Mechanical Engineering
University of Portsmouth
UCAS Code: H305 | Higher National Certificate - HNC
Entry requirements
A level
48 points to include a minimum of 1 A level in Engineering or related subject.
Pass the Access to HE Diploma (Engineering based).
GCSE/National 4/National 5
5 GCSEs at grade C or above, to include Mathematics and/or Physics at grade B or above/5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, to include Mathematics and/or Physics at grade 5 or above.
48 UCAS tariff points to include 1 Higher Level Engineering or related subject.
48 Tariff points.
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
Must be in an engineering discipline
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Must be in an engineering discipline
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
Must be in an engineering discipline
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
Must be in an engineering discipline
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Must be in an engineering discipline
48 tariff points to include a minimum of 1 Advanced Higher in Engineering or related subject.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications
T Level
Pass (D or E in the core) Acceptable T Level Subjects: T Level in Construction: Design, Surveying and Planning, T Level in Science, T Level in Engineering and Manufacturing Design and Development, T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing, T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
UCAS Tariff
48 points to include a minimum of 1 A level, a BTEC qualification, or equivalent, in a relevant engineering discipline. Other qualifications such as Vocational A levels (AVCE) and Access courses will also be considered. Exceptionally, equivalent professional experience will be considered.
48 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
About this course
**Overview**
Working in engineering or a related industry and want to develop your knowledge and skills to take on roles as ambitious as you are?
On this HNC Mechanical Engineering course, you'll get to grips with the fundamentals of engineering sciences and management and learn how you can apply your skills to the industries you want to work in.
You'll spend 1 day a week on day release from your job at the Centre of Excellence for Composites, Advanced Manufacturing and Marine (CECAMM) at the Isle of Wight College. This brand new, £12 million facility, is packed with the latest tools, equipment and resources. You'll learn from experts, and apply what you learn to your job.
When you finish the course, you'll have new skills, knowledge and professional experience, backed up by a Higher National Certificate that could help you land your dream job or progress in your career. You could also continue your studies, for example, by topping up your HNC to an HND.
**What you'll experience**
On this course, you'll:
- Develop the skills and knowledge you need to excel in business
- Learn from experienced tutors, lecturers and business leaders
- Build knowledge in subjects such as marketing, business finance, business law, data management, business strategy, organisational theories and human resource management
- Work on a research project and put your knowledge into practice to demonstrate what you’ve learned
**Careers and opportunities**
Our Careers and Employability service can help you with career planning and you'll get access industry contacts, careers events and recruitment fairs during the course.
After you finish the course, 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
Full-time (1-year)
Modules currently include:
- Analytical Methods for Engineers
- Engineering Science
- Engineering Thermodynamics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Management of Projects
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Principles
- Project Design, Implementation and Evaluation
You'll also need to do around 120 hours of self-directed learning for each module.
Part-time (2-years)
Year 1
Modules in this year currently include:
- Analytical Methods for Engineers
- Engineering Science
- Engineering Thermodynamics
- Mechanical Principles
Year 2
Modules in this year currently include:
- Fluid Mechanics
- Management of Projects
- Materials Engineering
- Project Design, Implementation and Evaluation
You'll also need to do around 120 hours of self-directed learning for each unit.
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:
- observation
- presentations
- a portfolio
- reports
- exams
- reflective accounts
The Uni
Isle of Wight College - CECAMM Centre
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)
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.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Mechanical 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
£31k
£38k
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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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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