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Why Engineering at Lancaster?
Discover what studying Engineering at Lancaster is like from our students and academics.
Get real-world experience with our placement years
Practical hands-on courses including lab-based sessions and project work
Brand new state-of-the-art facilities
Engineering at Lancaster will challenge you to design and build things to solve real-world problems. The discipline is particularly interesting to anyone with a technical and creative mind and enjoys working as part of a team.
In modern engineering, it is almost impossible to define distinct boundaries between disciplines and as such we offer a general engineering entry point. Knowledge and experience spanning across several engineering disciplines will compliment later specialisms, improve career prospects, and is ideal for students who want to defer choosing a specialism. For example, it can be highly beneficial for an electronic and electrical engineer to understand thermal heat transfer, a chemical engineer to understand stress analysis, and a mechanical engineer to be able to programme a simple interface.
During this general first year, we will introduce you to many of the key features of engineering, equipping you with a well-rounded understanding and skill set in areas such as transport technology, chemical engineering, computing and digital electronics. In addition to these, you will gain an appreciation for the interdisciplinary nature of the subject.
Following the first year, where you will have developed a solid foundation of engineering knowledge and begun to explore a variety of different areas of the discipline, you will have the opportunity to consider and plan your academic progression. At this stage, you move onto any of our specialist programmes.
At the end of your second year within our specialist degree courses, you will undertake a year in industry, gaining valuable experience and enhancing your employability. We have extensive links built through our leadership in research and have students undergoing placements with multinational corporate companies through to smaller specialist SMEs. Once you have completed your placement, you will write an extended reflective piece about your time spent with the company.
The BEng course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer. All our specialist programmes are accredited by at least one professional body including the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), and the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), and depend on which specialism you wish to pursue.
A combination of core and optional modules will allow you to focus your interest while gaining practical experience. This flexibility to choose enables you to develop specialist skills from one of the many fields of engineering, preparing you for a vast range of focused or interdisciplinary roles.
Our general engineering first year allows you to get a taste of all of the disciplines within engineering if you are uncertain which path you wish to pursue. But regardless of whether you choose to progress onto mechanical or chemical engineering, or you find your passion lies within nuclear or electronic engineering, the interdisciplinary nature of our courses means that you will be in high demand across a huge range of sectors, such as energy, rail, manufacturing, and much more. Some have even gone on to pursue further study and embark on a career within academia, working at the forefront of scientific research and discovery. The highly-transferable skills you will acquire will make you a desirable employee in many fields – even those beyond traditional engineering career destinations. Graduates from our Engineering degrees are well-paid too, with a median starting salary of £29,000 (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023).
Here are just some of the roles that our BEng and MEng Engineering students have progressed into upon graduating:
Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, you also graduate with the relevant life and work based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development. Visit our Employability section for full details.
A level ABB
Required Subjects A level Mathematics and a Physical Science, for example, Physics, Chemistry, Electronics, Computer Science, Design & Technology or Further Mathematics.
GCSE Mathematics grade B/6, English Language grade C/4
IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.
International Baccalaureate 32 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including either:
Acceptable physical science subjects include Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Design Technology
BTEC (Pre-2016 specifications): Distinction, Distinction, Merit in an Engineering related subject to include Distinctions in Mathematics for Engineering Technicians and Further Mathematics for Engineering Technicians units.
BTEC (2016 specifications): Distinction, Distinction, Merit in an Engineering related subject to include Distinctions in the following units – Unit 1 Engineering Principles, Unit 7 Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems. Unit 8 Further Engineering Mathematics is highly recommended.
We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualifications. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.
Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of applicants whose personal circumstances may have impacted their exam results.
Contextual offersLancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
This module introduces fundamental applications of engineering science to build physical components, structures and systems and create functionality across all engineering disciplines. The basics of manufacturing and processes will be explored together with design principles, methods of sensing physical, electromagnetic, electrostatic and chemical effects, and converting these effects to electrical signals and mechanical actuation.
Over the course of this module, students will learn how to manipulate and manufacture objects, synthesise chemical compounds, as well as build and code electrical interfaces. At the end of the module, students will complete a group project using CAD tools to analyse, design, capture, and manufacture engineering components, sensor interfacing, data conversion and data processing.
This module introduces concepts associated with the fundamentals of engineering science relevant to chemical, mechanical, nuclear and electrical/electronic systems. Students will learn how physical principles associated with heat, energy transfer, radiation, fluid mechanics, forces, kinetics, impedance, and atomic level behaviour govern the function of structures, processes, components, devices, and systems. These principles provide a foundation for all engineering degree programmes. By the end of the module, students will be able to apply their knowledge of these principles in a practical manner to investigate real-world challenges.
This module introduces key numerical and analytical concepts relevant to the engineering disciplines providing a foundation for all engineering programmes. Students will consolidate their skills in the use of complex numbers, calculus, differential equations, vectors, matrices and transforms as engineering tools that can be applied to the analysis and design of engineered materials, components, devices, structures, assemblies and systems.
MATLAB and Excel will be introduced to both solve mathematical problems, apply mathematical principles to data sets to generate curves, statistics and trends. Students will learn basic programming in order to implement mathematical algorithms commonly used in the engineering disciplines. Supporting laboratories will involve tasks associated with the visualisation of mathematical solutions, the processing of data sets and the use of programming techniques to implement solutions on an embedded processor or personal computer.
You will spend this year working in a graduate-level placement role. This is an opportunity to gain experience in an industry or sector that you might be considering working in once you graduate.
Our Careers and Placements Team will support you during your placement with online contact and learning resources.
You will undertake a work-based learning module during your placement year which will enable you to reflect on the value of the placement experience and to consider what impact it has on your future career plans.
We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2025/26 entry fees have not yet been set.
As a guide, our fees in 2024/25 were:
Home | International |
---|---|
£9,250 | £28,675 |
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small college membership fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2023 and 2024, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses. Fees for students starting in 2025 have not yet been set.
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
In addition to travel and accommodation costs, while you are studying abroad, you will need to have a passport and, depending on the country, there may be other costs such as travel documents (e.g. VISA or work permit) and any tests and vaccines that are required at the time of travel. Some countries may require proof of funds.
In addition to possible commuting costs during your placement, you may need to buy clothing that is suitable for your workplace and you may have accommodation costs. Depending on the employer and your job, you may have other costs such as copies of personal documents required by your employer for example.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
Home fees are subject to annual review, and may be liable to rise each year in line with UK government policy. International fees (including EU) are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
We will charge tuition fees to Home undergraduate students on full-year study abroad/work placements in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are:
International students on full-year study abroad/work placements will be charged the same percentages as the standard International fee.
Please note that the maximum levels chargeable in future years may be subject to changes in Government policy.
Details of our scholarships and bursaries for students starting in 2025 are not yet available. You can use our scholarships for 2024-entry applicants as guidance.
The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.
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