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Robotics with a Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

BBB (any A Level); BBC including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

Access to HE Diploma

D:24,M:21,P:0

Award of Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 24 at Distinction (to include 12 Maths units), and 21 at Merit + GCSE Maths grade 7/A

GCSE/National 4/National 5

If you are studying both Maths and a science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) at A Level or equivalent, we have no additional GCSE requirements. If you are studying any other subject combination, we require GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

31-32

32 (any subjects); 31, with Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology at either Higher Level 5 or Standard Level 7

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H3,H3,H3-H2,H2,H3,H3,H3,H3


H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 (any subjects); H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 H3 including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DD

in Engineering or Applied Science + A at A Level (no STEM at A Level) + GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A; DD in Engineering or Applied Science + B in an A Level science subject (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) + GCSE Maths grade 7/A; DD in Engineering or Applied Science + C in A Level Maths + GCSE Science grade 6/B

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

in Engineering or Applied Science + GCSE Science grade 6/B and Maths grade 7/A

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B-A,B,B,B,B


AABBB (any subjects); ABBBB including Maths and at least one of Physics, Chemistry or Biology

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

B

+ BB at A Level (any subjects): B + BC in Maths and either Physics, Chemistry or Biology at A Level

UCAS Tariff

112-147

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

About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Control systems

Mechatronics and robotics

Systems engineering

If you don't have the scientific or mathematical background for our engineering degrees this degree with a foundation year is for you. The foundation year will build your skills and knowledge in related areas to ensure you're ready to move on to your degree.

You'll study modules in mathematics, further mathematics, physics and engineering. Each of these will introduce you to the key concepts and skills in the subject, from calculus to the structure of atoms, and your engineering module will give you the chance to apply this knowledge practically as well as introducing core engineering principles.

After successfully completing your foundation year you'll be able to progress to the first year of the four-year MEng Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering.

**Your robotics degree**

Robotics is a highly interdisciplinary branch of engineering, which requires technical skills from a range of engineering disciplines. During the degree you'll be taught by academics who are active researchers in robotics and mechatronics. You'll develop skills in designing, analysing and testing robots, autonomous vehicles and other complex electro-mechanical systems. In the last two years of the degree you'll have the opportunity to tailor your course to suit your interests with optional modules.

During the degree you'll also get a chance to work with students across the University's faculties of engineering and science. You'll take part in the Global Engineering Challenge: a week-long team project where you'll find creative solutions to a real-world engineering problem. You'll also be able to get involved in extracurricular activities. Current projects include designing and building payloads for satellites and rovers, and developing autonomous vehicles and rockets.

**Other options for you:**

After successfully completing your foundation year you'll be able to progress to the first year of the MEng Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering or MEng Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering with a Year in Industry course.

**This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institute of Measurement and Control. Our MEng degrees meet all the academic requirements for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.**

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
International
£29,110
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Sheffield

Department:

Interdisciplinary Programmes in Engineering

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

84%
Control systems
86%
Mechatronics and robotics
84%
Systems engineering

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.

Electrical and electronic engineering

Teaching and learning

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
85%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
80%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

89%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
65%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

50%
UK students
50%
International students
79%
Male students
21%
Female students
81%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
C
B

Production and manufacturing engineering

Teaching and learning

72%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
78%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
75%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

89%
Library resources
88%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
75%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

53%
UK students
47%
International students
87%
Male students
13%
Female students
72%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
B

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.

Electrical and electronic engineering

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
94%
med
Employed or in further education
84%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

54%
Engineering professionals
18%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
5%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

This is one of the more popular areas to study engineering and there is not quite such a serious shortage of electrical engineers as there is of other engineering subjects - but there's still plenty of demand. The most common jobs are in telecommunications, electrical and electronic engineering, but there is some crossover with the computing industry, so many graduates start work in IT and computing jobs. At the moment, there's a particular demand for electrical engineers in the electronics, and the car and aerospace industries, and also in defence, and salaries can vary across the country depending on the industry you start in. Bear in mind that a lot of courses are four years long, and lead to an MEng qualification — this is necessary if you want to become a Chartered Engineer.

Production and manufacturing engineering

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
96%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

62%
Engineering professionals
6%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
5%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

Graduates are in significant demand, so unemployment rates are well below the national graduate average and starting salaries are well above average. Much the most common industries for these graduates are now vehicle manufacture - there are not enough people with these degrees to go round and so the big employers tend to take the lion's share at the moment. But pretty much anywhere there is manufacturing, there are production engineers. Bear in mind that a lot of courses are four years long, and lead to an 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.

Electrical and electronic engineering

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

£27k

£27k

£33k

£33k

£35k

£35k

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.

Production and manufacturing engineering

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

£27k

£27k

£33k

£33k

£35k

£35k

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.

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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.

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Course location and department:

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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).

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.

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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.

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

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here