Mechatronics and Robotics MEng, BEng

Mechatronics integrates electronics with mechanical design to create intelligent systems. The transport, health, entertainment and service industries are among many that are benefiting from advances in the field.

This unique multidisciplinary course offers you the opportunity to study the most exciting aspects of electronics, mechanical design and artificial intelligence and apply them to the design and manufacture of sophisticated intelligent systems.

The course is delivered alongside the schools of Mechanical Engineering and Computing, building on the cutting-edge research being carried out in the EPSRC National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems, which we host on campus. You’ll use industry-standard software and lab facilities and undertake project work in every year, equipping you with the knowledge and skills for a professional career in this exciting sector.

Course highlights

• Our courses are shaped by our world-leading research in areas such as bio-nano and quantum technologies, robotics, energy-efficient green communications networks and renewable energy.

• There are lots of opportunities for you to work alongside our academics and get involved in the research happening in the School.

• During your project work you will have access to specialist facilities and laboratories.

• Our theoretical modules are supported by extensive practical sessions in the laboratory, allowing you to work on group and individual projects, giving you an effective way of learning in depth and a chance to focus on aspects of the subject you find most interesting.

• Small groups and examples classes are used to support the teaching, so you get regular feedback from the academic staff helping you solve any problems that you might have with a particular topic.

• Our Medical Technology Futures collection is a five-part series of free online courses, delivered via FutureLearn, that introduces you to the exciting future of medical device design and engineering. Covering topics like digital medicine, artificial intelligence, robotics and genomics, this series offers a great taste of what it's like to study product engineering at undergraduate level.

Programme team

The Programme is led by Professor Shane Xie. He is a Professor in Robotics and Autonomous Systems with nearly 30 years' experience in developing robots and mechatronic systems for manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and food industries. He is passionate about discovering the fundamental science behind how the human brain works and developing effective robotics and brain computer interfaces for treating patients with neurological injuries.

His major focus was on robot-assisted alignment of long bone fractures and limb rehabilitation, but have now extended this to a wider range of robot-assisted applications, such as exoskeleton and prosthetic devices, walking assistance, hip and knee replacement robots. His research is driven by a desire to see scientific findings, insights, and technologies used by patients to improve their quality of life.

He is part of the Assistive and Rehabilitation research group, and the Surgical Robotics and Technologies research group. The team are also active members of Robotics at Leeds, which hosts the £5.5 million EPSRC national facility for innovative robotic systems.

Specialist facilities

You will have the chance to gain experience of a wide range of industry-standard software and hardware, including ABB industrial robot arms, RobotStudio, LabVIEW in the National Instruments Academy, SolidWorks3D design in the CAD suite, and electronic design and testing in the Keysight Technologies Laboratory, Robotics Innovation Laboratory and the ARM Embedded Systems Laboratory.

For your final-year project, you could also have access to research facilities such as our EPSRC National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems, a national resource for the fabrication of complex systems. The facility specialises in assistive robotics, surgical technologies, exploration robotics and smart cities.

Find out more about our facilities.

Enhancing your degree

You can choose to study either the four-year Integrated Masters (MEng, BEng) or the three-year Bachelor’s (BEng) degree.

During your time at Leeds, you can decide to spend a year studying abroad or undertaking an industrial placement year. It’s also possible to transfer to the four-year Integrated Masters (MEng, BEng) degree up until the end of your second year.

Accreditation

Institute of Mechanical Engineers

This course is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council.

Accreditation is the assurance that a university course meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students. An accredited mechanical engineering course must meet the quality standards set by the IMechE.

The MEng, BEng course is accredited as fully satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Once you have graduated with your MEng degree, you will usually be required to have a minimum of three years industrial experience before you can apply for your chartered status.

The BEng is accredited as partially satisfying the educational base for CEng status. A course of accredited further learning will be required to complete the educational base for CEng.

Institution of Engineering and Technology

The MEng, BEng is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

The BEng is accredited by the IET on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Accreditation is the assurance that a university course meets the quality standards established by the profession for which it prepares its students. For this course, these are the quality standards set by the IET.

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We teach problem-solving and high-level thinking at all stages of your degree. We offer skills development modules and modules that will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in industry, including design, problem solving, numerical and analytical skills, together with ‘transferable skills’, such as communication and working as a team.

Years one and two

You’ll study a wide variety of core modules in your first two years, giving you a solid foundation across different disciplines. Topics may include circuit theory, analysis and design, digital electronics, solid mechanics, design and manufacture, embedded systems and power electronics, among others. You’ll also see how mechanics, electronics, computer engineering and intelligent control can come together in the development of mechatronics and robotic systems.

At the end of year two, you will have the opportunity to complete an industrial placement or study abroad, which will extend your degree by 12 months. If you decide to study the MEng, you can take the industrial placement year between years two and three or three and four.

Year three

You’ll build on your knowledge in a more specialised direction. You’ll study embedded systems and key issues in robotics and machine intelligence, as well as choosing from modules that apply your knowledge to areas such as computer vision or biomedical engineering design. An individual project will allow you to focus on an engineering problem in depth.

Year four (MEng)

You’ll be introduced to different applications of robotics and mechatronics and benefit from an even broader choice of modules. You could focus on automotive driveline engineering, electric drives or medical robotics among others. You’ll also develop your understanding of the industry through a major individual project, and complete a substantial team project.

You’ll have the opportunity to work with your supervisors throughout the project, who’ll be experts in their particular research area.

Recent projects include:

• autonomous search-and-rescue robot

• quadrocopter surveillance drone

• multiple antenna transmission and OFDMA for WiMax

• surgical inspection robot

Project work

Every year of your course gives you hands-on experience of project work. This gives you the opportunity to explore your subject further as well as developing valuable skills in problem solving, communication and teamwork.

Find out more about Project work.

Engineering ethics

You’ll study engineering ethics as part of your course, with lectures and/or seminars in each year of your study.

Find out more about Engineering ethics teaching on this course.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Mechatronics and Robotics MEng, BEng in the course catalogue

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Mechatronics and Robotics BEng in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Learning and teaching

As an engineering student at Leeds, we ensure that you benefit from a wide range of teaching methods, including lectures, workshops, small group tutorials and practical lab work.

Laboratory classes and project work allows you to gain first-hand experience investigating and applying material from your lectures and tutorials to real life work situations. Together, they will equip you with in-depth knowledge, key practical skills and transferable skills that will help you secure a graduate job. Our close links with industry also mean that you have direct contact with industry and potential employers from an early stage in your course.

You’ll be assigned an academic personal tutor to guide you through your studies, and you will receive support from fellow students through our peer mentoring scheme. Peer mentors are students who are on your course but are in Years Two or Three. They’ll help you when you arrive at University and throughout your first year. You’ll meet your peer mentors during your first week for a social activity.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

Watch our taster lecture to get a flavour of what it’s like to study at Leeds:

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On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Most modules are assessed by more than one component. These components can include written examinations held at the end of each year, in-class and online tests, example sheets, assignments, and coursework in the form of reports, projects, presentations and posters.

Entry requirements

A-level: AAA including Mathematics.

Where an A-Level Science subject is taken, we require a pass in the practical science element, alongside the achievement of the A-Level at the stated grade.

Excludes A-Level General Studies or Critical Thinking.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and International Project Qualification (IPQ): We recognise the value of these qualifications and the effort and enthusiasm that applicants put into them, and where an applicant offers an A in the EPQ or IPQ we may make an offer of AAB at A-Level (any required subjects such as Mathematics must still be at grade A).

GCSE: English Language at grade C (4) or above, or an appropriate English language qualification. We will accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English.

• Access to HE Diploma

  Pass 60 credits overall with 45 credits at Level 3, with Distinction, to include Mathematics, Calculus, Further Calculus and Physics, plus a diagnostic Maths test.

• BTEC

  DDD with Distinctions in all Mathematics units plus grade A in A-Level Maths. Mathematics units must usually include Further Maths and/or other appropriate Maths units – some may be optional on your BTEC but are required by the Faculty. Please contact us for further information.

  Please note – there may be different requirements for the older QCF BTEC’s, please contact Admissions.

• Cambridge Pre-U

  D3, D3, D3 including Mathematics.

• International Baccalaureate

  35 points overall with 18 points at Higher level to include 5 in HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or 6 in HL Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation.

• Irish Leaving Certificate (higher Level)

  H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2, including Mathematics.

• Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

  AA at Advanced Higher level, including Mathematics and AABBB at Higher Level.

• Other Qualifications

  Engineering Diploma: A (plus A level Mathematics at grade A or above).

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is an alternative admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and alternative admissions.

Typical Access to Leeds A Level offer: ABB including Mathematics and dependant on successful completion of the Access to Leeds Scheme.

For alternative qualification offers please contact the admissions team.

If you do not have the formal qualifications for immediate entry to one of our degrees, you may be able to progress through a foundation year. We offer a Studies in Science with Foundation Year BSc for students without a science background at A-level and an Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year BSc for applicants who meet specific widening participation criteria.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.0 overall, with no less than 5.5 in each section. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

How to apply

Apply to this course through UCAS. The institution code for the University of Leeds is L23. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

We may consider applications submitted after the deadline. Availability of courses in UCAS Extra will be detailed on UCAS at the appropriate stage in the cycle.

Read our guidance about applying and writing your personal statement.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Visit Days

If you receive an offer to study with us, we’ll invite you to attend one of our visit days. You’ll have the opportunity to meet our academic staff and students, explore the School and University and find out more about your course and what it’s like to be a student at Leeds.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2022

Fees

UK: See fees section below

International: £25,250 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time students starting in 2022, the fee for 2022/23 will be £9,250.  
The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation, and as permitted by law. Fees for UK undergraduate students are decided by the Government and may vary if policy changes.
 

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs

Financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

A degree from Leeds and the experience you'll gain here will give you the edge to find the career you want. Your course will give you the experience and knowledge that employers are looking for to help you secure a graduate job.

University of Leeds students are among the top 5 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2021, High Fliers Research.

All of our degrees will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in industry, including design, problem solving, numeracy and analysis skills, together with ‘transferable skills’, such as communication and working as a team. Because of the nature of the electronics industry, the demand for high calibre electronic engineering graduates is high and wide-ranging employment opportunities exist both in large multinational corporations and small start-up companies working on next-generation products and technologies.

Our graduates have gone on to launch careers as network, design and renewable energy engineers and a variety of other roles at organisations such as Bombardier Transportation, BT, Instrumentel Ltd, Kawar Energy, Motorola Solutions and Power Electronic Measurements.

Examples of recent graduate destinations include:

• Technology Analyst, Nomura

• Senior Supervising Engineer, Parsons Brinckerhoff

• Digital Technology Analyst, HSBC

• Internet of Things Engineer, AirSensa

• Software Engineer, AMRC

• Account Manager, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence

• Test Engineer, Bombardier Transportation

• Instrument Engineer, BP

• Senior Project Engineer, Instrumentel Ltd

• High Volume Engineering Product Engineer, Intel Technology Malaysia

• Renewable Energy Engineer, Kawar Energy

• Graduate Electrical Engineer, Mott MacDonald

• Application Engineer, Omron Electronics

• Control System Engineer, Siemens

Read our alumni profiles to find out more about where our students are working.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You will be supported throughout your studies by our dedicated Employability team, who will provide you with specialist support and advice to help you find relevant work experience, internships and industrial placements, as well as graduate positions. You’ll benefit from timetabled employability sessions, support during internships and placements, and presentations and workshops delivered by employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

Visit our Careers and employability page to find out more.

Study abroad

On this course you have the opportunity to apply to spend time abroad, usually as an extra academic year. We have over 300 University partners worldwide and popular destinations for our students include Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Latin America. 

Find out more at the Study Abroad website.

The optional study abroad year takes place between years two and three and will extend your studies by 12 months. You will return to Leeds to complete your final year of study.

Work placements

Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and improve your employability. On this course you have the option to apply to take a placement year module with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas.

Find out more about work experience on the Careers website.

An industrial placement year is a great way to help you decide what kind of career you might like when you graduate. As well as giving you the opportunity to develop your skills, you’ll gain a real insight into working life in a particular company or sector.

With the help and support of our dedicated Employability team, you can choose to undertake a salaried industrial placement year at one of the 100+ companies that we work with. If you decide to undertake a placement year this will extend your period of study by 12 months and, on successful completion, you will be awarded the ‘industrial’ variant in your degree title to demonstrate your added experience to future employers.

Below are examples of placement destinations our students have recently completed:

• BMW

• Coca Cola

• Codethinks

• FinancialForce

• IBM

• INEOS

• Infinity Works

• Jaguar Land Rover

• Keysight Technologies

• Mondelez International

• Network Rail

• Red Bull Racing

• Rolls Royce Plc

• Saint Gobain Insulation UK

• Science Group

• Smurfit Kappa

• SSE

• Transport for Wales

• Unity Technologies

During your industrial placement you will have an industrial supervisor from within the company, plus an academic supervisor who will keep in touch throughout your placement.

Find out more about Industrial placements.