How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Manchester: Three-Year BEng, Four-Year MEng, Industrial Experience and Foundation Year Routes, Entry Conditions from AAA to A*A*A, and Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At The University of Manchester, undergraduate engineering is taught in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, which describes itself on course pages as home to “the first English university to offer an engineering degree”. The 2027-entry course list contains 31 engineering routes across Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Electronic, Mechanical, Mechatronic and Materials engineering. Below is what Manchester’s official pages say, for UK applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer applicants. Computer Science has its own article on this site and is not covered here; fashion and textile technology courses are also outside this article.

1. Courses and routes

• You apply to a specific course through UCAS (institution code M20 MANU), each route with its own course code. The pages do not describe a Faculty-wide common first year; the Electrical and Electronic and the Mechatronic pages say the first three semesters share the same content so you can switch between those two courses until halfway through second year.
• Aerospace Engineering: BEng H400 (3 years); MEng H402 (4 years); MEng with Industrial Experience H406 (5 years).
• Chemical Engineering: BEng H800 (3 years); MEng H801 (4 years); MEng with Industrial Experience H803 (4 years, with the placement embedded in third year); MEng with Energy and Environment H8F4 (4 years).
• Civil Engineering: BEng H200 (3 years); MEng H201 (4 years); MEng Civil and Structural H220; MEng Civil (Enterprise) H204; MEng with Industrial Experience H207 (5 years); MEng Civil and Structural with Industrial Experience H221 (5 years). The BEng page says you can extend to an integrated master’s or an MEng with industrial experience.
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering: BEng H600 (3 years); BEng with Industrial Experience H606 (4 years); MEng H605 (4 years); MEng with Industrial Experience H601 (5 years).
• Mechatronic Engineering: BEng HH36 (3 years); BEng with Industrial Experience HH63 (4 years); MEng HHH6 (4 years); MEng with Industrial Experience HHP3 (5 years).
• Mechanical Engineering: BEng H300 (3 years); MEng H303 (4 years); MEng with Industrial Experience H301 (5 years, with the placement year normally after third year).
• Materials Science and Engineering: MEng J501 (4 years, or 5 with a year in industry).
• Integrated Foundation Year: Mechanical H109, Aerospace H110, Civil H111, Electrical, Electronic and Mechatronic H112, Chemical H113, and Materials Science F013 (BSc/MEng). The page says that if you meet the progression criteria, completing the foundation year guarantees a place in year one of your chosen degree.
• Professional accreditation (course pages): Aerospace is accredited by IMechE and re-accreditation by the Royal Aeronautical Society is in progress, with the outcome for September 2027 entry due in 2026; Chemical by IChemE; Civil MEng by the Joint Board of Moderators, completing the educational base for Chartered Engineer (CEng); Mechanical by IMechE; Electrical and Electronic and Mechatronic MEng pages say they are in the process of re-accreditation (IET and the Institute of Measurement and Control); Materials MEng by IOM3 as meeting the academic requirements for CEng/Chartered Scientist. The Aerospace BEng page says its accredited degree fully meets the benchmark for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and partly meets that for CEng, requiring further learning.

2. Entry requirements by subject (2027 entry)

The course pages say science A-Levels require a pass in the practical element, offers are made on three A-Levels only, and contextual offers are one or two grades lower than the standard offer.

• Aerospace Engineering: A-Level A*AA including Mathematics, Physics and one other subject; applicants without Physics but with Further Mathematics are considered case by case. IB 37 points with 7,6,6 at HL including Mathematics, Physics and one other subject (AA or AI Mathematics accepted).
• Chemical Engineering: BEng and MEng AAA including Mathematics and either Chemistry or Physics; MEng with Industrial Experience A*AA. Chemical with Energy and Environment is also AAA. IB 36 points (HL 6,6,6) for BEng/MEng; 37 points (HL 7,6,6) with industrial experience.
• Civil Engineering (including Civil and Structural, Enterprise and industrial experience routes): AAA including Mathematics, Physics and one other subject; Further Mathematics may replace Physics case by case. IB 36 points, HL 6,6,6.
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering: BEng and MEng pages say A*AA including Mathematics (A* for MEng) and one of Physics, Electronics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry or Computer Science; IB 37 points with 7,6,6 at HL, including 7 in Mathematics HL and 6 in Physics or Chemistry HL. The pages contradict each other: the MEng with Industrial Experience (H601) page gives a typical offer of AAA, while the BEng and MEng pages say A*AA; check with admissions.
• Mechatronic Engineering: BEng and MEng (with or without industrial experience) pages say A*AA, with IB 37 points and 7,6,6 at HL.
• Mechanical Engineering: A*A*A including Mathematics, Physics and one other subject (a relevant science or technology subject preferred but not essential); Further Mathematics may replace Physics case by case. IB 38 points with 7,7,6 at HL. The page says that because the course is popular, preference may go to applicants above the minimum, and with four or more A-Levels the offer is on the best-suited subjects.
• Materials Science and Engineering (MEng): AAA including two of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry; without A-Level Mathematics you need GCSE/IGCSE Mathematics at 7/A. IB 36 points, HL 6,6,6, including two of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
• Integrated Foundation Year: A-Level depends on the number of relevant subjects (Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Design and Technology, Engineering): BBB with three, ABB with two, AAB with one. IB 33 points with 6,5,5 at HL including Mathematics or Physics. You may be asked to attend an Academic Assessment.
• GCSEs: typically five, including Mathematics and English Language at grade C/4 (the Electrical and Electronic and Mechatronic pages ask for English Language at B/6 and do not accept English as a Second Language; Materials adds its own Mathematics condition, so follow each course page).
• Admissions test and interviews: the course pages do not mention an admissions test. Aerospace, Civil and Mechanical do not hold interviews; offer holders may be invited to an online webinar or an on-campus offer holder day, generally Wednesday afternoons from February to April. Chemical Engineering invites UK-based applicants to a UCAS Interview Day including an academic interview, normally online, from November to April. Materials candidates may be interviewed (usually online) or asked to complete an academic assessment. We did not find an interview description for Electrical and Electronic or Mechatronic Engineering, so check with the department.

3. UK applicants

• Qualifications: mainly A-Levels. The course pages also give Scottish, Welsh and other UK requirements. Scottish Advanced Highers: Mechanical needs three at AAA including Mathematics and Physics (two Highers at AA can replace the third); Aerospace and Civil need three at AAA including Mathematics and Physics, or two at AA including Mathematics and Physics with two Highers at AA; Chemical needs Mathematics and Chemistry or Physics; Electrical and Electronic needs Mathematics and one of Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics of Mechanics; Materials needs two Advanced Highers plus Highers (AAABB). The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at A is considered alongside A-Level Mathematics and Physics. For Aerospace, the BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering or Applied Science is considered at DDD plus A* in A-Level Mathematics. T-Levels are not accepted, and Access to HE diplomas are considered only for exceptional cases. Check each course page for the exact conditions on other courses.
• Contextual offers: applicants who meet the postcode and school-performance criteria (UK, under 21) or were eligible for free school meals can receive a lower offer, for example A*AA reduced to AAA; care-experienced, sanctuary or young carer applicants can receive lower offers still (for example AAB).
• Home fee: £10,050 a year for September 2027 entry.
• Scholarships: Manchester’s funding page lists the Beatrice Shilling Scholarship for undergraduate women starting an engineering degree (UK Home students with high Level 3 results; 20 awards, 2 per discipline, no application needed), plus the Foundation Year Bursary for UK students on a foundation year from low-income households and the Accommodation Bursary.
• The pages do not separate England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland for Home fees or funding; this is not published on the pages we read.

4. International applicants

• Qualifications: each subject has a country-by-country page (see section 5 for China). For example, in the Mechanical Engineering page Canadian high school diplomas need at least five Grade 12 subjects including 90% in Grade 12 Mathematics or Calculus, 90% in Physics and 85% in three further academic subjects; the Ontario diploma is considered case by case.
• English: Aerospace, Chemical, Civil and Mechanical pages: IELTS 6.5 with no subskill below 6.5, TOEFL iBT 90 (22 in each), TOEFL on the 1–6 scale 4.5 (4.5 each), PTE 70 (70 each); GCSE/IGCSE English Language 4/C or IGCSE English as a Second Language grade 8 are also accepted. Electrical and Electronic and Mechatronic Engineering ask more: IELTS 7.0 with 7.0 in Writing and 6.5 elsewhere; TOEFL iBT 100 (25 in Writing, 22 elsewhere). Materials: IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 in each sub-score; TOEFL iBT 90 (20 each). Foundation year: IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each sub-test (an IELTS for UKVI is needed if the foundation year is taken as a stand-alone qualification). Scores must be valid on the first day of Welcome Week, and some are valid for only two years.
• ATAS: the Aerospace MEng and Materials MEng pages say you may need ATAS clearance, which must be obtained before applying for a visa; we did not find ATAS wording on the other course pages, so check each page.
• Scholarships for international students: Global Futures Scholarships are for students living in a listed country who hold an offer for September 2027: Bangladesh, Botswana, Canada, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Vietnam and Zimbabwe (Taiwan for taught master’s only). Awards, criteria and deadlines differ by country, so see your country profile; mainland China is not on the list.

5. Applicants from China

• The Senior High School Diploma on its own: the country pages for Chemical, Aerospace, Civil and Mechanical Engineering all say applicants with only the diploma must complete a suitable, recognised Foundation Year; contact the department. The Electrical and Electronic page is more specific: applicants completing a foundation year or year 1 of university study can be considered for first-year entry with an 85% average (or 3.4 GPA) from Grades 11–12, including 80% in Mathematics and Physics, from a recognised institution with a significant mathematics component, case by case.
• Diploma plus APs (no foundation year needed):
  • Mechanical: Grade 12 average 87% or GPA 3.5 with APs at 5,5,5 including Calculus BC, Physics (Physics 2 or Physics C Mechanics) and one other AP (excluding Calculus AB and Physics 1).
  • Aerospace: 85% or GPA 3.4 with the same APs.
  • Civil: 82% or GPA 3.3 with the same APs.
  • Chemical: BEng/MEng 82% or GPA 3.3 with APs at 5,5,5 including Calculus BC, Chemistry or Physics, and one other; MEng with Industrial Experience 85% or GPA 3.4.
  • Electrical and Electronic (all undergraduate courses): 85% or GPA 3.4 from Grades 11–12 and APs at 5,5,5 as either Calculus AB (subscore not accepted), Physics C and one other, or Calculus BC (subscore not accepted), Physics C, Physics 1, Physics 2 or Chemistry, and one other.
  • Materials: the country page was not read, so this is not published in what we saw; check the course page.
• International foundation programmes: INTO Manchester and NCUK International Foundation Programme students need the subject’s standard offer: Aerospace A*AA (Mathematics, Physics and one other), Mechanical A*A*A (same), Civil AAA (Mathematics and Physics), Chemical AAA (Mathematics and Chemistry or Physics), Materials AAA (two of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry); Electrical and Electronic and Mechatronic need A*AA with Technical Mathematics (Integrated Mathematics is not accepted) and one of Physics, Chemistry or Further Mathematics, with EAP grade A. For Aerospace, Mechanical, Civil and Chemical, EAP grade B with B in each sub-test; for Materials, EAP B with at least C in each sub-score; the Aerospace page accepts both Integrated and Technical Mathematics. Other foundation programmes: contact admissions. You can also take Manchester’s own Integrated Foundation Year (section 2; £29,200 a year for international students).
• IB or A-Level: apply directly with the requirements in section 2.
• The Chemical and Electrical and Electronic country pages state September 2026 entry and are reviewed each year, so recheck before applying.

6. Transfer applicants

• The course pages say transfers from other institutions are considered case by case. Second-year entry is usually not considered (worded “not usually” for Aerospace MEng, “not normally” for Mechanical and Chemical); contact the Admissions Team with full qualifications and transcripts. Mechanical and Civil pages say third-year entry is not considered.
• Students coming from another university’s foundation year are typically considered for year-one entry only if their Level 3 qualifications would have met Manchester’s own foundation entry requirements, and normally only from Russell Group foundation courses.

7. International tuition (September 2027 entry)

• Aerospace, Civil (including Civil and Structural), Electrical and Electronic, Mechanical and Mechatronic: £37,500 a year; Chemical Engineering £39,700; Materials Science and Engineering £41,900; Integrated Foundation Year £29,200. Industrial-experience pages show the same figure; the fee for the placement year itself is not stated.
• Manchester’s policy is that students should not normally face compulsory extra study costs beyond tuition, and any unavoidable compulsory costs over 1% of the Home fee are stated at application.

8. Timeline (September 2027 entry)

• Applications for autumn 2027 open on UCAS from 1 September 2026.
• 13 January 2027, 18:00 (GMT): the equal consideration deadline.
• After that, you can still apply where courses have vacancies, up to 30 June 2027; new applications after 30 June go to Clearing.
• (The 15 October 2026 UCAS deadline applies to Oxford and Cambridge, not Manchester.)
• Chemical Engineering interviews run from November to April; Aerospace, Civil and Mechanical offer holder days are generally February to April.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• Check A-Level or IB for your subject (AAA for Chemical, Civil, Materials; A*AA for Aerospace, Electrical and Electronic, Mechatronic; A*A*A for Mechanical)
• Look at contextual offers and the Beatrice Shilling Scholarship; apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027

International applicants:

• Check your national qualification on the subject’s country page; English IELTS 6.5 (6.5 each), or 7.0 (Writing 7.0) for Electrical and Electronic and Mechatronic
• Tuition £37,500 to £41,900 a year; check whether your country is on the Global Futures list

Applicants from China:

• With only the diploma: take a recognised foundation year (INTO Manchester / NCUK at the subject’s standard offer, or Manchester’s Integrated Foundation Year), or the diploma at 82%–87% with APs 5,5,5 (including Calculus BC and Physics)
• A-Level or IB students apply directly on the subject conditions
• Ask admissions about what the pages leave out (Materials country page, the Electrical and Electronic MEng with Industrial Experience offer)

Transfer applicants:

• Second-year entry is not usually considered: contact admissions with transcripts; third-year entry is not considered

Sources: The University of Manchester, Undergraduate courses for 2027 entry; BEng Aerospace Engineering; MEng Aerospace Engineering; BEng Chemical Engineering; BEng Civil Engineering; MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering; BEng Mechanical Engineering; MEng Mechatronic Engineering; MEng Materials Science and Engineering; Mechanical Engineering with an Integrated Foundation Year; How to apply; Global Futures Scholarships; Funding; Country requirements: Mechanical Engineering; Country requirements: Aerospace Engineering; Country requirements: Civil Engineering; Country requirements: Chemical Engineering; Country requirements: Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Information is for 2027 entry; the Chemical and Electrical and Electronic country pages state September 2026 entry and the others give no year. Check Manchester for the latest details.