Programme aims

5980 - Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability

The 2nd cycle degree programme in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability aims to provide students with a solid cultural and professional background to operate in highly qualified areas of the mechanical engineering field.
Graduates in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability have a high cultural and professional background in the specific subjects of the class, with a focus on innovative design and management of components, machines, plants, products and processes. A solid background in the fundamental subjects of Mechanical Engineering is complemented by knowledge of tools and methods for the evaluation of functional and constructional aspects with a focus on the skills required for the evaluation and optimisation of environmental, economic and social sustainability aspects of design solutions and process management.
The Second Cycle degree programme in Mechanical Engineering for Sustainability has the specific objective of training professionals to occupy positions of responsibility in the field of design, management, coordination and development of industrial and/or research activities in Companies and Public or Private Bodies, as well as in advanced activities related to freelance profession: in this sense, the degree programme aims to build analytical and methodological skills in the field of the disciplines characterising mechanical engineering in general, with in-depth studies on the sustainability assessment systems of industrial processes and products (life cycle, environmental impact, ESG environmental and social management, etc.).
These skills are then declined more specifically in the fields of automation, energy and industrial plants, sustainable design and technology. A further learning outcome relates to transversal skills, with particular reference to the ability to communicate (drafting technical reports and presenting projects in public), to interact profitably with colleagues (group projects) and to tackle multidisciplinary problems, which require the synthesis of the skills acquired in the individual subjects. A further objective concerns the ability to use practical tools (software and hardware) for the development of projects of industrial interest, which, combined with knowledge of the dynamics of industrial companies' operations, accompanies the student smoothly into the world of work.
The computer and experimental equipment that can be used in the site's laboratories allow the in-depth study of application aspects through activities, including multidisciplinary and/or group activities, in which students can put into practice and test the skills acquired in a dynamic and intercultural environment. Internship activities in preparation for the dissertation may be carried out through the collaboration of public and private companies or organisations. Among others, the professional figures described below may be developed.
The second-cycle degree programme in Mechanical Engineering produces graduates with a solid and flexible background based on the in-depth technical and scientific knowledge gained during the curriculum, which they can successfully put to use in the world of work or continue to develop by continuing studies to 2nd cycle Master's Degree level or PhD programmes in Mechanical Engineering and similar industrial disciplines.
Having passed the state examination, in compliance with the applicable regulations, graduates in Mechanical Engineering may exercise the freelance profession (feasibility studies, design, technical arbitration, technical expert for parties and on behalf of the courts, etc.), also dealing with complex issues which require great skill.
Educational path
In the first year, the degree programme includes a series of compulsory and some elective course units. In their second year, students will have to opt for one of the 'guided choices' made available to them, each of which studies the concept of sustainability within specific subject areas (automation, energy and industry, design and technology). Further core and elective learning activities and laboratory activities, as well as a final examination, complete the final year of studies.
In the first year of the programme, both core subjects of mechanical engineering are addressed, introducing the topic of sustainability in their specific fields, and disciplines necessary for the completion of the mechanical engineer's methodological and technical knowledge. The elective course units aim to fill any gaps in learning in subject groups that may be covered in depth in the course units available in the guided choices.
In the second year, students will have the opportunity to focus their learning on one of the areas provided by the guided choices: in the area of automation, the technologies and architectures of drives, communication, control and functional design are explored in order to enhance electrification in industry. In the area of energy and industry, analysis methodologies and technologies oriented to resource optimisation in the fields of mobility, energy exchange processes, and industrial plant design are presented. In the area of mechanical design and technology, design and production techniques using advanced materials are illustrated, with particular reference to the possibility of reuse.
In the second term of the second year, students can choose two workshop-based course units, each consisting of the integration of two units addressing a practical problem of industrial relevance with tools and approaches typical of different disciplines, to further enhance the multidisciplinary nature of the training. The workshops, which may be replaced by learning-by-doing activities developed with student associations, lead the student to the internship and dissertation activities, through which they must demonstrate that they have acquired all the tools and knowledge necessary to complete a significant and professionally relevant project with originality and independence.
Subject to the presentation of the learning agreement, the student will be able to carry out learning activities abroad: teaching in English and the possibility of accessing calls for the preparation of dissertations abroad will facilitate student exchanges to and from the Degree Programme.
The learning methods involves lectures and laboratory exercises, as well as visits to companies and seminars, conducted by company speakers, for the presentation of industrially relevant case studies. Some course units will be able to make use of teaching equipment set up for distance learning, as well as innovative teaching approaches (flipped classroom).