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Mechanical Engineering

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

Overall: ABB We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers. Required Subjects: Mathematics and Physics. Applicants taking the Science Practical Endorsement are required to pass.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Overall: QAA recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits overall including: 30 at Distinction, 15 at Merit and A level Mathematics grade B Required subjects: Modules must be in relevant subjects, and A level Mathematics grade B. Please contact us for details.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language at Grade C(4) and Mathematics at Grade C(4).

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

33

Overall: 33 Required Subjects: HL5/SL6 in Mathematics (Analysis and approaches at HL/SL or Applications and interpretation at HL) and Physics. GCSE or Equivalent: English, HL4/SL4 (including MYP). Maths, HL4/SL4 (including MYP). Maths Studies, SL4.

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

DDD

Overall: DDD in the BTEC Extended Diploma and A level Mathematics grade B Required Subjects: BTEC must be in a relevant subject and A level Mathematics grade B

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,B,B

Overall: ABB Required Subjects: Mathematics and Physics GCSE or Equivalent: English Language: Scottish National 5 - C Mathematics: Scottish National 5 - C

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

Overall: AABBB Required Subjects: Mathematics and Physics GCSE or Equivalent: English Language: Scottish National 5 - C Mathematics: Scottish National 5 - C

Overall: Pass overall with ABB from a combination of the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and two A-levels. Applicants taking the Science Practical Endorsement are required to pass. Required Subjects: A-level Mathematics and Physics GCSE or Equivalent: Completion of GCSE English and Mathematics equivalents within the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.

UCAS Tariff

128-152

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

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Mechanical engineering

**Why choose this course**
Surrey’s mechanical engineering courses are designed to meet the rapidly evolving needs of modern society and are professionally accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. We are ranked Top 20 in the UK for mechanical engineering in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 and the Complete University Guide 2023.

Our programmes provide broad engineering knowledge, leading to a wide range of possible careers. Mechanical engineers work in areas such as:

Automation
Fluid mechanics
Mechanical design
Robotics
Stress analysis
Sustainable materials.
In addition to learning from internationally recognised academics, you’ll have access to industry-standard facilities, including our state-of-the-art Design Centre, materials testing laboratory and the UK’s only environmental wind tunnel.

You can also take part in our award-winning Professional Training placements scheme, which give students industry work experience opportunities with leading organisations in the UK and abroad. Participating companies include:

Arup
BAE Systems
Jaguar Land Rover
Rolls-Royce.

**What you will study**
The course encompasses topics such as fluid-dynamics, stress analysis and numerical methods. In addition, you’ll receive training on the latest industry-standard design and solid modelling software, automated manufacturing techniques and sensors, actuators and advanced control systems, which drive modern mechanical engineering products.

For your final year project, you may choose to make the most of Surrey’s partnership with the National Physical Laboratory. You could also explore the cross-disciplinary aspect of mechanical engineering, applying your skills in areas ranging from prosthetics to satellites.

You can apply to study for either a BEng or MEng. The latter is a direct route to a masters qualification. Depending on your progress, you may have the option to switch between the BEng or MEng programmes during your studies.

Modules

To see the full range of modules for this course please visit our website – the link is under the Course contact details. You will also find full details of the programme, including programme structure, assessment methods, contact hours and Graduate prospects.

Extra funding

The University of Surrey offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to support our students, please visit https://www.surrey.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/scholarships-and-bursaries for more details.

The Uni


Course location:

Stag Hill

Department:

FEPS - Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences (MES)

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.

78%
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

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
83%
Staff are good at explaining things
81%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
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

86%
Library resources
88%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
74%
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?

76%
UK students
24%
International students
92%
Male students
8%
Female students
78%
2:1 or above
5%
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.

£27,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
79%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

53%
Engineering professionals
10%
Business, research and administrative professionals
7%
Business, finance 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.

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

£34k

£34k

£39k

£39k

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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Teaching Excellence Framework (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