BTEC Mechanical Engineering to go to university, what can you study?

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I would just like to say that after 1/2 a term of starting the course, I have finally been put into a FM for Engineering Technicians class.I'd like to thank you yet again for the advice and I hope you all the best for your course.

No worries mate, good luck

Let me know if you have any more questions and what unis you end up applying to

and remember if you can get a Distinction in that unit it opens up a lot more doors in terms of the calibre of university you can get into - little bit of extra motivation

Reply 61

Azizul98

Hi, i am also doing the BTEC level 3 extended diploma in engineering. I am doing the unit mathematics for engineering techinicans and able to do further maths for engineers next year. My question is will top universities like university of birmingham of nottingham univetsity will accept me doing just the btec on its own without a level maths. I know that for civil engineering in nottingham uni want an A in alevel maths but woulld they still accept me if i got distinction in both the maths units and if i get D*DD overall?

Reply 62

yt7777

Original post by Azizul98

No one can tell you on here for certain if they will accept you, neither can the uni until they have your application, its not just grades dependent it includes your reference and PS too

The best you can do now is just check they entry requirements for each uni and dont think that to go to a top uni you 100% need Maths A level, there are plenty that dont require it and if you meet the requirements listed then you have just as good of a chance as anyone

For Nottingham they require DDD including the 2 maths units you mentioned, so write a good PS and aim for DDD or higher plus Distinctions in those units and thats the most you can do right now

I have previously posted a list of the top unis that BTEC Engineering students can get into which includes UCL, York and Southamption, i think it wad on this thread but if not i will find it for you

Hope this helps

Reply 63

Azizul98

Ah ok, but university of nottingham want an A in a level maths so im just worried that even if i get DDD i wont be accepted into a uni i really want to go to. Could you please send me the list of unis aswell
Thanks for you help i really appreciate it :smile:

Reply 64

yt7777

Original post by Azizul98

No they dont

its only for Civil they require A level Maths, for Mechanical or any other type of Engineering they require DDD/DDM in the Extended Diploma including the 2 Maths module.

So you could do any other type or go through the Engineering Foundation Year which also requires DDD and you could go onto the Civil Engineering degree programme, this would make it a 4 year course.

I tagged you in my post which included the list on the second page of this thread but here it is again:

UCL (D*D*D* inc. Maths/FM for Engineers)
Southampton (D*DD inc. Analytical/FA Methods)
Durham (with foundation year)
York (DDM inc. Maths/FM for Engineers)
Cardiff (inc. Maths for Engineers)
Bath (Electronic Eng only. inc. Maths/FM for Engineers)
Nottingham (DDD inc. Maths/FM for Engineers)
Liverpool (D*DD inc. Maths/FM for Engineers)
Lancaster (DDM inc. Maths/FM for Engineers)
UEA (DDM fot BEng, DDD for MEng)

This is directly from Nottingham's website, you dont need A level Maths for any Engineering course apart from Civil, why do you think you need it for anything apart from Civil so I would suggest applying for a different branch of Engineering or go through the foundation year, also nowhere do they specify an A grade, spend a little more time reading the requirements pages and you'll take in a lot more information and not mis-read things:

Civil Engineering: Extended Diploma in appropriate engineering subject: DDD; plus A level maths; plus GCSE grade B in maths and physics-/science-based subjects
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All courses offered by the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering:

Extended Diploma in appropriate engineering subject: DDD including distinction in maths and further maths; plus grade C in GCSE maths

Mechanical Engineering (H302) or Mechnical Engineering and Management (HN72) or Product Design and Manufacture (H700):

Usually: Extended Diploma in relevant Science/Engineering subject: DDD with distinctions required in Maths and Further Maths for Technicians and other identified course-specific units; applications will be assessed on an individual basis

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 65

kelvin_pangg

Since I do an extra unit in my course, will it be a 190 credit extended diploma rather than 180?

Reply 66

yt7777

Original post by kelvin_pangg

Since I do an extra unit in my course, will it be a 190 credit extended diploma rather than 180?

No, there is no 190 credit qualification, instead you will be able to swap the extra unit out for a different one

Reply 67

username2278529

Original post by yt7777

No, there is no 190 credit qualification, instead you will be able to swap the extra unit out for a different one

I have started my studies at Lancaster University in Engineering, a 4 year MEng. I did not do maths A level, I am one of a group of around 10% of the 150 1st years in Engineering of whom did not come via the A level route. The maths is like water off a ducks back for the students who have undertaken maths A level and is mostly revision work up until 9 weeks into the course, however Btec students will not have seen this maths before. We get homework called revision and yet I had not seen this level of maths before, A level students had though.

I would also like to add, the lecturers teach the course content regardless of prior knowledge. I have spoken to one lecturer about having not seen the maths before and despite seeing how stressed I was he simply told me to read a maths book, no real help or support given. I have also raised this concern over gap between Btec students and A level students, Ive been offered a deferral so I can sit a maths A level at my own cost and come back a year later. My advice is either sit maths A level before starting or prepare for some seriously hard work upon arrival and possibly failure.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 68

kelvin_pangg

Original post by yt7777

No, there is no 190 credit qualification, instead you will be able to swap the extra unit out for a different one

But I'm doing the extra unit without replacing one, so surely I will have more units done at the end? Will it grant me more UCAS points or something?

Reply 69

yt7777

Original post by kelvin_pangg

But I'm doing the extra unit without replacing one, so surely I will have more units done at the end? Will it grant me more UCAS points or something?

No it wont get you more UCAS points because there is no qualification in the frame work that takes more than 180 credits, you do units to reach a credit value and with every 30-60 credits you progress to a different qualification (up to 180 max unless you did 2 different BTEC subjects), the progression is as follows:

BTEC Certificate - 30 credits - 70 UCAS points max
BTEC Subsidiary Diploma - 60 credits - 140 UCAS points max
BTEC 90-credit Certificate - 90 credits - 210 UCAS points max
BTEC Diploma - 120 credits - 280 UCAS points max
BTEC Extended Diploma - 180 credits - 420 UCAS points max

after the Extended diploma (180 credits) what you do doesnt count and if you have done more units than required your best combination of unit grades that add to 180 credits should be submitted to the board

You will be doing 190, so in some ways its pointless, but its not because you will have that extra Maths unit that is required by many universities.

it will be swapped out on your final certificate so its worth talking to your course tutor and getting one less relevant unit taken off and you also shouldnt have to do the coursework for the less relevant one because it will essentially count for nothing.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 70

motherfanta

For the Southampton uni it says analytical and further analytical, but that isn't a part of the level 3 extended diploma as far as i'm aware, can you please explain this to me.

Reply 71

kelvin_pangg

Original post by motherfanta

For the Southampton uni it says analytical and further analytical, but that isn't a part of the level 3 extended diploma as far as i'm aware, can you please explain this to me.

It is a unit that most courses don't do, so I have no idea why they have it as a requirement. It annoys me as well the fact that I cannot attempt to get into Southampton Unit :frown:

And please don't suggest doing the Foundation course as that is a waste of time from what I've heard. Plus more to pay.

Reply 72

kelvin_pangg

Original post by yt7777

So I've asked my lecturer who teaches me the further mathematics unit, and he said that at the end of the year it will not be included in my btec, however I will get a separate certificate which will carry points ect...

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Reply 73

username2161041

Original post by Adam.M.Oliver

Yo Adam! could you tell me what other uni's you applied for and did you get offers from them? were they late or early? i am just curious as i am in the process of this dreadful wait for unis to reply back.

Reply 74

kelvin_pangg

Hey guys,

Just a quick update, I've been looking (and still looking), into many universities. One of my particular favorites is Cardiff university, where I'll be interested to do Civil Engineering (or similar).

Enjoying the Level 3 Mechanical Engineering course so far (first year). Hope everyone else is enjoying their studies aswell, and good luck to them. Update me about anything that is exciting going on!!

Peace,
Kelvin

Reply 75

CassaNova

I've spoken to many universities and my findings and research conclude:

-That the university of Southampton want an A in A level maths to compensate for the analytical/further analytical methods course which isn't in the level 3 syllabus as far as im aware with a D*DD.
-The university of Birmingham and Warwick both want maths at A level at grade B for Beng courses and an A for Meng as well as the usual D*DD.
-The university of Bristol loughborough and Sheffield want an A in A level maths with D*DD.
-the university of Leeds wants an A in A level maths with DDD.

Nottingham will gladly accept just DDD
-the university of Liverpool want D*DD.
-Brunel wants D*DD.

I am also going to be applying this coming winter for the 2017 entry. I am doing A level in maths myself with Btec mechanical engineering extended diploma. Sine we get 5 choices, if you're also doing maths, I'd recommend at least making one of the choices a btec only requirement university.
for example, I will probably choose Bristol, Southampton, Brunel, Surrey/loughborough and Birmingham.
I would be left with a firm and insurance choice, so I would probably make Brunel my insurance choice.
I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavours,
yours,
Mahamed.

Reply 76

kelvin_pangg

That sounds really good, sadly I do not take A-Level maths. But I am looking for all the possible universities which I would gladly go to to pursue further in my education. I wish you luck with your course and university applications.

Reply 77

username3034378

Hello,

I'm interested if the BTEC was easy or not? Also what Uni did you get into and is Uni hard because you didn't learn A level maths?

Reply 78

Azizul98

Original post by Erjon

Hello,

I'm interested if the BTEC was easy or not? Also what Uni did you get into and is Uni hard because you didn't learn A level maths?

Hi, I done the Btec extended diploma in Engineering and achieved D* D* D* and recived offers from all of my universities(University’s of Birmingham, Uni of Notts, Aston Uni, Liverpool, and BCU) however I failed to pass the UOB entrance exam by 1 MARK! And therefore had to go to my Insurance choice (Aston) currently in my first year, I think the btec has helped me in terms of completing assignments. However I do find it hard to keep up with some of the maths and physics content compared to my mates who done a level.overall, the btec is good as long as you don’t plagerise etc and spend few weeks in the holidays revising some a level maths/physics then you should be okay.

Reply 79

username3034378

Oh wow. I was thinking about doing electical/electronic engineering (EEE) BTEC and the Uni that everyone goes to in my city is Queens Uni Belfast (it's in the Russel group). For their EEE course they want 100 credits at distinction and 80 at merit. I should easily pass from what it sounds like. Thanks for the advice for revising the a level subjects, any books that would help me with that?