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Engineering Degree
TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a Subject > University Courses > Engineering Degree
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Why Study Engineering?
Engineers shape the world by turning ideas into reality. Look around you, engineers are involved in the design and manufacture of almost everything from computers to cars, from houses to helicopters and many medical advances in recent years have been achieved as a result of the work done by engineers.
A scientist may ask why a problem arises, and proceed to research the answer to the question or actually solve the problem in his first try, perhaps creating a mathematical model of his observations. By contrast, engineers want to know how to solve a problem, and how to implement that solution. In other words, scientists attempt to explain phenomena, whereas engineers use any available knowledge, including that produced by science, to construct solutions to problems.
You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw
Course Overview
Engineering applies scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. Engineers use imagination, judgment, reasoning and experience to apply science, technology, mathematics, and practical experience. The result is the design, production, and operation of useful objects or processes.
Engineering is involved in almost everything that surrounds us, however, there are a number of traditional boundaries that give rise to the main engineering disciplines, which are explained in further detail below.
Areas of Engineering
Most Engineering courses expect you to apply for a specific branch of Engineering. Below are details about the more common areas you can choose to specialise in.
If you think you're not sure yet which one of these most interests you then it might be worth considering one of the many courses that have 'broad based' first years and allow you to specialise later in your degree. These are normally called 'General Engineering' degrees - though you still graduate in one specific area.
Aeronautical Engineering
Aeronautical engineering is the branch of engineering that concerns aircraft, spacecraft and related topics. It is also referred to as aerospace engineering, particularly when concerning only aircraft and also astronautical engineering when solely referring to spacecraft.
Typical modules or topics of study include :
- Aero Propulsion
- Aerodynamics
- Avionics
- Flight Dynamics
- Structural Analysis
- Thermodynamics
Career paths often taken by aeronautical engineering graduates include but are not limited to working for or in :
- Leading aerospace employers
- The Armed Forces
- Government departments such as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) or Transport and Regions (DETR)
- Agencies like the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) and Defence Procurement Agency (DPA)
- Airline operators
- Regulatory authorities like the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- National and multinational space agencies such as the :
- Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
- European Space Agency (ESA)
- Russian Space Agency (RKA)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering is the application of science, in particular chemistry, physics and mathematics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms.
Chemical engineers are engaged in the development and production of a diverse range of products, as well as in commodity and specialty chemicals. These products include high performance materials needed for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, electronic, environmental and military applications. Examples include ultra-strong fibers, fabrics, adhesives and composites for vehicles, bio-compatible materials for implants and prosthetics, gels for medical applications, pharmaceuticals, and films with special dielectric, optical or spectroscopic properties for optoelectronic devices. Additionally, chemical engineering is often intertwined with biology and biomedical engineering. Many chemical engineers work on biological projects such as understanding biopolymers (proteins) and mapping the human genome.
Typical modules or topics of study include :
- Fluid and Particle Mechanics
- Formulation Engineering
- Multiphase Operations
- Reaction Engineering
- Reactors and Catalysis
- Thermodynamics
Career paths often taken by chemical engineering graduates include but are not limited to working for or in :
- Companies in the oil and petrochemical industries
- The Armed Forces
- Teaching
- Finance
- The nuclear industry
- Waste water treatment
Civil Engineering
In modern usage, civil engineering is a broad field of engineering that deals with the planning, construction, and maintenance of fixed structures, or public works. Civil engineers are responsible for things such as roads, structures, water supply, sewage systems, flood control and traffic. In essence civil engineering is the profession which makes the world a more habitable place to live.
Engineering has developed from observations of the ways natural and constructed systems react and from the development of empirical equations that provide bases for design. Civil engineering is the broadest of the engineering fields. In fact engineering was once divided into only two disciplines - military and civil. Civil engineering is still an umbrella field comprised of many related specialities.
Civil engineering encompasses all of the following fields :
- Environmental engineering
- Geotechnical engineering
- Hydraulic engineering
- Material science
- Structural engineering
- Surveying
- Transportation engineering
Typical modules or topics of study include :
- Computational Methods
- Professional Engineering Practice
- Environmental Engineering
- Fluid Mechanics
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Material Science
- Mathematics
- Soil Mechanics
- Structural Mechanics
- Surveying
Career paths often taken by civil engineering graduates include but are not limited to working for or in :
- The Armed Forces
- Finance
- Teaching
- The Construction Sector
- Communications
- Architectural design
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity, electromagnetism and electronics. The field first came to public attention in the late nineteenth century with the installation of the first large-scale electrical supply networks and now encompasses a range of sub-disciplines including power, control systems, electronics and telecommunications.
Whilst the terms are often used synonymously, electrical engineering is sometimes distinguished from electronics engineering. Where this distinction is made, electrical engineering is considered to deal with the problems associated with large-scale electrical systems such as power transmission and motor control whereas electronics engineering deals with the study of small-scale electronic systems including semiconductors and the design of integrated circuits.
Typical modules or topics of study include :
- Analogue and Digital Electronics
- Analysis of Circuits
- Communications
- Engineering Materials
- Microwave Technology
- Optoelectronics
Career paths often taken by electrical engineering graduates include but are not limited to working for or in :
- Finance
- IT
- Companies that deal with communication technology
- The Armed Forces
- Hardware engineering
- Software engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is a very broad field of engineering that involves the application of physical principles for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. Continuum mechanics, structural failure, thermodynamics and drafting are all important fields that come under the umbrella of mechanical engineering.
Typical modules or topics of study include :
- Combustion Engines
- Design
- Engineering Simulation
- Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics
- Materials Processing
- Nuclear Reactor Engineering
Due to the broad nature of mechanical engineering graduates can find jobs in many different engineering disciplines, career paths often taken by mechanical engineering graduates include but are not limited to working for or in :
- The energy sector
- Oil & gas industry
- Marine industry
- Chemical and pharmaceutical industry
- Transport
- Aviation
- The Armed Forces
- Automotive companies
- Government agencies such as the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
- The deployment of satellites
- Robotics
Information and Information Systems Engineering
Information Engineering is a relatively new engineering discipline gaining in popularity due to the widespread availability of computational resources and the growing amounts of data being collected.
Information Engineers develop algorithms and systems to process, manipulate and extract meaningful information from data. As a consequence, information engineers must have mastery of the disciplines of mathematics, statistics and computer science as well as being well versed in traditional engineering methodology. They must also be flexible and able to adapt their generic data analysis methods to potentially very different problems.
Example problems:
- designing a intelligent system for identifying malignant tumours from MRI scans
- identifying cracks in rails from ultrasound images
- developing an early warning missile tracking system
- automatically identifying known troublemakers from CCTV images of football crowds
- finding patterns in Google search usage
- designing automated speech recognition systems
- online optimisation of aircraft performance
Information Engineering is often not taught as a standalone degree but instead specialist modules usually appear in the latter stages of a traditional engineering degree (typically Electrical/Electronics).
Typical modules or topics of study include:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Signal Processing
- Image Processing and Computer Vision
- Statistics
- Software Engineering
- Control Systems
Many universities also offer such options as part of Computer Science and Mathematics courses and it is not uncommon to see industry or academic teams that comprise a mixture of engineers, computer scientists and mathematicians. This merely reflects the multitude of skills required to be successful in this area of work.
As information engineering graduates are data specialists they can often find jobs in many different industries.
- Medical
- Communications
- IT
- Finance
Universities offering Engineering
Universities offering Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering
- University of Bath
- University of Brighton
- University of Bristol
- University of the West of England, Bristol
- Brunel University
- City University
- Coventry University
- University of Glasgow
- University of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Pontypridd
- Glyndwr University
- University of Hertfordshire
- Imperial College, London
- Kingston University
- University of Leeds
- University of Leicester
- University of Liverpool
- Loughborough University
- University of Manchester
- University of Nottingham
- Queen Mary, University of London
- Queen's University Belfast
- Salford University
- University of Sheffield
- Sheffield Hallam University
- University of Southampton
- University of Strathclyde
- University of Surrey
- Swansea University
- University of York
Universities offering Electrical/Electronic Engineering
- University of Aberdeen
- Aston University
- Bangor University
- University of Bath
- Birmingham City University
- University of Birmingham
- Blackburn College
- University of Bolton
- University of Bradford
- University of Brighton
- University of Bristol
- University of the West of England, Bristol
- Brunel University
- University of Cambridge
- Cardiff University
- University of Central Lancashire
- City University
- De Montfort University
- University of Derby
- University of Dundee
- Durham University
- University of East London
- University of Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Napier University
- University of Essex
- University of Exeter
- University of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Pontypridd
- University of Glasgow
- Glasgow Caledonian University
- Glyndwr University
- University of Greenwich
- Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
- University of Hertfordshire
- The University of Huddersfield
- University of Hull
- Imperial College London
- University of Kent
- Lancaster University
- University of Leeds
- University of Leicester
- University of Liverpool
- London Metropolitan University
- London South Bank University
- Loughborough University
- University of Manchester
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- Middlesex University
- Newcastle University
- University of Wales, Newport
- University of Northampton
- Northumbria University
- University of Nottingham
- Oxford University
- University of Plymouth
- University of Portsmouth
- Queen Mary, University of London
- Queen's University Belfast
- University of Reading
- Robert Gordon University
- University of Sheffield
- Sheffield Hallam University
- University of Southampton
- Southampton Solent University
- Staffordshire University
- University of Strathclyde
- University of Sunderland
- University of Surrey
- University of Sussex
- Swansea University
- Teesside University
- University of Ulster
- University College London (University of London)
- University of Warwick
- University of Westminster
- University of Wolverhampton
- University of York
Admissions
Academic Requirements
Mathematics is a mandatory requirement for virtually all BEng/MEng courses starting at level 1 (typically at A-level standard). Some universities only ask for an AS-level in Mathematics, providing the applicant offers a full A-level in Physics. The University of Bradford would be an example - all of its engineering courses require either an A-level in Mathematics, or an AS-level in mathematics plus an A-level in Physics. This also applies for Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Kent.
Further Mathematics, though not a formal requirement at any university yet, would benefit an engineering applicant particularly at the top universities. Physics, though not an absolute requirement at many universities, is the primary 'preferred' subject. Chemistry would complement mathematics and physics, and is preferred (and often required) for many chemical engineering applicants.
For the international baccalaureate, Higher Level Mathematics and Physics are required for most engineering courses. However quite, an increasing number of universities in the UK are accepting SL Mathematics as an equivalent of A-level mathematics. Swansea and Nottingham's Civil Engineering courses demand a minimum of a grade C in A-level Mathematics, AS is not accepted; however, they accept IB SL Mathematics as an equivalent of A-level Mathematics - providing HL Physics is taken.
Offers and UCAS point requirements vary by a great deal for engineering. A-level equivalent requirements for a BEng course are typically BBC to AAB. For instance, Nottingham ask for AAB - ABC for their BEng Civil Engineering program. Cardiff ask for BBC in all of their BEng engineering programs (except for architectural and civil engineering, in which they excel). An MEng course is likely to demand ABB or higher. Some top engineering universities including Bath, Southampton and Bristol often require AAA for entry onto their MEng courses. The best engineering universities, namely Imperial College London and Oxbridge, now require a minimum of one A* upon its introduction.
UCAS Form & Personal Statement
Course Structure
Engineering students can often find themselves studying subjects from a variety of academic disciplines, even outside the realm of Science and Mathematics. Some of these include:
- Economics, Accounting & Finance - Engineers need to be able to work to financial constraints, and generally need to be aware of the economical potential of their products of ideas.
- Business and Management Studies - Graduate engineers often find themselves in a position of authority when they enter the career world, and as such, management and business studies prime them to be effective managers and businessmen in the Engineering industry. Almost 60% of Engineering graduates do not go on to engineering careers, often they go into management in other sectors.
- Languages - Engineering is a universal discipline, and many engineers work in countries to which they are not natives. Most universities offer the chance to study abroad for part of an Engineering degree to work on research projects, and as such, they are subject to language courses before arrival in their institution of choice.
- Entrepreneurship studies - Many of the world's entrepreneurs are Engineers.
- Law - Engineers hold positions of massive responsibility, and as such are subject to complexities of the law that regulates and governs their work. Being aware of these laws is an necessity to professional practice.
Engineering is classed as a science and as such there is usually little essay-writing involved in the course, though there can be a significant proportion if you undertake certain modules (such as "Engineering and Society"). There is often a large amount of maths in the degree and depending on the type of engineering you are studying the rest of the course will be made up of the relevant subject areas (e.g. computer science for computer engineering or physics for mechanical engineering).
Engineering is usually studied with a specialism in mind (e.g. electrical engineering, or chemical engineering) but several universities also offer "General Engineering" courses, referred to as "Engineering Science" or "General Engineering". These involve teaching students the broad foundations of engineering, by integrating the study of the subject across the traditional boundaries of engineering disciplines, specialised knowledge is then added in the latter years of the course. The University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Warwick University, University of Exeter and Durham University offer these courses, the University of Oxford believes that 'links between topics in apparently diverse fields of engineering provide well-structured fundamental understanding, and can be exploited to give efficient teaching'.
Engineering courses usually lead to a BEng or MEng qualification.
Life as an Engineering Student
As engineering is classed as a science, you can expect similar contact hours to those doing hard science degrees. You can expect to have labs and thus lab reports, individual and group projects, too.
Graduate Destinations and Career Prospects
The combination of rigour and practicality in their training, as well as the wide range of disciplines to which they are subjected during their studies, makes engineering graduates attractive to a wide range of employers in engineering, finance, commerce and other areas. For those who wish to pursue further study in the field there are many opportunities for postgraduate study. Many courses also include a year in industry as part of the degree program, which can lead to offers of employment before graduation from the course.
Engineering careers are also available to those graduates of mathematics, computer science and the physical sciences. Sometimes MSc-type conversion courses maybe necessary in order to acquire additional specialist engineering knowledge not taught as a standard part of these courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we require any previous work experience?
No, it is not expected that students will have been able to have gained work experience before applying to university. If you can get some, by all means take up the offer.
Do you reccomend Headstart Courses?
Yes, they are worth the experience to do the course.
I have missed the deadline for Headstart Courses, are there any alternatives?
If you get in quick, you can get on the Engineering Experience Course run at Loughborough University over a couple of days
Does Oxbridge and Imperial prefer if you defer entry when applying for Engineering courses, particulary Chemical Engineering?
Where can I get work placements for the summer?
There are a variety of sources of work placement during the summer. The careers section of your University website can usually offer assistance, and many universities have summer placement schemes in which employers give students of a certain university exclusive opportunities to work for their company. Also, many companies have summer training schemes of their own which you can apply for directly, usually via the company website. For example, the Shell Step Programme runs yearly offering undergraduate summer placements. Other website such as GradCracker and MilkRound deliver daily updates on positions that have become available once you register with their website. Some Engineering departments take on their own students during the summer to act as assistants to academic/technical staff. Ask your head of department if this is something your department facilitates.
What academic ECs are related to engineering?
Well, there's nothing stopping you from doing your own projects. An example for someone who wants to study electrical and electronics engineering and is also a musician may be to construct their own power amplifier.
How do I apply for a summer program place?
This depends on the source. Some companies run their programmes privately, and should be applied to directly, usually via the company website. Other companies join placement schemes with certain universities, where they offer placements exclusively to students of a particular institution. For these placements it is usually necessary to apply via your university, contact your university careers department for more information.
What engineering reading do you recommend?
The magazines published by the professional engineering institutes (e.g IET, IMechE, etc.) would make an excellent read to a prospective engineering student. Engineering Mathematics by KA Stroud is a worthy purchase. Other textbooks relevant to your chosen discipline would also be a good read.
I haven't taken Further Maths. Will I be disadvantaged at Oxbridge and Imperial?
Taking Further Maths is an advantage, therefore you will be disadvantaged not having taken it. Having said that, a good number of engineers at Oxbridge and Imperial do not have Further Maths. It is a good idea to read up on it (even if you do not intend to take it officially).
How do I write that winning PS for engineering?
There are PS Helpers on the TSR website. Consult them.
What are the do's and don't's when writing a PS for engineering?
See above.
What are the top unis for Civil Engineering excluding Oxbridge and Imperial?
Swansea, Cardiff, Sheffield, Bath, Bristol and Southampton.
What are the top unis for Electrical Engineering excluding Oxbridge and Imperial?
Southampton, Bath, Surrey and Nottingham
What are the top unis for Chemical Engineering excluding Oxbridge and Imperial?
Loughborough, Birmingham, Manchester
Providing I get a 2:1+, does it really matter what university I went to?
Not particularly. A prospective engineering student should be concerned about studying at a university that has close links with their desired industry, or is well known within that industry. Often, this is due to geographic location, as companies often build a relationship with their local universities. Studying at one of these universities may give you a slight edge over graduates of other universities that are less well known to that particular employer. Newspaper league tables are completely and utterly irrelevant, though, as industry knows where is good, who does research relevant to it and who has a history of producing graduates that do well in that industry.
However, the university you attended is only one small part of the parcel. Other parts are that you have the required standard of degree (usually a 2:1, although often a 2:2 is enough, and increasingly the degree must be an MEng rather than just a BEng); how well you perform in the interview; the strength of your application; how well you perform in any assessment centres or tests; your CV; what modules you have studied; and most importantly, any previous experience.
How do I strengthen my application to Oxbridge besides taking STEP Papers?
Do a year in industry programme (YiN), use google to find more.
I got BBC at A-Level. Any chance for me to get into engineering?
Yes nowdays many university's run a science and engineering foundation programme which will add 1 year to your desired BEng/MEng choice such uni's include queen mary, leicester, loughborough and nottingham.
I'm predicted AAAA at A-Level and interested in Civil. What top unis do you recommend me?
Imperial or Cambridge.
I'm predicted AAAA at A-Level and interested in Chemical. What top unis do you recommend me?
Cambridge, Imperial, Birmingham.
Are all accredited engineering degrees the same/are engineering degrees standardised?
No. A degree must meet minimum requirements in order to be accredited, and all accredited degrees will cover the topics fundamental to that discipline; however, departments do have leeway in what exactly they teach. Often this is closely related to what that department researches, or to the industry that it has a strong reputation in. Other differences are that some courses may be more practical and others more theoretical; some degrees may have more projects than others; and some degrees may cover a wider range of topic relevant to that discipline than others. Thus, there will be a course out there to suit everyone, from those that want to do some advanced maths to those that want to build things with their hands.
I applied to do a BEng, is it possible to change to MEng whilst in university?
Usually yes. Often the requirement is an average of 55-60% in second year to transfer to the MEng, however this can vary between universities, so it is best to check with your own, or the ones you are applying to.
I know that I want to do engineering, but I'm still not sure what type.
You can study General Engineering at many universities. This will cover aspects of all disciplines and then you usually specialise in your final year or two, once you have a much clearer idea of what discipline you like the most.
Engineers Of Note
Many fascinating people have been engineers and below are some of the more famous or more accomplished engineers that you may have heard of or wish to know more about :
- Alexander Graham Bell - Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish scientist and inventor. Today, he is still widely considered to be the inventor of the telephone, although this matter has become controversial, with a number of people claiming that Antonio Meucci was the 'real' inventor and others holding out for Elisha Gray, the founder of the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. In addition to his work in telecommunications technology, he was responsible for important advances in aviation and hydrofoil technology.
- Isambard Kingdom Brunel - Isambard Kingdom Brunel (April 9, 1806 – September 15, 1859), was an English engineer. An important figure in the history of engineering, and one of the greatest of all British engineers, he is best known for the creation of the Great Western Railway, a series of famous steamships, and important bridges. Though they were not always successful, his projects often contained innovative solutions to longstanding engineering problems, and during his short career Brunel achieved many engineering 'firsts', including the building of the first tunnel under navigable river and development of the first propeller-driven steamship, which was at the time also the largest ship ever built.
- Thomas Alva Edison - Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an inventor and businessman who developed many devices which greatly influenced life in the 20th Century. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production to the process of invention.
- Sir Sandford Fleming - Sir Sandford Fleming (January 7, 1827 – July 22, 1915) was a prolific Canadian engineer and inventor, known for the introduction of Universal Standard Time, Canada's first postage stamp, a huge body of surveying and map making, engineering much of the Intercolonial Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway, and a founding member of the Royal Society of Canada and founder of the Royal Canadian Institute, a science organization in Toronto.
- Henry Ford - Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and the Henry Ford Company (which later became Cadillac). He was one of the first to apply assembly line manufacturing to the mass production of affordable automobiles. This achievement not only revolutionized industrial production in the United States and the rest of the world, but also had such tremendous influence over modern culture that many social theorists identify this phase of economic and social history as "Fordism."
- Leonardo da Vinci - Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. He has been described as the archetype of the "Renaissance man" and as a universal genius, a man both infinitely curious and infinitely inventive. His notebooks contain designs well beyond his era, including machine guns, the first mechanical calculator, submarines and even a detailed plan on how to harness solar energy.
- Frank Whittle - Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle (1 June 1907–9 August 1996) was a British Royal Air Force officer. Sharing credit with Germany's Dr. Hans von Ohain for independently inventing the jet engine, he is hailed as a father of jet propulsion. By the end of the war, Whittle's efforts resulted in engines that would lead the world in performance through the end of the decade.
Links
Professional Bodies
The Institution of Chemical Engineers
The Institution of Civil Engineers
The Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Nuclear Engineers
The Institution of Structural Engineers
General Interest Links
Engineering Forum (The Student Room)
The Royal Academy Of Engineering
The Internet Guide To Engineering, Mathematics And Computing
