General Engineering
By Lucy Hodges
Published: 15 August 2004
What do you come out with?BEng or MEng. The top universities run only the MEng.
Why do it?Because you fancy a general introduction to engineering before deciding what to specialise in. You like dabbling in electrical circuits and playing with mechanical devices and don't want to give it up yet. Industry is moving in the direction of less specialisation. Plus you want a rewarding career that pays OK. The profession is being transformed by the new chartered engineer status that you can acquire a couple of years after taking your MEng degree, according to Professor Alan Hendry, dean of engineering at Strathclyde University.
What's it about?Engineering covers a big range of specialisms from chemical through civil engineering to electrical and mechanical engineering. At Durham and Cambridge you take a general course in the first two years of your MEng and specialise in the final two years. Durham students can specialise in civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic and manufacturing engineering in year three. Oxford students choose from civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical and information engineering. At Cambridge you also start off with a general introduction and specialise as time goes on - choosing between chemical engineering, electrical and information science, manufacturing, civil and aeronautical engineering and management science. At Liverpool John Moores University (JMU) you can choose from 10 BEng degrees including manufacturing systems engineering and computer-aided engineering. If you want to become an incorporatedengineer (lower status than a chartered engineer) you could try taking one of JMU's BScs.
How long is a degree?Three years for a BEng, four years for an MEng. Add a year in Scotland.
What are the students like?Hard-working and mostly men. AtOxford one-third of all entrants thisautumn will be women. At Strathclyde 20 per cent are women, at Durham 15 per cent, at Liverpool John Moores 10 per cent. At JMU many don't come from A-level backgrounds. They have done Advanced GNVQs or HNDs inengineering or they have completed a foundation year at the university. Lots are overseas students because engineering carries the status of a doctor or lawyer abroad. At Strathclyde the majority is Scottish.
How is it packaged?Roughly 50 per cent examinations to 50 per cent coursework at Cambridge and Strathclyde; 70:30 at JMU.
How cool is it?Not, despite the best endeavours of the Engineering Council to change its image. The public still thinks engineering's about dirty spanners. One of the problems isthat schoolteachers don't understand the subject.
What A-levels do you need?Oxford and Strathclyde require maths and physics; Cambridge, Durham and JMU require maths.
What grades?AAA at Oxford and Cambridge; BBB at Durham; CCC at Strathclyde or AABC at Highers; CCC at JMU though in reality it accepts a D in maths and a D in physics.
Will it keep you off the dole?Yes. Graduates enter engineering management, engineering design, manufacturing industry, and consulting. At Oxford one half of graduates go into engineering, 20 per cent into management consultancy, 10-15 per cent into accountancy and the City, and the rest into other things.
Will you be interviewed? Yes at Oxford, Cambridge, Strathclyde and Durham; no at JMU though it invites all students with offers to an Open Day.
What do students say? "It has been a good course. What has impressed me is that the lecturers have been willing to listen to you. They have been approachable and friendly." (Ian Innes, 22, fourth year, MEng in mechanical engineering with financial management at Strathclyde) "I love it. It's great fun. There's lots of practical work, it's useful and it's a challenge." (Lyndsey Pickup, 20, second year, engineering and computing science, Oxford)
Where's best for teaching? The Open University scored 24 out of 24; Imperial, Cambridge, Oxford and Southampton scored 23; Brunel, Durham and Lancaster scored 22.
Where's best for research? Cambridge, Keele, Oxford were awarded a tip-top 5*; Durham, Imperial, JMU and Strathclyde got a 5; Aston, Cranfield, Lancaster, Leicester, Sussex, Warwick and Dundee got a 4.
Where's the cutting edge?Information science and all areas of communications engineering, foundations of tall buildings, jet engine aerodynamics at Cambridge. Information engineering at Oxford. Aerodynamics of cars, electronics, artificial joints at Durham. Biomedical engineering, opto-electronics and telecommunications at Strathclyde. Electrical optics at JMU.
Who are the stars?Professor Mike Brady, FRS, Peter Raynes and David Clarke at Oxford; Professor Tony Unsworth, FRS, bio-engineering and Professor Peter Bettess, off-shore structures and wave effects at Durham; Professor Tim Donald, electronic engineering, Professor Joe Clarke, environmental engineering, Professor George Fleming, water management, all at Strathclyde. Professors David Burton and Michael Lalor at JMU.
Added value:Cambridge is celebrating 125 years of its engineering department on 13 July and it has a glitzy new link-up with MIT in America. Oxford has spawned seven companies in the last two years including PowderJect plc which makes needleless drug injection devices and Oxford Biosignals. Strathclyde lays on courses in entrepreneurship.
