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Mechanical Engineering

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

Including A-level Mathematics + one from Physics (preferred), Further Mathematics, Biology or Chemistry. A maximum of one BTEC/OCR Single Award or AQA Extended Certificate will be accepted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications with a Distinction* being equated to a grade A at A-level. A-level General Studies and Critical Thinking are normally excluded from offers. However, the grade achieved may be taken into account when results are published in August and may be used in a tie-break situation.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

36

Successful completion of IB Diploma Programme with 36 points overall including 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Mathematics + Physics (preferred)/Biology/Chemistry.

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

H2,H2,H3,H3,H3,H3

H2H2 Mathematics + one from Physics (preferred|), Biology or Chemistry + H3H3H3H3. If English is not offered at Higher Level minimum grade 04 required at Ordinary Level. Joint Physics and Chemistry Higher Level is acceptable.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A,A

Including Advanced Highers in Mathematics + one from Physics (preferred), Biology or Chemistry. Offers are normally made on the basis of a combination of the two Advanced Highers and two Highers.

UCAS Tariff

144-168

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical Engineering is most often associated with machines that move, from motorcycles and Formula 1 cars to aircraft and ships. However, virtually all man-made products have mechanical features that are designed and developed by mechanical engineers. Hence, companies that make such diverse products as mobile phones, shoes, artificial hip joints, musical instruments and tennis rackets employ mechanical engineers. In all cases, they are employed to apply the scientific knowledge, design expertise and problem-solving skills they have acquired at university. Queen's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering has an international reputation for its contributions to the development of engineering education. For example, it is currently playing a leading role in the CDIO initiative to enhance engineering education, involving universities from around the world.

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
£25,300
per year
International
£25,300
per year
Northern Ireland
£4,750
per year
Republic of Ireland
£4,750
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Queen's University Belfast

Department:

School of Mechanical and Aerospace 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.

70%
Mechanical 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.

Mechanical engineering

Teaching and learning

62%
Staff make the subject interesting
71%
Staff are good at explaining things
73%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
68%
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

84%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
55%
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?

84%
UK students
16%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
74%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
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.

Mechanical engineering

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.

£23,500
low
Average annual salary
94%
med
Employed or in further education
86%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

73%
Engineering professionals
6%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
4%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

We're short of engineers in a lot of areas and mechanical engineering is no exception. Mechanical engineers are in demand across multiple industries, with vehicle manufacturing most popular, with roles especially common in design and manufacturing. Other important sectors include aerospace, the oil and gas industry, consultancy and defence. Jobs are all around the country, with London, the Midlands, Scotland and the South East the most likely places for a new mechanical engineer to find work at the moment, and starting salaries are good. Although large employers are much the most likely place to get work, some of the most challenging, cutting edge jobs are with small niche engineering firms, so keep your eyes peeled if you want something a little different. Bear in mind that a lot of courses are four years long, and lead to an MEng qualification — this is necessary if you want to become a Chartered Engineer.

Explore these similar courses...

Lower entry requirements
Cardiff University | Cardiff
Mechanical Engineering
MEng (Hon) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 136-144
Higher entry requirements
Imperial College London | City of Westminster
Mechanical Engineering
MEng (Hon) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 160-200
Nearby University
Ulster University | Coleraine
Mechanical Engineering
MEng (Hon) 5 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 128-136

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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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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