Engineering

Engineering is about designing processes and making products to solve real-world problems. Our course enables you to develop your engineering knowledge, skills, imagination and experience to the highest levels in readiness for your future career.

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Overview

The course information on this page is for 2024 entry. Details for 2025 entry will be published in March 2024.

Engineering at Cambridge

The Cambridge Engineering course is distinctive. It allows you to keep your options open while equipping you with all the analytical, design and computing skills that underpin modern engineering practice.

Part I (Years 1 and 2) provides a broad education in engineering fundamentals, enabling you to make a genuinely informed choice about the area in which to specialise from your third year (many students change direction as a result). Part II (Years 3 and 4) then provides in-depth training in your chosen professional discipline.

The following specialisations are available within our Engineering course:

Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering
Bioengineering
Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electrical and Information Sciences
Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Information and Computer Engineering
Instrumentation and Control
Mechanical Engineering

See the Course outline tab and the Department website for further details.

Department and facilities

The Department is a leading international centre for research, consistently ranked the highest achieving amongst British universities. We also have strong links with industry, with many research projects funded by industrial companies.

Our facilities are excellent: the Dyson Centre for Engineering Design provides access to traditional hand and machine tools, as well as modern computer-controlled machinery and rapid prototyping; the Design and Project Office is equipped with more than 80 workstations; and the library has 30,000 books and takes about 350 journals. The Department’s Language Programme for Engineers offers specialised courses at all levels in French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.

Industrial experience

You’re required to complete six weeks of industrial experience by the end of the third year, obtained by deferring entry or during vacations. Our full-time Industrial Placement Co-ordinator helps deferred entrants and undergraduates to find suitable placements (in the UK and abroad) and sponsorship.

Exchange programmes

A small number of students spend their third year studying abroad through our exchange schemes with Ecole Centrale Paris and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Accreditation

The course is accredited by the Engineering Council and by all the major institutions, including the Institutions of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Engineering and Technology (IET), Civil Engineers (ICE), and Structural Engineers (IStructE), the Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC), the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE), the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT), the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM), and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). An appropriate combination of Part II papers is required in each case.

The Engineering Sciences pathway is not accredited by any professional body. Students may be moved to this pathway due to the failure of core modules at any point throughout the course. It is possible that students may exit the course without accreditation.

Course costs

Tuition fees

Information on tuition fee rates for Engineering is available on the tuition fees page.

Additional course costs

All years

Students pay for photocopying and printing if they exceed their free quota (Yr 1 - £2, Yr 2 - £3, Yr3 - £7, Yr4 - £9), which is designed to accommodate the majority of the requirements of the course. (extra printing is charged at £1 per 40 sheets)

Year 1

Required: a University approved scientific calculator (CASIO fx 991 (any version), CASIO fx 115 (any version), CASIO fx 570 (any version)), this may be purchased from the department or other suppliers - Estimated cost £25
Required: drawing instruments (HB Pencil, Shine Plastic Eraser – part E210A or 760402, 300mm acrylic ruler with metric and imperial scales, Ecobra Compass – part 3754, Rumold Circle template – part 2812, Rumold Protractor – part 1026 or equivalents), these may be purchased as a pack from the Department or other suppliers - Estimated cost £25
Optional: trips for those taking language courses - Estimated cost £350

Year 2

Optional: trips for those taking language courses - Estimated cost £350

Year 3

Optional: trips for those taking language courses - Estimated cost £350

Year 4

Optional: trips for those taking language courses - Estimated cost £350

Further details of additional costs can be found on the Department website.

Changing course

Students may transfer to Management Studies or Manufacturing Engineering after completing Engineering Part I. Students may change into the Engineering third-year course, typically from Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Students from Medicine and Veterinary Medicine may take Engineering as their third year specialisation. As Engineering is an accredited course students transferring in may face restrictions on course progression to Part IIB, the department should be consulted for details.

To be able to change course, you need the agreement of your College that any change is in your educational interests, and you must have the necessary background in the subject to which you wish to change – in some cases you may be required to undertake some catch-up work or take up the new course from the start/an earlier year. If you think you may wish to change course, we encourage you to contact a College admissions office for advice. You should also consider if/how changing course may affect any financial support arrangements.

Careers

When you graduate, you’re fully qualified in your chosen area, knowledgeable across the range of engineering disciplines, and able to apply new technologies in novel situations, giving you an advantage over engineering graduates from other more narrowly focused courses. Prospects are typically excellent, with 99% of respondents to the Graduate Outcomes survey reporting that they are in employment or further study 15 months after graduation.¹

Our students are in great demand and they go on to careers in all the major industrial and commercial sectors. Positions currently held by some of our graduates include Graduate Engineer, Atkins; Graduate RF Systems Engineer, Airbus Defence and Space; Consultant, TTP plc; Analyst, Goldman Sachs; Real-Time Control and Software Engineer, UK Atomic Energy Authority; Business Analyst, McKinsey & Company; and Manufacturing Engineer, Rolls-Royce plc..

¹ Based on responses to the Graduate Outcomes survey. This records the outcomes of students who completed their studies between August 2019 and July 2020. 58% of Engineering graduates responded to the survey.

Course outline

Teaching is provided through a mixture of lectures, practicals, projects and supervisions, and in Year 1 you can typically expect around 22 hours of teaching each week. You’re assessed each year through coursework and written exams.

A few students graduate after three years with the BA (Honours) degree. However, most continue to the fourth year (Part IIB), successful completion of which leads to the BA and MEng degrees. Progression to Part IIB is dependent on achievement in Parts IB and IIA.

Year 1 (Part IA)

The broad foundation of the first two years (Part I) gives you an understanding of the basic principles of a wide range of subjects, together with an appreciation of the external pressures under which these ideas are likely to be applied.

In Year 1, you take four papers and sit a three-hour written exam in each:

Mechanical Engineering
Structures and Materials
Electrical and Information Engineering
Mathematical Methods

You also undertake several coursework activities and projects, on topics including structural design, product design, presentation skills, drawing, laboratory experiments and computer programming.

Year 2 (Part IB)

You study seven papers on core subjects at a more advanced level:

Mechanics
Structures
Materials
Thermofluid Mechanics
Electrical Engineering
Information Engineering
Mathematical Methods

In addition, in the third term, for an eighth component, you select two topics from seven engineering disciplines plus a language option. These topics emphasise engineering design and introduce the more specialised work of the third year.

Coursework includes laboratory experiments and computing exercises. Several experiments are linked around the common theme of earthquake-resistant structures. A highlight of the year is the integrated design project, a design project spanning multiple engineering disciplines, where you work in teams to design and build robot vehicles which are then tested against each other.

Year 3 (Part IIA)

Professional specialisation begins in earnest and you study 10 papers from over 40 choices. Usually, six of your paper choices will be associated with one of the following disciplines:

Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering
Bioengineering
Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electrical and Information Sciences
Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Information and Computer Engineering
Instrumentation and Control
Mechanical Engineering

Alternatively, you can choose General Engineering, in which there are fewer restrictions on paper combinations.

In addition, you take an Extension Activity (selected from several topics, including both non-technical options, such as a language course, and technical options designed to introduce you to various measurement and test procedures in your chosen professional area) and, in the final term, choose two from a variety of design and computer-based projects or projects in a foreign language.

Year 4 (Part IIB)

Progression to Part IIB is dependent on achievement in Parts IB and IIA, and successful completion of Part IIB leads to the BA and MEng degrees.

In Part IIB, further specialisation is possible and you select eight papers from around 80 options which vary each year. These papers benefit from the Department’s research and are taught by experts in the particular field. As a result, you graduate with a Masters-level appreciation of theory and practice in your chosen area.

A major individual project occupies about half of your time. Many projects are associated with current Department research and have direct industrial input and application. Recent projects have included:

super-tall timber high-rise design
nanotubes and graphene for polymer optoelectronics
a fitness predictor for racing cyclists
use of thorium in a PRISM reactor
whole-system design of tidal turbines
remarkably shaped structures
preliminary design of a solar electric vehicle
strategy development for fuel restricted F1 races
medical imaging and 3D computer graphics
the aerodynamics of power kites

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements

This page details the standard entry requirements for this course. Check the document below for any variations between Colleges (some may ask for an A* in a particular subject for example):

PDF icon Engineering entry requirements by College for 2024 entry

Typical offers require

A Level: A*A*A
IB: 40-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Other qualifications: See Entrance requirements and International qualifications.

Subject requirements

All Colleges require: A Level/IB Higher Level Mathematics and Physics
Some Colleges require: A Level/IB Higher Level in a third science/mathematics subject, STEP (STEP 2 may be requested by Peterhouse for some candidates – see the College website for details)

Further guidance:

A Level Further Mathematics is very strongly encouraged. If unavailable or you’ve recognised its desirability too late, we’d advise you to do as much additional pure maths and mechanics as possible, eg by studying advanced material or Further Mathematics AS Level.
IB applicants are expected to take IB Higher Level 'Analysis and Approaches' for this course. If this option is not available at your school, please contact the College you wish to apply to for further advice and guidance.
All Colleges, except Trinity, welcome applications from students taking A Level Mathematics and a suitable vocational qualification, eg a BTEC Higher National Diploma in an engineering discipline. Applicants are expected to achieve the highest possible grades in A Level Mathematics and the vocational qualification. Those taking the Single Award Applied A Level in Engineering or the Principal Learning components of the Advanced Diploma in Engineering must also be taking A Levels in Mathematics and Physics.
T-Levels are not considered appropriate preparation for the Cambridge Engineering degree and are therefore not accepted for entry.
All Colleges welcome applications from students wishing to defer entry in order to pursue an Engineering-related gap year. Some Colleges are particularly keen to support such applicants, please see the Department website for details.

See Entrance requirements and Choosing your post-16 subjects for general guidance and conditions of entry.

Admission assessment

All applicants for Engineering are required to take the Engineering Admissions Assessment (ENGAA) at an authorised assessment centre (usually your school or college). You must be registered for the assessment in advance.

Please see the Cambridge Admissions Testing website for information about dates and registration deadlines.

Check the ENGAA page for further details and example papers.

Submitted work

Applicants are not typically asked to submit examples of written work. Some may be asked by their College to do some reading in advance of their interview, but if this is required the College will provide full details in the letter inviting the student to interview.

All undergraduate admissions decisions are the responsibility of the Cambridge Colleges. Please contact the relevant College admissions office if you have any queries.

Typical Engineering entrants (A Level and IB)

For 2017, 2018 and 2019 entry, the majority of entrants from an A Level background achieved at least grades A*A*A* (87% of entrants). All of these successful applicants took Mathematics, 95% took Further Mathematics, 98% took Physics and 62% took Chemistry. For the same period, the majority of IB entrants achieved at least 43 points overall and/or grades 777 at Higher Level.

This information is intended to give you a sense of the academic standard of our typical A Level entrants. We welcome applicants from a range of qualification backgrounds.

Resources

Find out more about Engineering at Cambridge

Department of Engineering - Explore the Engineering degree in more detail on the course website.

Staff Profiles - Find out more about the people who'll be teaching you during your Engineering degree.

Engineering FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about the Engineering course.

Why Choose Engineering? - The key question you should be able to answer!

Engineering at Cambridge? - The advantages of studying Engineering at Cambridge in particular.

Facilities - Information about the facilities available to Engineering students.

Course guide - A detailed guide to the Engineering degree.

Preparatory Reading - Guidance on preparatory reading for applicants interested in Engineering.

Maths for Engineering - Guidance for teachers on the maths skills that Cambridge is looking for in Engineering applicants.

Gap Year Information - Information about potential gap year activities for prospective Engineering applicants.

engNRICH - Mathematical conundrums with an engineering twist.

Guide to Undergraduate Admissions in Engineering - A detailed guide to applying to study Engineering at Cambridge.

i-want-to-study-engineering.org - A resource to help you prepare for interview.

Graduate Profiles - Some recent graduates reflect on their experience studying Engineering at Cambridge and on their subsequent careers.

Industrial Experience, Career Opportunities & Employment - Information about the careers opportunities available to you after studying Engineering at Cambridge, and information on opportunities to build up industrial experience during your degree.

Course Accreditation - Information on the accreditation of the Engineering degree by professional bodies.

Student Profiles - Current students describe their experience of studying Engineering.

Extra-curricular Engineering - Information about the various extra-curricular activities Engineering students get involved in to further enjoy and learn about their subject.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni data

Contextual information

Discover Uni allows you to compare information about individual courses at different higher education institutions. This can be a useful method of considering your options and what course may suit you best.

However, please note that superficially similar courses often have very different structures and objectives, and that the teaching, support and learning environment that best suits you can only be determined by identifying your own interests, needs, expectations and goals, and comparing them with detailed institution- and course-specific information.

We recommend that you look thoroughly at the course and University information contained on these webpages and consider coming to visit us on an Open Day, rather than relying solely on statistical comparison.

You may find the following notes helpful when considering information presented by Discover Uni.

Discover Uni relies on superficially similar courses being coded in the same way. Whilst this works on one level, it may lead to some anomalies. For example, Music courses and Music Technology courses can have exactly the same code despite being very different programmes with quite distinct educational and career outcomes.

Any course which combines several disciplines (as many courses at Cambridge do) tends to be compared nationally with courses in just one of those disciplines, and in such cases the Discover Uni comparison may not be an accurate or fair reflection of the reality of either. For example, you may find that when considering a degree which embraces a range of disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry and geology (for instance, Natural Sciences at Cambridge), the comparison provided is with courses at other institutions that primarily focus on just one (or a smaller combination) of those subjects.You may therefore find that not all elements of the Cambridge degree are represented in the Discover Uni data.

Some contextual data linked from other surveys, such as the National Student Survey (NSS) or the Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE), may not be available or may be aggregated across several courses or several years due to small sample sizes. When using the data to inform your course choice, it is important to ensure you understand how it has been processed prior to its presentation. Discover Uni offers some explanatory information about how the contextual data is collated, and how it may be used, which you can view here: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/about-our-data/.

Discover Uni draws on national data to provide average salaries and employment/continuation data. Whilst starting salaries can be a useful measure, they do not give any sense of career trajectory or take account of the voluntary/low paid work that many graduates undertake initially in order to gain valuable experience necessary/advantageous for later career progression. Discover Uni is currently piloting use of the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data to demonstrate possible career progression; it is important to note that this is experimental and its use may be modified as it embeds.

The above list is not exhaustive and there may be other important factors that are relevant to the choices that you are making, but we hope that this will be a useful starting point to help you delve deeper than the face value of the Discover Uni data.

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Engineering at Cambridge

Department and facilities

Industrial experience

Exchange programmes

Accreditation

Course costs

Tuition fees

Additional course costs

Changing course

Careers

Course outline

Year 1 (Part IA)

Year 2 (Part IB)

Year 3 (Part IIA)

Year 4 (Part IIB)

Entry Requirements

Typical offers require

Subject requirements

Admission assessment

Submitted work

Typical Engineering entrants (A Level and IB)

Find out more about Engineering at Cambridge

Discover Uni data

Contextual information

Course Film

Engineering at Cambridge

Fact File

Cambridge Admissions Office

About this site

Information for

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge