Engineering, BA (Hons) and MEng

Engineering at Cambridge enables you to develop your knowledge, skills, imagination and experience to the highest levels, so you’re ready for your future career.

Learn a broad range of topics, such as civil, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering and specialise in areas that interest you the most.

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Overview

Number 1 in the UK for Engineering (The Complete University Guide 2025)

Engineering at Cambridge

This course aims to give you all the analytical, design and computing skills that underpin modern engineering practice.

You’ll also develop your creativity and problem-solving skills, which are so important to a good engineer.

First and second year of the course provide 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.

You can specialise in:

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

In the third year, there’s an opportunity for a small number of students to spend the year studying abroad. This is through our exchange schemes with Ecole Centrale Paris and the National University of Singapore.

We have 3 and 4 year course options:

3-year course is a BA honours degree
4-year course includes a Master's, so it’s a BA and Master of Engineering (MEng) degree

Industrial experience

By the end of your third year, you’ll need to complete 6 weeks of industrial experience. You can do this by:

deferring your entry and completing a placement before you start the course
completing placements during vacations

We have an Industrial Placement Co-ordinator to help you find suitable placements (in the UK and abroad). They can also offer support with finding sponsorship.

Teaching and facilities

Teaching

The Department is a leading international centre for research, consistently ranked the highest achieving amongst UK universities.

We also have strong links with industry, with many research projects funded by industrial companies.

Facilities

Our excellent facilities include:

Dyson Centre for Engineering Design, equipped with traditional hand and machine tools, as well as modern computer-controlled machinery and rapid prototyping
Design and Project Office, which has more than 80 workstations
Engineering library, with 30,000 books and about 350 journals

The Engineering Department’s Language Programme for Engineers also offers specialised courses at all levels in French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.

You'll also have access to the impressive Cambridge University Library, one of the world’s oldest university libraries.

Becoming an accredited engineer

This course is accredited by the Engineering Council and by all the major institutions. This includes:

Institutions of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
Engineering and Technology (IET)
Civil Engineers (ICE)
Structural Engineers (IStructE)
Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC)
Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE)
Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT)
Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)

Accreditation of your degree will depend on the papers that you take during the course.

Course costs

When you go to university, you’ll need to consider two main costs – your tuition fees and your living costs (sometimes referred to as maintenance costs).

Your living costs will include costs related to your studies that are not covered by your tuition fees. There are some general study costs that will apply for all students.

Find out more about general study costs.

Other additional course costs for Engineering are detailed below. If you have any queries about these costs, please contact the Department.

Equipment

University approved scientific calculator – CASIO fx 991 any version, CASIO fx 115 any version, CASIO fx 570 any version are recommended. This can be purchased from the department or other suppliers. Estimated cost £27.
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 can be purchased from the department or other suppliers. Estimated cost £22.

Printing

You will only need to pay for printing if you exceed the free printing quota (£2 in Year 1, £3 in Year 2, £7 in Year 3 and £9 in Year 4). Extra printing is up to 4p per sheet in black and white.

Field trips and study abroad

Optional trips if you are taking language courses – estimated cost £350.

Placements

Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 weeks of relevant industrial or equivalent experience by June of Year 3. You will need to cover any costs associated with this industrial or equivalent experience. Industrial experience requirements can be met through paid work placements.

Your future career

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.

This gives you an advantage over engineering graduates from other more narrowly focused courses.

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
Manufacturing Engineer, Rolls-Royce plc.

Course outline

Teaching

Teaching is provided through a mixture of lectures, practicals, projects and small-group supervisions.

In your first year you will usually have around 22 hours of teaching each week.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed each year through coursework and written exams.

You won't usually be able to resit any of your exams.

Year 1 (Part IA)

You take 4 papers:

Mechanical Engineering
Structures and Materials
Electrical and Information Engineering
Mathematical Methods

You also work on coursework activities and projects, on topics including:

structural design
product design
presentation skills
drawing
laboratory experiments
computer programming

Year 2 (Part IB)

You study 7 papers on core subjects at a more advanced level:

Mechanics
Structures
Materials
Thermofluid Mechanics
Electrical Engineering
Information Engineering
Mathematical Methods

You also take 2 topics:

from 7 engineering disciplines, which emphasise engineering design and introduce the more specialised work of the third year
a language option, if you have been studying a foreign language through the Language Programme for Engineers

Coursework in second year 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, which spans multiple engineering disciplines. You will work in teams to design and build robot vehicles which are then tested against each other.

Year 3 (Part IIA)

This is when professional specialisation starts.

You take 10 papers from over 40 choices. Usually, 6 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.

You also:

take an Extension Activity, which is selected from several topics and includes 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
complete two projects, which can be computer-based or in a foreign language

Year 4 (Part IIB)

Progression to fourth year depends on how well you do in your third year exams.

If you successfully complete the fourth year, you’ll get the MEng qualification, as well as the BA degree which you get at the end of the third year.

In fourth year you’ll take 8 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 Master's-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

For further information about this course and the papers you can take see the Department of Engineering website.

Changing course

It’s really important to think carefully about which course you want to study before you apply.

In rare cases, it may be possible to change course once you’ve joined the University. You will usually have to get agreement from your College and the relevant departments. It’s not guaranteed that your course change will be approved.

You might also have to:

take part in an interview
complete an admissions test
produce some written work
achieve a particular grade in your current studies
do some catch-up work
start your new course from the beginning

For more information visit the Department website.

You can also apply to change to:

You can't apply to these courses until you're at Cambridge. You would usually apply when you have completed one year or more of your original Cambridge course.

You should contact your College’s Admissions Office if you’re thinking of changing your course. They will be able to give you advice and explain how changing courses works.

Entry requirements

The listed entry requirements relate to entry in 2026 or deferred entry in 2027. They are currently draft entry requirements and will be confirmed in June 2025.

Minimum offer level

A level: A*A*A
IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Other qualifications: Check which other qualifications we accept.

To apply to any of our Colleges for Engineering, you will need A levels/IB Higher Levels (or the equivalent) in:

Mathematics
Physics
Further Mathematics to AS or A level if your school offers it. Check the guidance on this page

If you’re studying IB, we ask for Analysis and Approaches for this course. If this isn’t an option at your school, please contact your shortlisted College(s) for advice.

Colleges usually require A* in Mathematics and/or Further Mathematics. Colleges may also require an A*/7 in specific subjects (likely Chemistry or Physics) as part of your offer. Please review the webpages of your shortlisted College(s) before applying.

If you apply to Peterhouse, you may also be asked for grade 2 in STEP II.

Further Mathematics A level and additional maths

If your school offers Further Mathematics to AS or A level, you should take it. Additional mathematics is helpful. All candidates are strongly encouraged to take up opportunities to develop their skills.

If Further Mathematics is not available to you, or you’ve recognised its desirability too late, we’d advise you to take as much additional pure maths and mechanics as possible. You could study AS Further Mathematics content independently or by use online resources covering advanced material. If you would like further guidance, please contact your shortlisted College(s)

More information about entry requirements

All Colleges, except Trinity and Corpus Christi, welcome applications from students taking A level Mathematics and a suitable vocational qualification, for example a BTEC Higher National Diploma in an engineering discipline.

You’ll be expected to achieve the highest possible grades in A level Mathematics and the vocational qualification.

If you’re taking the Single Award Applied A level in Engineering or the Principal Learning components of the Advanced Diploma in Engineering, you must also be taking A levels in Mathematics and Physics.

T-Levels are not considered appropriate preparation for the Cambridge Engineering degree, so we can’t accept them.

All Colleges welcome applications from students who want to do an Engineering-related gap year before starting the course.

Offers above the minimum requirement

The minimum offer level and subject requirements outline the minimum you'll usually need to achieve to get an offer from Cambridge.

In some cases, you'll get a higher or more challenging offer. Colleges set higher offer requirements for a range of reasons. If you'd like to find out more about why we do this, check the information about offers above the minimum requirement on the entry requirements page.

IB offers

Some Colleges usually make offers above the minimum offer level. Find out more on our qualifications page.

Admission assessment

All applicants for Engineering are required to take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT). You will need to complete Mathematics 1, Mathematics 2 and Physics. You must register in advance and take the test at an authorised assessment centre.

Please see the admissions test page for more information.

Submitted work

You won't usually be asked to submit examples of written work. You may be asked to do some reading prior to your interview, but if this is required the College will provide full details in your interview invitation.

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

Next steps

Discover your department or faculty

Visit the Department of Engineering website - The Department of Engineering website has more information about this course, facilities, people and research

Explore our Colleges

Find out how Colleges work - A College is where you’ll live, eat and socialise. It’s also where you’ll have teaching in a small group, known as supervisions.

How to choose a Cambridge College that's right for you - If you think you know which course you’d like to study, it’s time to choose a College.

Visit us at an open day

Book an open day - Get a feel for the city and the University.

Find an event - We offer a range of events where you can find out more about Cambridge, Colleges, and your course. Many of our events have hybrid options so you can join us virtually.

Find out how to apply

Find out how our admissions processes work - Our admissions process is slightly different to other universities. We’ve put together a handy guide to tell you everything you need to know about applying to study at Cambridge.

Improve your application - Supercurricular activities are a great way to engage with your chosen subject outside of school or college.

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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.

Engineering at Cambridge

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Engineering at Cambridge

Industrial experience

Teaching and facilities

Teaching

Facilities

Becoming an accredited engineer

Course costs

Equipment

Printing

Field trips and study abroad

Placements

Your future career

Teaching

Assessment

Year 1 (Part IA)

Year 2 (Part IB)

Year 3 (Part IIA)

Year 4 (Part IIB)

Changing course

Minimum offer level

Further Mathematics A level and additional maths

More information about entry requirements

Offers above the minimum requirement

IB offers

Admission assessment

Submitted work

Discover your department or faculty

Explore our Colleges

Visit us at an open day

Find out how to apply

Discover Uni data

Contextual information

Key information

Cambridge Admissions Office

About this site

Information for

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge