LSBU vs University of Hertfordshire for Mechanical Engineering — current students/grads, need real course comparison
LSBU (Southwark, central London)
**•**Year 1: Engineering Maths, Solid Mechanics & Materials, Fluid Mechanics & Thermodynamics, Electrical Circuit Analysis, Design & Practice, Object-Oriented Programming (C++)
**•**Year 2: Advanced Engineering Maths, Engineering Design, Solid Mechanics & FEA, Dynamics & Control, Thermofluids & Sustainable Energy, Machine Drives & Mechatronics
**•**Optional placement year available
**•**Final year: Manufacturing Systems & Materials Tech, Dynamics & Systems Modelling, Innovation & Enterprise, Thermofluids & Turbomachinery, Individual Project
**•**All modules compulsory — no elective specialisation pathway, though there’s a separate “Advanced Vehicle Engineering” option
**•**Facilities: CNC machines, waterjet cutters, wind turbine/solar rigs, VR lab
**•they claimed “**Ranked top 5 UK for Mech Eng, 3rd for student satisfaction”
University of Hertfordshire (Hatfield)
**•**Similar core years 1-2 (maths, statics, CAD, materials, thermo, fluid mechanics, dynamics, heat transfer)
**•**Final year: choose a 30-credit specialisation pathway — Thermal Management (Renewable Energy Systems, Thermal Systems Design), Automation & Robotics (PLC Systems, Mechatronic Systems), or Engineering Management
**•**Placement year OR study/semester abroad option
**•**New dedicated engineering building (Spectra) — labs, wind tunnel, automotive workshop, controls testing suite
**•**Named grad/placement employers: Tesla UK, Bosch, Amazon, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce
**•**Ranked 2nd in East of England for Mech Eng (regional, not national)
My situation: LSBU is a manageable commute and keeps a part-time job I have; Hertfordshire is a longer commute with no direct TfL access but has the stronger final-year specialisation options. Long-term interest is energy/nuclear engineering, likely via a Master’s after this degree.
Questions for anyone who’s done either:
**•**How genuinely useful was the placement year in practice — did the university actually help you land one, or were you on your own?
**•**If you did an elective pathway (Hertfordshire) or the standard fixed course (LSBU), did it meaningfully shape what jobs you could get afterward?