BEng (Hons) Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Defence (accelerated)
Award
BEng (Hons)
Start Date
21/09/2026
Duration
2 years
Mode
Full-time
Location
University of Greater Manchester
UCAS Code
H233
If you are aiming for a career in defence or advanced manufacturing engineering, this course offers a strong foundation. The BEng (Hons) Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Defence is a hands-on, industry-focused degree designed to develop skilled defence engineers. It combines theory and practice across advanced and additive manufacturing, digital systems and Industry 4.0, materials and structural analysis, defence communications, non-destructive testing, and sustainable engineering.
Please note:
This course is 'Subject to Approval' and has not yet completed the University’s approvals process.
Whilst we are confident that the course will be approved, there is the possibility that the course
may not run or may be subject to alterations. This course is due to be validated by March 2026 after
which we will write to all applicants who have applied for the course to let them know the
outcome and of any changes. In the event that a course is not approved the University
will make reasonable efforts to offer an alternative course at the University.
Course Overview
Developed in response to the defence sector's need for engineers who can handle both advanced manufacturing and complex systems integration. By studying BEng (Hons) in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Defence, you will develop the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to design, develop, and deliver advanced engineering solutions within complex, defence-oriented projects delivered in a way that ensures personalised learning and close interaction with expert staff.The curriculum covers foundational engineering topics including mathematics, materials science, engineering principles, and electrical and electronic principles. You will also build essential CAD/CAM skills with industry-standard software and apply them to genuine defence engineering problems through team-based projects with industrial focus.
Defence-specific topics include advanced additive manufacturing technologies, defence communications systems, power and propulsion systems, and the application of digital and smart technologies in secure environments. By building on these foundations, you will learn to apply computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and advanced simulation software, to support analysing the performance, reliability, and safety of defence systems.
Practical learning is a major part of the programme. You will gain experience with CNC machining, power systems, radiofrequency (RF) measurement, polymer and metal additive manufacturing, and other advanced manufacturing techniques. The course introduces Industry 4.0, 5.0 and digital manufacturing concepts, such as predictive maintenance, automation, and data-driven decision-making. You will also work with PLC systems, designing and programming industrial control systems to simulate the automation and monitoring of defence manufacturing processes, giving you the necessary skills to work in the defence/advanced manufacturing industry.
You will be taught by academic staff with strong industrial backgrounds and supported by guest lectures, masterclasses, and live industrial projects, providing insight into defence manufacturing organisations and professional practice. Employability and professional development are embedded throughout, with opportunities for placements and internships to gain real-world experience.
Graduates go on to careers as defence systems engineers, advanced manufacturing specialists, design analysts, and test & evaluation engineers in global defence companies, government agencies, and pioneering engineering firms, where resilience, innovation, and cutting-edge technology are critical.
Highlights
- The University of Greater Manchester has over 200 years’ experience in engineering education. This defence programme is regularly updated to reflect current industry needs, emerging technologies, and the evolving challenges facing UK defence manufacturing.
- Our purpose-built facilities give you access to industry-standard equipment - CNC machining and turning, RF measurement equipment, power systems, additive manufacturing for metals and polymers, mechanical workshops, electronic and electrical labs, QA/QC and advanced metrology laboratories, and PLC programming used in defence manufacturing
- We offer flexible study pathways that allow students to pause their studies to undertake industrial placements or internships with partner organisations, manufacturers, and suppliers, supporting valuable real-world engineering experience.
- We help you develop lifelong learning skills so that you can take ownership of your professional development for the future, maximising your potential for success
Key Features
- The University of Greater Manchester has a distinguished history in engineering education. Founded in 1825 as The Bolton Mechanics Institute.
- We have a student-centred approach to teaching and learning, with personal academic tutor support
- You'll benefit from open access and skills development in industry-standard software applications, manufacturing tools and electrical engineering apparatus.
- Course materials are available online in our virtual learning environment (VLE), allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Nearby Manchester is one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, and the Northwest of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline, and heritage.
Entry Requirements
- 96 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Your Level 3 subjects must include mathematics and a physical science subject; for instance, A-level Mathematics and Physics or BTEC Extended Diploma in Engineering (you should choose units in additional mathematics and analytical subjects).
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English, Mathematics and Science.
- We'll be happy to consider your application if you have non-traditional entry qualifications and relevant experience or a suitable portfolio of work that we consider a reasonable substitute for the qualifications we typically accept for this course. If you have an HND/C in an appropriate engineering discipline, we'll consider you for entry to level HE5 of this programme, depending on the subject area of qualification and the level of maths and science that you have achieved. You may be asked to undertake additional assessment(s) to determine your suitability for the course.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- If English is not your first language, you will also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
This course is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and practical experience needed to contribute to the design, development, and delivery of advanced engineering solutions within the defence sector. The programme combines expertise in advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and wireless communications systems with the development of strong employability skills. Graduates will be able to apply technical knowledge innovatively, analyse and communicate complex engineering solutions, and work effectively through teamwork, project management, and informed decision-making in demanding, safety-critical environments.
What can I do with this qualification?
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification to enter a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possibilities include:
- Research and development
- Design engineering
- Test and development engineering
- Manufacturing engineering
- Operations management
- Materials science
- Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) Engineer.
- Digital Manufacturing Engineer
- Project management
- Quality management
- Consultancy
- Technical sales
Professional Recognition
BEng (Hons) Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Defence uses UK-SPEC learning outcomes and is designed to work towards achieving Chartered Membership with Engineering Council. Further training and experience will be required to gain Chartered Membership, please see the Engineering Council UK website for further details.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Greater Manchester’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@greatermanchester.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Greater Manchester’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@greatermanchester.ac.uk for more information.
Important note regarding tuition fees: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
Home Undergraduate Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The tuition fee set is based on the regulations and guidance in force at the time of offer but remains subject to adjustment in accordance with any government-approved inflationary increase. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for all years of study, including the first year, by no more than the maximum increase permitted under legislation and regulatory guidance issued by the UK Government and the Office for Students.
Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
This approach ensures that tuition fees remain compliant with applicable legislation, proportionate to inflationary changes, and consistent with government policy linking permitted fee uplifts to the maintenance of high-quality education and outcomes. For more information, please refer to the government guidance at: gov.uk – Universities to deliver better outcomes in return for full fees.
Postgraduate and International Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for subsequent years of study in accordance with its Course Fees Policy. Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply for multiple institutions or multiple courses at the University of Greater Manchester for September entry, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
If you wish to apply for a single course offered by the University of Greater Manchester for any intake, you can apply directly
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply directly to the University using our online application form shown below.
A direct application to the University of Greater Manchester provides the following features:
Free of charge to apply
Secure, simple and streamlined
Contact us directly for any admissions queries
Regular updates on your application directly from the University
Invites to offer holder events and taster sessions where you can meet your future tutors and get a flavour of university life
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to the University of Greater Manchester. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to the University of Greater Manchester.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Greater Manchester, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@greatermanchester.ac.uk
-
Apply online: University of Greater Manchester BEng (Hons) Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Defence (accelerated) STV - 21 September 2026
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Greater Manchester Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Greater Manchester
For valued members of the University of Greater Manchester Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
If you have carefully considered your course and institution choices and decided that this course is the best option for you, you may apply free of charge to the University. By selecting the appropriate link from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
NOTE: You cannot apply both through UCAS and directly to the University of Greater Manchester. Submitting an application to any university through UCAS during the same academic year will void any direct application you make to the University of Greater Manchester.
For courses starting in September, please be aware that we are required to share your information with UCAS if we accept you on this course. We will create a simplified UCAS acceptance record on your behalf and return this to UCAS. By submitting your application directly to the University of Greater Manchester, you agree to these terms.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@greatermanchester.ac.uk
-
Apply online: University of Greater Manchester BEng (Hons) Advanced Manufacturing Engineering for Defence (accelerated) STV - 21 September 2026
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
You will be expected to attend formally timetabled classes, including lectures, tutorials, and tutor-led in-class exercises, and engage with case studies, laboratory activities, investigations and assignments, in groups and individually. All these activities are designed to help you acquire and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. Our personal tutor system underpins all our teaching and provides one-on-one support, peer support and individual care and attention.
Other teaching methods, such as open-ended projects, and design, make and test activities, provide opportunities to develop creativity and innovation skills. These are designed to meet the professional body accreditation requirements and help you apply, assimilate and integrate your understanding of the course material.
Personal study time is required, and we will assess your progress through a strategic blend of project or design reports, examinations, portfolios, presentations and other assignments. Some assessments contribute to your final module marks, while others are designed to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and where you need to seek extra support from course tutors.
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
Programme Contacts
Disclaimer: The “Greater Manchester Way” represents our preferred teaching and learning approach; however, not all courses follow a block-teaching model. While course structures and delivery patterns may vary to meet Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements, all courses benefit from the GM Way approach to curriculum design and assessment. Applicants and students should refer to individual course specifications for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
