Chemical or Aeronautical Engineering at Glasgow

I've become interested in applying for aeronautical engineering (BEng or MEng) for 2010 entry.
In my exams I received:

Human Biology - A
Chemistry - B
History - B
English - B
Maths - C

This year I am sitting: AH Maths, AH Chemistry, AH Biology and Higher Physics.
I was wondering whether anybody would be able to give me an outline of the grades I'd need this year to have a chance of studying either the MEng or BEng course?

And also does anybody know why do the universities offer varying entry requirments for the MEng or BEng when you can switch from the BEng to MEng if your grades are sufficent.

Thanks alot
Martin

Reply 1

Dado Prso

7

i imagine it may be difficult to convince the university to swap to the MEng from the BEng if your grades are borderline.

Glasgow seem to be need AB/BA at higher maths and physics so i think you'd be given an offer of B/C at AH Maths and A/B at higher physics.

Reply 2

Phugoid

rabbitred

I've become interested in applying for aeronautical engineering (BEng or MEng) for 2010 entry.
In my exams I received:

Human Biology - A
Chemistry - B
History - B
English - B
Maths - C

This year I am sitting: AH Maths, AH Chemistry, AH Biology and Higher Physics.
I was wondering whether anybody would be able to give me an outline of the grades I'd need this year to have a chance of studying either the MEng or BEng course?

And also does anybody know why do the universities offer varying entry requirments for the MEng or BEng when you can switch from the BEng to MEng if your grades are sufficent.

Thanks alot
Martin

Hello.

I'm doing Aero at Glasgow and just went into third year.

The entry requirements are as follows:

Highers: AABB including Maths and Physics at AB/BA

You already have an ABB, so you need to pick up another A, you need to pick up physics at least at B, and you need to pick up AH maths at probably C/B level to make up for your C at higher.

So I'd suggest that you'll be asked to get at least a B in physics, a B in AH maths, and another B elsewhere.

As for the BEng/MEng thing. Everybody does the same things in the first three years, then after third year you break off into BEng (1 more year) students and MEng students (2 more years) . In your third year, if you get a Grade Point Average of 13 and above (out of a possible 16), then you are eligible to do the MEng. If not, then you must do the BEng (provided you have a GPA of 10 and above).

A GPA of 13 translates roughly into Bs, and a GPA of 10 translates roughly into Ds.

The entry requirements for the BEng and the MEng are identical, because it isn't until third year of the degree that they split you up.

Reply 3

Phugoid

P.S. Glasgow do not offer a degree course in Chemical Engineering. The following are the three chemistry related degrees on offer.

Chemical Physics
Chemistry
Chemistry with Forensic Studies
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry

Reply 4

Dado Prso

7

Phugoid

The entry requirements for the BEng and the MEng are identical, because it isn't until third year of the degree that they split you up.

they're not identical on the glasgow website.
BEng - AABB
MEng - AAAA/AAABB

how are you finding engineering at glasgow? i'm considering applying there as well but i think i may go for mechanical/electrical. don't suppose you would know if they allow people to swap disciplines just before starting their courses or after the first year?

Reply 5

an_anonymous_friend

7

Phugoid

Hello.

I'm doing Aero at Glasgow and just went into third year.

The entry requirements are as follows:

Highers: AABB including Maths and Physics at AB/BA

You already have an ABB, so you need to pick up another A, you need to pick up physics at least at B, and you need to pick up AH maths at probably C/B level to make up for your C at higher.

So I'd suggest that you'll be asked to get at least a B in physics, a B in AH maths, and another B elsewhere.

As for the BEng/MEng thing. Everybody does the same things in the first three years, then after third year you break off into BEng (1 more year) students and MEng students (2 more years) . In your third year, if you get a Grade Point Average of 13 and above (out of a possible 16), then you are eligible to do the MEng. If not, then you must do the BEng (provided you have a GPA of 10 and above).

A GPA of 13 translates roughly into Bs, and a GPA of 10 translates roughly into Ds.

The entry requirements for the BEng and the MEng are identical, because it isn't until third year of the degree that they split you up.

Hey,
I've read something about aero at glasgow being ridiculously theoretical which inturn leads to a very high wash out/failure rate and students are always packing up their bags.Is this true?

Reply 6

Phugoid

Dado Prso

they're not identical on the glasgow website.
BEng - AABB
MEng - AAAA/AAABB

how are you finding engineering at glasgow? i'm considering applying there as well but i think i may go for mechanical/electrical. don't suppose you would know if they allow people to swap disciplines just before starting their courses or after the first year?

I have no idea why they would be different, but I can assure you that if you apply for the BEng, and get in, you will NOT be refused the opportunity to do the MEng degree if your performance in third year is as I said it should be. It says so on the same page were the entry requirements are

"The first three years of the programme are common to both the MEng and BEng degree programmes. Specialist elective courses across a wide range of disciplines are available in the fourth and fifth years of study. Your selection for Honours in the MEng or BEng in the fourth and fifth years depends on your progress in your first three years of study."

http://www.gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/engineering/aeronauticalengineering/

For the first three years, the people who apply to the MEng UCAS code are no more privileged than those on the BEng, you are all equals until the end of third year, and that is when it decided who is eligible for the MEng and who isn't. The degree courses are identical for the first three years.

As for your questions, I love the engineering! It's right up my street. Very mathematical, very theoretical, very interesting.

You said you're considering mechanical/electrical more than aeronautical, but if you do aeronautical, you do both mechanical and electrical engineering subjects in the mix of things.

Aeronautical Engineering basically a Mechanical Engineering degree, with a focus on things that fly, and with electrical engineering classes thrown in so that we can speak the same language as avionics professionals when it comes to building aircraft.

Just to show you how closely related it is, I'll give you a run down of the subjects in the first few years. In first year you'll have 2 classes which are shared with the Mechanical Engineering students - Thermodynamics and Fluids Mechanics, and Applied Mechanics. These subjects form the basis of pretty much everything in Mechanical engineering, and an Aeronautical Engineer needs them just as much. There are also subjects such as Analogue Electronics, and in 2nd year, Power Electronics, which are taught by the Electrical Engineering department. On top of that there's also subjects from the Economics and Management departments (every engineer needs to know such things!).

If you just do Mechanical engineering, you won't get any exposure to the Aeronautical side of things, and if you just do Electrical, you won't get any exposure to the Aeronautical and most of the Mechanical side of things. If you do Aeronautical, you get all three.

As for swapping courses... I'm not too sure. They will let you swap courses before you start, I think. After all, when I applied to uni, I didn't apply for Aeronautical Engineering, but when my results came through in August, I phoned up the admissions office and asked them if I could swap, and they did it there in then with absolutely no fuss. I know they will probably let you transfer in the first few weeks of your course too, but not much longer than that. I also know that if you fail 1st year Aeronautical, you not be allowed to go into 2nd year of Aeronautical, but depending on your subjects, you will be allowed to go into 2nd year of Electrical Engineering (I know somebody who did that!).

I also know that SAAS operate a 'false-start' programme. In other words, if you do a year of your degree course, but decide it's not for you, SAAS will forget that they paid your fees for that year, and allow you to restart the whole university process at no extra cost to you, and the universities would be more than happy to let you do that, although you might have to go through UCAS again.

Reply 7

Phugoid

an_anonymous_friend

Hey,
I've read something about aero at glasgow being ridiculously theoretical which inturn leads to a very high wash out/failure rate and students are always packing up their bags.Is this true?

It is a very theoretical and mathematics-based subject. It is, after all, Rocket Science. What would you expect?

And you're right. Many people are disillusioned by what the degree course consists of, and they don't expect quite as many complex equations and as much difficult mathematics as is in the course. This is possibly because every idiot in a white van can call himself an 'engineer', even if he only fixes boilers. But real engineering is very, very theoretical, especially at the traditional universities. If you go to ex-polys, their engineering courses are usually more hands-on and less mathematical, but I would say that they close more doors for you, career-wise, whilst the more theoretical approach opens more doors.

A common complaint amongst students is that the engineering department seems more intent on churning out budding academic researches, than churning out industry-ready engineers. But that's not necessarily a bad thing if academia and theoretical/mathematical approaches takes your fancy. And it definitely doesn't mean that graduates at Glasgow are unable to find jobs in industry - they can, and they do, and they usually get promoted to higher positions faster than people who go to unis who take a more hands-on approach. I would certainly be less happy with the degree if it wasn't quite so theoretical. With that said, however, there are plenty of opportunities for hands on engineering at the university. In the 4th and 5th years, it's more hands on, and there's plenty of extra-curricular things which give you hands on experience - for example, there's the formula student, which is a team of student engineers who spend their year building and designing a formula one car, and racing it against other unis and their cars. The design and manufacture, I believe, is done entirely by students.

But yes, some people are disillusioned as to the mathematical complexity, and either fail because it's too difficult, or leave because it wasn't what they expected. I think there was about 110-120 of us in first year, and then only 74 in 2nd year, I think. But after first year, the drop out rate levels off.

Chemical or Aeronautical Engineering at Glasgow

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