BEng
Engineering (Mechanical) BEng (Hons)
Enter the exciting world of engineering, as you develop the skills to plan, design and analyse engineering projects. Become a specialist in the field that fascinates you, and respond to new and changing technologies.
How to apply Apply via UCAS
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BEng
UCAS Code
H314
Course length
3 years full-time
Typical offer
A*AA
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): per year
- Overseas (Full-time): per year
Overview
This degree is designed to offer you the knowledge and skills necessary to join engineering teams on graduation. It is complementary to the four-year Durham MEng, and transfer is possible between the courses up to the end of the second year. In the first two years, the BEng covers the same broad base of engineering education as the MEng degree. You then specialise into Mechanical Engineering in your third year. The course structure offers a huge amount of flexibility – you could join us on a mechanical engineering pathway but decide to pursue electrical engineering at the end of your second year. We believe in empowering our students to make informed decisions. The BEng prepares you for an exciting career in modern engineering, with the flexibility to respond to changing technologies. There may be the opportunity to study at an overseas institution, or spend time in industry as an additional year between second and third year. A course highlight is the individual engineering project in the final year where you will work one-to-one with an academic expert on a technical engineering challenge.
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
BEng
UCAS Code
H314
Course length
3 years full-time
Typical offer
A*AA
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): per year
- Overseas (Full-time): per year
What you'll study
Throughout your studies you encounter a mixture of core theoretical engineering concepts, underpinning mathematics, practical engineering skills, engineering design, ethics and professional issues. A combination of group and individual activities and assessments, working alongside both students and staff, will provide you with the opportunity to develop your interpersonal, teamworking and leadership skills.
Core modules
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Electronic and Electrical Systems
provides you with a working knowledge of electrical and electronic circuit theory, components, electromagnetism and digital electronics.
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Engineering Practice
provides you with practical engineering skills relevant to multiple engineering disciplines. It shows how the material covered in other modules comes together in the wider engineering application context, and will also introduce you to engineering ethics and professional issues.
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Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists
gives you the underpinning maths skills and techniques needed to study Engineering and other sciences.
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Following the Department’s General Engineering ethos, you will study three core engineering subjects alongside mathematics and engineering practice. You will examine theoretical concepts alongside developing skills in computer-aided design (CAD), computing, engineering design and professional issues.
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Solid Mechanics and Structures
gives you a working knowledge of solid mechanics, structures and structural analysis, in a wider engineering context.
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Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
introduces knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics including dimensional analysis, fluid statics and fluid dynamics.
Optional modules
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Students take an elective module in their first year. In recent years optional modules have included: Introduction to ProgrammingComputational ThinkingLanguages
Core modules
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Electrical Engineering
introduces you to electrical machines and systems and provides you with knowledge of mathematical methods for modelling engineering problems.
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Electronics
gives you a knowledge of electronics and computing for analogue circuits, sensors, digital electronics and microprocessor design.
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Engineering Design
will introduce you to various aspects of the design process including the principles of engineering design and project management. You will undertake a major design project with guidance from an academic supervisor and an external (industrial) engineer.
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Engineering Mathematics
provides a working knowledge of probability and statistics and advanced mathematical methods for modelling and analysing engineering problems.
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The second year builds further core engineering knowledge and practical skills across core general engineering areas of Civil, Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, alongside mathematics and a significant Engineering Design project. Core areas of study include:
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Solid Mechanics and Structures
builds your knowledge of the mechanics of dynamics and vibration, stress analysis, structures and the mechanics of soils, and introduces you to finite element methods.
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Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
gives you further working knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.
Core modules
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BEng Engineering Project
The provides an open-ended challenge for you to investigate a research topic at BEng level, working closely with a project supervisor. You will identify and initiate methods to investigate the topic, generate and analyse data, formulate recommendations and present the work in a written report and oral exam. This project is a highlight of your degree, and an amazing opportunity to carry out your own research and to develop the professional skills required to become a practising engineer.
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Electrical Engineering
advances your knowledge of fundamental concepts and techniques electromechanical energy conversion and delivery. It introduces the foundations of power electronics in modern industrial applications alongside renewable energy integration within modern energy networks.
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Materials
gives you an understanding of processing–structure–properties relationships. It will introduce you to commercially important manufacturing and processing techniques including life-cycle analysis.
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Assuming you continue to follow the mechanical degree, you will begin to undertake more specialised content in mechanical engineering whilst still recognising the importance of engineering as a multidisciplinary subject. In your third year, you will start to focus on mechanical engineering and related subjects such as electrical engineering and materials. You will undertake an individual engineering dissertation. Core areas of study include:
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Solid Mechanics
develops principles in the subject areas of dynamics, materials, computational stress analysis and fatigue. Practical skills computational stress analysis is also developed.
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Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
introduces knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics including dimensional analysis, fluid statics and fluid dynamics.
Learning
Lectures provide you with key information on a particular field of study and allow you to work through practical examples. Practical sessions give you direct experience of practical and interpretative skills through laboratory classes, design activities and a Professional Engineering Applications Course (PEAC). The balance of these activities changes over the course of the degree, as you develop your knowledge and independence. Advancing through the years, tasks in practical sessions become more open-ended, moving towards greater emphasis on independent study and research skills which is echoed through the Engineering Technical project that you will undertake in Year 3. This project will be supervised by a member of academic staff, and will result in a significant report on technological advances.Assessment
During the first two years, most modules are assessed primarily by examinations. However, modules typically also include a coursework component, covering subjects such as CAD, programming and engineering design. The final year has more of a focus on assessment through coursework, including a technical dissertation project.Entry requirements
Fees & Funding
Choose which fees you want to see:
Home / Island students
per year
International / EU Students
per year
Home / Island students
Part Time - per year
International / EU Students
Part Time - per year
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Find out moreDepartment Information
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Engineering at Durham is designed to develop talented, modern engineers who are equipped with the skills to solve problems across traditional discipline boundaries – from offshore wind turbines to electro-mechanical devices manufactured on a microchip. With an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability, we are one of only a small number of general engineering departments in the UK. We offer a range of BEng and MEng qualifications with flexible pathways to suit your interests and career goals, including the possibility of a work placement or year abroad. We consider Engineering as an integrated subject so, whichever degree you choose, you will study common General Engineering for the first two years. After this time, you will have developed enough knowledge to make an informed decision about your future, both in terms of your discipline and the length of your degree, with transfer possible between the courses up to the end of the second year. All courses are accredited by the relevant professional institution. Our MEng programmes fulfil the educational requirements for Chartered Engineer status. From research-led study to project-based learning, our courses are designed to develop students who will take on the challenges of the twenty-first century. For more information see our department pages.
Read moreFacilities
We are located on the main campus at Lower Mountjoy, close to other departments, colleges, the Bill Bryson library and the Teaching and Learning Centre.
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Laboratories
We are one of the most comprehensively equipped engineering departments in the UK with dedicated teaching laboratories and advanced facilities, including the newly refurbished electrical laboratory, wind tunnels, microelectronics clean rooms, a geotechnical engineering laboratory and powerful computers for computationally demanding projects.
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Geotechnical engineering laboratory
Our geotechnical engineering laboratory is a fully equipped facility specialising in unsaturated soil mechanics and large scale soils testing. It has temperature and humidity controlled zones to provide a stable environment for sensitive experiments and is supported by experienced technical staff and an engineering workshop for bespoke testing applications.
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Clean rooms
Clean rooms are hi-tech facilities that enable students to conduct experiments in very controlled environments. Our state-of-the-art laboratories allow users to build and measure very small devices in an environment free of contamination such as dust particles.
Find out more -
Career Opportunities
Of those UK/EU students who graduated in 2022/23:
94%
98%
£32,500
HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk
Employability
More Information
Our courses produce modern engineers who are capable of solving problems across the traditional engineering boundaries.
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