UK Universities Application Handbook

Engineering What would I study and how do courses differ?

Engineering courses have five main branches, General, Electrical, Mechanical, Aeronautical, Civil and Structural. Within some of these you can also choose management or business and finance options. See related degrees for more specialist courses.

Generally speaking, you will be signing up for either a three-year BEng or a fouryear MEng degree. Most universities allow you to change during the course but may insist on a good performance in your first year exams for you to step up from a BEng to the MEng course (check individual web sites for detailed information). The MEng is particularly useful if you are interested in becoming a Chartered Engineer.

There is a multitude of different Engineering courses on offer through UCAS. It is vital you consider each course carefully and do not assume for example that Mech Eng courses are the same all over the country. Oxbridge is a prime example; their courses are entirely different from each other and from other universities. Have a look at the module options available for you to select in your third and fourth years – does the university have options that are of particular interest to you?

An important point to consider is if you want to include a year’s work experience as part of your degree. Does the course you are applying for offer this as an option?

Remember that this will extend your degree by another year. Adding practical experience to your degree is highly valuable to your career. If you are keen to continue a language you should also consider this as part of your short-listing process.

Universities on the UCAS website use entry profiles to help them select students – they also help you select the correct course for you. Look for the letters ‘EP’ after course codes.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has an Accredited Degree list of courses which fulfil the requirements for membership IMechE and chartered status CEng. What are typical entry requirements?

Top universities are asking for A*AA. Some will require the A* in Maths rather than Physics. Their thinking here is that they want students who are not going to struggle with the high maths content of the course. Imperial Aeronautical Eng was the first course in the country to ask for A*A*A and they have a 30-minute maths test!

Courses which ask for AAB will still insist that the AA grades are Physics and Maths.

Many universities do not accept UCAS points: A*AC is not the same as AAB. Foundation degree courses are not aimed at students who have underperformed in their A Level Physics and Maths. They are aimed at students who achieved high grades in the wrong A Levels.

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