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Mechanical Engineering for England - NTU in Mansfield Higher National Certificate

UCAS code: H307 (Full-time)

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  • Level of study:
    Undergraduate
  • Typical offer:
    56 - 64 UCAS tariff points
  • Start date:
    September 2026
  • Duration:
    1 year full-time, 18 months part-time.
  • Attendance:
    Full-time, Part-time
  • Course delivery:
    On-campus (Mansfield Hub)
Mechanical Engineering
Information for 2026

About this course

The HNC Mechanical Engineering course offers a comprehensive education designed to enhance technical, communication, and management skills for aspiring engineers. This course is ideal for those already working in the engineering sector who want to advance their careers, as well as for individuals looking to enter the field. With a focus on real-world applications, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle contemporary engineering challenges.

Delivered both full-time and part-time, the course combines theoretical learning with practical experience, ensuring you can apply engineering concepts to real-life scenarios. The curriculum covers a broad range of topics, from engineering design and fluid mechanics to thermodynamics and production engineering, preparing you for a variety of roles in the engineering industry.

NTU in Mansfield is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including an Engineering Lab and CAD suite, to support your learning. With expert tutors and a strong focus on employability, the course provides a clear pathway to career progression in roles such as design engineer, engineering technician, and project manager. The course also offers opportunities for further study, such as progression to an HND in Mechanical Engineering.

  • Industry-standard equipment

    You'll have access to a state-of-the-art Engineering Lab, equipped with the tools and technology you need to prepare for a career in Engineering.

  • Flexible delivery

    The course is delivered full-time and part-time - enabling you to fit learning around your work and other commitments.

  • Launch your career in Engineering

    This course prepares you to progress to a range of roles in the engineering industry and the opportunity to continue your studies with the HND.

  • Small class sizes

    provide a friendly, flexible, more personalised learning experience. 

You'll study the underpinning engineering theory and get to apply it through practical sessions in our engineering facilities. To develop your engineering skills you'll be applying your skills to real-world situations and problems, making you think and work like a professional engineer.

The modules will focus on relating theory to current engineering topics and issues. You'll explore developing and future technologies so you'll be at the forefront of what's happening in industry.

Course accreditations

Higher Technical Qualification Certified

This course contains a Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ), which means that it has been quality marked by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to indicate their alignment to employer-led occupational standards and to ensure that you will be receiving a prestigious education met by employer needs.

Find out more by visiting the HTQ page.

  • An orange cog that serves as the logo for HTQs.

Module information

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying throughout the course:

We regularly review our course content based on student and employer feedback to ensure they remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or availability in future years. Optional modules will only run where there is sufficient demand. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to protect the academic and student experience.

How you're taught

The course is delivered full-time and part-time, enabling you to fit learning around your work and other commitments.

  • The full-time course is studied over one year.
  • The part-time course is studied over 18 months (one day per week).

The course is predominantly coursework-based with some practical assessments and class tests.

Outside of timetabled sessions, you'll need to undertake self-directed independent study. This will include preparing for seminars, researching, completing coursework, and directed reading to expand your knowledge.

Seminars and lab sessions

You'll have seminars and lab sessions, where you'll apply theory learned to real-world situations. These sessions involve active learning and are driven by collaboration with your tutors and classmates. Due to the smaller class sizes, this approach enables individualised support to ensure you reach your learning potential.

Contact hours

For each 20-credit module, you’ll spend about 200 hours learning overall. Around 40 of those hours will be taught in lectures or seminars. The rest of the time is for independent study, reading, research, or working on assignments.

Entry requirements

UK students

  • Standard offer: 64 UCAS Tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent including Maths grade C
  • Contextual offer: 56 UCAS tariff points from three A-levels or equivalent including Maths grade C
  • Other requirements: GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.

To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.

International students

This course is not suitable for student who require a student visa.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

Full-time

  • £8,160

Part-time (18 months)

  • £5,440 (Year one)
  • £2,720 (Year two)

Please note that if you are considering a part-time route that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for year one of study. The course fee for year two is subject to annual review.

Bursaries

A university bursary is an award that can help those who may not have otherwise been able to afford to attend university. We offer the following cash bursaries to prospective students:

  • NTU Bursaries
  • NTU Opportunity Bursary
  • NTU Care Leavers and Foyer Resident Bursary
  • NTU Estranged Student Bursary
  • Nursing, Teacher Training and Social Work Bursaries

Find out more about bursaries

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees, including the placement year and study abroad options are subject to government policy and may change in future years of study.

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but we don’t want you to feel anxious or confused about it. Visit our fees and funding pages if you have any concerns.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

This course is not suitable for applicants who require a student visa.

However, we do accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our Bachelors and Masters degrees. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please see our information about international qualifications.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Textbooks and library books

Your modules will point you to key textbooks and recommended reading. Many are available online, and in our libraries, but some students choose to buy their own copies. You’ll receive resource lists showing where to access eBooks, digital resources and physical copies. Our friendly Library team is always on hand to help you find what you need.

Printing and photocopying costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the printing and photocopying information on the Library website.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, phone the Student Money Team on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

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Money advice for international students

Careers and employability

This course focuses on specialist technical skills and knowledge and provides you with a clear set of skills and goals for entering employment. Following this course, you can enter a wide range of engineering roles, including:

  • CAD / CAM Designer
  • Engineering Technician (Design of Rail Rolling Stock)
  • Technical Engineer (Metal Packaging Production)
  • Design Engineer (Aerospace Connectors).

As this is a vocational course part-time students would typically already be working in industry. This course is suitable for applicants planning to progress to the first level of supervisory responsibility in their career.

Further study

Students who successfully complete the HNC Mechanical Engineering course will have the opportunity to progress onto HND Mechanical Engineering.

Employability team

Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies and for up to three years after completing your course.

  • Employability Promise

    Personalised support, one-on-one coaching and industry-specific advice – it’s all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn’t end when you leave NTU – you’ll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).

  • Graduate employers

    Graduates from this course have successful careers in organisations such as:

    • Turbine Surface Technologies Ltd
    • BTR Medical
    • SPS Aerostructures

  • Our graduates are…

    Graduates from this course now work in a wide range of roles such as:

    • Manufacturing Engineer
    • Test Engineer
    • Project Manager

  • Assessed work-like experience

    We’ve embedded at least eight weeks of assessed work-like experience into all of our courses. This gives you the opportunity to apply your learning in real-world scenarios, build your confidence, and develop the experience employers are looking for.

  • NTU Enterprise

    If you’re a budding entrepreneur, NTU Student Enterprise can help you to develop your ideas and innovations and turn them into a reality. We also offer training, mentoring, workshops, financial advice and more to develop your business skills.

Campus and facilities

As an NTU Mansfield student, you’ll benefit from the latest facilities and modern technology to support your studies and help you get the most out of student life.

We are continually investing in our facilities and enhancing our learning and teaching environment to make it an inspiring place for students.

Plus, as an Engineering student at Nottingham Trent University in Mansfield, you will have access to an Engineering Lab, a high-performance CAD suite, industry-standard robotics, hydraulics and pneumatics test equipment and electronics equipment.

Facilities and services include:

  • University Centre
  • Teaching and Learning Centre
  • Engineering Lab with robotics, 3D printing, CNC machining and automation equipment
  • CAD suite
  • Electronics equipment
  • Library
  • Dedicated study zones, including PC suites
  • On-site café
  • Social spaces
  • Sports facilities
  • Student Support Services
  • Nottingham Trent Students Union (NTSU) drop-in events.

Applying

UK students

For the full-time course, apply through UCAS. The UCAS code is H307.

For the part-time course, apply directly through out portal.

Keeping up to date

After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page.

International students

This course is not suitable for Student Visa applicants.

We accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please visit our international qualifications page.

We have undergraduate Engineering courses which are suitable for Student Visa applicants. Here is a list of all the undergraduate courses we offer.

Please read our application guidance before you start your application.

We advise you to prepare and apply as early as you can as Student visa processing time can vary.

We'll send you important emails throughout the application process. Please check your emails regularly, including your junk/spam mail folder.

Personal statement guidance

You’ll submit a personal statement with your UCAS application – here are our tips on what to include and how to structure your personal statement.

Application support

If you have any questions about applying, get in touch through our online form or call us on 44 (0)115 848 4200.

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More from this subject

View more courses on the Engineering subject page

Further study

View Engineering postgraduate courses

Keeping in touch

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