Course information
Typical offer BCC
UK fee £9,535
UCAS code H991
International fee £20,250
Institute code L34
Taught by School of Engineering
18th in the UK for General Engineering (The Complete University Guide 2025)
Accredited by IET and IMechE
Course description
Course description
Our integrated Science, Technology and Engineering (STEM) Foundation Year degrees are aimed at students who wish to study a STEM subject, such as engineering, but don’t have the traditional entry requirements.
The course is run on the University of Leicester campus like any other, and you will be studying alongside other students who applied for, and slightly missed out on, a place on a course similar to yours. In the first year of this course you will all be working towards passing a foundation year (year 0), which will enable automatic progression onto year 1 of any of our BEng (or MEng) Engineering courses.
- By completing the STEM Foundation Year you will automatically progress onto the first year of your chosen degree.
- You will be taught by our expert academic staff from across a number of departments.
- The course strongly emphasises the development of essential professional and personal skills, which are necessary throughout your studies and beyond.
- During your foundation year you will join our student community and be able to enjoy all aspects of the University of Leicester student experience. You will be able to join the Students’ Union, use our academic and leisure facilities, live in our accommodation and access all our support services.
- You will have a personal tutor to support you.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A-levels: BCC or points equivalent from your best three A-levels. You must have taken Maths or Physics at A-level.
- GCSE: Grade C/4 in English.
- BTEC Diploma: DDM in a science related subject, which must include appropriate maths and science content. You may be required to take an additional maths assessment test.
- International Baccalaureate: Pass diploma with 26 points minimum, and must include appropriate maths and science content.
- Access to HE: Pass diploma with 24 Distinctions in a science related subject, which must include appropriate maths and science content. You may be required to take an additional maths assessment test.
- T-Levels: Merit overall in Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing or Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control or Maintenance Installation and Repair. Maths test required.
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
Selection process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.0 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability.
If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2025
The tuition fees that will be payable by you to the University for the 2025/26 academic year will be £9,535
- £9,535 in your first year. Tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation, subject to government regulations. The inflation rate used will be the Retail Price Index excluding mortgage payments (RPIX)
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,430 for that year
- Year in Industry: your fee will be £1,905 for that year
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2025
- £20,250 per year
- Year Abroad: £5062.50, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
- Year in Industry: £3,037.50, which is 15% of the full-time tuition fee
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Accreditation
Accreditation
All our General Engineering degrees are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The MEng satisfies the academic requirements of the Engineering Council, enabling you to become a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
All our engineering degrees are influenced by the needs of industry. Visiting engineers from industry deliver teaching in lectures, seminars and the laboratory. You will learn how to conceive, design and implement solutions, working in teams and presenting your ideas to professors from engineering industries. Our excellent links with industry means your project work may include visits from industrial partners and working with engineers in these companies.
Graduate destinations
The experience Oishi gained has encouraged her to delve into a career as a software engineer at Rolls Royce.
Careers and Employability Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Related courses
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 13: Climate action
Course structure
Foundation Year
Foundation Year
Modules
- Mathematics 1
- Mechanics 1
- Waves and Matter
- Mathematics 2
- Mechanics 2
- Electromagnetism and Quantum Physics
- Engineering Principles and Experimentation
- Academic Support
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 1
Year 1
In the first year of the BSc proper (your second year at Leicester) you will cover a number of core topics in engineering.
Modules
- Sustainable Engineering Design
- Engineering Mathematics with programming 1
- Engineering Mathematics with programming 2
- Solid Mechanics
- Fluid Mechanics
- Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
- Principles of Electrical Engineering
- Digital Electronics and Communications
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year 2
Year 2
Year 2 of the BSc course is your third year at Leicester. You will develop interdisciplinary skills in mechatronics and computational engineering, while beginning to development your mechanical specialism. You will also take an integrated design project in which you will work in a team with students from other engineering disciplines – vital experience for the modern world of engineering.
Core modules
- Engineering Management and Business Simulation*
- Integrated Engineering Design*
- System Dynamics and Control*
- Mechatronics
- Computational Engineering Methods
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
Then choose one option module from:
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Year Abroad or in Industry (optional)
Year Abroad or in Industry (optional)
If you want to, you can spend the third year of the BSc - which will be your fourth year at Leicester - away from Leicester. You can study abroad at one of our partner institutions or working in an industrial placement. Alternatively, you can opt to continue studying at the University and complete your degree in four years.
Year Abroad
We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.
Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.
For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.
Please note
- A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
- You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
- Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
- Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.
Year in Industry
If you choose a 'With Industry’ degree you will spend a year on an industrial placement with a sponsoring company between your second and third years at Leicester. You will undertake a programme of training and practical experience that is agreed between the sponsoring company and the University. Recent placements have included: Rolls-Royce, Force India F1 Team, Ford Motors, Intel UK, Network Rail, Porsche Engineering Services, Aero Engine Controls, Babcock International, Auto Electrical Services and Jaguar Land Rover.
A member of staff will be individually assigned to you as your industrial placement tutor, who will be in contact with you throughout your placement and will visit the sponsoring company. During the year you will return to Leicester to present details of your placement to other students studying for 'With industry' degrees.
A year in industry is a great opportunity which can give you first-hand experience of working in an engineering-related career while also enhancing your employability skills and allowing you to network with people in industry.
A year in industry still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Final Year
Final Year
The final year of your course will be either your fourth or fifth year at Leicester, depending on whether you took a year out.
You have a wide choice of option modules in which to specialise in your particular interests across the School. Your individual project is a significant part of this year, giving you the opportunity to investigate a specific engineering concept or challenge.
Core modules
Plus your Individual Project
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
Then choose one option module from:
- Tribology in Engineering Design
- Rigid Body and Structural Dynamics
- Digital Control and Actuators
- Aerospace Materials and Structures
Please note: There are restrictions on the combinations of option modules you can take, based on what you chose to study in your second year and whether the modules run in the autumn or spring semester. Staff will be happy to give advice on your study choices based on your individual career aspirations and your individual project.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
In the 2018 National Student Survey, 100% of our engineering students said they were satisfied with their course, putting Leicester right up there at number one.
A shared first year allows you to swap between any of our Engineering degrees at the start of Year 2.
You will definitely want to join the Students' Union's Engineering Society, which offers a great mix of academic support and social events.
Reading list
See the types of texts you might read, over the summer, to get a feel for the course and arrive prepared and ready to go.
Teaching and learning
Teaching
Teaching includes lectures and lab classes together with tutorials. For the practical aspects of the course you will work, with a partner or as part of a small team, in our well-equipped engineering labs. On your third year project you will work individually under the supervision of an academic member of staff.
Assessment
Continuous assessment of your experimentation, computing, design and project work will contribute about 30-50% of your overall mark, with the rest based on your performance in exams for each module. You will also be expected to give presentations about your work.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence.
Academic support
Our Centre for Academic Achievement provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles.
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Engineering with Foundation Year | Qualification BEng | Duration 4 years full-time | UCAS Code H991 | Availability How to apply |
| Course Engineering with Foundation Year with Year Abroad | Qualification BEng | Duration 5 years full-time | UCAS Code H991 | Availability How to apply |
| Course Engineering with Foundation Year with Year in Industry | Qualification BEng | Duration 5 years full-time | UCAS Code H991 | Availability How to apply |
Data about this course
The Department’s close links with industry mean I can do projects relevant to the research happening in industry today.