Turning motion into a bright career
THE mechanical engineering programmes offered at the Management & Science University (MSU) help students develop their ability to design, analyse, optimise, create and maintain mechanical systems.
Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and broadest branches of engineering, overlapping other disciplines such as electrical, civil and aerospace engineering.
Many think that the popularity of mechanical engineering as a university course increases job competition upon graduation. In reality, its graduates have a plethora of career options to choose from.
Two famous mechanical engineers are Ismail Al-Jazari, the author of Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices ,a master engineer and father of robotics, and Kalpana Chawla, the female mechanical engineer and primary operator of the robotic arm onboard Space Shuttle Columbia.
History’s other world-renowned mechanical engineers include Nikola Tesla, who designed the alternating current system; James Watt, best known for his improvement of steam engine design; and Rudolf Diesel, who invented the diesel engine.
Mechanical engineers are responsible for building, designing and maintaining machinery across a range of industries and uses. They apply fundamental maths and physics laws to build society’s mechanical tools, and have working knowledge of computers and their applications.
Since they also need to have an understanding of social, environmental and economic factors, mechanical engineering graduates can work in a vast range of sectors, from manufacturing and defence to construction, healthcare, information technology and finance.
At MSU, mechanical engineering is offered across four programmes and two specialisations. The MSU Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Honours) programme prepares students for careers in project and design engineering.
It lays the foundation for engineering drawing, computer-aided design, instrumentation and measurement in the first year, then proceeds to industrial safety and mechanics of machines in Year Two and mechatronics and process and manufacturing technology in Year Three.
An internship comes in the fourth year of this three-and-a-half-year programme.
The MSU Diploma in Mechanical Engineering programme covers technical drawing, metrology and instrumentation, and mechanics of materials in the first year, before moving on to thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, workshop technology and practice, and industrial training in the second.
Courses in hydraulics and pneumatics, mechanics of machines, and electronics and digital engineering round out the third year.
Suitable careers for graduates include process technician, mould design assistant and assistant mechanical engineer.
The MSU Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) programme prepares students for residential, commercial and industrial refrigeration, as well as air-conditioning specialisation.
Fluid mechanics and electrical technology form the first-year courses, before moving on to heat transfer, air-conditioning and refrigeration maintenance, and industrial training. The two-and-a-half-year programme wraps up with air-conditioning system design and workshop technology and practice.
With learning at MSU embedding industry and entrepreneurship, students are equipped to start their own repair and maintenance business or seek HVAC/R technician positions.
The MSU Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (High-rise Building Maintenance) specialisation sees first-year students studying applied mechanics, thermodynamics and electrical wiring and troubleshooting.
Year Two is spent on lift and escalator maintenance, hydraulic and pneumatics, as well as industrial safety and organisation, and half of the third year focuses on industrial training. Future careers include building supervisors and maintenance technicians.
MSU is one of Malaysia's top universities, with a focus on developing and delivering quality human capital in national and global critical-need areas.
Among these are medicine, health sciences, pharmacy, information sciences and engineering, besides business management, professional studies, education, social sciences, hospitality, culinary arts, music and fashion.
MSU has a five-star rating in the QS World University Rankings for its teaching, facilities, graduate employability, social responsibility and inclusiveness. It is also ranked 217th among the top 1.8% of the best universities in the QS World University Rankings 2018: Asia.
■ For more details, call 03-5521 6868, e-mail enquiry@msu.edu.my or visit http://www.msu.edu.my/