula Student Autonomous Vehicle project. You could also become a STEM outreach ambassador at events run by the University.
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Accreditation(s)
This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) for the purpose of meeting the further learning requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. This course is also accredited by The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). We are seeking re-accreditation with IET and IMechE in October 2025.
Course details
Course structure
You’ll study specialist mechanical engineering subjects, including Composite Design and Impact Modelling, Advanced Strength of Components and Advanced Mechanical Engineering Design. You’ll learn to improve component durability, predict fatigue and fractures and apply the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). Also you’ll gain and build knowledge of business management as you progress your own enterprise.
For your dissertation, you’ll get to study an area of mechanical engineering that fascinates you at a deep level, and develop research, planning and project management skills in doing so.
Previously there have been industry-sponsored projects from companies such as Far-Axon, Tranquillity Aerospace and Norba or you can undertake your own project and work closely with the commercial or research organisation of your choice.
Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Research
Our research groups produce high-quality research for the real world. Staff have close links with industry through research projects and consultancies.
You can find out more on our department research pages.
The results of the most recent REF (2014) exercise showed that 96% of research in the department is internationally recognised. 57% was judged to be of world leading quality or internationally excellent, compared with 45% in 2008. More specifically, 50% of the impact case studies returned were judged to be internationally excellent, and 72% of the research outputs were judged to be internationally excellent or world leading.
Careers
You’ll find your mechanical engineering knowledge is useful for many other disciplines outside of engineering. We’ve seen students go to work across the aerospace, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and finance sectors.
Graduates work for companies such as:
- Lentus Composites
- Dyson
- Capgemini Engineering
- Airbus
- PRF Gas Solutions
- MHI Vestas Offshore Wind
- Caterpillar.
For careers advice and support, you can use our careers support system.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
You should normally hold a first degree equivalent to at least a British lower second-class bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline. Applicants with relevant professional experience will also be considered.
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English you will require a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 6.0 in all components.
OR
An equivalent English language qualification acceptable to the University.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
International applications
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you may be required to obtain an ATAS certificate before you start your MSc Mechanical Engineering programme with us. For more information visit our ATAS webpage.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
International qualifications and equivalences
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Compulsory costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Personal protective equipment for engineering labs. | £25-40 |
Optional costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Travel and associated costs if relevant when undertaking work placements. | £30-700 per year |
If you are considering bringing your own computer, most of the software we use is on Windows machines though there is some use of Linux. We do not use Apple MacOS and their use is not required but some students do choose to bring MacOS machines so a Mac can be a viable choice if you so wish.
|
£500-1200 |
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
| You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.