Applied Mechanics Syllabus

The syllabus varies considerably between undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The following curriculum is representative and not the official syllabus of every institution.

Undergraduate Applied Mechanics Syllabus

Engineering Mathematics: Calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, vector analysis, probability, statistics and numerical methods.

Engineering Physics: Mechanics, waves, optics, electricity, magnetism and modern physics.

Engineering Mechanics: Force systems, equilibrium, friction, trusses, centroids, moment of inertia, kinematics and kinetics.

Programming: Algorithms, programming fundamentals, data structures and scientific computing.

Engineering Graphics: Technical drawing, projections, sections, dimensioning and computer-aided drafting.

Material Science: Crystal structures, mechanical properties, phase transformations, polymers, ceramics and composites.

Solid Mechanics: Stress, strain, constitutive relations, axial loading, torsion, bending and failure theories.

Fluid Mechanics: Fluid properties, pressure, conservation laws, internal flow, external flow and dimensional analysis.

Dynamics: Motion of particles and rigid bodies, work-energy methods, impulse, momentum and rotating systems.

Thermodynamics: Energy, entropy, thermodynamic cycles, gases and heat transfer fundamentals.

Numerical Methods: Root finding, interpolation, numerical integration, differential equations and computational error.

Electrical and Electronic Systems: Circuits, sensors, signals, data acquisition and embedded-system fundamentals.

Manufacturing Processes: Casting, forming, machining, joining, additive manufacturing and process selection.

Machine Design: Design of components, fatigue, shafts, bearings, joints and mechanical systems.

Control Systems: Modelling, feedback, stability, frequency response and system control.

Continuum Mechanics: Mathematical description of deformation, stress, conservation laws and constitutive behaviour.

Finite-Element Methods: Discretisation, shape functions, stiffness matrices, boundary conditions and numerical solution of engineering problems.

Computational Fluid Dynamics: Numerical treatment of fluid-flow equations, meshing, solution methods and post-processing.

Experimental Mechanics: Sensors, strain gauges, optical methods, uncertainty and experimental design.

Vibration: Free and forced vibration, damping, multiple-degree systems and vibration control.

Optimisation: Engineering design variables, constraints, objective functions and numerical optimisation.

Machine Learning for Engineering: Data preparation, regression, classification, surrogate models and physics-informed applications.

Representative Undergraduate Semester Structure

Institutions offering Computational Engineering and Mechanics may include additional courses in data science, machine learning, high-performance computing, signals and embedded systems.

Postgraduate Applied Mechanics Syllabus

Advanced Engineering Mathematics: Tensor analysis, partial differential equations, variational calculus and advanced numerical methods.

Advanced Solid Mechanics: Three-dimensional stress and strain, elasticity, energy methods and complex structural behaviour.

Continuum Mechanics: Kinematics, balance laws, constitutive theory and thermodynamic restrictions.

Advanced Fluid Mechanics: Navier–Stokes equations, viscous flow, boundary layers, turbulence and compressible flow.

Finite-Element Analysis: Advanced elements, nonlinear analysis, dynamics, error estimation and multiphysics problems.

Computational Methods: Numerical linear algebra, iterative techniques, discretisation and high-performance computing.

Experimental Stress Analysis: Strain gauges, photoelasticity, digital image correlation and optical measurement methods.

Structural Dynamics: Modal analysis, transient response, random vibration and system identification.

Elasticity and Plasticity: Linear and nonlinear material behaviour, yield criteria and plastic deformation.

Fracture and Fatigue: Crack mechanics, cyclic loading, damage accumulation and life prediction.

Biomechanics: Mechanics of biological tissues, movement, implants and fluid flow in biological systems.

Composite Mechanics: Anisotropic materials, laminated structures, failure criteria and composite design.

Turbulence: Turbulent flow physics, statistical description and turbulence modelling.

Fluid–Structure Interaction: Coupled response of fluids and deformable structures.

Optimisation and Inverse Problems: Parameter estimation, design optimisation and identification of unknown system properties.

Research Methodology: Literature review, hypothesis development, research ethics, data interpretation and technical publication.

Applied Mechanics Laboratories

Solid Mechanics Laboratory: Tensile, compression, bending and torsion testing.

Fluid Mechanics Laboratory: Flow measurement, pipe losses, boundary-layer experiments and pump performance.

Vibration Laboratory: Free and forced vibration, modal testing, balancing and vibration measurement.

Computational Mechanics Laboratory: Finite-element modelling, meshing, solution and validation.

CFD Laboratory: Flow-domain creation, boundary conditions, solver settings and visualisation.

Experimental Mechanics Laboratory: Strain measurement, load cells, digital image correlation and data acquisition.

Materials Laboratory: Hardness, impact, fatigue and fracture-related testing.

Biomechanics Laboratory: Motion analysis, tissue mechanics or biomedical-flow experiments, depending on the institution.

Common Applied Mechanics Electives

Students may choose from:

• nonlinear finite-element analysis;
• computational plasticity;
• structural stability;
• fracture mechanics;
• fatigue and damage mechanics;
• mechanics of composite materials;
• vehicle dynamics;
• aeroelasticity;
• turbulence modelling;
• microfluidics;
• multiphase flow;
• biomechanics;
• soft matter mechanics;
• nanomechanics;
• granular mechanics;
• tribology;
• acoustics;
• smart materials;
• earthquake engineering;
• computational heat transfer;
• fluid–structure interaction;
• machine learning in mechanics;
• digital twins;
• uncertainty quantification; and
• high-performance scientific computing.

Recommended Applied Mechanics Projects

Students can undertake projects such as:

• finite-element analysis of an automotive suspension component;
• stress analysis of a bridge joint;
• aerodynamic study of a drone wing;
• vibration monitoring of rotating machinery;
• topology optimisation of a lightweight bracket;
• fatigue-life prediction of a shaft;
• computational study of blood flow through an artery;
• thermal-stress analysis of an engine component;
• composite-panel failure analysis;
• fluid–structure interaction in a flexible pipe;
• earthquake response of a building frame;
• digital image correlation for strain measurement;
• machine-learning prediction of material properties;
• design of a vibration-isolation system;
• fracture analysis of a pressure vessel;
• CFD analysis of a wind turbine;
• collision modelling for vehicle safety;
• simulation of heat transfer in a battery pack;
• optimisation of a prosthetic component; or
• digital-twin development for a mechanical system.

A good project should define a clear engineering question, state assumptions, validate the method and explain the limitations of the results.