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.

The precise entry requirements can be found by consulting www.ucas.ac.uk and clicking two. Find a Course Search or researching individual university websites.

Are there any essential or recommended A Levels?

Universities generally do not say that Design and Technology is essential. But, for example, if you are interested in product design then AS Level D&T may well add depth to your application. The top universities like students to have Further Maths A Level; if you do not, then an offer including an A* in Single Maths is highly likely.

Which is the best university for Engineering?

It is important that you research the courses carefully, making sure that you are able to select the courses/options that interest you. The question “which is the best university?” is really asking “which is the best university for XXX student?” and that is up to you!

Is there any special advice for Oxbridge applicants?

If you are considering Oxbridge you must research the courses carefully and choose the one which most interests you. You must consider what is going to help you stand out from the crowd. Oxbridge is inundated with students with very high module scores – what will make you special? Work experience and wider reading will help. For Engineering most of the Cambridge colleges ask you to take a test at interview or take the Thinking Skills Assessment which assesses critical thinking and problemsolving skills.

All candidates who wish to study Engineering at Oxford need to register for the Physics Aptitude Test as part of their application. The PAT is very tough and results of the test will be combined with your personal statement and school reference to draw up a short list for interview.

Have a look at the many ‘problem solving’ books in the library. Isaac Physics and I want to Study Engineering have good problems to help with interview preparation. Oxford use the PAT.

What is important for my personal statement or interview?

“A good personal statement should make it clear why the candidate wants to read their particular subject and supply concrete evidence of that enthusiasm. It should reflect the distinctive style and characteristics of its author”, Nicholas Shrimpton Vice-Principal Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. An engineering related hobby will help demonstrate an interest in engineering beyond the confines of an A Level specification.

It is important that you read widely outside your A Level specifications. Your reading should demonstrate your enthusiasm and understanding for the specialism you are considering and help make you stand out from the crowd.

Enthusiastic students are also members of a professional society e.g. The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Institution of Mechanical Engineers or Institution of Chemical Engineers to name a few. Have you attended talks at universities or institutions?

Do I need to do work experience?

Work experience helps demonstrate to the Admissions Tutors how motivated you are. It gives you a chance to confirm that you know something about the world of work you are about to enter and that you understand where 4 years of study will take you. You should speak to Mrs Nash in the Careers Office about what she has available (Year 11 will take priority) and be prepared to send your own CV with a covering letter to employers.

Headstart courses offer a very wide range of courses at different universities and are considered a worthwhile way of gaining an insight into what you will be doing at university. Don’t forget to include what personal and engineering lessons you have learned from it in your personal statement. The Smallpeice Trust has a number of Year 11 and Year 12 specialist residential courses

Gap Year

The Year In Industry (YINI) organisation offer help in finding gap year employers.

Which jobs can I do with Engineering?

Imperial College Careers Advisory service has an excellent website dedicated to a survey asking, “What do imperial graduates do?” It gives lists of employers and occupations for their undergraduates.

A popular website for looking for a job in engineering is theENGINEERjobs. This site will help give you an insight into what is available out in the real world.

Additional information

The IMechE offers a number of undergraduate scholarships for students about to embark upon their degree (of up to £1,000 per annum.).

The IET offers an impressive range of scholarships both for students just starting university (of up to £3,000 per annum) and those commencing the second, third, or final years of their degrees (of up to £1,000 per annum).

Am I likely to be called for interview?

Bath says: “In normal circumstances, applicants will not be required to attend an interview or to sit additional selection tests. Decisions on applications are primarily based on the subjects studied, the reference and the personal statement.”

Imperial says: “In addition to your academic ability, your application will be considered on your wider profile and an interview where possible to assess your potential for success in your degree choice. We will look at your personal statement and reference to understand your personal motivation, commitment to your chosen area of study. We will invite you to one of our interview afternoons, where you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions you have about our programmes and life at Imperial. You’ll be shown around the department and campus by our department’s undergraduate students, and interviewed by a member of academic staff.”

UCL says: “Interviews allow us to assess your intellectual ability and how interested you are in Electrical Engineering. The interviews typically last around 20-30 minutes. They will be a mix of general questions about your experiences as well as technical questions where we try and find out how you think through problems.”

Is there any particular reading I should do?

It is important that you read widely outside your A Level specifications. Your reading should demonstrate your enthusiasm and understanding for engineering and help make you stand out from the crowd.

Quoting books from a prescribed reading list may only demonstrate just how dull you are! Best advice is just to start reading and go on from there. The school library has an excellent range of books. Book shops near universities will have a wider range of engineering books than those in small towns.

Cambridge University has a recommended reading list. The following quote from Oxford sum-up how most universities feel about reading lists:

“At present we do not produce a reading list for students applying for Engineering Science but we encourage you to read any relevant materials which you find interesting.”

Related degrees

There are a great many specialist Engineering courses. If you know exactly what type of employment you want to enter these can offer a more direct route. Course titles include: Aeronautical, Automotive, Biomedical, Manufacturing, Software and Electronic Engineering. Universities also offer degrees combining business, finance and Management. Courses which offer a language option generally include a year abroad. See the UCAS website for a detailed listing.

English Language

What would I study and how do courses differ?

Courses differ considerably from university to university, though most will allow you to select modules of particular interest to accompany a core syllabus. You can opt to pursue a course in English Language and/or Linguistics, and the subject is often paired with other subjects (English Literature, a foreign language, psychology etc) or you can select modules from a related subject area. It is important to undertake adequate research to make sure you are applying for a course that covers areas of particular interest to you.

A typical English Language course will cover phonology, morphology and grammar in considerable detail before moving on to historical language change, child language acquisition, discourse analysis, genre studies and range of linguistic theories. Depending on your chosen university, you might be able to study modules that involve accent and dialect, creative writing or the study of American or English Literature, Music, Theology or Chinese.

Are there any essential or recommended A Levels?

Some universities will prefer you to have studied English Language at A-level, but this is not always a requirement. It is more important that you have an interest in language, whether this be the English language or Linguistics in a more general sense. You will be expected to produce a number of essays over the course of study, so Alevels in essay subjects would be regarded favourably.

Which is the best university for English and what are the typical grade requirements?

Many universities offer highly regarded courses. The following list is by no means exhaustive; Cambridge, Kings College London, Lancaster, Durham, Exeter, Oxford, York, Warwick, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Birmingham. Most universities will make an offer in the AAA – ABB range, but this varies from course to course and some will be as high as A*AA.

Is there any special advice for Oxbridge applicants?

By far the most important aspect to distinguish the very best English applicants is an independent and ambitious engagement with language and thinking well beyond the requirements of the A Level course. You will also be required to sit an entrance exam, which will be one of the MLAT options.

If you are interested in a course that includes creative writing as an option, you should have a diverse range of writing in a variety of genres.

What is important for my personal statement or interview?

The crucial factor will be your ability to show that you are genuinely interested in the study of English Language at degree level and have some background reading

and research at your disposal. This may be linked to areas of study from you A-level course (power, gender, technology, acquisition, change) but should show that you have an independent, enquiring mind and that you have developed your interest in the subject beyond the syllabus.

Do I need to do work experience?

There is no requirement to undertake work experience directly relevant to the course. If you are able to find a placement which gives you experience of working in journalism, publishing, advertising or the media/arts – then this will of course be valuable evidence to show your engagement with the subject outside the curriculum.

Am I likely to be called for interview?

Cambridge always requires interviews before offering places; other universities may do so, but this is fairly unlikely. Some universities may require you to complete a written task in place of an interview.

Is there any particular reading I should do?

There is a wealth of books on English Language and it would be helpful to be familiar with some of them. The best advice is find a topic area that interests you from the A-level course and find out more about it. Stephen Pinker, Norman Fairclough and the seemingly ubiquitous David Crystal are just a few examples of linguistic theorists who write very accessible and erudite tomes on the subject.

Useful websites: University Applications

Why Study English

Related degrees

English Language is a subject which combines extremely well with other subjects, and many Joint Honours degrees are available, varying from university to university. Most universities will allow you to combine Language with Literature, History, Philosophy, Psychology and modern foreign languages. Again, carry out your research and select an area that interests you.