BEng Mechanical Engineering

Year 1

interdisciplinary teams to tackle society’s ever-more complex challenges.

In Engineering Principles you will experience a wide range of such challenges, developing essential engineering skills and gaining an understanding of the subject’s breadth and the role your chosen discipline plays.

In Engineering Design you will work as part of a team on an interdisciplinary engineering task – getting involved in design, and using your engineering judgement to evaluate your solution to a task.

These introductory courses will help you to develop the confidence, advanced thinking, team-working and problem-solving skills that you will later rely on as a professional engineer.

You will also study mathematical topics with particular relevance to engineers. In addition, you will choose courses from across the University to complement your engineering studies, with options available in sciences, arts and humanities*.

*(Revised 4 June 2020 to update Year 1 information.)

Year 2

In Year 2 you will specialise in core mechanical engineering topics including fluids, solids, dynamics and thermodynamics, building the foundations of each of these subjects in preparation for specialisation at honours level.

These courses cover technical concepts and where possible, give you the opportunity to apply them in a practical situation, allowing you extend and deepen your engineering design skills.

You will study programming to develop your skills in computer control and simulation – essentials in the engineer’s toolkit. Engineering mathematics is also studied.

You will continue your professional development with a course on essential professional skills for engineers*.

*(Revised 4 June 2020 to update Year 2 information.)

Year 3

You will now focus on your chosen field of engineering. At the end of Year 3, you will have the option of completing one more year for a BEng (Hons) or a further two years for an MEng (Hons), subject to students meeting the MEng progression requirments.

Year 4

You will concentrate on specialist study and innovative assessment that will prepare you for your professional career. Increasingly you will spend time on individual or group design projects.

Programme structure

Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.

To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.

Programme structure (2020/21)

Our facilities

Lectures take place in the George Square area during Year 1 and for all other years at the University's King's Buildings campus.

You will have access to the University's libraries and engineering and computing laboratories. Study materials are available online.

Study abroad

You will have opportunities to study abroad in Year 3 through the University's international exchange programmes.

What are my options for going abroad?

How will I learn?

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, laboratory sessions, projects and group work. In your final years you will dedicate more time to private study and will receive individual supervision with projects.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through coursework and examinations.

Programme details

Find out more about this programme's aims, what you will learn, how you will be assessed and what skills and knowledge you will develop.

To give you an idea of what to expect from this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.

Programme details (2020/21)

Studying engineering at the University of Edinburgh prepares you for a career as a professional engineer in the UK or abroad, and all courses meet the requirements of the UK professional engineering bodies.

On graduation from any of our programmes you will leave with a thorough, core knowledge, together with analytical, practical, design and communication skills, enabling you to join a design, production or research team - or move rapidly into management and leadership roles.

Alternatively, many of our graduates have gone on to work in other areas, including the civil service, education, the armed forces and the financial sector.

Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: AAAA - AAAB (achievement by end of S5 preferred). BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: AAA - ABB.
• IB: 37 points with 666 at HL - 32 points with 555 at HL.

Minimum entry requirement

The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

• SQA Highers: AABB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: ABB.
• IB: 32 points with 555 at HL.

More information for widening access applicants

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Highers: Mathematics at A and Physics or Engineering Science at B. Applicants with Physics are preferred. National 5s: English at C.
• A Levels: Mathematics and either Physics (preferred), Engineering, or Design & Technology (excluding Food Technology) at B. GCSEs: English at C or 4.
• IB: HL: Mathematics (from 2021, Mathematics: Analysis and approaches only) and Physics or Design & Technology at 5. SL: English at 5.

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss national, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate in order to study this programme.

Academic Technology Approval Scheme

For direct entry to second year the standard requirements must be exceeded, including the following:

• SQA Advanced Highers: AA to include Mathematics and either Physics, Engineering Science, or Technological Studies, plus Highers at AB in two further subjects.
• A Levels: A*AA in one set of exams to include Mathematics and either Physics, Engineering, or Design & Technology (excluding Food Technology), or AAA in one set of exams, to include Mathematics, Further Mathematics and either Physics, Engineering, or Design & Technology (excluding Food Technology).
• IB: 38 points with 666 at HL to include Mathematics (from 2021, Mathematics: Analysis and approaches only) and Physics or Design & Technology at 6.

Other entry pathways

Entry to many degrees in Science & Engineering is possible via other qualifications (eg HNC/D, Access, SWAP).

• Science & Engineering applications

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at C
• SQA Standard Grade at 3
• SQA Intermediate 1 at A
• SQA Intermediate 2 at C
• GCSE at C or 4
• Level 2 Certificate at C
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:

• IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component
• TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition) 92 or above with 20 in each section. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency overall 176 with 162 in each component
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with a distinction in all four components

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

English language requirements

*(Revised 27 April 2020 to include TOEFL-iBT Special Home Edition.)

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Please note that some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for BEng Mechanical Engineering

Additional costs

In Year 1, you will require Personal Protective Equipment for practical work. Prices start at £40.

Funding

For more information on how much it will cost to study with us and the financial support available see our fees and funding information.

Fees and funding

• Enquiry Management Team
• Email: futurestudents@ed.ac.uk