MSc Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship)

• Normally, applicants are expected to have successfully completed an honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject, and have appropriate work experience. Examples of relevant degrees include science and engineering.
• An applicant must possess GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade 4-9 (or grade C or above) or hold an equivalent such as Functional Skills Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy. If an applicant has yet to achieve these qualifications, then with their employer's support, they can complete suitable equivalents locally or with assistance from the University. Please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents, further information and support.
• Applicants with a Level 6 apprenticeship in a relevant area will normally be eligible for admission.
• Applicants will also be considered if they have Level 5 qualifications (for instance HND or FdSc) and substantial experience in engineering at a senior level, subject to interview.
• Applicants holding overseas degrees are very welcome and the equivalence of their qualifications will be assessed by the University.
• We'll consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
• Applicants will attend a joint discussion with their employer and the University of Bolton. This combined interview and onboarding discussion fosters trust and sets the tone of the relationship between the applicant, their employer and our tutors.
• Admission to this programme is only available to applicants who meet ESFA eligibility criteria, including the following: 1) They are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in a role relevant to the apprenticeship. 2) They have the right to live and work in the UK. 3) Their employer is willing to sponsor them to spend a minimum of six hours per week of their time in off-the-job training, including attending the University (times and dates to be determined) for the duration of their course. Please note that an apprentice cannot be self-employed. ESFA eligibility criteria may change so please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for up-to-date information.
• If English isn’t the applicant's first language, they will also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
• To be eligible for tuition fee funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, candidates should not normally have already completed a qualification at the same level as the proposed apprenticeship, unless that qualification was gained in a completely unrelated discipline.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

The MSc Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) programme is designed to meet the Post Graduate Engineer Apprenticeship Standard (ST0456). Developed by employers in collaboration with higher education institutions and professional bodies, this apprenticeship standard underpins a highly relevant qualification and professional development pathway that supports apprentices to achieve the requisite postgraduate knowledge and skills.

What can I do with this qualification?

This degree apprenticeship aims to support the development of the next generation of postgraduate engineers for mechanical engineering and related disciplines. We expect graduate apprentices to be sought after in the aerospace, automotive, chemical, construction, medicine, sport, defence, consumer goods and electrical industries.

On successful completion of the end point assessment, apprentices will be well prepared to take on demanding roles that involve mechanical engineering activities, especially those that demand knowledge of material and structure testing, design and simulation, manufacturing and energy technologies. They could also pursue careers in manufacturing or other areas of science and technology, such as sustainable energy.

It’s likely that postgraduate apprentices will seek to achieve Chartered Engineer (CEng) status and this master’s degree is designed to meet the academic requirements leading to this professional registration. They may also choose to undertake further study in order to develop expertise in a particular area of engineering, extend their business management knowledge or continue their focus on research by pursuing a PhD.

Apprentices will need to be employed by your organisation for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Your organisation will also need to commit to sponsoring apprentices to complete this qualification.

For further information on how your organisation can access funds to support apprentices, please e-mail apprentices@bolton.ac.uk.

Whether you’re an employer, employee or school leaver, please visit our Apprenticeship web page for support and advice regarding apprenticeships.

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

Useful information

Apprentices will not be expected to pay tuition fees towards this programme. If your organisation has a wage bill of more than £3 million per annum, then it may be able to fund this apprenticeship through its Apprenticeship Levy contributions. If your organisation does not pay the levy, it will be eligible for government support to fund apprenticeships. This support, called co-investment, covers 95% of the apprenticeship's tuition fees, with your organisation funding the remaining 5% of the fees.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Mechanical engineering is a multi-faceted discipline so we use a wide range of teaching and learning methods. These are designed to fully engage apprentices, helping them to develop the skills, knowledge, self-awareness and behaviours that are essential for success in this field. Learning focuses on your workplace environment – your apprentices will spend the majority of their time gaining on-the-job knowledge and experience. They will also complete at least six hours per week in off-the-job learning, including studying at the university.

As well as attending timetabled lectures, seminars, workshops, practical sessions and tutorials, apprentices will also be expected to allocate significant time to independent and self-directed studies. For example, building a portfolio of evidence, background reading, revisiting practical work, attending lectures and technical meetings provided by professional bodies, preparing for seminars, working on assignments and revising for exams will support their timetabled learning and develop good habits for lifelong learning. Our friendly and supportive tutors will be here to guide them and will gladly help them devise an independent study regime focused on their individual development needs. Learning will also be supported by the University's virtual learning environment, Moodle.

Your organisation will need to provide each apprentice with a workplace mentor to support their development. They will also benefit from regular visits from a University tutor. The workplace mentor, University tutor and apprentice will work together to create the individual learning plan required to progress the apprentice’s professional body membership. An individual learner record (ILR) will be completed on a monthly basis.

For the degree element of this programme, we assess each apprentice’s individual performance through a strategic blend of reports, presentations, portfolios and other assignments. Some assessments contribute to their final module marks, while others are designed to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses, and where they need to seek extra support from course tutors. In addition to the assessments associated with the degree programme, apprentices will undertake the end point assessment at the end of the apprenticeship period.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Research Skills and Project Management
• Advanced Engineering Modelling and Analysis
• Smart Engineering Systems
• Product Innovation and New Technologies
• Individual Major Project
• Advanced Thermal Power and Energy Systems
• Mechanics, Materials and Manufacture Processes

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.