Linking people, materials, natural sciences and engineering sciences.
There is a demand for mechanical engineers with a broad and varied educational background as well as a strong practical orientation. Wherever complex systems are developed and produced, our graduates are at the forefront of innovation.
The bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering enables you to begin a career in the fields of construction/development or computation/simulation or become involved in the production or commissioning of innovative products. Mechanical engineers make significant contributions during each phase of the entire product life cycle and serve industry as skilled experts.
After a few years in employment, graduates' career paths usually guide them toward managerial roles in business units. Others establish their own company and turn a pioneering idea into a reality.
Insights into the Mechanical Engineering degree programme
Degree
The broad study programme to become a mechanical engineer comprises the following five training domains: project elements, basic principles, advanced courses, specialist supplement modules and professional-context modules (incl. language training and courses in the humanities/social sciences). The practical orientation of the programme is ensured through project work starting the very first semester.
The degree is organised into modules and enables students to shape their course in accordance with their interests and requirements. A detailed description of the modules that can be taken as part of the Mechanical Engineering degree programme can be found in the module table (German).
We enable you to combine a degree with a job or family. When studying part-time in employment, it is possible to work in a qualified role for up to 60% of the time over three working days per week.
In the third year, you can choose one of four specialisations and specifically tailor your degree programme to a particular professional field.
The energy engineering specialisation deals with the application of thermal and fluid dynamics in industrial systems – from a simple pump through to power stations.
Energy, heat, power, flow, energy systems and analyses: what began as the control of fire by early humans has taken us all the way to the huge combined-cycle power plants (gas/steam turbines) and high-performance combustion engines of today and leaves us confronting a wide range of needs for renewable energy options in the future.
In addition to the basic principles of general energy engineering, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, combustion engines, turbomachines and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a broad spectrum of laboratory exercises complement the range of information covered so that students have a practical understanding of topics from flow through to combustion as well as the processes in and involving turbomachines and combustion engines.
Socio-political problems such as CO2 and pollutant emissions, resource capping and sustainability are highly topical issues in today's society and are therefore part of the specialism programme.
Plastics feature prominently in the items we use in everyday life and have become indispensable. Polymer materials play an important role in achieving technical progress in a range of fields.
"Plastics" cover a group of materials with a broad spectrum of properties – from film for food packaging through to carbon fibre reinforced plastic for aeroplane structures.
The plastics engineering specialisation gives students an overview and understanding of reinforced and unreinforced polymer materials. By correctly selecting and processing these modern materials, it is possible to create lightweight, unconventional and sometimes very resilient components in a cost-effective way.
This major covers the evaluation, forming, processing and recycling of plastics and composites. New injection moulding processes for nanostructures through to structures for racing sailing yachts or cars are topics that our students will cover as part of the specialisation.
There is a strong tradition in plastics at the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. The FHNW is the only university of applied sciences and arts in Switzerland to offer the plastics engineering major as part of the Mechanical Engineering degree programme, and has done so for over 40 years now. The plastics engineering specialisation is thus embedded in a well-established teaching and research environment.
The production engineering specialisation covers the development, forming and adjustment of components or assemblies using new production and assembly methods.
As part of the production engineering study programme, you will cover the following elements while taking into account the economic conditions of production facilities:
How to analyse, optimise and maintain existing production systems
How to design new production systems
How to evaluate, procure and commission production equipment
In technical and economic terms, modern production companies need well-trained employees who have practical experience in the respective field. Through practical work, you will acquire specialist knowledge of production processes and process logistics and be trained in team behaviour, team organisation and team management. With additional mechanical design knowledge, you will also be able to design and test special production equipment.
This specialisation enables graduates to manage small and medium-sized businesses after receiving the appropriate training and to take on the role of department manager in bigger companies.
Operations managers are responsible for the optimal organisation of value-adding processes in a company or profit centre.
In this role, you will deal with the efficient use of central resources, employees, funds, systems and information and systematically organise and use these with the aim of achieving optimal service provision.
With this specialisation, you are well prepared for organising and managing business establishments (industrial enterprises and service enterprises). Operational organisation, the integration of primary and support processes, investment planning and control as well as the development of appropriate controlling instruments play an important role in this process.
Student projects
From the very first semester, you will work in teams and on your own on tasks set by our indus-trial partners.
Flight characteristics of Hornussen
Mechanical Engineering student Matthias Hippen investigated the aerodynamics of the projec-tiles used in the traditional Swiss sport called "Hornussen".
Mechanical Engineering student Flavio Rosa was awarded the Siemens Excellence Award for his bachelor's thesis involving the development of a pressure chamber.
