Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Engineering with Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-A,A,B

Offers will depend on combinations of A levels taken: Applicants taking A level Maths are not considered. BBB including Physics. ABB including at least one of Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics or Electronics. AAB in 3 other subjects. GCSE: Minimum B in GCSE Mathematics, if not taken at a higher level. General Studies not accepted.

60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3 out of which 30 are at Distinction including 12 in Mathematics + 12 in Physics and 15 at Merit.

Accepted in place of A levels with the following grade equivalencies: D2 = A*; D3 = A; M2 = B. Combinations of A levels and Principle subjects are accepted. NB required subjects must be offered (see A level Section)

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

32 overall with the following at higher level: 555 including Physics. 655 including at least one of Chemistry, Computer Science or Economics. 665 in 3 other subjects. Applicants taking Higher Level Maths are not considered.

BTEC Diplomas will be considered in combination with A Levels on a case-by-case basis dependent on the subjects taken. BTEC applicants may be required to undergo a problem solving test. Applicants taking these qualifications are advised to contact the University before making an application.

Accepted in place of a non-required A level with the equivalent grade.

UCAS Tariff

120-136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2024

Subject

General or integrated engineering

Our inspiring Engineering Foundation Year is an integrated foundation degree, giving you access to our highly ranked engineering undergraduate courses. If you do not have the qualifications necessary to apply directly for first-year entry, this could be the course for you.

The Engineering Foundation Year can lead to Bachelors degrees in aerospace engineering, civil engineering, electronic and electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronic and robotic engineering, and railway engineering.

Once you’ve completed the course successfully and have meet the subject-specific progression criteria, you will automatically join your chosen first-year course.

The foundation year provides an excellent opportunity to study at a leading research-focused university without the required qualifications needed for first-year entry. All teaching takes place on the main Birmingham Edgbaston campus, the home of the majority of our undergraduate degrees. As such, you will have access to the same excellent facilities as other students, for example, the state-of-the-art library, sports centre and the stunning new outdoor space: the Green Heart.

Modules

Please visit https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/fd/engineering-foundation.aspx for module information.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Birmingham

Department:

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Engineering (non-specific)

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

33%
UK students
67%
International students
82%
Male students
18%
Female students
88%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Engineering (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£27,000
med
Average annual salary

Top job areas of graduates

36%
Engineering professionals
10%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
7%
Artistic, literary and media occupations

As a mixed subject within engineering where students get a chance to learn from a range of disciplines, this course isn't taken by as many people as some of the more specialist disciplines. Demand for engineering skills is high, though, and so unemployment rates are low and the average starting salary was a very healthy £26,400 for 2015 graduates. Graduates are able to specialise enough to be working in jobs in engineering — especially in design and development - as well as engineering project management. IT and management consultancy were some of the more common jobs outside engineering. Bear in mind that a lot of courses are four years long, and lead to a MEng qualification — this is necessary if you want to become a Chartered Engineer.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Engineering (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£28k

£28k

£34k

£34k

£41k

£41k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Durham University | Durham
Engineering (Civil)
BEng (Hon) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 152-168
Lower entry requirements
University of Leicester | Leicester
Engineering with Foundation Year
BEng (Hon) 4 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 104
Nearby University
De Montfort University | Leicester
Energy Engineering
BEng (Hon) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 112
Same University
University of Birmingham | Birmingham
Engineering
BEng (Hon) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 136

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here