Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
We offer unparalleled educational experiences in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. We develop highly employable graduates, while our fantastic facilities and world-leading research helps us to confront the key engineering challenges of our age.
Advancing sustainable aviation through autonomous systems and innovative design.
We are energising net-zero with our cutting-edge fusion and fission research.
Redefining manufacturing with innovations in lasers, robotics, and digital tech.
Global leader in fluid simulation and turbulence mechanics.
Creating a sustainable future
We transform lives through world-leading mechanical and aerospace engineering.
Our pioneering research and industry partnerships help tackle global challenges like net-zero energy, cleaner production, and sustainable aviation. In our vibrant community, students thrive through research-led teaching and hands-on projects. Based in a cutting-edge campus with fantastic facilities, we empower them to innovate and lead a sustainable future. Join us to shape tomorrow.
Our students and staff are the driving force behind our success and a constant source of inspiration and pride. So many aspects of society and technology require radical innovation in mechanical and aerospace engineering. It’s a fantastic time to be an engineer!
Professor Alistair Revell - Head of Department
Study with us
Study in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
With nearly 200 years of engineering excellence, we combine a rich heritage with a forward-thinking approach to solving global challenges. Ranked 4th in the UK for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (QS World Rankings 2024) and recognised as one of the most sought-after universities by top graduate employers, Manchester offers an exceptional place to study and launch your career.
Discover Aerospace Engineering Discover Mechanical Engineering
Aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering study options
Undergraduate courses in aerospace engineering
Discover the undergraduate courses we offer in aerospace engineering for the coming intakes:
Taught master's courses in aerospace engineering
Discover the master's courses we offer in aerospace engineering for the coming intake:
Undergraduate courses in mechanical engineering
Discover the undergraduate courses we offer in mechanical engineering for the coming intakes:
Taught master's courses in mechanical engineering
Discover the master's courses we offer in mechanical engineering.
Postgraduate research
Our postgraduate research options include a range of PhDs as well as specific projects you can apply for.
Student societies
Our students are part of a range of fantastic student societies:
- Giant Foamboard Aircraft: Inspiring the next generation of aerospace engineers with giant-scale model flight vehicles made from craft materials.
- Formula Student (Manchester Stinger Motorsports): a society who design, build, and race a single-seater car to compete in annual international competitions against teams around the world at the Formula Student UK competition.
- MancheSTAR Fusion Engineering Society: focus on solving key issues in fusion and host related activities and projects; e.g. a design competition for a Fusor.
- Manchester Students for the Exploration and Development of Space: ManSEDS, is a society dedicated to the passion for space exploration and rocketry, bringing together students from a range of disciplines who share a common interest in space and rocketry.
- Volunteering Outreach In Science and Engineering: VOISE is a social responsibility orientated society that runs their own outreach projects, creating and delivering engineering activities to young people in order to generate an interest in engineering.
Register for our next undergraduate open day
Our next events are in October.
Join us on October 4 or October 11 for talks, tours and to discover whether studying at Manchester is right for you.
Discover open days and book Discover more about our upcoming open days and book to attend
Our research
Advancing engineering for net-zero
Our research spans sustainable aviation and space, clean energy (fusion, fission), digital manufacturing, laser processing, fluid dynamics, heat transfer and materials science.
In addition to our five core areas (aerospace, thermofluids, solids, nuclear and manufacturing) we apply our expertise to drive innovation in multidisciplinary areas such as healthcare, engineering biology and environmental science. Through extensive collaboration with industry and academia, we tackle global challenges, advancing engineering for a net-zero future.
Our areas of research
Aerospace
With world-leading expertise and strong industry ties, we drive transformative solutions that impact global mobility, climate goals, and technological progress. Our work doesn’t just advance aerospace - it helps shape a cleaner, safer, and more connected future.
Innovative manufacturing
Drawing on our expertise in digital manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing, laser engineering and robotics, we deliver new knowledge and innovations improving manufacturing capability, productivity, and sustainability.
Nuclear engineering
We address the challenges of the past, present, and future of nuclear power generation. From ensuring the safety of the current civil nuclear fleet, to helping realise the potential of next generation reactor systems, our combination of world-leading experts and state-of-the-art facilities enable ground-breaking solutions to be found.
Solid mechanics
We are leaders in computational research, advancing methods to predict material behaviour across length scales. Our expertise is cross-disciplinary, addressing critical challenges in nuclear, aerospace, and civil engineering.
Thermofluids
Heat and fluid flow phenomena are critical to the operation of a diverse range of engineering applications and are equally crucial to environmental and physiological systems.
Our research has supported advances in generation IV reactor designs, the net zero agenda, process industries and healthcare.
Postgraduate research
Explore our postgraduate research programmes
The range of research programmes in our Department reflects the breadth of our research expertise.
Discover our available PhDs, MPhils and opportunities at our Centres for Doctoral Training:
Our key research centres and institutes
The Centre for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
One of the UK’s top robotics centres, with a global reputation for designing robots and autonomous systems for real world applications.
The Christabel Pankhurst Institute
Developing innovative solutions to pressing health and care challenges by translating world-leading research into new products and services.
The Dalton Nuclear Institute
Innovation in nuclear research, education and partnership, with the experience and equipment to conduct research across the full nuclear fuel cycle.
The Henry Royce Institute
World-recognised excellence in UK materials research, accelerating commercial exploitation of innovations and delivering positive economic and societal impact for the UK.
The Modelling and Simulation Centre
Leader in computational engineering, driving innovation through advanced modelling techniques and their applications across industries.
Our research impact
New x-plane
Our work on supersonic nozzle thrust vectoring and flying demonstrators has led to the development of a new X-plane (X-65) which could revolutionise aircraft flight.
Discover the BAE Systems trials Latest on the X-65 developments
Nuclear engineering
Our work in nuclear engineering with the Office for Nuclear Regulation has enabled the safe lifetime extension of UK nuclear plants.
Turbulent heat flow
Our work in turbulent heat flow has led to the development of efficient and resilient photo voltaic panels through passive cooling.
Our research facilities
Royce Nuclear
The Royce Nuclear University Technology Centre hosts state-of-the-art capability to study nuclear fuels, nuclear graphite and support plutonium disposition.
This world-leading, unique academic capability enables the study of radioactive materials from across the nuclear sector, and includes facilities to manufacture representative materials, test their properties and response to extreme environments and characterise them down to the atom scale. Using this facility we are developing new nuclear materials to support net zero in the UK, as well as training the next generation of subject matter experts to support nuclear within the UK for decades to come.
Wind Tunnel Suite
A unique combination of facilities covering the entire speed range of aerodynamics with cutting-edge measurement technology and capability.
These experimental facilities enable us to investigate future technologies and flow physics with applications ranging from athlete performance and road / rail freight aerodynamics, to supersonic nozzles and hypersonic aerodynamics, including everything in between.
Social responsibility
Leading the way in societal impact
The University of Manchester is first place in the UK and Europe and second in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
Our staff contribute to this through impactful research, inclusive practices, ethical standards, and public engagement. We actively build connections with our local community and seek to inspire future engineers. Our nuclear group provides impartial advice to UK nuclear and energy policy, supporting Net Zero 2050 and helping to ensure energy security and affordability.
Our people
- Timothy Abram - Professor in Nuclear Fuel Technology
- Olivier Allegre - Lecturer in Laser Processing
- Akin Atas - Lecturer in Engineering Design for Sustainability
- Mengqi Bai - Lecturer in Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technology
- Otto Jan Bakker - Lecturer in Mechanical Design
- Miguel Beneitez Galan - Lecturer in Fluid Mechanics
- Lynne Bianchi - Professor of Science and Engineering Education
- William Bodel - Dalton Fellow in Nuclear Energy Policy
- Nicholas Bojdo - Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering
- Philip Bonello - Reader in Engineering Dynamics
- Elijah Borodin - Lecturer in Solid Mechanics
- Neil Bourne - Professor of Matter in Extreme Environments
- Adrian Bull - BNFL Chair in Nuclear Energy and Society
- Timothy Carew - Knowledge Exchange Research Fellow in Applied Aerodynamics
- Glen Cooper - Reader in Medical Engineering and Design
- Timothy Craft - Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering
- Nicholas Crisp - Lecturer in Aerospace Systems
- William Crowther - Professor of Aerodynamic Engineering
- Keith Davey - Reader in Structural, Materials and Mechanical Engineering
- Alessandro De Rosis - Senior Lecturer in Virtual Engineering
- Marco Domingos - Senior Lecturer in Bioprinting and Regenerative Medicine
- David Eastwood - Diamond Manchester Research Fellow
- Antonino Filippone - Professor of Computational Aerodynamics
- John Francis - Professor of Materials Welding and Joining
- Giovanni Giustini - Lecturer in Engineering Simulation and Data Science
- Graham Hall - Senior Lecturer in Nuclear Graphite
- Ajay Bangalore Harish - Lecturer in Engineering Simulation and Data Science
- Robert Harrison - Senior Lecturer
- Scott Heath - Professor of Nuclear Chemistry
- Robert Heinemann - Senior Lecturer
- Peter Hollingsworth - Senior Lecturer in Aerospace
- Yuze Huang - Lecturer in Low Carbon Manufacturing
- Hector Iacovides - Professor of Convective Heat Transfer
- Chikwesiri Imediegwu - Lecturer in Design Optimisation
- Samantha Islam - Lecturer in Net Zero
- Andrey Jivkov - Professor of Solid Mechanics
- Abbie Jones - Chair in Nuclear Graphite
- Kali-Babu Katnam - Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering
- Amir Keshmiri - Reader in CFD
- Aneeqa Khan - Research Fellow in Nuclear Fusion
- Moray Kidd - Senior Lecturer in Design and Reliability Engineering
- Zekai Murat Kilic - Lecturer in Digital Manufacturing
- Jack King - University Research Fellow
- Pawel Ladosz - Lecturer in Engineering Systems for Robotics
- Dominque Laurence - Professor
- Qingming Li - Professor of Applied Mechanics
- Yasser Mahmoudi Larimi - Professor of Thermal Engineering
- Emily Manchester - Lecturer in Fluids Simulation
- Parthasarathi Mandal - Reader in Bioengineering
- Lee Margetts - UKAEA Chair of Digital Engineering for Fusion Energy
- Paul Mativenga - Professor in Multi-Scale and Sustainable Manufacturing
- Ciara McGrath - Lecturer in Aerospace Systems
- Milan Mihajlovic - Lecturer in Civil Engineering
- Paul Mummery - Chair in Nuclear Graphite Technology
- Mostafa Nabawy - Reader in Aerospace Engineering
- Adel Nasser - Senior Lecturer
- Olga Negri - Lecturer in Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technology
- Okechukwu Okorie - Senior Lecturer in Engineering Design for Sustainability
- Sunday Oyadiji - Reader
- Ben Parslew - Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering
- Robert Prosser - Reader in Thermodynamics and CFD
- Kun Qian - Lecturer in Robot Assisted Manufacturing
- Mark Quinn - Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering
- Kuppuraj Rajamanickam - Lecturer in Low Carbon Propulsion Systems
- Alistair Revell - Professor of Computational Engineering and Flow Physics and Head of Department
- Saleh Rezaeiravesh - Lecturer in Engineering Simulation and Data Science
- Peter Roberts - Reader in Spacecraft Engineering
- Matthew Roy - Senior Lecturer in Materials for Demanding Environments
- Jyoti Sinha - Professor of Condition Monitoring and Plant Maintenance
- Alex Skillen - Lecturer in Engineering Simulation
- Katharine Smith - Reader in Aerospace Engineering
- Mike C Smith - Professor of Welding Technology
- Azam Tafreshi - Lecturer in Engineering
- Tianning Tang - Lecturer in Fluid Mechanics
- Richard Taylor - BNFL Chair in Nuclear Energy Systems
- Alex Theodosiou - Lecturer in Nuclear Graphite Decommissioning Engineering
- Joel Turner - Rolls-Royce Chair in Nuclear Fuel Technology
- Sergey Utyuzhnikov - Reader in Computational Mechanics
- Anastasia Vasileiou - Dalton Fellow in Advanced Nuclear Manufacturing
- Charlie C.L. Wang - Professor of Smart Manufacturing
- Andrew Weightman - Professor of Medical Mechatronics
- Dean Wilson - Lecturer in Fluid Mechanics
- Kieran Wood - Lecturer in Aerospace Systems
- Akilu Yunusa-Kaltungo - Reader in Reliability and Maintenance Engineering
- Shan Zhong - Professor of Experimental Fluid Mechanics
- Zhenmin Zou - Lecturer
Connect with us
Admissions queries
- UG Admissions - ug.mae.ce@manchester.ac.uk
- Postgraduate Taught Admissions: pg.mae.ce@manchester.ac.uk
- Reliability Engineering and Asset Management (REAM) Admissions - ream.admissions@manchester.ac.uk
- Postgraduate Research (Doctoral) Admissions - doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk
General queries
General or operational queries: MAEOps@manchester.ac.uk
Business and research queries
- Get in touch to discuss your research or industry needs. Contact the Research Support Team - SoE_researchservices@manchester.ac.uk
Outreach and work experience queries
- Work experience or school and outreach events – fse-outreach@manchester.ac.uk