BEng (Hons) Engineering (Mechanical) Bachelor's degree at Durham University
BEng (Hons) Engineering (Mechanical) at Durham University. Engineering (Mechanical) at Durham gives you the chance to plan, design and analyse real engineering projects, rather than just study the theory behind them.
About this course
Engineering (Mechanical) H314 - Durham University Skip to main content BEng (Hons) Engineering (Mechanical) Enter the exciting world of engineering, as you develop the skills to plan, design and analyse engineering projects. From the provider’s course page.
BEng (Hons) Engineering (Mechanical) is a Bachelor's degree (BEng (Hons)) at Durham University, based in Durham Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Engineering (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £32,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Engineering, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 8 modules
- Solid Mechanics and StructuresCompulsory
Module details
gives you a working knowledge of solid mechanics, structures and structural analysis, in a wider engineering context
- Electronic and Electrical SystemsCompulsory
Module details
provides you with a working knowledge of electrical and electronic circuit theory, components, electromagnetism and digital electronics
- Thermodynamics and Fluid MechanicsCompulsory
Module details
introduces knowledge of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics including dimensional analysis, fluid statics and fluid dynamics
- Engineering PracticeCompulsory
Module details
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
- Mathematics for Engineers and ScientistsCompulsory
Module details
gives you the underpinning maths skills and techniques needed to study Engineering and other sciences
- Computational Tools for Engineers and ScientistsOptional
- Computational ThinkingOptional
- LanguagesOptional
Year 2 4 modules
- Engineering MathematicsCompulsory
Module details
provides a working knowledge of probability and statistics and advanced mathematical methods for modelling and analysing engineering problems
- Electrical EngineeringCompulsory
Module details
introduces you to electrical machines and systems and provides you with knowledge of mathematical methods for modelling engineering problems
- ElectronicsCompulsory
Module details
gives you a knowledge of electronics and computing for analogue circuits, sensors, digital electronics and microprocessor design
- Engineering DesignCompulsory
Module details
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
Year 3 3 modules
- BEng Engineering ProjectCompulsory
Module details
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
- Solid MechanicsCompulsory
Module details
develops principles in the subject areas of dynamics, materials, computational stress analysis and fatigue. Practical skills computational stress analysis is also developed
- MaterialsCompulsory
Module details
gives you an understanding of processing–structure–properties relationships. It will introduce you to commercially important manufacturing and processing techniques including life-cycle analysis
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The course is built around a sequence of study blocks such as core theory, research & methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills. Core theory covers the mathematical and scientific foundations mechanical engineers rely on, mechanics, thermodynamics, materials and the like, while research & methods introduces you to how engineering knowledge is actually generated and tested, rather than just presented as fact. Applied practice is where that theory gets used: expect design work, modelling and problem-solving tasks that mirror what happens in industry. As you progress, specialist options let you steer your learning towards areas of mechanical engineering that interest you most, and the independent project gives you room to investigate a question of your own choosing in real depth, supported by academic staff. Running alongside all of this is a strand of professional skills, the communication, teamwork and project-management abilities that engineering employers consistently look for, and which are easy to overlook if you focus purely on technical content.
Who it's for
This course suits people who are naturally curious about how things are made and why they work, the kind of person who takes something apart just to understand it, or who enjoys the satisfaction of solving a well-defined problem with numbers and logic. You should be comfortable with mathematics and physics, but more importantly, you should want to apply that knowledge rather than keep it abstract; a lot of the course rewards students who like getting hands-on with design and analysis tasks rather than only sitting with textbooks. Patience matters too, mechanical engineering problems rarely resolve neatly on the first attempt, and you'll need the resilience to iterate, test and refine your work. Studying here will mean balancing structured taught content with increasing independence as you move towards your own project, so it suits students who are happy to take ownership of their learning as they progress, while still valuing the exchange of ideas with tutors and peers in a close academic community.
Careers & job market
Nationally, Engineering graduates report strong outcomes: 90% are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and 80% of those in work are in roles classed as highly skilled. These are national Graduate Outcomes figures across Engineering courses generally, not specific to Durham, but they give a useful sense of the field's direction of travel. Early-career earnings for graduates nationally range from roughly £29,000 to £35,000 at 15 months, moving to somewhere between £26,775 and £37,800 after three years, and £33,150 to £46,800 after five years, again, national figures reflecting variation in role, sector and location rather than a fixed or guaranteed outcome. Mechanical engineering opens routes into sectors such as manufacturing, energy, automotive, aerospace and consultancy, among others, and the independent project and professional skills strand are intended to leave you with a portfolio of practical experience to point to when applying for graduate roles or further study.
University & format
Durham University is a public, Russell Group institution founded in 1832, with around 19,520 students in total. The BEng (Hons) Engineering (Mechanical), UCAS code H314, is a three-year, full-time course delivered on the Durham Campus, taught entirely in English. Durham holds a Silver award in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 for teaching quality, and was. Most entrants arrive with A-levels or equivalent (95% of accepted students in recent years), typically with UCAS tariff scores in the 160–175 range, this reflects what students have actually held rather than a fixed requirement.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| a Baccalaureate | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code H314). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Durham University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Engineering graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £32,000 | £30,000 – £35,000 | 65 |
| 3 years after | £35,500 | £31,500 – £43,500 | 215 |
| 5 years after | £46,000 | £37,000 – £58,000 | 220 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in engineering · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Engineering nationally
National figures for Engineering graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Engineering courses at the same study level.
Compared with 2,256 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Finance ProfessionalsSOC 2020 242 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,173
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Secretarial and related occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Skilled trades occupationsSOC 2020 5 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,241
- Managers, directors and senior officialsSOC 2020 1 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £51,733
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 20; response rate: 80%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Engineering graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Engineering graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Engineering & manufacturing firms
- Automotive & aerospace
- Energy & utilities
- Defence & consultancies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Engineering graduates.
Engineering Surveyor (Machine Control)BAM UK & IrelandEngineering Operations Project ManagerFdo Consulting LimitedEngineering ManagerVerto PeopleEngineering ManagerRobert WaltersEngineering ManagerPremier Technical RecruitmentEngineering ManagerRedline Group LtdIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £32,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.8 out of 10: NSS 80.4% · in work or study 100% · continued 85%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Durham
Engineering and technology across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Durham Campus
698 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Engineering right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Durham University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £32,500 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Durham University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Durham University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Durham University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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