MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering · Heriot-Watt UniversityIntegrated Master's degree · 5 years
Request information University profile
Heriot-Watt University · Undergraduate

MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering Integrated Master's degree at Heriot-Watt University

MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering at Heriot-Watt University. The integrated five-year structure includes a distinctive 12-week industrial placement during your final year, embedding professional experience directly into your qualification.

MEng (Hons)
Award
5
Years
Full-time
Study mode
100%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

Full accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers & the Energy Institute. 12-week industrial placement in your 5th year. From the provider’s course page.

MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering is an Integrated Master's degree (MEng (Hons)) at Heriot-Watt University, based in EdinburghCampus. It runs 5 years, studied full-time.

For Engineering and technology graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 100% 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 Architecture, see the sections below.

Course evidence score

The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.

8.3
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Excellent83

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)

Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Exceptional100

Stronger evidence Published sample: 135. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Solid65

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 65% (2021-23; 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
  • Mechanics A
  • Construction Technology: Small Scale Buildings
  • Shaping Tomorrow Together A
  • Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 1
  • Building Services Technology
  • Mechanics B
  • Shaping Tomorrow Together B
  • Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 2

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

This integrated Master's combines architectural design with building services engineering. You'll start with core foundations: design studio, architectural history and theory, and construction principles. Year 2 introduces environmental design, structures, and digital representation tools such as BIM. Year 3 culminates in a major design project alongside professional practice and dissertation modules. Throughout, a course like this typically progresses from fundamental design skills through increasingly complex briefs toward a comprehensive final building design. Specialisations available include sustainable design, urban design, and portfolio development. In your 5th year, you'll undertake a 12-week industrial placement, applying your learning in practice.

Who it's for

You should consider this course if you're drawn to the technical and environmental dimensions of building design, how structures perform, how systems integrate, how energy flows through spaces. You'll need solid reasoning and problem-solving ability; most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications with a typical UCAS tariff between 160 and 175 points. Expect rigorous coursework blending physics, engineering principles and design practice. This suits someone who wants to contribute to how buildings are engineered and sustained, not just how they look.

Careers & job market

Across architecture courses nationally, 89% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Of those in employment, 75% are in highly skilled work or undertaking further study. National Graduate Outcomes data shows starting salaries for architecture graduates around £23,500–£28,000 at 15 months, rising to £24,650–£34,800 after five years. Your qualification is nationally recognised; accreditation from professional engineering and energy bodies supports progression toward chartered status in your field.

University & format

This MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering is a 5-year full-time integrated Master's at Heriot-Watt University, a university founded in 1821 located in Edinburgh. Instruction is in English. The degree holds full accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers and the Energy Institute, and is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body, making your qualification nationally recognised.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
83%
Learning opportunities
80%
Assessment and feedback
86%
Academic Support
100%
Organisation and management
70%
Learning resources
92%
Student voice
73%

Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 70%.

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.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent80% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 160 - 175 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check Heriot-Watt University's official course page for the current offer.

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

QualificationShare
A-levels or equivalent80%
another higher-education qualification20%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Competitive entry

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.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

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.

Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesA*A*A*A-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeK132quote this on your application
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course (code K132). One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write 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.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results 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.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask Heriot-Watt University whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

International£20,080 / yr

Provider fee page. Set under Scotland's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.

Check fees at Heriot-Watt University →

If you normally live in Scotland

For eligible Scottish-domiciled students at an eligible Scottish provider, SAAS can pay tuition directly. Living-cost support can combine bursary and loan and depends on household income and student circumstances. Students from elsewhere use their home funding body.

Check the current amounts with SAAS →

Paying for it

  • SAAS tuition payment: paid directly to the university for eligible Scottish-domiciled students, applied for through SAAS.
  • Living-cost support: a mix of bursary and loan from SAAS, depending on household income.
  • Repayment: only above the Scottish repayment threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
  • Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.

Scotland runs its own system through SAAS; check saas.gov.uk for current rates.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All Heriot-Watt University funding →

Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.

Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.

StudyKit · free

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.

Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

Careers & earnings

What Architecture graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.

Graduate earnings: this course

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£32,000£30,000 – £36,000135
3 years after£30,500£26,500 – £36,500450
5 years after£37,500£30,500 – £45,000450

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 135. Cohort 2021-23.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

100%
in work or further study 15 months on
100%
in highly skilled work or study
65%
continue past their first year
100%
find their work meaningful
100%
say work fits their future plans
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in architecture · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Architecture nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£32,000
£23,500 – £28,000
After 3 years LEO
£30,500
£20,825 – £29,400
After 5 years LEO
£37,500
£24,650 – £34,800
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £19,500 – £39,000

National figures for Architecture 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.

100 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

100% working0% working and studying0% in further study100% in highly skilled work or study

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 135. Cohort 2021-23. 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 Architecture courses at the same study level.

This course £37,500Peer median £29,000Middle 50% £27,000–£34,500
81st percentile

Compared with 228 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 · 80% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
  • Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
  • Sports and fitness occupationsSOC 2020 343 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £13,819

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: 10; response rate: 85%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.

Job market & outlook

How Architecture graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.

89%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Architecture courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
75%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
89%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

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 Architecture graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.

Where they work

  • Architecture practices
  • Property developers
  • Local-authority planning
  • Construction firms

Is this course right for you?

The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.

💷

Student finance

Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold.

📈

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 8.3 out of 10: NSS 83.4% · in work or study 100% · continued 65%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

Heriot-Watt University

All students9,845
International31.2%
Aged 25+21.8%

Architecture, building and planning across the UK

Students67,475
Aged 25+33.9%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Is Architecture right for you?

Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.

International students

What applying to Heriot-Watt University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is £20,080 / 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 Heriot-Watt 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 Heriot-Watt University and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is competitive. Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 160 - 175 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by Heriot-Watt University. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Engineering and technology graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 100% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £32,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
No obligation

Request information about MEng (Hons) Architectural Engineering

Prospectus, key dates, entry and funding, free to your inbox.

No spam · unsubscribe anytime.