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Degree type

BEng

Course length

3 years full-time

Location

Durham City

UCAS code

H514

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Typical offers

Typical offers
A Level A*AA
BTEC D*DD
International Baccalaureate 38

Course details

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 in Electrical Engineering in your third year. The course structure offers a huge amount of flexibility – you could join us on an 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 Years 2 and 3. A course highlight is the Engineering Project in the final year where you will work one-to-one with an academic expert on a technical engineering challenge.

Course structure

Year 1

You will study four modules in engineering, one in mathematics and one optional module. In your engineering modules, you will examine 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software and implement engineering algorithms into computer code. You will also take part in a group design activity where you have to design, build and test a device to solve a specific engineering challenge. Recent examples include miniature hydroelectric generators and chain-climbing robots.

Core modules:

Solid Mechanics and Structures 1 gives you a working knowledge of solid mechanics, structures and structural analysis, in a wider engineering context.

Electronic and Electrical Systems 1 provides you with knowledge of electrical and electronic circuit theory, components, electromagnetism and hardware interfacing. 

Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics 1 offers you a working knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics including dimensional analysis, fluid statics and fluid dynamics.

Engineering Practice 1 provides you with the practical engineering skills relevant to multiple engineering disciplines. It shows how the material covered in other engineering modules fits together in the wider engineering context, and will also introduce you to engineering ethics and professional issues.

Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists gives you all the maths skills and techniques needed for studying Engineering and other sciences.

In recent years, optional modules have included:

  • Introduction to Programming
  • Computational Thinking

Year 2

Core modules:

Engineering Mathematics 2 provides you with a knowledge of probability and statistics and advanced mathematical methods for modelling engineering problems.

Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics 2 gives you further knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Solid Mechanics and Structures 2 builds your knowledge of the mechanics of dynamics and vibration, stress analysis of structures and sections, trusses and frames, and the mechanics of soils. It also provides an introduction to finite element methods.

Electrical Engineering 2 provides you with a knowledge of mathematical methods for modelling engineering problems and computing.

Electronics 2 gives you a knowledge of electronics and computing in terms of circuits, digital electronics and microprocessor design.

In Engineering Design 2 you will learn about various aspects of the design process including the principles of design and project management. You will undertake a major design project with guidance from an academic supervisor and an external (industrial) engineer.

Year 3 (Year 4 if undertaking a placement or year abroad)

At this point in your degree you will specialise in Electrical Engineering. Practical skills, in addition to the weekly laboratory sessions, cover topics from land surveying to industrial problem solving with interaction with local industry, depending on the selected stream.

Core modules:

BEng Engineering Project provides an open-ended challenge for you to investigate a research topic. You will identify and initiate methods to investigate the topic, generate data, analyse the data, formulate recommendations and present the work in a written report and oral presentation. This project is the 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.

Electrical Engineering 3 covers the fundamental concepts and the range of techniques used for electromechanical energy and power conversion in industrial applications. You will develop your practical problem solving abilities and enhance your practical engineering skills in the context of a significant team project.

Power Semiconductor Devices 3 introduces the basic concepts of materials for electronic devices and the physics of semiconductor devices, including material structure, band theory, junction phenomena and devices. 

Electronics and Communications 3 develops the principles of analogue electronics and your understanding of the use of CAD tools in electronics. It covers the fundamental concepts of communications engineering.

Control and Signal Processing 3 builds on your knowledge of different mathematical techniques used in the design and analysis of control systems. It will also teach you about methods of analysis for both continuous and discrete signals.

Additional pathways

Students on the BEng in Electrical Engineering can apply to be transferred onto either the ‘with Year Abroad’ or ‘with Placement’ pathway during the second year. Places on these pathways are in high demand and if you are chosen your studies will extend from three years to four.

Placement

You may be able to take a work placement. Find out more.

Accreditation

This programme is accredited on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

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

A level offer – A*AA including Mathematics and one of either Biology, Chemistry, Geology or Physics.

Contextual offer – AAB including Mathematics and one of either Biology, Chemistry, Geology or Physics.

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma – D*DD and Mathematics at grade A at A level (or equivalent) are required.

IB Diploma score – 38 with 666 in higher level subjects, including Mathematics and one STEM subject (Biology, Chemistry or Physics).

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

  • We also consider other level 3 qualifications, including T-levels.
  • We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study.
  • If you do not satisfy our general entry requirements, the Foundation Programme offers multidisciplinary degrees to prepare you for a range of specified degree courses.
  • If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take an International Foundation Year pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre
  • We are pleased to consider applications for deferred entry.

Alternative qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

English language requirements

Country specific information

Fees and funding

Full Time Fees

Tuition fees
Home students £9,250 per year
EU students £33,250 per year
Island students £9,250 per year
International students £33,250 per year

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only; fees for subsequent years will be confirmed not less than 3 months before the start of the academic year to which the increase is intended to apply and will be published on the Finance webpages.

In deciding the annual level of increase the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of;

  1. 6%, or,
  2. the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities. 

Find out more about Scholarships and Bursaries

Career opportunities

Engineering

We have an outstanding reputation for employability. Our students have a dedicated careers contact who is available to offer advice and carry out mock interviews. Our Industrial Partnership Committee of around 20 local, national and international companies will ensure you have access to the best employment opportunities.

With subject specific skills, industry knowledge and transferable skills, such as problem solving, information technology, teamwork, presentation, project planning and management, you will be attractive to employers across many sectors.

Our graduates are employed in many sectors across the world including roles in civil, mechanical, electronic, electrical, manufacturing, design, aeronautics and systems engineering, and as consultants, technology analysts and software developers. Examples of high-profile employers include BP, Rolls Royce, and BAE Systems.

Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:

  • 89% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

  • 100% are in high skilled employment
  • With an average salary of £31,750.

(Source: 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)

Department information

Engineering

Enter the exciting world of engineering and gain the skills you need to plan, design and analyse engineering projects aligned to the needs of local, national and global industry.

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 a 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.

Rankings

  • Ranked 5th in The Complete University Guide 2024
  • Ranked 7th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024.

Facilities

We are located on the main campus at Lower Mountjoy. 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.

Our students benefit from the Engineering Open Access area, built to facilitate both group work and individual project. For their Capstone dissertation project, students can access our dedicated project room for independent work.

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Use the UCAS code below when applying:

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H514

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