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Check eligibility →BEng (Hons) Ship Science with Industrial Placement Year Bachelor's degree at Southampton
BEng (Hons) Ship Science with Industrial Placement Year at Southampton. Ship Science at Southampton puts naval architecture and marine engineering into your hands rather than just your notebooks.
About this course
Study ship science, engineering and naval architecture, with hands-on design and building experience. You can also showcase at this annual Design Show. From the provider’s course page.
BEng (Hons) Ship Science with Industrial Placement Year is a Bachelor's degree (BEng (Hons)) at Southampton. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Maritime technology graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 95% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £35,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for General Studies, 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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 95% (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 9 modules
- An Introduction to Engineering DesignCore
- Basic Naval ArchitectureCore
- Data Science and Computing for EngineersCore
- Electrical and Electronics SystemsCore
- Engineering Mathematics WorkshopCore
- Mathematics for Engineering and the EnvironmentCore
- Mechanics, Structures and MaterialsCore
- Professional Development for Maritime EngineersCore
- ThermoFluidsCore
Year 2 8 modules
- Engineering Management and LawCore
- HydrodynamicsCore
- Materials and StructuresCore
- Mathematics for Engineering and the Environment Part IICore
- Ship Design and EconomicsCore
- Ship Resistance and PropulsionCore
- Ship Structural Design and ProductionCore
- Systems Design and ComputingCore
Year 3 10 modules
- Individual ProjectCore
- Marine Craft Concept DesignCore
- Marine EngineeringCore
- Marine HydrodynamicsCore
- Marine StructuresCore
- Ship Manoeuvring and ControlCore
- Finite Element Analysis in Solid MechanicsCore
- Human Factors in EngineeringCore
- Manufacturing and MaterialsCore
- Yacht and High Performance CraftCore
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 core theory in naval architecture and marine engineering, the mathematics, mechanics and materials science that underpin how ships and other marine structures are designed and behave. You'll also cover research and methods, learning how to investigate engineering problems systematically and interpret data and test results. Applied practice runs throughout, including the hands-on design and building work that's central to this course, giving you direct experience of the design process rather than only the theory behind it. As you progress, you'll be able to pursue specialist options that let you focus on particular aspects of ship science that interest you most, such as structural design, hydrodynamics or marine systems, alongside the shared core. An independent project gives you the opportunity to work on a substantial piece of design or research work of your own, which many students choose to present at the annual Design Show. Professional skills are woven through the course too, preparing you for the realities of working as an engineer, including communication, project management and teamwork, skills that are reinforced directly during your industrial placement year, when you'll be applying everything you've learned in a genuine workplace setting.
Who it's for
This course suits people who like to see their ideas take physical form, if you enjoy sketching a design, then building or testing a version of it, and adjusting it based on what actually happens, the hands-on design work here will feel like a natural fit. You should be comfortable with mathematics and physics, since the core theory of hydrodynamics and structures relies on them, but you don't need to be purely academic in outlook: much of the reward in ship science comes from applying that theory to a tangible object, not just solving equations on paper. It also suits students who want real workplace experience built into their degree rather than left to chance. Spending a substantial year in industry partway through your studies means you need to be reasonably adaptable, willing to step into a new environment, work alongside experienced engineers, and bring back what you've learned to finish your final year with a clearer sense of how the profession actually works. If you're the sort of person who likes a concrete goal to aim for, the annual Design Show gives you something to work towards each year, and can be a source of real satisfaction when your design is finished and on display. Most entrants arrive with A-levels or equivalent, typically in the 128–143 UCAS tariff range, generally including strong maths and science backgrounds, though what matters more day to day is curiosity about how ships and marine structures are actually engineered, built and made to work.
Careers & job market
Graduates in this broad field of study nationally have followed varied paths after finishing their degrees. Fifteen months after graduating, around 85% of graduates nationally are in work or further study, and about 65% of those in work are in roles classed as highly skilled. These are national figures drawn from Graduate Outcomes data across General Studies courses generally, rather than figures specific to this course or university, so they should be read as a broad national picture rather than a guarantee. National earnings data (LEO) shows a range rather than a single figure: graduates nationally are earning between roughly £24,000 and £30,000 fifteen months after graduating, between £20,825 and £29,400 three years on, and between £25,075 and £35,400 after five years. Again, these figures reflect national outcomes across the wider field rather than earnings tied to this specific course. For ship science specifically, the built-in industrial placement year is intended to give you direct engineering experience before you graduate, which can be a useful addition to your CV when you eventually apply for roles in naval architecture, marine engineering or related sectors, you'll have already spent time working professionally in the field before your final year even begins. Around 85% of students nationally continue past their first year of study, either remaining enrolled or completing their course.
University & format
The University of Southampton is a public, research-intensive university and a member of the Russell Group, founded in 1862 and based in Southampton. It has 21,335 students in total and was. Teaching quality across the university was rated Silver in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 assessment. This BEng (Hons) Ship Science with Industrial Placement Year (UCAS code J60P) runs full-time over four years, with English as the language of instruction, and leads to a Bachelor's degree carrying the BEng (Hons) mark. The extended length reflects the additional industrial placement year built into the standard three-year Ship Science degree.
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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
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.
Industrial placement. 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 | 85% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
| a foundation course | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
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 J60P). 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 Southampton →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
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
electrical engineering students
Check eligibility →international students studying eligible undergraduate or postgraduate master's in adult n
Check eligibility →Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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 General Studies 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 | £35,000 | £26,500 – £39,000 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £34,000 | £31,500 – £41,500 | 20 |
| 5 years after | £38,000 | £37,000 – £44,500 | 25 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in general studies · 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 General Studies nationally
National figures for General Studies 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. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. 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 General Studies courses at the same study level.
Compared with 207 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 · 65% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Sports and fitness occupationsSOC 2020 343 · 15% 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: 25; response rate: 90%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How General Studies 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 General Studies 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
- Employers across sectors
- Public sector
- Corporates & charities
- Startups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit General Studies graduates.
Is 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
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £35,000. 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 8.7 out of 10: NSS 79.4% · in work or study 85% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Southampton
Combined and general studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Southampton
941 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 General Studies right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Southampton from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £31,000 / 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
Southampton offers the Global Talent in Adult Nursing Scholarship (£5,000 off tuition fees) for international students, see Scholarships above.
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 Southampton and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Southampton
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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