School of Engineering

Frequently asked questions

Engineering Photos

The aim of this page is to give the answer to some questions on the admissions policy of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Questions

  1. I didn't quite make the offer that you sent me. Will I get a place?
  2. Are offers set at different levels for second attempts at exams or exams taken at different times?
  3. Do you accept HND/HNC qualifications for entry to the degree programmes?
  4. Do I have to apply for both M.Eng. and B.Eng. degree programmes on the UCAS form?
  5. On my UCAS form I have applied for one degree programme but now wish to be considered for a different one. What should I do?
  6. I have applied for immediate entry on my UCAS form but now wish to defer entry for one year. What should I do?
  7. What are the important subjects to study and do well in?
  8. Do you insist on higher English or equivalent?
  9. What advanced highers would you recommend?
  10. What proportion of the degree programme is practical?
  11. What are the entry requirements?
  12. What is the Fast-Track degree?
  13. How is the department rated externally?
  14. Are your degrees accredited?
  15. Do you accept Technological Studies instead of Physics?

Answers

  1. I didn't quite make the offer that you sent me. Will I get a place?
    The offer that the department gives to an applicant is designed to ensure that they have the capability of progressing to a degree in the Department. When assessing the performance of an applicant who fails to meet the offer requirements, the admissions staff will take into consideration the overall performance of the student, performance in Maths and Physics, the student's personal statement, and the reference from the school or college. Some concessions are made each year, but these are each assessed on the particular circumstances of the applicant.
  2. Are offers set at different levels for second attempts at exams or exams taken at different times?
    Yes. It is recognised that applicants who take all of their exams at one time have to spread their exam effort over a larger number of subjects and therefore applicants who have split their exam diet, or who repeat subjects are usually set a higher requirement.
  3. Do you accept HND/HNC qualifications for entry to the degree programmes?
    Yes, we accept HND in Mechanical Engineering (revised 2006) or a directly relevant discipline. A pass is acceptable for entry to year 1. Entry to year 2 is possible subject to achieving Maths for Engineering 3 and an 'AB' in the graded units (For the old style HND you need to get 50% merits in the SCQF level 8 units + a merit pass in "Maths for Engineering").
    HNC (Revised HNC Mechanical Engineering (2006) and Engineering Systems (2005)* ) is acceptable subject to achieving Maths for Engineering 2 and an 'A' in the graded unit.
    *Revised HNC Engineering Systems - students should also have completed the optional units in Dynamics, Thermofluids and Statics and Strength of Materials
    Applicants with other HN qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  4. Do I have to apply for both M.Eng. and B.Eng. degree programmes on the UCAS form?
    No. We operate a unified entry system to both the M.Eng. and B.Eng. and will give offers to both degree programmes. The first three years of both programmes are the same and it is possible, dependent upon performance in your study at the University, to transfer between the two degree programmes.
  5. On my UCAS form I have applied for one degree programme but now wish to be considered for a different one. What should I do?
    Within the Department the degree programmes have a significant common element in the first two years. This means that it is usually possible to transfer between the different degree programmes until the end of second year, however it is better to transfer earlier than later. The exception to this is transfer to the PDE degree which is more difficult. If you have already decided that you wish to be considered for another degree programme you should contact the admissions team to let them know, but transfer will usually be done at the point of admission rather than through UCAS.
  6. I have applied for immediate entry on my UCAS form but now wish to defer entry for one year. What should I do?
    Usually this is no problem, however you should contact the admissions team as soon as possible to let them know.
  7. What are the important subjects to study and do well in?
    We consider that Maths and Physics are the two most important subjects for entry to the degree programmes. It is important that these subjects are strong since the degree programmes build on these subjects.
  8. Do you insist on higher English or equivalent?
    No, we do not insist on higher English although good written and spoken English is important to engineers and we would recommend taking the higher.
  9. What advanced highers would you recommend?
    Both maths and physics advanced highers are useful courses to prepare you for the degree programmes. In particular experience has shown that students who have done advanced higher maths find the mathematics part of the degree programme significantly easier and we would strongly recommend you to take it.
  10. What proportion of the degree programme is practical?
    The degree programmes offered by the department aim to provide students with the required education to become professional Chartered Engineers. As such it is important that students are exposed to a number of real engineering situations during the degree programme. This is achieved through industrial site visits, laboratory experiments and workshop practice in the early years of the degree programme and through project work in the later years of the degree programme. It should be noted, however, that the majority of the degree programme is lecture based, supported by tutorials and self study, and assessed through exams, rather than continually assessed or practical in nature.
  11. What are the entry requirements?
    Each degree programme, level of entry and qualification have their own entry requirements. These are detailed on our entry requirements page.
  12. What is the Fast-Track degree?
    In Scotland M.Eng. degree is usually a 5 year degree and the B.Eng. is usually a 4 year degree. The degree programme is structured around this and the entry requirements reflect the fact that most students enter the degree programmes on the basis of highers. It is recognised, however, that particularly well qualified applicants who have taken advanced higher or A-levels, may be able to cope with an accelerated 4 year M.Eng. degree programme. The Fast-Track degree is designed for these applicants.
  13. How is the department rated externally?
    The most recent assessment of the degree programmes in the department was by the IMechE in 2006 when accrediting our degrees, all of which gained the maximum possible accreditation until the 2010 intake. The University as a whole was assessed in 2009 for its teaching and achieved the top rating.
  14. Are your degrees accredited?
    It is the policy of the department to have all the degree programmes of the department fully accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). All students graduating with M.Eng. or B.Eng. are on accredited degree programmes.
  15. Do you accept Technological Studies instead of Physics?
    Yes, although we would recommend physics.