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Mechanical Engineering with Foundation Year

  • BEng (Hon)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-time
  • September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Millennium Point
More about Birmingham City University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Do you love to innovate, design and solve problems? Our BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with a Foundation Year degree, with applied Automotive and applied Manufacturing pathways, will enable you to apply your passion and skills to become an engineer of the future.

Our approach to Engineering is unique. You will not have traditional lectures or be assessed by exams, instead you will learn through practical-based tasks that respond to real-life engineering problems across industries including automotive and transport, manufacturing, technology, energy and construction. This course has been carefully designed in collaboration with industry to ensure that you graduate ready for employment, with core technical skills and knowledge as well as employability skills such as communication, leadership and collaboration.

The foundation year

This foundation year is a preparatory year designed for students who are passionate about engineering but may not yet meet the entry requirements for our degree programmes. Over the course of a year, you’ll build a solid grounding in key subjects such as mathematics, engineering principles, and problem-solving, while developing practical skills through hands-on projects and lab work. The foundation year will provide you with a smooth transition to progress on to one of our engineering degrees and set you up for a successful educational journey.

The second year is a common year to provide you with a solid understanding of what engineering is. You will also learn about the different types of engineering to enable you to choose a suitable pathway to continue to after your first year. You will have the option to specialise in the following pathways after your second year of study:

Automotive Engineering
If you choose this pathway, you will explore vehicle dynamics, propulsion technologies, and sustainable mobility to address the evolving needs of the transport sector. This pathway is ideal for those wishing to pursue a career in the automotive or transportation industries in jobs such as Powertrain Engineer, Motorsport Engineer and Crash Safety Engineer.

Manufacturing Engineering
This pathway focuses on improving processes and ensuring products maintain high standards. You will learn about advanced manufacturing processes, automation, and Industry 4.0, equipping graduates to lead in modern production environments in sectors like Automation & Robotics Engineering, Quality & Plant Control Engineering, and Supply Chain & Logistics Engineering.

Mechanical Engineering
This pathway continues on the Mechanical Engineering degree through to your final year. This route focuses on core engineering principles, materials science, and thermofluid systems, to prepare you for diverse roles in mechanical system design and development in jobs such as Project Engineer, Energy Engineer, Design Engineer and Systems Engineer.

This course is subject to validation. You can still apply for this course while it is being approved.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Millennium Point

Study options

  • BEng (Hon) • Full-time • 4 Years

Start dates

  • September 2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
1270
Institution code:
B25
Campus name:
Millennium Point
Campus Code:
A
Points of Entry:
Foundation

Birmingham City University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
1270
Institution code:
B25
Campus name:
Millennium Point
Campus Code:
A

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Foundation

Open days

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
80 points

A level
CDD

A Level: 80 UCAS tariff points / CDD (or equivalent). AS Level: Must be in a different subject to A Levels. A maximum of four subjects will be considered

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

80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications

Access to HE Diploma

Pass with 60 credits, 45 credits at level 3

Scottish Higher

80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD)

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

80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications

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

80 UCAS tariff points. Diploma accepted with one A Level or equivalent level 3 qualifications. Extended Certificate accepted with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications

Scottish Advanced Higher

80 UCAS tariff points from three Advanced Highers (DDD) or two Advanced Highers (DD) plus two Highers (DD)

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
24 points

Obtain a minimum of 24 points overall. For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at Grade C/4 or above, Grade 5 in Maths (Standard level) from the IB Diploma will be accepted

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

Minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points, achieved in five Higher level subjects

GCSE/National 4/National 5

This course does not require evidence of GCSE qualifications. Please see A Level, BTEC and other Level 3 requirements.

T Level
Pass (C and above)

Pass overall (C or above on the core). All subjects considered

Welsh Baccalaureate: 80 UCAS tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications

OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points

NCFE CACHE Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points

WJEC Level 3 qualifications: 80 UCAS tariff points. Considered with two A Levels or equivalent level 3 qualification(s)

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6overall with no less than 5.5 in any level
If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course.

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

*The Government is proposing to increase the cap on full-time regulated tuition fees to £9,790 for 2026/27 and the University is planning on increasing fees to that maximum level once legislation is enacted. Part-time fees are charged pro-rata, where applicable.

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