Key information
Accreditation:
This course is Accredited
Typical offer:
Relevant HE study leading to a Level 5 qualification
Showing content for section Overview
Overview
Make the most of your manufacturing career, with this 18-month degree apprenticeship that lets you keep earning while you turn your HND or Foundation degree into a full honours degree.
You'll produce your own high-quality products in our manufacturing workshops as you develop your computer-aided design skills and learn about successful product manufacturing.
This is a top-up degree apprenticeship course, which means you'll spend 4 days of your working week in your job, and the remaining 1 studying to turn your HND or Foundation degree into a full honours degree, You’ll be able to put what you learn to work immediately, developing your career as you contribute to the success of your company. And your fees are covered by your employer, or the Government, so you won’t face any tuition costs.
Course highlights
- Get to grips with our CAD and rapid prototyping suites, energy systems lab, petroleum engineering lab, and metrology and 3D scanning microscopy facilities as you design and build your products
- Learn about the underlying elements of successful engineering and manufacturing projects, including solid mechanics and dynamics, and electrical and electronic principles
- Develop your skills in sustainable development, statistical process control and product quality control
- Contribute to the global engineering community as you build a network of professional peers and fellow students from other surveying and civil engineering disciplines
- Have access to the University's student support services and community including the Library, study support, sports and recreation facilities, and the Students’ Union
- Get free student registration to the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), where you'll find professional advice and techniques you’ll use in your study and career.
- Study alongside your job, with support from a personal University tutor and a workplace mentor
Top 30
for student satisfaction
(Times Higher Education, 2024)
Accreditations
This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), and it meets in part the academic requirement for registration as Chartered Engineer (CEng).
I'm an employer interested in this degree apprenticeship for my staff
There's more information for you about degree apprenticeships on our information for employers page, or you can contact us directly.
If you have an employee, or employees, in mind, that's great; if you are creating a new opening, we can help you shape and promote the role.
Contact information
Contact Degree ApprenticeshipsEntry requirements
BEng (Hons) Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) entry requirements
Typical offers
- Relevant HE study leading to a Level 5 qualification, for example an appropriate HND, foundation degree or Advanced Diploma, or 240 credits from year 1 and year 2 of an undergraduate degree (BA/BSc), in a relevant subject.
All applicants to the Degree Apprenticeship courses must have an acceptable Level 2 qualification in English and Mathematics. Acceptable qualifications include GCSE with grade C/4 or above and Functional Skills with Pass - please note that we are not able to accept all kinds of Level 2 qualifications, so if you are unsure whether you have a suitable qualification please get in touch.
If you do not have an acceptable qualification you will be required to take an additional assessment during the application process.
Selection process
All applicants will be required to complete a Skills Gap Analysis before completing an application form. All applicants will be invited to attend an academic interview and may be asked to submit a portfolio of work or undertake additional assessment.
You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs - see full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.
We look at more than just your grades
While we consider your grades when making an offer, we also carefully look at your circumstances and other factors to assess your potential. These include whether you live and work in the region and your personal and family circumstances which we assess using established data.
You and your employer
When you begin studying for your degree apprenticeship:
- You need to be 18 or over
- You should be able to satisfy government requirements on residency:
- you must be a citizen or have the right to live in the UK/EEA
- you must have been a resident in the UK/EEA (not the Channel Islands or Isle of Man) for a minimum of 3 years
- you must not need a Student Route visa, and must not have been on a Student Route visa within the past 3 years
- You need to have the right to work in the UK, and to spend at least 50% of your working hours in England
- Your job should meet the requirements of the apprenticeship standard relevant to this degree – we can advise you and your employer on this
- Your employer needs to have registered an apprentice service account – we can help your employer with this if needed
If you aren't currently working in a relevant field, you can apply for a job and degree apprenticeship simultaneously. Read more about applying for this degree apprenticeship.
Facilities
Electron microscopy and microanalysis unit
Develop your practice in high-magnification imaging and analysis of natural and manufactured materials with microscopy, diffraction, laser-ablation and mass spectrometry equipment.
3D printing workshop
Test concepts, build prototypes and bring your designs to life in our 3D printing workshop.
Energy Systems Laboratory
Our energy systems lab includes heat pumps, two wind tunnels, solar thermal collector and several engines, student project test rigs and our Formula Student design and development area.
Careers and opportunities
What can you do with a Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering degree?
Graduates of this course can go on to work in areas including:
- product design
- manufacturing and installation
- project management
- research development
- computer aided design (CAD)
- computer aided manufacturing (CAM)
- controls and programming
- quality management
What jobs can you do with a Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering degree?
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- manufacturing engineer
- product design engineer
- aerospace engineer
- application engineer
- design engineer
- CAD/CAM/CAE engineer
Ongoing career support – up to 5 years after you graduate
Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience.
Towards the end of your degree and for up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Graduate Recruitment Consultancy to help you find your perfect role.
Modules
On this Manufacturing Engineer degree apprenticeship, you'll study modules worth 120 credits.
Modules
Core modules
All modules on this degree apprenticeship are core.
Working independently, with guidance from your supervisor, you'll hone your project management abilities while analysing problems, producing solutions, and reflecting on your work through reports and presentations. On completion, you'll be able to demonstrate your professional capabilities in handling complex problems and technical uncertainty.
In this module, you'll explore the vital role Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) plays in modern engineering design and product realization. You'll apply modelling and simulation for manufacture in an integrated CAD/CAM environment, and analyse the use of integrated CAD/CAM/CAE software in engineering design and manufacture.
In this module, you'll consider national and international responses to global environmental issues, using perspectives drawn from risk management, life-cycle analysis and security frameworks. You'll appraise materials and processes, technical innovations and ethical behaviour, in preparation for careers that can drive positive change.
In this module, you'll evaluate and apply proven industry approaches for optimising manufacturability, conforming to standards, and reducing defects. You'll see how engineers can influence quality at the design stage, meet external codes and standards, and manage tools for quality control. On completion, you'll have developed your understanding of how to engineer high-quality products at scale.
In this module, you'll compare technologies, propose designs and improvements for existing systems, and learn to apply these for economic and ecological benefit. You'll tackle topics like quantitative analysis, reliability optimisation and structured design, developing your expertise in using traditional techniques and emerging developments to meet real-world manufacturing challenges.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed. This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.
Teaching
When you’re at University, you’ll gain skills, knowledge and competence through lectures and tutorials. You’ll then get to put what you learn into practice in your job.
Teaching on this course includes:
- lectures
- tutorials
- practical lab sessions
You can access all teaching resources on Moodle, our virtual learning environment, from anywhere with a web connection.
How you're assessed
The assessments you take on this Manufacturing Engineer degree apprenticeship include:
- a 10,000-word individual project report
- product development projects
- engineering design portfolios
- exams
- essays
- reports
- presentations
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. Feedback is also provided on your individual project report before your final submissions.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
How you'll spend your time
A typical week
On this Manufacturing Engineering degree apprenticeship, you'll spend 4 days a week at work and 1 day a week at University for around 18 months.
You’ll be in timetabled teaching activities such as lectures and workshops for about 8–10 hours on 1 day a week during term time. You also do independent study such as research, reading, coursework and project work, alone or in a group with others from your course.
The day of the week you're at University will be the same each week, so you can plan how to fit your study time into your working routine and other commitments at the start of the year. You may need to come to University on different days during examination periods – we'll let you know what these are at the start of the year.
On the weeks you don't go into university, you'll still spend 20% of your time learning outside of your main job role.
Term dates
The academic year runs from September to June. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.
Supporting you
The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to independent study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your time at university.
As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.
You'll get a workplace mentor who's there to support you during your apprenticeship. They'll understand your workplace responsibilities and help you to balance your workload in your workplace and in your studies
You'll have help from a team of faculty learning support tutors. They can help you improve and develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study in one-on-one and group sessions.
They can help you:
- master the mathematics skills you need to excel on your course
- understand engineering principles and how to apply them in any engineering discipline
- solve computing problems relevant to your course
- develop your knowledge of computer programming concepts and methods relevant to your course
- understand and use assignment feedback
All our labs and practical spaces are staffed by qualified laboratory support staff. They’ll support you in scheduled lab sessions and can give you one-to-one help when you do practical research projects.
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone, or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from a librarian who specialises in your subject area.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
The Maths Cafe offers advice and assistance with mathematical skills in a friendly, informal environment. You can come to our daily drop-in sessions, develop your mathematics skills at a workshop or use our online resources.
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
Costs and funding
Tuition fees
The good news is there's no cost to you as the degree apprentice, as this is an opportunity for your employer to upskill and invest in you – so you won't have to worry about paying back tuition fees. The payment of the course fee is shared between the Government and your employer.
For further information, you can visit our Degree Apprenticeships page or contact our team.
Funding your studies
Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.
Costs breakdown
You’ll study up to 6 modules a year. You may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each module.
You can borrow most of these from the Library. If you buy these, they may cost up to £60 each.
We recommend that you budget £100 a year for photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.
Apply
Application deadline
- The application deadline to start in September 2025 is to be confirmed.
Applications received after this date may not be considered.
I'm applying with my current employer
If you're already in full-time work, and your employer is interested in you studying this course, get them to contact us and we'll work out how to work together.
If your employer isn't interested yet, you might find it useful to share our information for employers page with them.
Employer contact form Information for employers
I'm looking for a job with a Degree Apprenticeship role
If you're not in full-time employment, or your current employer is not interested in degree apprenticeships, you'll need to find a role that does offer a degree apprenticeship. You can search the gov.uk list of open degree apprenticeship vacancies, or contact us with your details and we'll let you know when degree apprenticeship vacancies come up.
When you apply for a role that includes one of our degree apprenticeships, you'll follow the company's standard recruitment process for the job, while we assess your academic suitability for the course.
Search degree apprenticeship roles (gov.uk) Contact us
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.