What Grades Do I Need to Apply for Engineering
Engineers, regardless of which aspect of engineering they’re involved with, help to turn ideas into reality.
This could mean turning an architect’s drawing into a state of the art eco-home or using the latest technology to build a brand new fighter jet for the armed forces.
Engineers are problem solvers who use their knowledge and skills to create all of the things we use in our daily lives. Everything from super computers to medical advances are down to the hard work of engineers in our society.
So, here’s more on becoming an engineer:
Do I need a degree to become an engineer?
Studying for a degree isn’t the only way to get into the Engineering industry. There are a number of apprenticeships, traineeships, and HND courses available across the UK if you think a more hands-on approach would suit you.
However, for many branches of Engineering, particularly if you want to move up the career ladder, you’ll find that you need a degree so it may be worth you studying at degree level straight from college.
What areas of Engineering can I study?
For most Engineering courses you’ll need to choose which brand of Engineering you want to study.
If you can’t decide which branch you want to commit to then there are some universities that offer a “General Engineering” course that gives you a broad education in Engineering in your first year. These degrees allow you to specialise later on so you’ll still graduate with a degree in a specific area of Engineering.
Some of the areas of Engineering include:
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Information and Information Systems Engineering
What other degree options are there?
As we’ve said above, if you already know which area of Engineering you’re interested in you can choose a more specialist Engineering degree.
You’ll also need to decide whether you want to study for a Bachelors of Engineering (BEng) or a Masters of Engineering (MEng).
The MEng is an integrated degree that combines the BEng and MEng meaning that you’ll progress from your first year right the way through to being awarded your Masters.
These courses last a year longer than a Bachelors degree but they remove the need for further study later down the line. This is a popular option if you want a career in Engineering after graduation as the MEng fulfils all the academic requirements needed to get your Chartered Status.
If you choose to just take the Bachelors degree and work for an Engineering company after graduation you could achieve your Chartered Status within five years.
You could also join a company that runs an accredited MPDS (or similar) scheme that satisfies the “further study to Masters level” requirement of the various Engineering institutions.
What grades do I need to apply for Engineering?
If you want to study Engineering then you need to consider your options before you even start college to ensure you’ve chosen the right A Level combination.
Some universities may only ask for AS Level Maths, but many ask for the full A Level, so double check before choosing your options at college.
Essential A Levels:
- Maths (for all Engineering courses)
- Chemistry (for Chemical Engineering)
- Physics (this is commonly asked for by universities)
Desirable A Levels:
- Further Maths
- Design and Technology
Of course it’s important to check the entry requirements of each university you apply to but you can expect that all of them will want you to have taken A Level Maths.
Grade requirements vary among the universities but a typical offer would be AAB – BBB. In some cases, such as if you are applying from a poor performing college or you come from a disadvantaged background, the university may accept a lower offer.
If you’re in any doubt, email or call the university to discuss your grade predictions before you apply.
Can I take a Foundation degree?
Some universities offer a Foundation degree for Engineering students. These last a year and enable students without the right combination of A Levels or alternative qualifications to progress onto the undergraduate programme.
This may also be an option if you have poor A Level grades but in many cases you would be better to retake your exams and reapply when you have achieved the higher grades.
