General Engineering

Course details Enter the exciting world of engineering and gain the skills you need to plan, design and analyse engineering projects aligned to the needs of local, national and global industry. This degree delivers the breadth and depth that you will need to succeed in the world of engineering. It is designed to produce graduates who will go on to lead engineering teams. A common first two years in General Engineering provide you with the broad knowledge required to effectively work on multi-disciplinary engineering problems. The course structure offers a huge amount of flexibility – you could join us on a civil engineering pathway but decide to pursue electronic engineering at the end of your second year. We believe in empowering our students to make informed decisions that would best serve their future careers.

Why Durham University? Engineering at Durham is designed to develop talented, modern engineers who are equipped with the skills to solve problems across traditional discipline boundaries – from offshore wind turbines to electro-mechanical devices manufactured on a microchip. With an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability, we are one of only a small number of general engineering departments in the UK. We offer a range of BEng and MEng qualifications with flexible pathways to suit your interests and career goals, including the possibility of a work placement or year abroad. We consider Engineering as an integrated subject so, whichever degree you choose, you will study a common General Engineering for the first two years. After this time, you will have developed enough knowledge to make an informed decision about your future, both in terms of your discipline and the length of your degree, with transfer possible between the courses up to the end of the second year. All courses are accredited by the relevant professional institution. Our MEng programmes fulfil the educational requirements for Chartered Engineer status.

Facilities We are one of the most comprehensively equipped engineering departments in the UK with dedicated teaching laboratories and advanced facilities, including the newly refurbished electrical laboratory, wind tunnels, microelectronics clean rooms, a geotechnical engineering laboratory and powerful computers for computationally demanding projects.

Rankings 4th in the Complete University Guide 2025 6th in the Guardian University Guide 2025 6th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

Career Opportunities We have an outstanding reputation for employability. Our students have a dedicated careers contact who is available to offer advice and carry out mock interviews. Our Industrial Partnership Committee of around 20 local, national and international companies will ensure you have access to the best employment opportunities. Our graduates are employed in many sectors across the world including roles in civil, mechanical, electronic, electrical, manufacturing, design, aeronautics and systems engineering, and as consultants, technology analysts and software developers. Examples of high-profile employers include BP, Rolls Royce, and BAE Systems.