BSc (Hons) Design Engineering (Top-up)

This course brings together sophisticated computer tools, engineering and creativity to produce design engineers for the twenty-first century.

Course search

Search form

  • UCAS Code:
    H150
  • Institution:
    B50
  • Delivery:
    Full time according to Funding Council definitions

Why study BSc (Hons) Design Engineering (Top-up) at BU?

  • Learn to use the latest solid modelling, rendering and product simulation tools to create and evaluate your own designs 
  • Gain an in-depth understanding of the engineering principles underlying the product development process
  • Based on an individual project, you’ll have access to cutting-edge facilities in our Innovation Centre including 3D scanners and printers, modern manufacturing & technical workshops and prototyping facilities  
  • Display your design project in your final year and exhibit it at our annual Festival of Design & Engineering.
  • You’ll be career-ready with 90% of our graduates in employment or further education after 15 months. 

Find out more about the content of this course.

Design & Engineering Facilities tour

Course accreditation

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers and Institution of Mechanical Engineers as meeting the academic requirement, in full, for Incorporated Engineer registration for intakes between 2019-2023. 

See what it's like to study on this course

Youtube Video
Youtube Video
Image description
Festival of Design & Engineering
Image description
Innovation Centre
Image description
Student with a caliper
Image description
Sophia Anoa Portrait
Image description
Innovation Centre

Key information

Next start date:

September 2023, September 2024

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

1 year full-time

Accreditations:

Institution of Engineering Designers and Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Entry requirements:

For September 2023 entry: A Foundation degree accredited to Partial Ieng/EngTech level or academic qualifications that have been approved at Partial Ieng/Eng Tech level through the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) Education and Training Committee or equivalent. Find out more about entry requirements.

International entry requirements:

For September 2023 entry: If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS 6.0 (Academic) with a minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent. For more information check out our international entry requirements.

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

How you will be assessed

You will be assessed by coursework culminating in your final year research project, and you will also undertake group work and written exams. The assessment methods for each unit can be found in the programme specification for your course.

Download the programme specification 2019 and 2020 entry (pdf 2.9mb) Download the programme specification 2021 entry (pdf 339kb)

Your application

Design Engineering (Top-Up) will suit applicants who can demonstrate:

  • The ability to think both laterally and logically
  • An interest in design history & futures, especially of Industrial Design
  • An ability to communicate visually - 3-D form, composition, texture, pattern, graphics, etc.
  • An interest in learning and promoting the use of digital media and computer design visualisation systems as design modelling tools
  • Making technology serve people by leading the use of industrial methods, processes and materials.

How to apply

Entry requirements

For September 2023 entry:

Foundation degree accredited to Partial IEng/EngTech level or academic qualifications that have been approved at Partial IEng/Eng Tech level through the IED Education and Training Committee or equivalent.

Apprenticeships:

We recognise the transferable knowledge and skills gained through apprenticeships and welcome applications from students with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Mature applicants:

We recognise that mature applicants may have a wealth of experience rather than formal qualifications, so we’ll consider your application on these merits if included in your application. You’ll need to apply to BU in the usual way through UCAS and you may be invited to an interview to discuss your suitability for the course based on the experience you tell us about in your application.

International entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you can understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

For September 2023 entry: IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirement for your degree then why not join our Pre-Sessional English course? Successful completion of our Pre-Sessional English course will meet your English language requirement.

Careers

Engineers are constantly in demand and this course will give you all the skills and knowledge you require to do well in this varied and fascinating sector. When you graduate, you'll be equipped to take on a range of design and engineering roles across sectors as diverse as the aerospace and automotive industry to consumer electronics and domestic products design.

Costs and fees

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course. You can find full information about funding your studies and paying your fees in our undergraduate fees and funding section. That’s also where you’ll find information about the scholarships and bursaries on offer.

Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise, and we’re committed to ensuring there are no hidden extra costs while you’re at university – that’s why we’re clear about what you can expect us to cover, and what your cost of living will be.  You’ll also find you could benefit from a range of discounts as a student; see our Belong+ pages for more information.

Find out more about budgeting and living expenses

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Course changes

What our students say

David Maw

My placement involved work as a commercial structural engineer using Autodesk and Solidworks Finite Element Analysis software to model, analyse and optimise structures

What our students say

Sophia Anoa

The knowledgeable staff and holistic approach to the industry really appealed to me. I love the variety on my course – I’ve covered everything from model making to business studies.

What employers think

Anglepoise

Every year we’ve taken on a placement student and it works very well for us, gives us a different perspective and supports our technical and design capabilities.

Statistics shown throughout this page are taken from Unistats and BU institutional data unless otherwise stated.