Interdisciplinary Approach
The School of Engineering follows an interdisciplinary (general engineering) model, which means all engineering students study the basic underpinning concepts and fundamentals of engineering during their first two years before specialising in their chosen discipline in Year 3.
For the first two years of all programmes you will study a common core covering the basic principles of all branches of engineering. In these two years you will follow courses which will give you the choice of at least three of the School’s main disciplines to specialise in. In the later years you specialise in your chosen discipline:
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
More information on the structure of our degrees can be found here.
There are several benefits to our interdisciplinary approach.
- Firstly, you can use the first two years of your degree to explore your interests in engineering before making an informed decision about what area of engineering to specialise in, while at the same time studying the core fundamental elements of each discipline - Chemical, Civil, Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical and Petroleum.
- Secondly, you will benefit from a broad-based engineering education that will develop the wider range of expertise and skills that are increasingly demanded by employers today.
- Thirdly, the more comprehensive expertise gained at Aberdeen will be particularly useful later in your career, when leading teams of engineers from across different specialisms.
MEng and BEng
At the School of Engineering we offer MEng and BEng degree programmes in a wide range of specialisations. The MEng is a five-year Honours programme and the BEng is a four-year Honours programme, both of which are accredited by the Engineering Institutions (see Becoming a Chartered Engineer).
Optional Courses
Students also choose optional courses alongside their core engineering courses. Optional courses are designed to give students a greater breadth of learning and to improve employability by further developing your other skills and knowledge. For example, you can choose courses in Languages, Mathematics, Sciences, Computing, Social Sciences, Management, Arts and Music, subject to normal timetabling restrictions.
Lectures and Laboratories
Each Engineering programme is taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and laboratory (lab) classes. Lectures are held in lecture halls and are quite different from the kind of classes you will be used to from school. In addition, you will attend labs where you will conduct experiments and receive practical demonstrations of what you have learned in your lectures. Tutorials are run as small classes where students work on example problems with support from their tutors.
Work Experience and Employability
Engineering Work Experience is a 15 credit 2nd year course designed by the School of Engineering in partnership with the University’s Careers Service to develop students’ work readiness. The course embeds careers education in the academic curriculum and provides students with a work-related learning experience through employer-hosted consultancy-style projects. In addition, we offer regular industry engagement opportunities throughout your degree programme, including guest lectures by industry experts, industry-based projects, site visits and other career and networking events.
Field Trips
Engineering students also benefit from the University’s location in Energy Capital of Europe through numerous field trips and site visits to local companies. Field trips are especially valuable as they allow students to observe how the theory learned in lectures is applied in industry and also because you can learn more about different engineering careers from the industry professionals that you meet.
Personal Tutors
Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor in first year. Your tutor will meet with you several times throughout each year of study, either individually, or in groups. The role of the tutor is to provide pastoral support, to help ensure that you gain as much as you can from your time at university and to guide you towards other support services when necessary.
Engineering Disciplines
Explore the different options on offer at Aberdeen