Materials Science Engineering with a Foundation Year
UCAS Code: J501
Master of Engineering (with Honours) - MEng (Hon)
Entry requirements
A level
dependent on subjects studied
Access to HE Diploma
Typical requirement of 60 credits overall, 45 credits at Level 3 with 24 at Distinction, including at least 12 credits in Mathematics, and 21 at Merit. + successful completion of a Mathematics test. Applicants are considered individually.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
dependent on subjects studied
GCSE/National 4/National 5
BBB equivalent with no STEM at A Level or equivalent need Grade 6/B in GCSE Science & 7/A in GCSE Mathematics + successful completion of a Mathematics test BBB equivalent with Mathematics at A Level or equivalent require Grade 6/B in GCSE Science BBB equivalent with a Science a A Level or equivalent required grade 6/B in GCSE Mathematics
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
dependent on subjects studied
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
in Engineering or Applied Science (No STEM at A Level) + 6/B in GCSE Science & 7/A in GCSE Mathematics + successful completion of a Mathematics Test DD Engineering or Applied Science + B in A Level Science + 7/A GCSE Mathematics + successful completion of a Mathematics test DD Engineering or Applied Science + C in A Level Mathematics + 6/B in GCSE Science
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
In Engineering or Applied Science + GCSE 6/5 in Science and 7/A in Mathematics + successful completion of a Mathematics test
Scottish Higher
A,B,B,B,B-A,A,B,B,B
dependent on subjects studied
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
plus grades BB - BC dependent on subjects studied
UCAS Tariff
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About this course
If you want to study this subject at Sheffield but you don’t have the right A Levels, this is the most direct route. The foundation year gives you a grounding in maths, science and engineering topics. Complete it to the required standard and you’re guaranteed a place on a degree course.
Sheffield’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering is among the UK’s top five for research output (Research Excellence Framework 2014). Our teaching staff are leading researchers who work closely with some of the biggest names in industry. And our facilities are first-rate.
As a student here, you’ll learn from real-world case studies and work on projects – in industry and in the department. All first-year students take part in the faculty’s Global Engineering Challenge, a team exercise designed to make you a better engineer. There are four industry training programmes in the final year. And you’re guaranteed a five-month work placement, in the UK or overseas, as part of your course.
The MEng is accredited by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) so it counts towards registration as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Our graduates work all over the world in aerospace, automotive, healthcare, construction and energy. Employers include Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Morgan Ceramics and Jaguar Land Rover.
Tuition fees
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Extra funding
The University of Sheffield Bursary is available to home students who have a household income of £40,000 or less. You may also be eligible for an additional £250 per year depending on your postcode and grades. We use the details you submit to Student Finance and UCAS to assess your eligibility for a bursary. You don’t need to apply; if you’re eligible you’ll receive an award for each year of your course. If you're a care leaver, care for an ill or disabled family member or are estranged from your parents or guardian you may be eligible for an enhanced bursary of £4,500 per year. The University also offers a number of scholarships to help you fund your studies and enhance your learning experience. Use our Student Funding Calculator to check what funding your could be eligible for - www.sheffield.ac.uk/funding/calculator. Further information - www.sheffield.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-funding
The Uni
University of Sheffield
Science and Engineering Foundation

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How do students rate their degree experience?
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Materials technology
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Materials technology
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.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?This course sits in a group of very specialised materials technology subjects, including furniture technology, engineering materials and gemmology - bear this in mind when you review the stats, as the employment prospects for each don't necessarily have much in common. If you want to find out more about specific job paths for your chosen subject area, it's a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates went on to do, or to have a look at university department websites.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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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).
We calculate a mean rating of all responses to indicate whether this is high, medium or low compared to the same subject area at other universities.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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