Mechanical Engineering Honors Degree
The School of Mechanical Engineering offers a course leading to the degree of Mechanical Engineering Honors. The course involves four years of full-time study post-Grade 12 entry.
The undergraduate teaching in the school is aimed at providing a broad and solid basis in fundamental Mechanical Engineering and at the same time offering relevant workshop experience and management studies. The program outcomes are comparable to Washington Accord on student outcomes.
Accordingly, the mechanical engineering teaching and learning efforts are focused on developing student’s abilities in the application of mathematics, science, and engineering principles to solve practical problems, designing systems, components, and processes within realistic constraints of economic, political, ethical, social, environmental, health and safety, and sustainability. Efforts are also focused on students developing personal qualities in effective communication, multidisciplinary team participation, interpersonal skills, life-long learning, and contemporary global issues.
The first year of the course is basically common to all engineering students with the exception of one or two department-specific subjects. This consists of the study of language, mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, drawing, computing, workshop practice, and introduction to mechanical engineering.
Students who have successfully completed a Foundation Year Science Program at the University of Papua New Guinea or another equivalent institution may be admitted to the second year but will be required to complete a bridging course in Drawing, Workshop Practice, and other subjects prescribed by the Department before the commencement of Semester 1.
The second and third years consist of further studies to develop analytical skills in Mechanical Engineering Sciences – Thermo fluids, Applied Mechanics, Engineering Materials, Drawing and Design, Manufacturing Processes, Industrial Electronics, Industrial
Engineering and Management, and Language or Surveying studies.
The fourth year consists of more advanced studies in Thermo fluids, Applied Mechanics, and Design, together with studies in Manufacturing Technology and further Industrial Engineering and Management. A special feature of this year is that students are required to undertake a major engineering project. Also, students are allowed to choose elective subjects in the second semester. It is not possible for students to obtain, within the University, anything to replace the fundamentals of practical experience and knowledge of engineering processes, which is essential to the engineer’s development. So, students taking the regular course are required to accumulate at least twelve weeks of professional work experience in the latter part of the course during their vacations. The Head of School must approve this training and all students are required to submit a diary and report at the end of each training period. Completion of at least twelve weeks of approved practical training and completed diaries and satisfactory reports covering that period are necessary requirements for graduation.