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Mechanical Engineering with a Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

BBB (any A Level); BBC including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

Access to HE Diploma

D:24,M:21,P:0

Award of Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 24 at Distinction (to include 12 Maths units), and 21 at Merit + GCSE Maths grade 7/A

GCSE/National 4/National 5

If you are studying both Maths and a science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) at A Level or equivalent, we have no additional GCSE requirements. If you are studying any other subject combination, we require GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

31-32

32 (any subjects); 31, with Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology at either Higher Level 5 or Standard Level 7

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

H2,H2,H2,H3,H3,H3-H2,H2,H3,H3,H3,H3


H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 (any subjects); H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 H3 including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

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

DD

in Engineering + A at A Level (no STEM at A Level) + GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A; DD in Engineering + B in an A Level science subject (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) + GCSE Maths grade 7/A; DD in Engineering + C in A Level Maths + GCSE Science grade 6/B

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

DDD

in Engineering + GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B-A,B,B,B,B


AABBB (any subjects); ABBBB including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

B

+ BB at A Level (any subjects): B + BC in Maths and either Physics, Chemistry or Biology at A Level

UCAS Tariff

112-147

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

About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Mechanical engineering

If you don't have the usual scientific or mathematical background for an engineering degree, a foundation year is for you. After successfully completing the foundation year, which has modules in mathematics, physics and chemistry, you can start the MEng degree.

This is the most flexible of our MEng degrees and covers fundamental engineering principles, while giving you the freedom to follow individual interests in the third and fourth years. There is a strong focus on engineering design and modelling throughout the course, giving you plenty of opportunities to apply the theoretical knowledge you gain to practical engineering problems. You'll also be introduced to the role of business and management in engineering.

In the first five semesters, you'll study mathematics, applied dynamics, mechanics of fluids, mechanics of solids, applied thermodynamics, mechanical behaviour of materials, and electrical and electronic engineering. Other topics include computer-controlled systems and mechatronics.

In the first year, you'll take the Global Engineering Challenge. Working with students from other engineering courses, you'll have to find creative solutions to problems. The project looks at challenges faced by communities throughout the world. It's designed to develop you as a professional engineer and get you thinking about sustainable solutions.

You'll complete a group design project in the third year, and an extended individual project in the fourth year. You may be able to switch between our courses at the end of the first year.

**Accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.**

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
International
£29,110
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Sheffield

Department:

Interdisciplinary Programmes in 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.

93%
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

85%
Staff make the subject interesting
94%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
85%
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

90%
Library resources
90%
IT resources
97%
Course specific equipment and facilities
79%
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?

78%
UK students
22%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
86%
2:1 or above
7%
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.

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.

£27,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
89%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

75%
Engineering professionals
6%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
3%
Business, research and administrative 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.

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

£27k

£33k

£33k

£35k

£35k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of Sheffield | Sheffield
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UCAS Points: 112-152
Lower entry requirements
Heriot-Watt University | Edinburgh
Mechanical Engineering
MEng (Hon) 5 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 104-136
Nearby University
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
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MEng (Hon) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-159

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here