MSc Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship)
Course Overview
Our MSc Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) is designed to support the development of professionals that will match the current and future needs of your organisation. You can offer structured on-the-job training and an internationally recognised qualification in mechanical engineering, helping you attract the best new talent and retain valued staff through career progression. Integrating study into the normal working week will allow your apprentices to put their new skills and understanding into practice immediately, benefitting your organisation without delay.Postgraduate engineers develop solutions to engineering problems using new or existing technologies, through innovation, creativity and change and may have technical accountability for complex systems. This postgraduate course will support your apprentices to develop the theoretical knowledge needed to solve technological problems by applying analytical techniques, particularly preparing them to deal with the future technical challenges in the mechanical engineering area.
Our expert staff will guide them as they develop effective project planning and management skills, gain postgraduate research and problem-solving skills, and learn when to seek advice from subject experts and senior colleagues. Your apprentices will spend most of their time in the workplace, with a minimum of six hours per week being devoted to off-the-job training and university learning, which is usually facilitated on a day-release basis.
Our dedicated team will cover essential areas such as advanced mechanics, materials and manufacturing, and advanced thermal power and energy systems processing. Your apprentices will also learn and improve their design, simulation and modelling skills using widely applied commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) software, and develop essential skills such as communication and time management. Throughout the course, we’ll guide them as they build a portfolio of evidence representing the projects and tasks they have completed while working as part of your team.
The course is designed to meet professional institution standards in the UK and to support apprentices to achieve Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
If you’re looking for postgraduate-level training in this subject area but don’t work for an employer who is offering apprenticeships, please see our related courses section for details of study opportunities that don’t require current employment.
Highlights
- When apprentices successfully complete the end point assessment for this course, they will receive a Post Graduate Engineer Apprenticeship Certificate from the relevant awarding body and be awarded an academic degree – the MSc Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bolton.
- Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support are offered by our dedicated staff team who offer a wide range of professional experience, industry knowledge, technical expertise and academic credentials.
- During the final stage of the course, your apprentice will undertake a substantial work-based research project, the nature of which will be identified and developed through consultation between your organisation and the University. As well as offering your apprentice valuable experience, this live project can offer you genuine insight into potential opportunities or improvements that can benefit your organisation.
Key Features
- This Post Graduate Engineer Apprenticeship skilfully combines study in our vibrant higher education environment with practical and focused work-based learning and experience in your organisation.
- Course materials are available online, allowing your apprentices to prepare work in advance and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
- Our approach to teaching and learning is ‘student-centred’ so we’ll work with your apprentices on an individual basis, providing tailored help and support throughout their studies.
- By studying alongside apprentices from other engineering specialisms or alternative industrial sectors, your apprentices can benefit from a wider range of knowledge and experience that supports cross-disciplinary thinking.
- We also offer a wide range of master’s degrees and Level 7 apprenticeships in other engineering disciplines, so you can rest assured that this apprenticeship is part of a well-established suite of postgraduate programmes offered by the University of Bolton.
- Quarterly and annual reviews, where each apprentice, their workplace mentor and a member of our team meet to assess your apprentice’s progress, promote continuing conversation between your workplace and the University. This helps to ensure the success of your apprentices and maximise the value of their studies to your organisation.
Entry Requirements
- Normally, applicants are expected to have at least a lower second class (2.2) 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 valid residency status and the right to work in England and can provide a valid BRP card (valid beyond the end date of the programme including End-Point Assessment (EPA)), and a ‘Right to Work’ share code for validation. 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.
Career Opportunities
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?
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.
Professional Recognition
The University of Bolton’s MSc Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) uses UK-SPEC learning outcomes and is designed to meet the academic requirements leading to Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Please see the Engineering Council UK website for further details of UK-SPEC.
We’ll be seeking accreditation of the MSc Mechanical Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
Fees & Funding
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.
Home/EU Fees
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 Fees
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.
Bursaries
There are no bursaries associated with this programme.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 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.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Please contact the programme leader for details of the application procedure. You can find their name, email address and phone number in the Programme Contacts section of this page.
For support and advice regarding apprenticeships, please visit our Apprenticeship web page.
International Applicants
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.
Teaching & Assessment
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
- Work-based Portfolio and PDP 1
- Work-based Portfolio and PDP 3
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 60% Written exams 40% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 75% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 25% |
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.
