Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Distance Learning) (Top-up) (3 Year)
UCAS Code: Not applicable
Bachelor of Engineering (with Honours) - BEng (Hon)
Entry requirements
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About this course
**Overview**
If you have an interest in improving and creating products and want to top up your HND or Foundation degree to a full Bachelor's degree, this BEng (Hons) Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering top-up degree course is ideal.
The course is delivered by distance learning over 2 or 3 years. So you can easily fit it around work and other commitments. You’ll learn the fundamentals of engineering science and design, including Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and specialise in advanced subjects such as conservation and quality management.
With your Bachelor's degree, you'll contribute more to your employer, boost your career prospects and be prepared for work in engineering and technology in areas such as consumer product design, robotics, defence or aerospace.
The content of the course is broadly similar to IET accredited courses offered by the Department, although since the programme is equivalent to a one-year full-time programme, it is not accredited by the professional body. The proposed programme is compatible with similar courses offered in the department and other institutions within the UK.
**What you'll experience**
On this course you'll:
- Learn about the underlying elements of successful engineering and manufacturing projects, including solid mechanics and dynamics, and electrical and electronic principles
- Specialise in advanced subjects such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD) engineering, sustainable product development and design for quality
- Tap in to our Library’s electronic resources, which you can access from anywhere with a Web connection
- Get the same support and similar benefits to students based on campus
- Work at your own pace, in your own time and in your own location, with interactive online learning materials
- Take part in live Web-based chat forums to discuss your work with lecturers and other students
If you can get to Portsmouth, you can also:
- Use our CAD and rapid prototyping suites, energy systems lab, petroleum engineering lab, and metrology and 3D scanning microscopy facilities
- Put your skills to the test by building your own products in our manufacturing workshops
- Get involved in Formula Student, where you'll design, construct and test a competitive race car with fellow students
**Careers and opportunities**
There's currently a shortage of talented engineers in the UK and abroad, so there will be many opportunities open to you when you graduate.
What can you do with a Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Top-up) degree?
Previous graduates have gone on to work in areas including:
- product design
- manufacturing and installation
- project management
- research development
What jobs can you do with a Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Top-up) degree?
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- manufacturing engineer
- product design engineer
- aerospace engineer
- application engineer
Other graduates have joined graduate training schemes or continued their studies at postgraduate level.
After you leave the University, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Manufacturing Systems
Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Advanced Materials for Product Realisation
- Computer Aided Engineering (Product Realisation)
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Design and Sustainable Development
- Materials and Engineering Systems
There are no optional modules in this year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Individual Project
- Operations and Quality Management
There are no optional modules in this year.
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through:
- written examinations
- coursework
- practical tests
- project work
- presentations
Ideally, you'll carry out your final project at your place of work with a mentor approved by the University. If this isn't possible, then you can carry out the project at the University or elsewhere with the guidance of a University-approved mentor.
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Technology
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Production and manufacturing engineering
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
Production and manufacturing 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.
Top job areas of graduates
Graduates are in significant demand, so unemployment rates are well below the national graduate average and starting salaries are well above average. Much the most common industries for these graduates are now vehicle manufacture - there are not enough people with these degrees to go round and so the big employers tend to take the lion's share at the moment. But pretty much anywhere there is manufacturing, there are production engineers. 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.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Engineering
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£27k
£33k
£37k
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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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:
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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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