BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship)
Our IMechE-accredited BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) allows you to invest in your workforce by combining university education, work-based learning and ongoing professional development. While working as a valuable part of your team, your apprentices can gain the skills and knowledge needed to become a specialist product design and development engineer or manufacturing engineer.
Course details
Our BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) is aimed at those who are committed to developing their career in this challenging and exciting industry. The course has been informed by employers and is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) as fully satisfying the academic requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and partially fulfilling the academic requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Depending on the needs of your organisation, this course can cover the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by the Product Design and Development Engineer Degree Apprenticeship or the Manufacturing Engineer Degree Apprenticeship. In both cases this course qualifies as a Level 6 Apprenticeship under the Apprenticeship Levy guidelines.
Your apprentices will spend 80% of their time at work and 20% at the University, usually on a day-release basis. Study at the University of Bolton complements learning in the workplace, supporting your apprentices as they learn to understand, enhance and design and support mechanically-based technology. Offering a solid foundation in the fundamental scientific and mathematical principles underpinning engineering, this course can prepare apprentices for higher-level responsibilities within your organisation. Our expert team will support them as they develop the ability to bring concepts to life through a combination of engineering know-how, computer aided design, testing and manufacturing skill, and engineering management knowledge. We’ll guide your apprentices, helping them gain skills in logical thinking, problem solving, communication and teamwork, as well as a focus on quality, ethics and safety.
This Degree Apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to offer structured training, a recognised degree-level qualification, and support towards professional registration with the IMechE, helping you attract the best new talent and retain valued staff through career progression. Studying flexibly alongside work allows apprentices to put their new skills and understanding into practice without delay, benefitting your organisation immediately.
If you’re looking for undergraduate-level training in this subject area but don’t work for an employer who is offering apprenticeships, please see our related courses section for details of study opportunities that don’t require current employment.
- UCAS points: 96
- Start date: 27/01/2020
- Location: The University of Bolton
- Award: BEng (Hons)
- Duration: 60 months
Course highlights:
- When apprentices successfully complete the end point assessment for this course, they will receive a Degree Apprenticeship Certificate, and be awarded an academic degree – the BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bolton.
- The Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) have accredited the degree as fully satisfying the academic requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and partially fulfilling the academic requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
- Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support is offered by our team of dedicated academics and professionals who are highly qualified in their fields – many of whom are Chartered Engineers.
- During the final stage of the course, your apprentice will undertake a substantial work-based research project, the nature of which will be identified and developed through consultation between your organisation and the University. As well as offering your apprentice valuable experience, this live project can offer you genuine insight into potential opportunities or improvements that can benefit your organisation.
Key features:
- Our approach to teaching and learning is ‘student-centred’, so we’ll work with your apprentices on an individual basis, providing tailored help and support throughout their studies.
- The course includes significant opportunities for problem-based learning in our well-equipped laboratories.
- We have specialist mathematics tutors who are dedicated to making mathematics accessible and enjoyable, and who have an excellent track record in supporting students to achieve mastery of engineering mathematics and science.
- Course materials are available online, allowing your apprentices to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
- Quarterly and annual reviews, where each apprentice, their workplace mentor and a member of our team meet to assess your apprentice’s progress, promote continuing conversation between your workplace and the University. This helps to ensure the success of your apprentices and maximise the value of their studies to your organisation.
- After successful completion of this course, graduate apprentices can continue their studies with either the University of Bolton’s MSc in Systems Engineering (Mechanical) and Engineering Management or MRes Engineering Management, both of which are designed to fully meet the academic requirements set by IMechE and the Engineering Council to achieve Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Both the MSc and MRes are also available as a Level 7 Degree Apprenticeships.
Entry requirements
- UCAS points: 96
- Start date: 27/01/2020
- Location: The University of Bolton
- Award: BEng (Hons)
- Duration: 60 months
An applicant’s Level 3 subjects must include a mathematical-based subject and a science, technology, engineering or additional mathematics related subject; for instance, A-level Mathematics and Physics or BTEC 90-credit Diploma in Engineering.
An applicant should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including Mathematics, English and a science, technology or engineering related subject.
An applicant that has completed a Level 3 Apprenticeship in a relevant area (for instance, as a Product Design and Development Technician) may be eligible for admission.
An applicant that has completed a Foundation Certificate or Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject may be eligible for admission.
An applicant with an HND/C in Engineering will be considered for direct entry to Level HE5 if they have good results in Level HE4 Mathematics and Science.
Applicants may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
Admission to this programme is only available to candidates who meet the following criteria. 1) They are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in a role relevant to the apprenticeship. 2) They have the right to live and work in the UK. 3) Their employer is participating in the Degree Apprenticeship scheme. 4) Their employer is willing to sponsor them to attend the University one day per week (times and dates to be determined). Please note that an apprentice cannot be self-employed.
If an applicant doesn’t possess GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9, or hold an equivalent such as Functional Skills Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy, they will be asked to complete initial assessments for English and mathematics. The results of these assessments will determine whether they are accepted on to the apprenticeship with their current qualifications, or a recommendation of delayed entry is made so they can undertake studies enabling them to achieve the required level of English and mathematics prior to commencing the apprenticeship.
If English isn’t the applicant's first language they will also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details. Find out more
To be eligible for tuition fee funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, candidates should not normally have already completed a qualification at the same level as the proposed apprenticeship, unless that qualification was gained in a completely unrelated discipline.
Career opportunities
The BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) programme is designed to meet the Product Design and Development Engineer Degree Apprenticeship Standard or the Manufacturing Engineer Degree Apprenticeship Standard, depending on your organisation’s requirements. Developed by employers, consultants and contractors, each of these apprenticeship standards underpins a highly relevant qualification and professional development pathway that supports apprentices to achieve the technical knowledge required for a career in these areas of engineering.
In addition to technical knowledge, this programme offers your degree apprentices the opportunity to develop a range of key employability skills. These include the ability to use specialist knowledge creatively and innovatively to solve problems, the ability to produce and interpret technical solutions, the ability to explain design ideas, effective communication (spoken and written), good team working skills, project and time management, and strong decision-making skills.
What can I do with this qualification?
This degree apprenticeship aims to support the development of the next generation of mechanical engineers. On successful completion of the end point assessment apprentices will be well prepared to take on demanding roles in product design and development or manufacturing engineering.
Graduate apprentices may choose to continue their training in mechanical engineering in order to achieve the professional standards to become a Chartered Engineer (CEng). For instance, both the University of Bolton’s MSc in Systems Engineering (Mechanical) and Engineering Management and MRes Engineering Management programmes are designed to fully meet the academic requirements set by IMechE and the Engineering Council to achieve Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Both the MSc and MRes are also available as a Level 7 Degree Apprenticeships.
Graduate apprentices might also choose to pursue further study in a specialist field or in research.
Professional recognition
The University of Bolton's BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering holds professional accreditation by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and uses UK-SPEC learning outcomes designed to meet the academic requirements leading to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Please see the Engineering Council UK website for further details of UK-SPEC.
Graduates of our BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering will automatically meet the exemplifying academic benchmark requirements for registration as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
After graduation, candidates may have the option to study the University of Bolton’s MSc in Systems Engineering (Mechanical) and Engineering Management or MRes Engineering Management, both of which are designed to fully meet the academic requirements for CEng status.
Fees & funding
No fee information is currently available, please contact Student Data Management on 01204 903059 or SDMenquiries@bolton.ac.uk for more information
Useful informationApprentices will not be expected to pay tuition fees towards this programme. Your organisation may be able to fund this Degree Apprenticeship though the Apprenticeship Levy (if your organisation is paying the levy).
The fees for a student’s course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
The University is currently awaiting Government guidelines as to EU fee charges for students commencing study in 2019/20.
UK undergraduate tuition fees are subject to UK government approval and are subject to the outcome of the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Bursaries
There are no bursaries associated with this programme.
Contact The University
Key facts
-
Course type:
Part-time -
Start date:
27/01/2020 -
Location:
The University of Bolton -
Award:
BEng (Hons) -
UCAS points:
96 -
Duration:
60 months
Contact us
Mamadou Ndiaye
Programme Leader
Email: M.Ndiaye@bolton.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1204 903026
Erping Zhou
Admissions Tutor and Deputy Programme Leader
Email: E.Zhou@bolton.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1204 903465
Karl Gregory
Academic Co-ordinator
Email: K.R.Gregory@bolton.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1204 903121
Enquiry Team
University of Bolton
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1204 903903