Access Course for the MEng in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Programme

Introduction
This Access Course is for Honours students whose primary degree is not in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, but who wish to join the MEng in Mechanical and Manufacturing programme. It is a bridge between your existing knowledge and the knowledge you need to enter one of these courses. It is a one-year, part-time course.
Students on the Masters Access Programme may transfer onto the Masters programme, subject to the transfer requirements. Find out more about our MEng in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering here.
About this course
The aim of this course is:
- To provide relevant fundamental Mechanical and Manufacturing knowledge in preparation for the MEng programme.
- To be a skills conversion programme.
View the current course structure
Why choose this course?
- You can study part-time and remotely for maximum flexibility.
- It offers an opportunity to change your career path.
- It is a unique programme not available anywhere else in Ireland.
Life on Campus
We have three academic campuses close to Dublin City centre - they are located in Glasnevin and Drumcondra, and can be reached by public transport (Dublin Bus).
Each campus has libraries, study spaces, restaurants, and on-campus residencies. Sports facilities are located on two of the academic campuses. We also have a dedicated sports campus in the form of St Claire’s.
Exceptional facilities
DCU students have access to exceptional teaching and learning facilities across our three academic campuses.
These include modern learning theatres, research centres, television and radio/podcast studios, classrooms, computer suites and advanced labs in the areas of languages, engineering, physics, chemistry and biotechnology, as well as a sports performance centre and training hospital ward. In 2021, we opened our first virtual reality ‘Leadership Lab’, which is located in our Business School.
Construction on our FutureTech building on the Glasnevin campus will get underway in 2022. Once completed, this facility will advance DCU’s international reputation for excellence in science, computing and engineering disciplines. It will have the capacity to accommodate an additional 3,000 STEM students on the university’s Glasnevin campus.
Campus life
Among the student facilities in DCU are a sports complex with a 25 metre pool, three libraries and The Helix, our renowned performing arts centre.
In 2018, a purpose-built state-of-the-art new student centre - The U - was opened. This centre serves the needs of a rapidly growing student body of 18,500 and is home to the Student Leadership and Lifeskills Centre, performing arts and cultural spaces for students and the wider community, and an Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub.
There are more than 140 clubs and societies for students in DCU, with ‘Clubs & Socs’ days taking place on both the Glasnevin and Drumcondra campuses at the start of the academic year.
Student Supports
We have a number of academic, professional and social supports for students.
Student Advice Centre: Offers a wide range of supports and services to students
The Writing Centre - drop-in writing workshops for students through the academic year
Maths Learning Centre - provides maths support for students of all ability levels with maths modules
Student Learning: facilitate the transition from passive to active learning for students at DCU, by teaching study skills, nurturing critical thinking and building student confidence.
Careers work with students to help them on their professional journey into graduate employment.
Our student support team offers a comprehensive support programme, helping students make that all important transition into university life and focusing on building confidence and skills which are key to success at third level.
Careers
The Access programme offers an entry route to the Postgraduate programmes in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, which opens up many opportunities to its graduates.
Some students have launched a new career in design and manufacturing, often based on new skills they have developed and nurtured during the Masters project. Part-time students have found that their career progression has been more rapid, or that new roles have opened up with their employers. Others have progressed to PhD research and gained further advancement and recognition.
In a competitive time for positions, the extra qualifications provided by this programme are a valuable addition to your CV.
Find out more about our MEng in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering here.
Requirements
The normal entry requirements for the Access Course are:
- A level 8 (NFQ level 8 qualification) Honours degree in a Science/Technology based degree (Applied Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, etc.), OR
- A level 8 (NFQ level 8 qualification) Honours degree in other areas of engineering (Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, Civil Engineering, etc.) Both cases are subject to an interview if deemed necessary by the Chair of the Programme or Head of School.
Candidates are expected to have educational qualifications of a standard equivalent to those outlined above. In addition, where such candidates are non-native speakers of the English language they must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language.
Non-EU Applicants: This programme is not available to non-EU students.
There is no February intake for this programme. Commencement of Programme September 2020.