Materials Science and Engineering with a Foundation Year, BEng (Hons)

We accept a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds for the Engineering Foundation Year. Each application is considered on a case-by case basis, depending on the educational background and work experience of the applicant.

For A level or IB students, our standard offer is CCC-CDD at A level, or 26 at IB.

Students studying for BTEC or other vocational qualifications, who might not have the right pre-requisite Mathematical background for Year 1 entry, may also apply for this scheme. BTEC entry requirements for the Foundation Year are DDD, with D in all Mathematics modules.

All applicants are also expected to hold minimum B grades at GCSE (or equivalent) in Mathematics and all sciences, including at least two A grades.

Mature students with relevant work experience, or access courses with a good mathematical and science content, are also considered for this scheme; an interview may be required.

International/EU Students

Please visit The College website for course information and entry requirements. If you don’t meet the entry requirements of our three-year undergraduate courses, you can join our Foundation or International Year One programmes at The College which will prepare you for your chosen Engineering degree path at Swansea University.

Click here to apply

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching. 

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

No Provision

Unfortunately, there is currently no formal Welsh-medium provision on this course. If you would like to let us know that you are interested in pursuing an element of your course through the medium of Welsh, please email astudio@abertawe.ac.uk to indicate your interest along with your year of entry and we will do our best to see what is possible.

Whilst this course does not offer academic content delivered in Welsh, the University can provide you with the following, and Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you:

• An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
• The option to receive your personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
• The option to write and submit your coursework or exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be marked in Welsh.
• A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
• One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
• An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
• Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

As a student studying on the foundation year, don’t worry that you will miss out on an accredited engineering degree. You won’t. The courses are accredited by a range of professional institutions. Depending on which course you choose, will depend on which Professional Body accredits your degree.

The various examples of accreditation organisations include IET, IMechE, IOM3, IChemE, RAeS.

You will be taught by world-class lecturers who are all active researchers. Their research areas of expertise include Metallurgy and Coatings, Fossil-Free Steel Making, Energy Store Materials and much more.

See all the Materials Engineering staff here.

Fees for full time Undergraduate UK students may be increased in subsequent years of study by an inflationary amount determined by Welsh Government.

Fees for full time Undergraduate EU/International students will increase by 3% for each subsequent year of study.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

The tuition fees for the Materials Science and Engineering degree do not cover costs incurred personally by the student such as the purchase of books or stationery, printing or photocopying costs.

Recommended textbooks for this course are available in the library. All software needed for the course is available on the Engineering network, for use within our PC rooms at Swansea University.

Free wireless internet access is available across the whole of the University campus and halls of residence.

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

We are very proud of the excellent career prospects of our Engineering graduates.

We are continually striving to improve the employability of our students, by cultivating strong relationships with graduate employers and by ensuring our students are as prepared as they can be for the world of work. Find out more about our Careers & Employability service.

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

Providing the best student experience possible is of the utmost importance to us, and we have well-established systems and support staff in place in order to facilitate this. We have regular Maths, Chemistry and Software Cafes for students to develop their skills within these areas. Find out more about the student support we offer here.

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as China, Zambia, South Korea, Japan, Canada and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

Apply now – UK, EU and international students.

For further guidance please visit our how to apply pages.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.

If you are an international student please find more information about our Foundation Year at The College here.