Hi, I just got my SPM result not long ago and would like to study mechatronics. But I'm not sure where should I study. There are some similar thread in this forum, but most of them are quite some time ago. ._.

Anyway, should I study mechatronics in UTAR or are there any other good options? Other than Nottingham and Monash. Or should I study in A.P.U.? Would love to further my studies oversea...

Thanks.

y didn't you consider local unis?

MMU and UTM is very good.

UTAR also good.

Other got Swinburne, Curtin, Monash, Nottingham, APU.

Cheapest UTM, follow by UTAR, then MMU, then.....

Better have a look on their facilities before you study.

I am a mechatronics graduate from APU, i will not say that this U is perfect, but if i were to be given a choice to choose again, APU is still my choice because it fits me most.

sometimes it is not the teaching material or lecturer that matters. What matter the most are:

whether u could adapt to the environment or lifestyle in that Uni.

whether u wanna stick with the Uni near to ur house or having campus life outside or driving to the Uni and jammed for 1hr b4 reaching Uni.

whether your parent could afford the expenses or not.

i see these small obstacles as a big problem because as the times go on, it will eat out your motivation to complete your studies bit by bit.

some of my APU course mate defer to other Uni (MMU, UCSI, UTAR). They still haven't graduate because they keep changing Uni and complaint about the teaching materials & lecturers, end up restarting some of the modules again as they couldn't transfer all the credit.

May I know what is MMU?

Thanks for the the advice.

MMU = Multimedia University, Got 2 campus, 1 in Cyberjaya and 1 in Melaka

Thanks.

Would A.P.U. be better than UTAR? Something about accredit?

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) :: Bachelor of Electronic Engineering (Mechatronic) with Honours is one of many Electrical and Electronic Engineering academic programs offered by the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and monitored by the Department of Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering. Take a look!

U can refer this website for accredited engineering degree

http://www.eac.org.my/web/list_accredited.html

First word of warning from a fellow gonna grad Mechatronian here.

1. It offers a wide range of disciplines . You'll dip ur toe in to Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Embedded, and Control. You'll be Jack of All Trades, Master of None(well, our focus IS on Control Systems so you can say we are master of Control Systems).... UNLESS.

2. You grow your interests. particular field perhaps, and then you'll be a powerhouse. You don't do this, you're useless in industry.

Mechatronics programs normally concentrates on E&E+Embedded Programming+Control Systems.

Mechanical Dynamics and Statics are covered briefly so you know about it, but you're not the expert on it.

Throughout my 4 years course, what I've observed about the difference between a student in Mechatronics and another student in another particular , more traditional field such as pure E&E, Mechanical, etc.



1. E&E students will find a full project application of hardware and software very challenging as they focus on Electrical and Electronic design BUT they will be able to give in-depth analysis of the Electrical Characteristics.

2. Mechanical students will find a full project application with hardware and software very challenging as they focus on the Physical Mechanics of the system BUT they will be able to give in-depth analysis of the Mechanics.

3. Computer Science students will find a full project application with hardware and software very challenging as they focus on the Software Development BUT they will be able to design better streamlined software.

4. Mechatronics students will find a full project application with hardware and software a piece of cake, BUT they won't be able to give in-depth analysis of the mechanical dynamics/software structure unless they specifically work towards it. Note: We do concentrate on E&E+Control, so E&E analysis is still within our territory.



A good example : FYP
Mechanical Student : Stress Analysis and Characteristic of a Car Body <----fully Mechanics/Dynamics/Statics/Thermo

E&E Student : Non-Destructive Fruit Maturity Detection using RF and DC Voltage <---Characteristics of RF and DC on a fruit is studied.

Comp Student : Vision Algorithm for Semiconductor Inspection <----Coding, ALgorithm, structure, method.

Mechatronics Student : Develop a Nursing Robot for Hospital Domain <--- Mechanical design and fabrication, algorithm design and test, electronics and power system design.

This is what I see.
If in-depth analysis of a sub-module is required, traditional branch of engineering is more suitable, if application and integration of multiple modules together, comes mechatronic grads.

so. still think mechatronic is fun?

This post has been edited by IvanWong1989: Apr 1 2013, 10:12 PM

Very informative indeed. Bravo! You made UniMAP proud.

Thanks!

Thanks for the advice. But I'll still be going for mechatronic course. Would like to 'dip my toe' into a wide range of disciplines.

=)

Then all the best. Fellow Mechatronian. =P


Have you decided to go Local Uni, or Private?

(1) Do you know there is increasing demand for graduates who can work in an interdisciplinary engineering environment? This demand, when coupled with the appeal of intelligent systems, makes mechatronics and robotics a popular choice for students. Mechatronics graduates will have the interdisciplinary approach necessary to integrate electronics, control, software and mechanical engineering. In addition, you will acquire skills that are transferable to service industries and other areas of the business community.

(2) Traditionally, mechatronics is considered as a fusion of mechanical, electrical, computer and control engineering. Modern mechatronics is about the integration of electronics with mechanical design to create intelligent systems. From fuzzy logic controlled washing machines to space exploration, mechatronics and robotic systems are at the forefront of technological developments.

(3) It is a field with exciting career opportunities and a huge range of applications, from robotics in manufacturing and automation to the automotive, aerospace, medical and leisure and entertainment industries. Recent graduates have secured positions such as Systems Engineers, Project Engineers, Industrial Engineers and Control & Instrumentation Engineers within organizations such ABB, Alstom, Dyson, First Solar, GE Intelligent Platforms, Honeywell, Infineon, Intel, Jacobs Engineering, M+W, Petronas, Shell, Siemens, Sunpower, Yokogawa and so on.

(4) With your broad engineering knowledge base, you probably hold technical design and decision-making positions, often overseeing or playing a central role in engineering design teams. As you acquire sufficient experience and move up the career ladder, you may become a Systems Manager, Project Manager, Factory Manager, or Technical Manager by 35 or earlier.

sometimes i miss my mechatronics times

Thanks!
Decided to go private uni.

Go private

GERMAN MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE..

Perhaps you can consider Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Three graduates from that university have invented something futuristic and very “hot” this year.

Masuk MJIIT la, kampus baru UTM.

Could you describe the kind of research conducted in the Center for AI and Robotics (CAIRO) Lab in Malaysia–Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), please?

Mechatronics is a combination of Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Software and IT. APU is the best university for IT and you will be getting 2 degrees, one from APU and the other from Staffordshire University, UK. APU also is ranked Excellent at Tier 5 by SETARA 2011, Malaysia's ranking system by MQA.

I am not sure how you are comparing UTAR with Nottingham and Monash? Total opposite spectrum. First, look at your results and also your budget. If you can afford Nottingham and you meet the entry requirements, then go for it. If you cannot afford to get into Nottingham or Monash, then there is no point to ask. If you want to go overseas, why would you be going to UTAR?

Can I know whether I can specialize the course in master's degree like I chose Mechanical engineering first then later on in master's degree it's Mechatronic engineering?or from either one of the main branches to any one of the specialized/subdiscipline course?

APU is the best for IT, so that aspect helps in the IT part of Mechatronics. Their engineering degree is accredited by BEM and the Mechatronics Engineering will be getting it soon as well. You may consider UCSI University also as they were one of the first private unis to offer engineering. Swinburne and Curtin are pretty good as well.

Technically possible, but not easy if you don't take every opportunity to tailor a Mechatronics-related curriculum to your own needs during your sophomore year, starting from a solid Mechanical Engineering base.

Mechatronics Engineering is intended for students whose career objectives require greater flexibility, where as Mechanical Engineering is a structured program that prepares students for a broad range of career choices in the field of mechanical engineering.

∴ What exactly do you like about Mechanical Engineering now and then Mechatronics Engineering later?

When you mean career choices in the field of Mechanical engineering that means I can only choose the subdiscipline of mechanical eng. or any other subdiscipline/specialised course? I was wondering about this because I read and searched that each of the main branch have its own subdiscipline/specialised field

(1) What do you want to do after university? The more you try to think of reasons why you can't, the more you realize just how much you can.

(2) For your info, Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering combining Mechanics, Electronics, Control and Soft-Computing, rather than a unique subdiscipline of Mechanical Engineering.

(3) While many subdisciplines are a combination of mechanical engineering and one or more branches of engineering, Mechanics is a subdiscipline that is unique to mechanical engineering because it deals with the study of forces and their effect upon matter. Likewise, a Robotic Arm is a prime example of a mechatronics system because it includes aspects of mechanics, electronics, control and soft-computing to do its day-to-day jobs.

(4) An emerging variant of Mechatronics field is Biomechatronics, whose purpose is to integrate mechatronics parts with a human being, usually known as a powered exoskeleton. Cyberdyne Inc. has created commercial exosuits called "Hybrid Assistive Limb" (aka HAL-5) for medical use.

tak layak masuk utm...

My result is qualified to go for the MUFY programme in Monash but not Nottingham. My family can afford to get me into it, but I don't want them to spend so much money. I scared that I can't get a good result in those uni, then wasted their money... and my father wants me to enter a 'good' uni...

I would enter UTAR if it wasn't for the foundation in science. I was in sub-science class during form 4 and 5, so there was no bio. I'm afraid that I could not catch up.

TARC can go oversea, UTAR cannot?

But then, APU price is also quite expensive. ._.

UCSI starts off with foundation in science. I was in sub-science class during form 4 and 5, so there was no bio. I'm afraid that I could not catch up.

Swinburne and Curtin is too far.

Can I know if accreditation is important?What happens if the course is not accredited can I find jobs without it?

If you cannot afford anything then just go UTAR or Form 6 to go to local university.

MQA accreditation is important as the course needs its approval to be run in Malaysia. BEM Accreditation is only important to Civil Engineers as they need to become Chartered Engineers to sign off on the blueprints. For the rest of the engineering courses, BEM accreditation is not important. There has been thousands of graduates from UK universities with 3-year degrees in engineering who have gotten work easily.

It depends on your career goals eventually.

I don't think your advice is appropriate.

I hope everyone keeps in mind.

BY LAW - Engineers are required to register with BEM to practice. No register, or unqualified to register, technically, by law you can't call yourself and engineer. Same case as being a lawyer.

Even if in practice everywhere is flooding with engineers unaccredited....


DO NOTE - Accreditation is important because even if you don't plan to work in gov sector, if later on in life you have the chance to become an IR/Professional Engineer, you can't because you're unaccredited...

becoming an IR in civil you can approve blueprints. in high voltage systems there needs an IR to approve blueprints. n etc. it is not just civil.

Thank you for the reaffirmation. I call upon everyone here to be careful and responsible to avoid giving any misleading info.

Is it possible go mechatronics first in diploma then E&E in degree then mechatronics again in masters?

Before u all join mechatronics, first u have to ask yourself this: why? I really wanted to join mechatronics only to find that the prospect is rubbish in malaysia. Hardly think of going to work replacing the japanese or germans. They are way ahead of us and hardly want us in the company. My friend who graduated with mechatronics in german also went to oil and gas. Join oil and gas. The oil and gas field is wide in scope. The money is mostly in oil and gas too. Just advising. Dont regret after graduating

interest comes first......

U sure? Even if the prospect is rubbish in malaysia and less likely for u to work overseas?

I don't know what's in your mind, but that's probably because you imposed two unreal conditions that clouded your perspective. The foundations of Mechatronics are built on Control & Instrumentation Engineering. Do you know that Mechatronics graduates can apply fundamental instrumentation and control engineering principles to oil and gas facilities design and operation? You did mention your Mechatronics friend hired in Oil & Gas sector, didn't you? Moreover, the prospects for oil and gas counters remain bright in Malaysia.



Malaysia is just at the start of an oil boom, on the back of the promising outlook for the exploration and production (E&P) industry. The country's deepwater projects will assume a prominent role in providing new growth opportunities in Malaysia and are expected to produce about 250,000 bpd of new oil by 2010. All in, nine deepwater fields have been identified for commercial operations from 2007 to 2013.

If you cannot find a job in the oil & gas companies, and unless you are technically incompetent, send your résumé to SIEMENS, ABB and Yokogawa.

And Ivan can imagine beyond these.

This post has been edited by Critical_Fallacy: May 28 2013, 03:31 PM

1)mechatronics apply fundamental instrumentation and control engineering principles to oil and gas facilities? hehe. nevermind la. you just try to apply to O&G companies and say this during your interview la. see how the interviewer answer back.

2) deepwater using mechatronics? also please say this during your interview. if you apply to operator companies like Exxon, Shell, Petronas, they just might smile back at you. but if you apply for service providers, maybe you have a chance.


Well up to you, bro. I just mentioned whatever I have experienced and wanna share with you guys. coz i was also interested to join mechatronics until something stopped me from doing so. my friend didnt even applied his mechatronics in O&G by the way. he was absorbed as a pure mechanical engineer.

if you feel that you can go far with your interest, just go ahead. but if you want $ and want it fast, this may not be the suitable field for you.

(1) Thanks for your sharing and your personal experience in attempting to pursue a degree in Mechatronics. You are very right in advising young students to consider carefully when deciding for their education and career prospect in the future. However, I might be missing something here because I’m not sure if I understand what you intend to say.

(2) By your indirect reasoning, do you mean that if that job does not enable you to make money (subjective issue) and earn it fast (relative issue) in Malaysia, then that kind of job is rubbish? I might be incorrectly interpreted them.

(3) In general, if everyone had that belief from the beginning, then would it be logical to say most kinds of job prospects would be “rubbish” by your standard?

(4) Or specifically, so when you shared that belief to others and in comparison they find they make much more money and much faster than you, would it be fair to say that criteria made your current job looked “rubbish”?



This post has been edited by Critical_Fallacy: May 28 2013, 04:55 PM

ok. Nothing more to share bro judging from your comments here. just wanna share this coz many became millionaires by early 30s in O&G. The creme de la creme in terms of $ is not E&E, Mech, IT in O&G btw. The biggest bucks come from drilling, petroleum engineering and geoscience groups for your info. But everyone is entitled to own choices. So good luck in your choices. All the best

This post has been edited by AMINT: May 28 2013, 08:36 PM

My own 2 cents....

Time and again.... I find people take university education as a road to securing a lucrative job,,....

Universities are where we gain knowledge and perhaps practice them. It is where research takes place. Not only for COMMERCIALLY viable stuff, but also other less popular fields. WHY? because there needs to be research to further the development of humanity.

Choosing a course base on how popular the job demand is for that course is one factor. But do not forget the underlying principle of higher education. IF NO ONE GETS INTERESTED STUDYING BIO -MEDICINE BECAUSE IT COMES WITH LOW PAY WITH PROBABLITY OF ONLY BECOMING A LAB RESEARCHER..... then there won't be any new advancement from that field, who knows, one day a lowly lab researcher in bio-tech finally cracks the code and produces a cancer cure?



Just because a field is not lucrative, does not mean it is not important.... economics dictates the supply and demand, salary and payscale, but does not dictate future value of a particular field to progress human kind.

Take note. Higher Education is to expand society's knowledge and capability.. not just for the pay at the end of the month.

hey!! So where r u studying right now?? Could give me some advise??

Currently I'm doing MUFY at Sunway, going to Monash next year. But I'm still exploring myself, considering other major and might go somewhere else. Initially decided to enter Monash because of it's well known reputation and also for the chance to study abroad.

My thoughts so far:
It kinda depends on what you really want, I know we live in a realistic world and stuff, but hey, you could be a happy barista working in a cafe and having less stuff to worry about OR you could be that rich, hard-working engineer. Well, money or happiness?
Or both?

I know, I should not waste my parents money and my time if I'm going to be a barista. But I'm learning, slowly building the possible paths to my goal and currently, that's what matters to me now.
Anddd I should not take too long.

Anyhow, the MUFY programme is okay. And if you're going for Mechatronics in Monash, doing MUFY in Sunway then enter Monash is not a bad choice. I guess. But if you have financial issues...

You can apply for scholarship, like from Maybank IF you have an excellent result and err... personality.

I don't have any good alternative for mechatronics.
But if you want insist for a good quality, you can try Nottingham, but it's kinda costly too.
Bear in mind that good quality as in the certificate have a good quality, because of your ability to think and solve is what everyone else expect it to be. Excellent.
You can also try UCSI. 2 of my cousins are currently studying mechatronics there.
One of the them suggested me to go for Nottingham after having 1 or 2 years of mechatronics studies.
And I don't suggest going UTAR. Don't ask.

Cheers!

Also, read those that replied me above. Think thoroughly.

Or go form 6, give more time to think if you're not sure what path to take yet.

This post has been edited by cocobunana: Apr 6 2014, 12:44 PM

Forgot to say thanks to those that replied me.

Sorry and thank you very much for helping me.

dont waste time mechatronics
do something which is relevent with malaysian market

Most Malaysian Mechatronics courses are directly related to PLC Control Systems and Industrial Automation.

So, are you saying that present Malaysian market goes back to the stone age?



This post has been edited by Critical_Fallacy: Apr 6 2014, 07:32 AM

Thank for the advised!

May I know how much u doing MUFY?

wake up come back to reality.....how many company have these PLC control systems....out of 100 graduates may be 1 to 5 Percent max will be given opportunity cause there are so little space out there to accommodate these graduates....so speaking base on exp dont go mechatronic....be specific mechanicle or electronic or electrical...is much suitable for malaysian jobs. I even know how to operate and program the pegasus robot...but proton or even perodua didnt even look at my resume.( SO call no space) btw im not malay.

Good. I don't have the figures. Have you really surveyed the number of factories with automated machines in Malaysia? But I can understand your priorities. It is probably a good advice if one intends to work in the construction industry as electrical or mechanical project engineers. I feel sorry for you because it happens to you at the bad time, and bad place.

yea im just saying....to this ts think properly...dont go do something canggih later end up in call centre because cannot get the job that he/she desires.

May you follow your dreams and always believe in yourself.

i always dream to become a superman...but cant so i follow where the money is...arent we all!

UTM only you can apply for diploma or else you must have A-level /STPM/Diploma result

This post has been edited by ainorwei: Apr 16 2014, 07:09 PM

If want go for UTM Diploma, SPM

If want go for UTM Degree, they will take STPM/Matriculation first only take others