Study Mechatronics Engineering

Course structure and choices

The required courses for a degree in Mechatronics Engineering are changing in 2022. See the PDF degree structure chart for full details:

• BE(Hons) Mechatronics Engineering -2023
• Find out about more about studying for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechatronics Engineering
• See all Mechatronics Engineering courses
• Find out about the Engineering First Year
• See all required and elective courses for a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechatronics Engineering.

Second Year Engineering

In the Second Year Engineering of the Mechatronics Engineering degree, students are introduced to fundamental principles of engineering through 'core' courses in the engineering sciences, mathematics and engineering design. All courses are compulsory at this stage, specialisation occurring in the Fourth year when students are required to select specific courses from a range of options.

Some courses are taught during the first half of the academic year (March-June) and examined in a four week break from lectures in late June. Others are taught in the second half of the year (July-October) or throughout the entire year and examined during a second examination period in October. Most courses also involve a significant proportion of in-course assessment; this is particularly true of design.

Third Year Engineering

In the Third Year Engineering of Mechatronics Engineering six of the seven courses are compulsory (core subjects). The final course can be chosen from appropriate 200 or 300-level Electrical or Mechanical courses at the discretion of the Third Year Director of Studies.

Fourth Year Engineering

Unlike the 2nd and 3rd years, when all the courses are compulsory, the 4th Year provides an opportunity for students to select subject options in areas of Mechatronics Engineering which are of particular interest to them.

There are, however, some core Fourth year subjects which all students must take.

The Department also offers postgraduate diploma, masters and doctoral programmes through the Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments.

Postgraduate qualifications

• Find out more about the Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering
• Find out more about the Master of Engineering 
• Find out more about the Master of Engineering Studies 
• Find out more about undertaking doctoral research at UC

All masters and doctorate students undertake a research project and present a thesis that is examined externally. In addition, masters students are required to take four postgraduate courses.

• Find out more about postgraduate study in Mechanical Engineering
• Find out more about postgraduate study in Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Find out more about Engineering at UC

Mechanical Workshop Training (ENME199)

All students must undertake mechanical workshop training in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (not the basic mechanical workshop training offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) in the use of hand tools, drilling, milling, turning, and welding. Mechanical Engineering offers this 35-hour training course in the evenings or during the holidays in our dedicated training facility. You may also complete this training at an approved establishment.

It is strongly recommended that first-year students with little or no experience with engineering tools complete the core workshop course before the start of the second semester.

Enrolment

Students should enrol in a Mechanical Workshop Training course via the Online Workshop Enrolment website. Classes will be finalised and students notified of their confirmed class groups as soon as possible.

Exemption

Students who believe they are exempt from the Mechanical Workshop Training course should obtain approval for the exemption from Associate Professor Dirk Pons.

Electrical Workshop Training (ENEL198)

An electrical workshop course conducted in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering must be completed by all Mechatronics students before enrolment in the 2nd Professional year. The Electrical Workshop is run by the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Electronics Laboratory.

If you do not attend the workshop course you booked into, you will not be able to enrol for any of the other courses in that year, unless exceptional circumstances prevented your attendance.

Enrolment

Electrical Workshop courses can be booked online.

Students who want to move their booking must do so at least five days before the course starts. This gives other students three days to book the vacated slot(s). Bookings close two days before the start of the course.

Exemption

Students who believe they are exempt from the Electrical Workshop course should obtain approval for the exemption from Philipp Hof.

BE(Hons) students must complete an approved first aid course, or, at some stage during your three Professional years, hold a valid first aid certificate. Approved courses qualify a student as a trained first aid person as described in the guidance notes published by the Department of Labour to help employers comply with Health and Safety legislation.

• Find out more about First Aid training requirements

Explore the full UC Scholarships database

Real-world learning opportunities

Mechatronics offers a coherent, integrated, and project-based mechatronics degree, that emphasises a mix of theoretical and fundamental training, as well as problem-solving skills.

Project-based programme

Our students develop and reinforce their taught “mechatronic” systems thinking skills through project-based teaching and hands-on design and implementation of fundamental principles. Our courses also involve substantial laboratory work.

You will undertake a series of designs throughout your studies, drawing upon cross-course knowledge and different skill-sets. This project-based programme has been developed in response to the increasing convergence of mechanics, electronics, computer control, embedded software, and informatics in design and manufacture of modern smart products and systems. This rounded training will prepare you for future challenges in existing and emerging sectors.

Join our inter-disciplinary research teams

Mechatronics is strongly supported by research into cutting-edge mechatronics, control systems, and robotics at UC, spanning bio-mechatronics, bio-mimetic robotics, mobile robotics, assistive devices, instrumentation and control, biomedical systems, and manufacturing automation. It involves active academic members from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Computer Science.

Our research teams are actively engaged in fundamental and applied research in close collaboration with industry partners, and exploit commercial applications. Excellent research opportunities are available for master and PhD studies in Mechatronics Engineering.