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General Engineering

Entry requirements


A level

A*,A,A

To include Mathematics and one subject that carries a practical endorsement (Biology, Chemistry, Geology or Physics). Specific subjects excluded for entry: Critical Thinking and General Studies. Information: Applicants taking Science A-levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This refers only to English A Levels.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D2,D3,D3

To include Mathematics and either Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

38

666 in higher level subjects including Mathematics and one STEM subject (Biology, Chemistry or Physics). We accept Maths Analysis & Approaches, and Maths Applications & Interpretation

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H1,H2,H2,H2,H2

To include Mathematics and either Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

D*DD

D*DD and Mathematics at grade A at A level (or equivalent) or DDD and Mathematics at Grade A* at A Level (or equivalent)

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*DD

• Extended diploma D*DD + A for A level Mathematics, or DDD and A* • Standard diploma D*D + A for A level Mathematics, or DD and A* • Subsidiary diploma D* + AA for A level Mathematics & either Biology, Chemistry, Geology or Physics, or D and A*A

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A,A

To include Mathematics and either Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,A,A

We will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. If an applicant has not been able to take 3 Advanced Highers, offers may be made with a combination of Advanced Highers and Highers, or on a number of Highers.

At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds.  We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level.  Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements. Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database.

UCAS Tariff

152-168

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

General or integrated engineering

This degree delivers the breadth and depth that you will need to succeed in the world of engineering. It is designed to produce graduates who will go on to lead engineering teams.

A common first two years in General Engineering provide you with the broad knowledge required to effectively work on multi-disciplinary engineering problems. The course structure offers a huge amount of flexibility – you could join us on a civil engineering pathway but decide to pursue electronic engineering at the end of your second year. We believe in empowering our students to make informed decisions that would best serve their future careers.

After your first two years, you will start to specialise in Civil, Electrical, Electronic or Mechanical Engineering, and supplement this discipline-specific knowledge with Engineering Design activities and focused practical skills. You can further specialise in your final year, with two additional choices: Aeronautical Engineering and Renewable Energies, learning advanced topics at the forefront of engineering knowledge whilst working with a world-leading academic on a research and development dissertation project, the highlight of many of our students’ degrees.

Modules

Year 1
You will study four modules in engineering, one in mathematics and one optional module. In your engineering modules, you will examine 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and implement engineering algorithms into computer code. You will also take part in a group design activity where you have to design, build and test a device to solve a specific engineering challenge. Recent examples include miniature hydroelectric generators and chain-climbing robots.

Core modules:
Solid Mechanics and Structures 1 gives you a working knowledge of solid mechanics, structures and structural analysis, in a wider engineering context.

Electronic and Electrical Systems 1 provides you with knowledge of electrical and electronic circuit theory, components, electromagnetism and hardware interfacing.

Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics 1 offers knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics including dimensional analysis, fluid statics and fluid dynamics.

Engineering Practice 1 provides you with practical engineering skills relevant to multiple engineering disciplines. It shows how the material covered in other engineering modules fits together in the wider engineering context, and will also introduce you to engineering ethics and professional issues.

Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists gives you all the maths skills and techniques needed for studying Engineering and other sciences.

Examples of optional modules:
Introduction to Programming;
Computational Thinking.

Year 2
Core modules:
Engineering Mathematics 2 provides knowledge of probability and statistics and advanced mathematical methods for modelling engineering problems.

Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics 2 gives you further knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Solid Mechanics and Structures 2 builds your knowledge of the mechanics of dynamics and vibration, stress analysis of structures and sections, trusses and frames, and the mechanics of soils. It also provides an introduction to finite element methods.

Electrical Engineering 2 provides you with knowledge of mathematical methods for modelling engineering problems and computing.

Electronics 2 gives you knowledge of electronics and computing in terms of circuits, digital electronics and microprocessor design.

In Engineering Design 2 you will learn about various aspects of the design process including the principles of design and project management. You will undertake a major design project with guidance from an academic supervisor and an external (industrial) engineer.

Year 3
At this stage of your degree you will choose to specialise into one of four streams:

Civil Engineering;
Electrical Engineering;
Electronic Engineering;
Mechanical, Aeronautical or Renewable Energy Engineering.

Year 4
Half of your final year will be spent studying advanced engineering modules, specialising further in one of six final-year streams:

Aeronautical Engineering;
Civil Engineering;
Electrical Engineering;
Electronic Engineering;
Mechanical Engineering;
Renewable Energy Engineering.
The other half of your time will be spent on final year project work. You can choose between the MEng Research and Development Project or the MEng Technical Project plus the module Engineering into Schools.

Assessment methods

In the first three years, most modules are assessed primarily by examinations. However, modules typically also include a coursework component, covering subjects such as CAD, programming and engineering design.

The balance of examination/coursework changes towards the end of the degree – half of the final-year mark is based on a dissertation research project, working one-to-one with an academic or industry partner.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£31,250
per year
International
£31,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course locations:

Durham City

College allocation pending

Department:

Engineering

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

86%
General or integrated engineering

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Engineering (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
91%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
81%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

89%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
93%
Course specific equipment and facilities
78%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
79%
Male students
21%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Engineering (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£29,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
85%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

54%
Engineering professionals
11%
Business, research and administrative professionals
9%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals

As a mixed subject within engineering where students get a chance to learn from a range of disciplines, this course isn't taken by as many people as some of the more specialist disciplines. Demand for engineering skills is high, though, and so unemployment rates are low and the average starting salary was a very healthy £26,400 for 2015 graduates. Graduates are able to specialise enough to be working in jobs in engineering — especially in design and development - as well as engineering project management. IT and management consultancy were some of the more common jobs outside engineering. Bear in mind that a lot of courses are four years long, and lead to a MEng qualification — this is necessary if you want to become a Chartered Engineer.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Engineering (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£28k

£28k

£35k

£35k

£42k

£42k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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