The University of Adelaide's Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Sports) is Australia's first sports engineering program. Sports engineers apply their specialised mechanical engineering skills to the design and manufacture of sports equipment and apparel, rehabilitation equipment and exercise equipment, as well as to sports facility design.

Examples of projects that a sports engineer may work on include designing tennis racquets to reduce the incidence of 'tennis elbow', analysing how a cricket or golf ball flies through the air, designing high-performance sports shoes, or developing and applying novel materials to enhance sports equipment performance.  

The first two years of the Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Sports) are almost identical to Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with a strong emphasis on design and engineering science fundamentals. This allows students to build a solid foundation in core mechanical engineering skills and knowledge and includes mathematics and physics with an introduction to the basic principles of design, stress analysis, thermodynamics, materials, fluid mechanics, physiology, anatomy, control and computer programming, complemented by laboratory and project work.

The third year develops a more complex understanding in these fields, including aerodynamics, biomechanics and sports materials coupled with a design project.

In the fourth year, more advanced courses in finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics and exercise physiology are included in addition to courses in management and the integration of the fundamental work in the previous years into a range of sports-related subjects. The degree culminates in a research project that allows students to apply their knowledge to a real sports engineering project.

Students are required to complete 12 weeks of approved practical experience. 

Graduates of this program can seek employment at a national and international level in sporting organisations and institutes, and orthopaedic and industrial design companies.

Within these organisations, sports engineers will have the skills to engineer equipment and facilities used by sportspersons including designing more efficient materials, rehabilitation devices, apparel, computer simulation models and infrastructure that will improve and enhance athletic performance.

However, being based on a mechanical engineering degree, graduates will retain flexibility in the choice of engineering industry for their careers. In most cases graduates will also be able to work wherever mechanical engineers are employed.

The objective of the undergraduate Mechanical and Sports Engineering program is to produce graduates with specific attributes as outlined in the University Calendar.

Graduates qualify for professional membership of Engineers Australia.

Students are required to complete 12 weeks of approved practical experience outside normal class time. Practical experience can be undertaken in Australia or overseas.

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