Engineering with Accelerator Programme
The course
- UCAS code
- GC23
- Duration
- 1 years
- Location
- Edinburgh
- Delivery type
- Full-time
Contact
Got questions about this programme?
Contact our enquiries team.
Overview
The Engineering Bachelors Accelerator is an alternative route to begin your degree offering direct entry to second-year study across our undergraduate degrees. It provides you with foundational knowledge in engineering, where you can choose your courses depending on your specific interests and career aspirations.
Towards the end of your first year, you will have the opportunity to work closely with your academics to identify which undergraduate degree programme you will progress onto in second year. It can be overwhelming choosing a degree before starting university, so this approach means that you can make your decision based on your learning.
Your learning environment
Get prepared for degree level studies with lectures, tutorials, and seminars, encouraging independent thinking and developing your academic knowledge and skills.
The intensive and focused programme will enable you to:
- transition seamlessly into degree-level studies;
- make an informed choice about your degree;
- develop independent learning skills through our problem-based and student-centric learning approaches;
- learn to work in groups, conduct research and deliver presentations.
During your studies, you will gain important practical, hands-on experience in our heavily invested practical labs and facilities. You’ll benefit from and have access to our well-equipped labs and facilities in GRID, with state-of-the-art, specialist equipment and software and be supported throughout by friendly and helpful staff, to ensure you reap the benefits of practical work.
The hands-on approach means you’ll apply your theoretical knowledge to practical experiments, and gain experience in using industrial-grade equipment, which you can use to benefit your studies, inform, and develop your academic assignments, and use for extra-curriculum and personal projects.
Outside of the classroom, you have the opportunity to join a variety of societies to meet likeminded people, get involved in regular social and networking events, and gain insights into career prospects. Engineering subject relevant societies include:
- CanSat Society
- Chemical Engineering Society
- Chemistry Society
- Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering Society
- Engineers Without Borders HW Edinburgh
- HW Racing
- Physics Society
- Robotics Society
- Watt Women in STEM Society
Degree pathways
Successful completion of the Accelerator programme offers a direct pathway to a wide range of professionally relevant degrees:
- Architectural Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- Architectural Engineering, MEng
- Chemical Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- Chemical Engineering, MEng
- Civil Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- Civil Engineering, MEng
- Combined Studies, BSc (Hons)
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering, MEng
- Construction Project Management, BSc (Hons)
- Geography, Society and Environment, MA (Hons)
- Mechanical Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- Mechanical Engineering, MEng
- Mechanical Engineering and Energy Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- Mechanical Engineering and Energy Engineering, MEng
- Robotics, Autonomous and Interactive Systems, BEng (Hons)
- Robotics, Autonomous and Interactive Systems, MEng
- Quantity Surveying, BSc (Hons)
- Structural Engineering, BEng (Hons)
- Structural Engineering, MEng
Entry dates
September, January
Course content
In first year, you will take four year-long courses of 30 credits each..
Required courses
International students
International students with IELTS below 5.5 (Flat) are required to take the 'English and Study Skills' course, and if you have above 5.5 (Flat) you are required to take 'Academic Skills Project’ as well as three other option courses in their first year. All students will be tested diagnostically for English when they start their studies.
English and Study Skills
This course will build on your English language skills acquired through your school years and get you to the level needed for your time at university. We focus on academic reading, writing, speaking, listening and research - all crucial for academic success. You will be able to construct academic texts using the style and vocabulary appropriate to your discipline and incorporate source material into your writing, in line with standard academic conventions. We will help you to work effectively in groups and present and participate in talks and seminars.
Academic Skills Project
This course introduces students to the study skills, academic practices and expectations of university study while preparing them to better participate in a tertiary learning environment. Throughout the course, there will be an emphasis on the utility and transferability of these academic skills and competencies not only for the foundation stage, but also for the rest of the students' academic degree.
UK students
Academic Skills Project
This course introduces students to the study skills, academic practices and expectations of university study while preparing them to better participate in a tertiary learning environment. Throughout the course, there will be an emphasis on the utility and transferability of these academic skills and competencies not only for the foundation stage, but also for the rest of the students' academic degree.
Optional courses
There are four courses, and you will need to select three in addition to the required courses above.
Students should consider which courses are required to progress onto their intended undergraduate degree programme from second year.
Mathematics
This course will build your mathematical knowledge and understanding, in a way that recognises problem solving as an essential skill. There will be a focus on developing and building your skills in the areas of algebra, geometry, and statistics. Upon completion of the course, you will have the extended thinking and decision-making skills to solve problems and integrate mathematical knowledge and apply these to solving problems that are drawn from practical and relevant real-life situations.
Chemistry
This course will develop your knowledge and understanding of the physical and natural environments, considering both organic and inorganic chemistry. We will support you to develop the underlying theories of chemistry and the skills of independent study and thought that are essential in a wide range of occupations. You will develop your laboratory skills through practical laboratory work.
Physics
This course will give you a deeper insight into physics principles and applications, reinforcing your knowledge and understanding of the underpinning concepts of physics. You will develop skills in making critical comment. You will deepen your understanding of the processes behind scientific advances, in a continually changing and advancing landscape. You will enhance your awareness that physics involves interaction between theory and practice. On completion of this course, you will be scientifically literate and will recognise the impact physics makes on individual people, the environment and society. You will appreciate current areas of scientific debate and be able to add your own contribution to the discussion.
Computing
This course you’ll begin with an introduction to computer systems which includes the fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture, data representation, digital logic and consequences of uses of computing. The course then moves to the fundamentals of programming and Introductory assembly language. You’ll learn about operating systems, I/O; interrupts; virtual memory and concepts of distributed and parallel architectures. You’ll also learn about language processors and techniques used to translate code to the machine language such as compiler and interpreter and will then learn Linux shell scripting.
In the second part of this course, you’ll be introduced to object-oriented programming concepts, followed by class designing concepts such as coupling, cohesion, and modularization. It then moves on abstract class, abstract method and interfaces. You’ll be introduced to the state machine and the GUI state diagram. You’ll learn the concepts of components, layout management and event handling. Error handling topics include exception, Junit testing, defensive programming will be introduced to help you develop problem-solving skills. Lastly, collection topics shall be discussed as well. The course combination of theory and programming will help you develop your coding skills. Practical exercises and assignments will help you analyse the scenarios and solve them using object-oriented programming. Upon the foundation, this course will build skills in developing GUI-based applications that use object-oriented programming concepts, API classes and user-defined classes.
Entry requirements
English language requirements
Academic background equivalent to A Levels DEE/CD + GCSE English and Maths at C/4. English level IELTS 5.0 (with no bands lower than 4.5). Subject relevance to be dependent upon articulation degree. Please see our detailed English language requirements.
Academic entry requirements
- Highers CCD including a science or maths + National 5 Maths & English at Grade C
- A-Levels DEE/CD including a science or maths. GCSE English and Maths at C/4
- International Baccalaureate 26 points including H5 + H4 OR H4+H4+H3. Science / maths subject is required at H4. S4 at Maths & English
- BTEC Extended Diploma Not accepted
International academic entry requirements
- Bangladesh - Higher Secondary Certificate - grade average of 65%
- China - Senior High 2 - average grade of 70% or Senior High 3 at an average of 65%
- Ghana - West African School Certificate (WAEC) - or Senior School Certificate in four subjects with grades 1-6 (A-C)
- Hong Kong - Form 5 in four academic subjects (grades will be assessed on a case by case basis) or HKDSE with grades 223 in relevant subjects
- India - Standard 10 + 1 - 70% or Standard 10 + 2 at 55%
- Indonesia - SMU 2 - Grade 7.0 or SMU 3 Grade 6.5 (five relevant subjects required)
- Iran - High School Diploma (3 years) - average grade of at least 14 (in relevant subjects)
- Jordan - Tawjihi - 80% in 4 relevant subjects
- Kazakhstan - ATTESTAT/Certificate of Secondary Education - grade average of 4
- Kuwait - Shahadat-al-thanawia-al-a'ama - passmark of 80% in relevant subjects
- Libya - Secondary Education Certificate - average of 80%
- Malaysia - Form 5. Ter, 2 or Mid-Year Transcript - A-C in five relevant subjects
- Nigeria - WAEC or SSC - grades 1-6 in four relevant subjects.
- Pakistan - High Secondary Certificate - four passes in relevant subjects with an average of 55%
- Qatar - Thanawaya Aam Qatari - average grade 80% in relevant subjects
- Saudi Arabia - Tawjihi - average of 80% in relevant subjects
- Thailand - MAW5 - GPA of 2.5 or of MAW 6 with a GPA of 2.0 in six relevant subjects
- United Arab Emirates - Tawjihi - 80% or above in relevant subjects
- Ukraine - ATTESTAT/11th Grade Certificate of Secondary Education - grade average of 7.0
- Vietnam - Completion of Year 12 at Secondary School with average grade of 7.0
Fees
Additional fees information
| Fee status* | Full-time |
|---|---|
| England, Wales and Northern Ireland | £9,250 |
| International** | £24,048 |
*Your residency 'status' is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course. Find out more about tuition fees.
**International includes applications from European Union countries who do not hold Pre-Settled or Settled status in the UK. Read more about the application process for EU nationals.
Additional scholarship information
Travel Home Bursary
Available for students from England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
We appreciate that moving away from home for the first time can be daunting. Our Travel Home Bursary should allow you to return home at several points throughout the academic year. The Travel Bursary applies to your first year of study only.