School of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Degree Structures Our courses are based on a five-level structure, where each level nominally represents one year of a degree programme. Entry is either at level one or level two, depending on the wishes of the student and their qualifications. Good qualifications at Advanced Highers or equivalent are appropriate for entry at level two. Students may graduate with an Ordinary Degree at level three; a BSc or BEng degree at level four; or an MChem, MPhys or MEng at level five. Progression to the higher levels is dependent on attainment and there is considerable flexibility for transfer. FLEXIBILITY The School offers students a very high degree of choice and flexibility with advice from expert mentors. Students can choose to specialise in a particular subject at the earliest level if they wish, or choose from a wide range of courses in order to give them the broadest range of options at the higher levels. Many of our students come to us with definite ideas about the type of programme that they wish to follow, but it is not essential to choose, for example, between individual engineering disciplines in the early years, or even to make an immediate choice between science and engineering. A great strength of our courses is the way in which they allow students to build programmes of study that meet their needs and those of the modern professional world of science and engineering. PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE It is a core value of the School that all of our degree programmes are accredited by the relevant professional institution or learned society, including the Institution of Electrical Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry. That is, our courses are recognised by the relevant bodies as being the first step to a career as a professional engineer or scientist and as the foundation to gaining chartered status. For example, an MEng degree offers a 'fast track' to becoming a chartered engineer. Students with a BEng will still be able to meet the Engineering Council's academic requirements by completing an appropriate 'Matching Section'. Our courses also offer considerable flexibility in being able to transfer from BEng to MEng courses, dependent on attainment. All our BEng and MEng courses are designed to meet the needs of the Engineering Council. COMBINED STUDIES Modules offered across the School can normally be taken as part of a Combined Studies degree programme.