Mechantronic Engineering with Foundation Year

Mechatronic engineering is the discipline that designs intelligent machines by integrating mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics, sensing and control systems into cohesive, programmable systems. From electric vehicles, surgical robots and industrial automation to domestic appliances and aerospace systems, mechatronics underpins a remarkable range of modern technologies. As these systems grow more complex, the demand for engineers who can work fluently across all four disciplines has increased significantly, making mechatronics one of the most future-facing and employment-relevant of the engineering degrees.

At the University of Southampton, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, which gives students who need additional scientific and mathematical preparation the grounding they need before progressing into the full degree. You will develop skills in designing systems that integrate mechanical elements, electrical power, sensing and control, learning to create machines that respond intelligently to their environment. The programme combines fundamental engineering science with design practice and gives you the breadth to work across the boundaries of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering in ways that increasingly characterise professional engineering work in the twenty-first century.

Mechatronics graduates work across a wide range of industries. Automotive engineering, particularly in the design of electric and hybrid vehicles, is a major employer, as are aerospace, defence, industrial automation, consumer electronics, medical devices and the growing robotics industry. The combination of mechanical and electronic expertise makes mechatronics graduates particularly valuable in product development roles where cross-disciplinary innovation is required.

Many graduates pursue chartered engineer status through the Institution of Mechanical Engineers or the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and postgraduate study in robotics, control systems, autonomous systems or advanced manufacturing is a well-established route for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.