Programme content
MASTERING THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION CHAIN
The objective of the Master's in Mechanical Engineering is to train engineers specialised in the design and manufacturing of components and mechanical systems. The programme aims to be both general and highly focused on production. It also meets an important need on the part of industry in the area of studies and production methods.
FROM DESIGN...
Design can be defined as a synthesis of the knowledge acquired in physics and mechanics with a view to devising a machine that reliably meets the need for a given item of equipment. It is quintessentially a highly creative and multidisciplinary process (mechanics, electricity, hydraulics, pneumatics) which, at present, draws heavily on information technology, including computer-aided design (CAD).
...TO PRODUCTION
As for manufacturing, this is the very essence of industry. An efficient manufacturing process is one that leads to a satisfactory product at the lowest possible cost. The study of manufacturing techniques or technology therefore necessarily involves feasibility considerations in terms of technology, economics, quality control, total quality management, work organisation, resource management and, indispensably, human relations.
Computers are playing an increasingly significant role in this area. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and computer-aided production (CAP) are an integral part of the learning process in mechanical engineering. Powerful software such as CATIA are made available to you for your learning and/or research activities.
3 MASTER'S PROGRAMMES
The 1st part comprises all the general courses necessary for a future specialism, and includes a range of options in the area of modelling. You must also choose your professional focus and take a course in Business Management, offered in collaboration with the HEC - School of Management of ULiège. In the 2nd part, specialised courses are offered in several fields such as additive manufacturing, quality management, robotics, mechatronics, digital mechanics, vehicles or propulsion systems. You will complete an extended internship in a company or research centre relating to your Master's thesis.
Professional focus in Advanced Ship Design
The development of transport technologies represents a significant challenge for society. In economic terms, the importance of river and maritime transport at European level should be emphasised. In environmental terms, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and polluting emissions, as well managing the life cycle of transport systems are today major challenges. In socio-political terms, new transport technologies contribute to improving the mobility of citizens and must guarantee increasingly strict safety conditions. This focus is intended to train engineers able to adapt to these developments and contribute to future innovations.
This focus is offered and taught entirely in English. Students who opt for it must take a mobility programme worth 60 credits at one of the programme's partner universities: the Ecole Centrale de Nantes (ECN), the University of Rostock, (URO, Germany) or the Polytecnic University of Madrid (UPM, Spain) .
During their studies, students are deeply immersed in the industrial world; the programme comprises an extended internship (3-4 months) and a Master's thesis carried out at a company (shipyard, classification societies, ship owner, design firm or research institute, etc.) which, in 20% of cases, leads directly to a job. At the end of the Master's programme, there is a wide range of career opportunities that lead to jobs in production (shipyard), in a company (part suppliers: propulsion, dredging, ships specialised in Offshore Wind Turbines installation, etc.), at a research institute (ship model basin (HSVA), CMT (naval technology, etc.), classification societies (BV, DNV-GL, LR, etc.) as well as in a university setting working towards a doctorate. Current experience is that 98% of graduates find a job in Belgium, Europe or their home country within 6 months.
Professional focus in Mechanical Engineering
The focus in Mechanical Engineering includes a substantial integrative project (15 credits) that allows you to use your creativity and your technical skills to design and produce a mechanical system. You will further strengthen your multidisciplinary education by taking a course on turbo machines and by choosing 10 credits in the field of mechatronics.
Professional focus in Sustainable Automobile Engineering
This programme, developed in partnership with the Automobile Campus of Spa-Francorchamps, is unique in Belgium. Courses are taught in English on the Spa campus.
It is also offered in the form of a certificate for graduates.
This programme was designed to meet the current challenges facing the automotive sector: enhancing vehicle performance (motorisation, security, etc.) while seeking to reduce CO2 emissions. The industry needs engineers and scientists able to innovate in this highly promising sector.
In order to achieve that objective, the programme stresses practical experience in the form of laboratory sessions, practical assignments, a mandatory internship and design exercises. The courses benefit from the partnership with the Automobile Campus of Spa-Francorchamps, a Competence Centre of the FOREM (Wallonia department of training and employment) that has a large amount of outstanding equipment and exceptional experimental facilities. Use of these state-of-the-art technological tools gives students a high-level of qualification, in line with the most advanced industrial practices. Relying on the specificity of the campus' equipment and its location alongside a remarkable race course, the programme can lead to work in the following areas: vehicle dynamics, clean, electrical and hybrid powered vehicles, etc.
Various experts in particular from the sports vehicle sector (F1 team) are involved.
* Master's in Engineering in electromechanics and mechanics
Learning outcomes
Profile
At the end of the programme, Mechanical Engineers with a degree from ULiège are able to analyse, improve and design mechanical parts and systems as well as organise their production. By relying on both theoretical and technical knowledge, they master the entire series of steps in design and manufacturing, from computer-aided design to mass production, by way of the prototyping stage. With their versatility, they participate in a highly creative and multidisciplinary process by combining elements of mechanics, electricity, hydraulics, pneumatics and automation. They take into account feasibility considerations in terms of technology, economics, quality control, work organisation, resource management and, inevitably, human relations.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the programme, Mechanical Engineers are able to:
- draw up specifications for a specific equipment need;
- apply their knowledge of physics, mechanics, materials science, heat transfer and thermodynamics to the study of a mechanical system;
- use computer-aided drafting, design and manufacturing tools;
- model the static, vibrating, cinematic, dynamic and thermal behaviour of a device;
- master and apply digital methods that are used in simulation software;
- handle manufacturing technologies and understand the physical phenomena that characterise them;
- implement machine automation, actuation and instrumentation techniques and industrial processes;
- understand state-of-the-art mechanical technologies such as micro-technologies or precision manufacturing technologies;
- design a mechanical component, including choosing the materials, geometric design, cost calculation and dimensioning;
- design a machine, a mechatronic system, a production unit or line;
- define a product line;
- analyse the functioning of a production system;
- manage a project and ensure its profitability.
The programme uses a project-based approach and maintains close links with the business world. As a result, graduates in mechanical engineering have learned to approach an engineering problem in its entirety, to work both in a team and autonomously, and to communicate the results of their work effectively. They are also familiar with the way businesses operate and are able to work in English within professional settings. They are able to research and use the scientific and technical information available with a critical mind.
Graduates with a professional focus in sustainable automotive technologies acquire, in addition to their technological and methodological knowledge, solid theoretical and practical skills to take on the future challenges faced by the automobile industry. They have been trained in propulsion systems based on thermal, electric or hybrid motors as well as in vehicle dynamics, drive chains, aerodynamics, choice of metallic or composite materials and vehicle and passenger safety in the event of an accident. They are familiar with the automobile industry and are able to develop innovative projects. They are able to use English as a working language.
The professional focus in sustainable automotive technologies, offered in partnership with the Automobile Campus of Spa-Francorchamps, is exclusive to ULiège in Belgium. The programme favours practical application in the form of lab sessions, projects or design exercises.
Career prospects
Thanks to their cross-disciplinary knowledge, mechanical engineers can start their careers either at companies in a variety of sectors such as automobiles, robotics, machine tools, industrial production, aeronautics, space, microsystems, energy recovery and conversion or wind farms, or in a research-oriented environment such as a university or research centre. After gaining a few years of experience in a technical position, mechanical engineers are often entrusted with increasing responsibilities, for example as project leaders or within the management structure of a specific department (production, consultancy, purchasing or sales, etc.). They are equally well prepared to start their own business.