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HNC

Mechanical Engineering

Take the first steps on your path to becoming an engineer with accessible, part-time study designed around you.

How to apply Apply Through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to Us

Key Course Details

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • Campus Code

    A

Fees

  • Home students

    £785*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
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Engineering is a huge field with incredible job opportunities, and we can help you take the first step in your engineering education. Designed to be completed part-time with your employer, you’ll learn the basics of mechanical engineering and the study skills you need to take your learning further.

DESIGNED FOR

If you’re interested in how things work and want to take your learning further, an HNC in Mechanical Engineering is for you. Study part-time for two years alongside your job. The HNC is equivalent to year one of a degree, allowing you to progress to an HND or BSc.

Accredited By

  • The Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Career Paths

  • Maintenance Engineer 
  • Production Engineer 
  • Manufacturing 

Skills Taught

  • Communication
  • Problem-solving
  • Teamwork
  • Engineering mathematics
  • Design and manufacture 

A student wearing navy engineering overalls adjusts the measurements on a piece of engineering equipment on top of a desk in a workshop at USW's Treforest campus. Behind the student is windows showing plants outside against a white wall

Course Highlights

Part-time study

Many of our HNC students are sponsored by their employers to gain their qualifications alongside paid work.

Practical learning

Each module includes practical tasks so you can put your learning to the test.

State-of-the-art facilities

Our labs let you apply the theory learned in our classrooms to facilities that mirror the real world.

Module Overview

During your time on this course, you’ll attend the University one day a week and study three modules each year for two years.

  • Engineering Mathematics
  • Design and Manufacture
  • Professional Engineering Techniques
  • Mechanical Science 1
  • Measurement Systems
  • Thermofluids 1

Students will cover three modules in year one, each worth 20 credits. The first module introduces engineering mathematics, and you’ll also cover design, manufacturing and professional engineering techniques.

Engineering Mathematics  
You'll learn the mathematical skills needed to solve engineering problems and understand the relevance of mathematics in engineering.

Design and Manufacture  
You'll gain knowledge in engineering design, manufacturing and materials to acquire basic skills in manufacturing practice.

Professional Engineering Techniques  
This module covers the key skills that will provide a basis for future personal and professional development. 

In year two, you’ll build on what you learned in your first year and study a further three modules. You’ll cover mechanical science, measurement systems and thermofluids. By the end of year two, you will have completed everything you need to launch your engineering career.

Mechanical Science 1
You'll learn engineering principles in the areas of static and dynamic and investigate a number of major scientific principles.

Measurement Systems
You'll learn to specify and select sensors for engineering measurement and design fundamental signal processing circuitry.

Thermofluids 1
You'll gain a basic understanding of thermodynamic and fluid mechanic properties of liquids and gases and a basis for more advanced study.

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

We want to make sure that our teaching style suits you, so we have combined lectures, seminars and tutorials with practical work using our specialist workshop and laboratory facilities. This will allow you to learn the theory and then apply it to embed your learning.  

As a part-time student, you will also have the opportunity to apply what you learn at university within your employer’s business.

Teaching staff

Our teaching team comes from across industry and academia, and you’ll benefit from their wealth of experience. With such varied backgrounds, you can be sure there’s someone on the team who can help you achieve your learning and career goals. Our doors are always open, and we take great pride in helping our students make the most of their university experience.

Facilities

We’re very proud of our extensive practical facilities. They include well-equipped computer rooms using state-of-the-art industry standard software (SolidWorks, Matlab, Ansys, FEA and CFD, LS-Dyna, SolidCAM, Simul8, etc.). You’ll also get to use dedicated project rooms with access to a laser cutter and a full range of rapid prototyping facilities.

We have composite manufacturing facilities, including autoclaves and additive manufacturing apparatus, laser scanners, a wind tunnel, extensive material testing facilities, as well as laboratories with equipment for supplementing teaching in all core subjects.

Placements and work experience

We have extensive partnerships across the engineering industry and use these to enhance your learning. Site visits include an opportunity to visit the Mini plant in Oxford. If you are studying part-time, we’ll work with your employer to make sure you’re getting the most out of both your course and your work. The HNC provides an excellent introduction to mechanical engineering, and you can go on to study the HND or the BSc in Mechanical Engineering.

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

This course will help build a firm foundation for employment as a senior technician in a range of engineering sectors including aviation, defence, medical engineering, engineering management, manufacturing, and the automotive industry. 

If completing the HNC gives you a greater love for engineering and a passion for further study, you can continue your studies with us. You can progress onto the HND and then to the BSc (Hons) Mechanical Engineering degree where you can complete a major industry or research-based project. The three courses share the same level 4 modules, giving you all the tools you need for further study or continued work.

Industry Partners

We have industry partners across the entire spectrum of mechanical engineering. From aerospace and robotics to manufacturing, mechanical engineering is by far the most flexible of all the engineering subjects. Many members of our faculty have a background in the industry themselves and have retained contacts. We’re all on your side and will use those contacts to help you achieve your learning and career goals. We can provide advice on work placements and job applications as well as introductions and career guidance.

Careers support

As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate. 

This includes one-to-one appointments with faculty-based career advisers, in person, over the phone, on Microsoft Teams and via email through the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, an interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS Points: 48 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: DD at A level
  • Welsh BACC: Grade D and D at A Level
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Pass Pass Pass or BTEC Diploma Pass Pass
  • Access to HE: Pass Access with a minimum of 48 UCAS points

Additional requirements include:

Three GCSEs at grade C/Grade 4 or above, including Mathematics and English language. Applications are considered on an individual basis.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Part-time Fee

£785

per 20 credits*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.  

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University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
 

Next Steps

How to apply
Apply Through UCAS
Book an Open Day
Chat to Us