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OVERVIEW, MODES OF STUDY, LEARNING OUTCOMES AND
ASSESSMENT PRACTICES
NB: The School is currently undertaking an ongoing curriculum
renewal, which may result in changes to this degree programme.
The renewal is being carried out with:
- our industrial partners
- accreditation bodies
- students
The purpose of the curriculum renewal is to ensure that
students are equipped for an exciting career in the
ever-changing world of engineering.
The normal duration of the programme is four years and leads to
an BEng (Hons) degree at the end of year 4. Direct entry
to year 2 or 3 is possible for suitably qualified applicants.
Years 1 and 2 are referred to as ‘Non-Honours’ years and do not
count towards students’ final degree classification. Years 3 and
4 are referred to as ‘Honours’ years, with year 4 being a
‘Senior Honours’ year. In each year students must study several
courses, each being worth a specific number of credits. One year
of full-time study typically equates to 120 credits.
The university provides a scheme whereby students may study
abroad for year 3 of the programme.
The programme is normally offered as a full-time course. In a
very small number of cases, students are permitted to move to
part-time study by special application due to personal
circumstances such as ill health or elite sporting commitments.
At the beginning of year 4, students who meet the requirements
for the MEng may be given the opportunity to transfer to that
programme.
Transfers into or out of the programme are approved on a
case-by-case basis; the student must be in good academic
standing, meet the pre-requisites/entry requirement for the
appropriate year of the receiving programme and the receiving
programme must have capacity to accept the student.
Programme-level learning outcomes are described in section 11
and assessment practices are described in section 14.
SQCF CREDIT POINTS AND LEVELS FOR EACH CONSTITUENT
COURSE AND EACH YEAR OF THE PROGRAMME
Year 1
The following courses are compulsory. All are at SCQF level 8
and each accounts for 20 credits:
- Engineering Mathematics 1a - Semester 1
- Engineering Principles 1 - Semester 1
- Engineering Mathematics 1b - Semester 2
- Engineering Design 1 - Semester 2
Students must also select 40 credits of Level 7 and 8 courses
across the School and University, with 20 credits taken in each
semester. The choice of courses is determined according to the
interests of the student, whether the student satisfies any
conditions on prerequisite and co-requisite study, timetabling
constraints, suitability of the course for Mechanical
Engineering students and availability of places. Courses
selected by first years include but are not limited to Physics
1A: Foundations, Physics 1B: The Stuff of the Universe,
Astrobiology, Fundamentals of Innovation-Driven
Entrepreneurship, languages and The History of Edinburgh: From
Din Eidyn to Festival City.
Year 2
All the Year 2 courses are at SCQF level 8. The following
courses are compulsory. and each accounts for 10 credits except
Practical Skills in Mechanical Engineering, which does not
formally carry any credits.
- Structural Mechanics 2 - Semester 1
- Fluid Mechanics 2 - Semester 1
- Engineering Mathematics 2A - Semester 1
- Programming Skills for Engineers 2 - Semester 1
- Tools for Engineering Design 2 - Semester 2
- Dynamics 2 - Semester 2
- Engineering Thermodynamics 2 - Semester 2
- Engineering Mathematics 2B - Semester 2
- Professional Development for Engineers 2 - Semester 2
- Materials 2 - Semester 2
- Practical Skills in Mechanical Engineering – Full Year
In addition to the courses above, students must take 20 credits
of optional courses. They must select between 10 and 20 credits
of the following courses, which all take place in semester 1 and
are each worth 10 credits:
- Separation Processes 2
- Environmental Engineering and Sustainability 2
- Fire Science and Engineering 2
- Analogue Circuits 2
- Microelectronics 2
- Power Engineering 2
- Engineering Principles and Design 2
They must further select between 0 and 10 credits of the
following courses, which all take place in semester 2 and are
each worth 10 credits:
- Introduction to Biochemical Engineering 2
- Process Plant Engineering 2
- Geotechnical Engineering 2
- Digital System Design 2
- Sensor Networks and Data Analysis 2
- Software and Embedded Systems Laboratory 2
Year 3
Students must take the following courses, all of which are
compulsory and at level 9:
- Professional Issues for Mechanical Engineers 3 (10 credits)
- Full Year
- Manufacture 3 (20 credits) - Semester 1
- Computational Methods and Modelling 3 (10 credits) -
Semester 1
- Structural Mechanics and Dynamics 3 (20 credits) -
Semester 1
- Sustainable Energy Group Design Project 3 (10 credits) -
Semester 2
- Conceptual Design for Mechanical Engineers 3 (10
credits) - Semester 2
- Thermofluids 3 (20 credits) - Semester 2
- Control and Instrumentation Engineering 3 (10 credits)
- Semester 2
- Partial Differential Equations 3 (10 credits) - Semester 2
Year 4
In Semester 1, students must take the following compulsory
course:
- Mechanical Engineering Group Project 4 (20 credits, level
10)
They must select four of the following courses:
- Dynamics 4 (10 credits, level 10) - Semester 1
- Fluid Mechanics (Mechanical) 4 (10 credits, level 10) –
Semester 1
- Thermodynamics (Mechanical) 4 (10 credits, level 10) –
Semester 1
- Finite Element Methods for Solids and Structures 4 (10
credit, level 10)
- Operations Management 4 (10 credit, level 10)
- Engineering Project Management 4 (10 credit, level 10)
- Polymers and Composite Materials 4 (10 credit, level 10)
- Living Materials and their Biomaterial Replacements 4 (10
credit, level 10)
In Semester 2, students must undertake the BEng Mechanical
Engineering Project 4, which is worth 40 credits and is at level
10. They must also select two of the following 10 credit
courses:
- Supply Chain Management 4 (level 10)
- Bio-Inspired Engineering 4 (level 10)
- Wind Energy 5 (level 11)
- Marine Energy 5 (level 11)
- Digital Manufacture 5 (level 11)
- Surface Engineering and Coatings 5 (level 11)
- The Finite Element Method 5 (level 11)
- Dynamics 5 (10 credits)
- Design of Surgical Tools and Implanted Medical Devices
(level 10)
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
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.
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.
The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:
SQA: Highers: Mathematics at A and one of
Physics (preferred), Biology, Chemistry, Computing Science or
Engineering Science at B. Applicants with Physics are preferred.
Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of
Higher Mathematics. National 5s: Physics or Engineering Science
at B and English at C.
A Levels: Mathematics and one of Physics
(preferred), Biology, Chemistry, Computing Science/Computing,
Design & Technology (excluding Food Technology) or
Engineering at B. GCSEs: Physics or Science at B or 6 and
English at C or 4.
IB: HL: Mathematics (Analysis and approaches
only) and one of Physics (preferred), Biology, Chemistry,
Computing Science or Design & Technology at 5. SL: Physics
at 5 (if not at HL) and English at 5.
Equivalent entry requirements apply for international
applicants.
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 (Analysis and approaches only) and Physics or Design
& Technology at 6.
Entry may be possible via other qualifications.
English language competency
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.
PROGRESSION REQUIREMENTS AND RESITS
Definition of ‘progression’
Progression describes the transition of a student from one year
of study to the next.
Resits, conditional progression and compensation
If a student fails any pre-honours courses they will be obliged
to resit. They need only resit the failed element of the course
(i.e. if they failed only the coursework, they need not resit
the exam and vice versa). The number of resits permitted is
defined in the Taught Assessment regulations and depends on the
student’s immigration status and any special circumstances.
If a pre-honours student passes enough credits to progress but
fails on some credits in both the main diet and resit, the
student may be granted ‘conditional progression’ to the
following year, obliging them to complete resit assessments for
the failed course elements alongside the assessments for the new
year of study. A student who does not pass sufficient credits to
progress may be required to retake part of the year, depending
on circumstances. In honours years, resits are only offered to
individuals with special circumstances or to satisfy the
requirements of the accrediting professional bodies.
If a student has failed certain courses in honours years, it may
be possible for the failed courses to be compensated for as long
as the student has met the progression or graduation
requirements for that year of study. In this case the student is
awarded ‘Credits on Aggregate’ for the failed courses. The
university has an internal system for compensation but for this
programme the compensation limits are also set by the
professional bodies for engineering and will be more stringent
for students entering years 1, 2 or 3 in or after September
2022. If a student fails courses that cannot be compensated for,
the student must take resits for professional purposes (RPPs).
If the student passes the RPP they will be awarded credits but
the numerical mark used for calculating degree classification
will remain unchanged. Once Credits on Aggregate have been
awarded for any course, Resits for Professional Purposes will no
longer be available for that course.
Required performance in years 1 and 2 (‘pre-honours’ years)
Progression to Year 2 normally requires passes in at least 80
credits of courses in Year 1. Progression to Year 3 normally
requires passes in at least 100 credits of courses in Year 2.
Entry to Year 3 is normally only permitted if the following
pre-requisite courses are passed: Structural Mechanics 2,
Dynamics 2, Engineering Thermodynamics 2, Fluid Mechanics 2.
For pre-honours courses owned by the School of Engineering,
students must pass both the coursework and examination
components of a course in order to obtain a pass overall for
that course. The pass mark is 40%. Ultimately students must pass
240 credits of non-honours courses in order to progress to year
4, and this must include all the compulsory non-honours courses
named in the degree programme.
Required performance in years 3, 4 & 5 – for students
who entered year 1, 2 or 3 before September 2022
Progression to Year 4 requires full passes in 80 credits of
courses with an overall average of 40% or more for the 120
credits of study taken in year 3. Students who achieve an
average of 55% or more in Year 3 will be given the option to
transfer to Year 4 of the MEng programme. This decision should
be made prior to the start of the new academic year.
If a student has not achieved a pass mark in Professional Issues
for Mechanical Engineers 3, they must take and pass Practical
Skills in Mechanical Engineering in year 4 (if not already taken
and passed in year 2).
Required performance in year 3 – for students entering year
1, 2 or 3 in or after September 2022
In order to meet the requirements of the Engineering Council,
progression from year 3 to year 4 requires accumulated full
passes in 350 credits of courses, with the remaining credits
having marks in the range 30 to 39%. Students NOT achieving full
passes in the requisite number of credits AND/OR whose remaining
credits have results less than 30% will be required to take
'Resits for Professional Purposes' (RPPs, see above).
Compensation of any course or group of courses containing unique
AHEP learning outcomes is not permitted. If a student has not
achieved a pass mark in Professional Issues for Mechanical
Engineers 3, they must take and pass Practical Skills in
Mechanical Engineering in year 4 (if not already taken and
passed in year 2).
Students taking RPPs will only be permitted to progress to year
4 once they have achieved the equivalent of full passes in at
least 350 credits of courses plus a result of 30% or above in
the remaining 10 credits. However, the mark obtained at the
first attempt will be used to calculate the final year average
and degree award.
EXIT AWARDS
A student who successfully completes all four years of the
programme will be awarded an BEng (Hons) degree. The final
degree classification is based on the honours years, normally
with an equal weighting for both years. (In borderline cases the
mark may be given with a 66.7% weighting for year 4 and a
33.3% weighting for year 3, where this gives a higher
classification.) In the case where a student has studied abroad
during year 3, the final mark will be based on year 4 only. It
is only possible for an honours degree to be awarded if the
Individual Honours Project has been passed. For students who
entered years 1, 2 or 3 prior to September 2022, there is also a
requirement that at least 80 credits of courses have been passed
in year 4 with an overall average of 40% for the 120 credits
taken that year. For students who entered years 1, 2 or 3 in or
after September 2022, there is a requirement that at least 450
credits of courses must have been passed throughout the degree,
with any failed credits having marks of 30% to 39%.
Students who meet the University requirements for graduation,
but who fail to meet The Engineering Council requirements will
be eligible for the award of the unaccredited BEng Honours in
Engineering Technology.
A student who, at the end of year 3, is unable to progress to
year 4 may be eligible for the award of Bachelor of Science
(BSc) Ordinary in Mechanical Engineering. Students may be
permitted to resit some 3rd year courses to obtain this degree.
It is also possible for a student to exit with an Undergraduate
Diploma of Higher Education after attaining a minimum of 240
credits. At least 120 of those credits must be gained from
passes in University of Edinburgh courses which count towards
graduation and at least 90 of these 120 credits must be in
courses at level 8 or above.
REFERENCE TO UNIVERSITY’S STRATEGY 2030
Factors such as social and civic responsibility, sustainability,
equality and diversity are embedded in the curriculum. For
example, two relevant courses are ‘Professional Development for
Engineers 2’ and ‘Professional Issues for Mechanical Engineers
3’, which cover a range of topics including engineering ethics,
professional development, professional codes of practice,
integrity, health and safety, sustainability and strategic
management. Sustainability is covered in more depth in the
compulsory third year group design project, which provides
students with first-hand experience of tackling an engineering
design problem in the area of renewable / sustainable energy,
with all the uncertainties of the real world, personal
interactions and time management.
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