Course Structure

Stage 1

Students are introduced to core mechanical engineering principles and mathematics, and they undertake a team-based project, designed to introduce them to the concept of professional engineering practice. This is supported with a module in engineering design where students are introduced to Engineering CAD software.

Stage 2

Stage 2 builds on the knowledge already gained with a series of more advanced engineering science subjects including dynamics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and strength of materials.

Mathematics and computing focus more on their application to engineering than basic theory, while courses in manufacturing technology and engineering design provide hands-on practical experience of manufacturing processes and computer-aided design. Students are also introduced to the legal aspects of engineering practice in the professional studies course and are given the skills required for future work placements and careers in the employability course.

A dedicated laboratory programme enables students to conduct practical experiments to reinforce the theoretical knowledge developed in the engineering science modules.

Stage 3

Placement Year

Full year industrial placement with support from the School’s dedicated placement officer
12 week pre-placement programme (in Stage 2)
£21,000 average sandwich year salary (2021-22)
Sandwich pathway credits appear on degree transcript

Stage 4

Optional modules give students the opportunity to tailor courses and projects to their particular interests.

Students expand their engineering knowledge through a range of core courses in engineering science, manufacturing and professional studies along with optional modules in topics such as sustainable transport, computer-aided engineering and polymers. They also undertake a major group design project, working within teams to conceive, design, build and test an engineering product, enhancing mechanical design and engineering skills and developing professional presentational and team-working skills.

Stage 5

Students extend their knowledge of engineering applications through optional modules,in computer aided engineering, advanced materials and manufacturing automation. Students also have the option of advancing their business acumen in an optional professional studies module. A significant focal point is the individual project, where students apply their engineering skills to an area of cutting-edge technology. These projects are closely associated with industry and with the School's current research interests providing students with hands-on experience in real-world applications.

Contact Teaching Hours

Large Group Teaching

10 (hours maximum)
8-12 hours of lectures per week (varies by stage of study)

Personal Study

17 (hours maximum)
14-20 hours studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using handouts, online activities, tutorial sheets and others

Medium Group Teaching

12 (hours maximum)
6-18 hours of tutorials/practical/design activities per week (varies by stage of study)

Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial

1 (hours maximum)
1-2 hours of personal tutorial or individual project supervision per week

Learning and Teaching

The School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering plays a leading role in CDIO, an international initiative to reform engineering education which involves well over 100 universities worldwide. Initial support for participation in this initiative was secured through funding to set up a Centre of Excellence in Active and Interactive Learning at Queen's. As a result, our degree programmes have many innovative features that enhance student learning.

Through the programme, there is an emphasis placed on the development of a balanced set of personal, interpersonal and professional skills.

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential. Students studying for the MEng in Mechanical Engineering are provided with a broad range of learning experiences to enable them to develop as individuals, to engage with subject experts from both academia and industry, and to develop an enquiring mind to enhance their development as independent, lifelong learners. Access to industry standard engineering tools, a world class library facility and courses taught by industrial experts provides a breadth of opportunity to develop students’ interests in the engineering sector, supported by formal lectures and tutorials. There are a wide range of learning opportunities, including:

E-Learning technologies

The Canvas Virtual Learning Environment provides access to a wealth of information and supporting learning information, including additional module resources, reading lists and message boards to communicate with class members.

Individual research projects

As part of the degree, students will undertake a research project in their final year in conjunction with an academic supervisor, looking in detail at a relevant engineering topic. This will provide students the opportunity to engage with the Mechanical engineering design and development process, while embedding core skills in project management, reporting and presentation skills.

Lectures

Formal lectures are timetabled to introduce basic information and concepts about key topics and themes in Mechanical engineering, and to provide a starting point to guide further self-directed private study. This provides an invaluable opportunity to both engage with academic subject experts and also to gain feedback and advice. Through the degree course, a number of lectures are also given by industrial subject matter experts, to ensure that students have the opportunity to discuss the industrial applications.

Personal Tutor

Undergraduates are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them during the year to support their academic development.

Practicals

A key aspect of any engineering degree is the ability to be able to competently transfer engineering scientific principles into practice. Students will be provided with numerous opportunities to develop core technical skills through practical laboratories and design exercises during their degree programme and will become confident in the use of a wide range of industrial standard engineering design and analysis tools/software.

Self-directed study

This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.

Tutorials

The majority of lectures are supported through tutorial sessions, providing opportunities for discussion about problems posed in accompanying lectures. Again, tutorials provide valuable opportunities to engage with academic staff to obtain help and feedback outside of the formal lecture environment.

Work placements

As part of our sandwich programme, students may elect to take a work-placement. An employability programme provides support on application and CV completion, interviews and what to expect on placement, while our dedicated Placement Officer provides both information on current placement opportunities, and ‘on placement’ support.

Assessment

Details of assessments associated with this course are outlined below:

• The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Most modules are assessed through a combination of coursework, class tests and end of semester examinations. Some modules [e.g. final year Honours Project module] are assessed through project work, written assignments, presentations and interviews. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Student Handbook which is provided to all students during their first year induction.

Feedback

As students’ progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:

• Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted.
• Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
• Placement employer comments or references.
• Online or emailed comment
• General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
• Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.
• Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
• Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.
• Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.

Modules

• Year 1
• Year 2
• Year 3
• Year 4
• Year 5

Entrance requirements

A level requirements

AAA including Mathematics and at least one from Physics (preferred), Biology, Chemistry, Further Mathematics or Technology and Design.

A maximum of one BTEC/OCR Single Award or AQA Extended Certificate will be accepted as part of an applicant's portfolio of qualifications with a Distinction* being equated to a grade A at A-level.

Irish leaving certificate requirements

H2H2H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H2 in Mathematics and at least one from Physics (preferred), Biology or Chemistry

International Baccalaureate Diploma

36 points overall, including 6,6,6 at Higher Level, including Mathematics and Physics (preferred), Biology or Chemistry.

Graduate

A minimum of a 2:2 Honours Degree, provided any subject requirement is also met.

Access/Foundation Course

Not considered. Applicants should apply for the BEng Mechanical Engineering degree.

Note

All applicants must have GCSE English Language grade C/4 or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.

Applicants not offering Physics at A-level should have a minimum of a grade B in GCSE Physics or GCSE Double Award Science grades BB.

Further information

Applicants for the MEng degree will automatically be considered for admission to the BEng degree if they are not eligible for entry to the MEng degree both at initial offer making stage and when results are received.

Option to transfer

Transfers between BEng and MEng may be possible at the end of Stage 2 depending on performance.

How we choose our students

Applications are dealt with centrally by the Admissions and Access Service rather than by the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Once your application has been processed by UCAS and forwarded to Queen's, an acknowledgement is normally sent within two weeks of its receipt at the University.

Selection is on the basis of the information provided on your UCAS form, which is considered by an Admissions Manager/Officer from the Admissions and Access Service and, if appropriate, the Selector from the School. Decisions are made on an ongoing basis and will be notified to you via UCAS.

Applicants for the MEng Honours in Mechanical Engineering must be able to satisfy the University's General Entrance Requirement; it should be noted that a strong performance at GCSE is essential. For last year's entry, applicants for this MEng programme must have had, or been able to achieve, a minimum of 6 GCSE passes at grade B/6 or better (to include Mathematics and Physics/Double Award Science). Selectors will also check that any specific subject and grade requirements in terms of A-level can be fulfilled (see Entry Requirements).

Offers are normally made on the basis of 3 A-levels. Applicants repeating A-levels require BBC at the first attempt and offers will be made in terms of A-level grades AAA including Mathematics plus a relevant Science (see entry requirements). Applicants are not normally asked to attend for interview.

Applicants offering two A-levels including Mathematics plus one from Physics (preferred), Biology, Chemistry or Further Mathematics and one Level 3 BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent qualification) will also be considered. Offers will be made in terms of the overall BTEC grade(s) awarded. Please note that a maximum of one BTEC Subsidiary Diploma/National Extended Certificate (or equivalent) will be counted as part of an applicant’s portfolio of qualifications. The normal GCSE profile will be expected.

A-level General Studies and A-level Critical Thinking are not normally considered as part of a three A-level offer and, although they may be excluded where an applicant is taking 4 A-level subjects, the grade achieved could be taken into account if necessary in August/September.

Applicants offering other qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate will also be considered.

For applicants offering the Irish Leaving Certificate, please note that performance at Irish Junior Certificate (IJC) is taken into account. For last year’s entry, applicants for this degree must have had a minimum of 6 IJC grades B/Higher Merit. The Selector also checks that any specific entry requirements in terms of Leaving Certificate subjects can be satisfied.

Applicants offering BTEC Extended Diplomas/National Extended Diplomas, Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas are not normally considered for MEng entry but, if eligible, will be made a change course offer for the corresponding BEng programme. Subject to satisfactory academic performance during the first two years of the BEng course, it may be possible for students to transfer to the MEng programme at the end of Stage 2.

Access course qualifications are not considered for entry to the MEng degree and applicants should apply for the corresponding BEng programme.

Subject to satisfactory academic performance during the first two years of the BEng course, it may be possible for students to transfer to the MEng programme at the end of Stage 2.

The information provided in the personal statement section and the academic reference together with predicted grades are noted but these are not the final deciding factors in whether or not a conditional offer can be made. However, they may be reconsidered in a tiebreak situation in August.

If you are made an offer then you will be invited to an Open Day, which is usually held on a Saturday in late February or early- mid March. This will allow you the opportunity to visit the University and to find out more about the degree programme of your choice; the facilities on offer. It also gives you a flavour of the academic and social life at Queen's.

If you cannot find the information you need here, please contact the University Admissions and Access Service (admissions@qub.ac.uk), giving full details of your qualifications and educational background.

International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.

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English Language Requirements

An IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

Career Prospects

Introduction

A degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions alike. Our graduates are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international) and the versatility of Mechanical Engineering graduates makes them well suited to a future career in a wide variety of fields.

Graduates are greatly prized because of their high level of numeracy and analytical ability, their well-developed communication skills and their leadership potential. A significant number of Mechanical Engineering graduates progress to senior management roles and can easily exploit their skills in the wider commercial, financial or public sectors.

£27,000 average starting salary for graduates from this School in 2023.

Further study is also an option - students can choose from a range of Master's programmes as well as apply to do a PhD from a comprehensive list of research topics; see the School website for further information.

Alumni Success

Many of our former graduates have risen to the top of their fields and include many famous figures; for example:

Bernadette "Bernie" Collins: British Formula One Strategy Analyst for Sky Sports and F1TV and former F1 Strategy Engineer and Head of Race Strategy for the Aston Martin F1 team.

Katrina Thompson: Programme Director, Artemis Technologies.

Michael McKay: Flight Operations Director for ESA Mars and Lunar Missions, European Space Agency

Michael Ryan: Vice President and General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast

Bob Bell: Chief Technical Officer, Renault Sport F1.

Air Commodore David Case: Royal Air Force.

Prizes and Awards

The School receives valued support from the business community and private sponsors. This enables us to award over 50 prizes and scholarships totalling an annual fund of approximately £230K.

Degree Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1	£4,855
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2	£4,855
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1	£9,535
EU Other 3	£25,300
International	£25,300

¹EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

² EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.

³ EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

Tuition fee rates are calculated based on a student’s tuition fee status and generally increase annually by inflation. How tuition fees are determined is set out in the Student Finance Framework.

Additional course costs

Students undertake a placement either between Stages 2 & 3 or between Stages 3 & 4 and are responsible for funding travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. These costs vary depending on the location and duration of the placement. Students may receive payment from their placement provider during their placement year.

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

Scholarships

Each year, we offer a range of scholarships and prizes for new students. Information on scholarships available.

How to Apply

Application for admission to full-time undergraduate and sandwich courses at the University should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/students.

When to Apply

UCAS will start processing applications for entry in autumn 2025 from early September 2024.

The advisory closing date for the receipt of applications for entry in 2025 is still to be confirmed by UCAS but is normally in late January (18:00). This is the 'equal consideration' deadline for this course.

Applications from UK and EU (Republic of Ireland) students after this date are, in practice, considered by Queen’s for entry to this course throughout the remainder of the application cycle (30 June 2025) subject to the availability of places. If you apply for 2025 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.

Applications from International and EU (Other) students are normally considered by Queen's for entry to this course until 30 June 2025. If you apply for 2025 entry after this deadline, you will automatically be entered into Clearing.

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.

The Institution code name for Queen's is QBELF and the institution code is Q75.

Further information on applying to study at Queen's is available at: www.qub.ac.uk/Study/Undergraduate/How-to-apply/

Apply via UCAS 

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study. Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.

Additional Information for International (non-EU) Students

1. Applying through UCAS
   Most students make their applications through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for full-time undergraduate degree programmes at Queen's. The UCAS application deadline for international students is 30 June 2025.
2. Applying direct
   The Direct Entry Application form is to be used by international applicants who wish to apply directly, and only, to Queen's or who have been asked to provide information in advance of submitting a formal UCAS application. Find out more.
3. Applying through agents and partners
   The University’s in-country representatives can assist you to submit a UCAS application or a direct application. Please consult the Agent List to find an agent in your country who will help you with your application to Queen’s University.

Download Undergraduate Prospectus