Design Engineering
Fuse design thinking with engineering knowledge and practice in this highly creative integrated Master’s degree
Learn how to use design tools and new technologies to build user-centred solutions for a fair, sustainable, and opportunity-rich society
Gain hands-on experience in the field on a six-month placement with a leading industrial partner.
Combine your engineering and design skills with business knowledge across a range of projects and workshops
Course key facts
Qualification
MEng
Duration
4 years
Start date
October 2026
UCAS course code
28G3
Study mode
Full-time
-
Fees
Not set Home
Not set Overseas
Delivered by
Location
-
South Kensington
-
Applications: places
7 : 1 (2024)
Minimum entry standard
A*AA (A-level)
39 points (International Baccalaureate)
Course overview
Design engineering combines traditional engineering with modern design tools and mindsets. This professionally accredited four-year course prepares you to turn your creativity into real-world solutions.
You’ll gain essential skills, including computer-aided engineering, rapid prototyping, human-centred design, systems thinking, and sustainability, equipping you to bring innovative products to life. From manufacturing techniques to computational methods, you’ll explore how design engineers develop new products and improve existing ones, creating practical solutions for modern challenges.
In your first two years, you’ll dive into core subjects such as design principles, mathematics, electronics, mechatronics, and data science, working in teams to solve complex problems and build collaboration skills. With access to extensive hackspaces and workshops, you’ll have the freedom to experiment and refine your ideas as you gain hands-on experience in technical design and engineering.
In your final two years, optional modules allow you to specialise, while a six-month paid industrial placement in your third year provides invaluable industry experience. With past placements at leading companies like Dyson, Jaguar Land Rover, and Apple, you’ll gain practical insights into the demands of design engineering and build connections that can shape your future career.
You’ll also develop enterprise skills as you learn to translate design engineering into impact. Your final year culminates in projects and entrepreneurship opportunities, giving you the chance to bring one of your own designs to market and gather feedback from real users. By the end of the programme, you’ll be ready to lead in a broad range of engineering fields, equipped with both technical expertise and creative problem-solving skills.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You’ll study these core modules.
Core modules
Explore design engineering in a global and professional context and how design engineering issues are creatively tackled.
Better understand computer programming through a hands-on approach and build your appreciation of the Python programming language and supporting tools.
Analyse the mathematical tools and techniques used to tackle a variety of design engineering problems.
Identify common engineering materials and the means to manufacture them into geometries.
Develop competence in creative human-centred design engineering and improve your skills in design drawing, engineering drawing and 3D computer aided design.
Explore a wide range of datasets, to perform data analysis and use key insights from statistics and machine learning.
Learn how to link force and displacement using laws of physics and how this can be used to model several real-world problems.
Develop your understanding of analogue and digital electronics as found in all electronics systems.
Professional accreditation
.png)
This degree is professionally accredited by the following organisations on behalf of the Engineering Council:
- Institution of Engineering Designers (IED)
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
With this integrated Master’s degree, you’ll fully meet the academic requirements for professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
With a professionally accredited degree, you’ll be able to demonstrate to employers that you have achieved an industry-recognised standard of competency. Professional accreditation also provides international recognition of your qualifications, which you can use to launch a career abroad.
Becoming a Chartered Engineer can further enhance your career prospects and earning potential. It demonstrates your competencies and commitment to lifelong learning – providing you with recognition in your field and greater influence and opportunities.
The accreditation from the IED runs from 2017 to 2025. The accreditation from IMechE runs from 2022 to 2026, and the accreditation from IET runs from September 2020 to August 2025. The department expects to be accredited by all three professional bodies in the future.
Associateship
In addition to your degree, you’ll receive the Associateship of the City and Guilds of London Institute (ACGI) upon completion of this course. This associateship is awarded by one of our historic constituent Colleges.
Teaching and assessment
Balance of teaching and learning
Key
- Timetabled sessions
- Independent study
Years 1 and 2
- 30% Timetabled sessions
- 70% Independent study
Years 3 and 4
- 15% Timetabled sessions
- 85% Independent study
Teaching and learning methods
-
Lectures
-
Tutorials
-
Workshops
-
Project-based learning
-
Virtual learning environment
Balance of assessment
Key
- Examination
- Coursework
- Practical
Year 1
- 50% Examination
- 40% Coursework
- 10% Practical
Year 2
- 25% Examination
- 50% Coursework
- 25% Practical
Year 3
- 10% Examination
- 60% Coursework
- 30% Practical
Year 4
- 0% Examination
- 75% Coursework
- 25% Practical
Assessment methods
-
Critiques
-
Group projects
-
Individual projects
-
Laboratory practicals
-
Presentations
-
Report writing
-
Written examinations
Testimonials
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
Minimum entry standard
A*AA
To include:
- A* in Mathematics
- A, A in two further subjects
Not accepted: General Studies and Critical Thinking
Science Practical Endorsement: If you are made an offer you will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer.
Typical offer
A*AA (applicants studying three A-levels)
Offers made to at least 50% of 2024 entry A-level applicants.
Support for widening participation applicants
Our contextual admissions route for UK applicants may entitle you to additional considerations within the application process to help us form a more complete picture of your potential to succeed at Imperial.
Find out more about who is eligible and what support you may receive.
How to apply
Apply via UCAS
When applications open, you will be able to start your application via UCAS Hub. There you can add this course as one of your choices and track your application.
Applications open on 13 May 2025
Application deadlines – 14 January 2026 at 18.00 (UK time)
Admissions test (ESAT)
To be eligible for selection for this course for 2026 entry, you must sit the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) as part of the application process.
Check the entry requirements section on this page to learn more about the ESAT.
Assessing your application
Admissions Tutors consider all the evidence available during our rigorous selection process and the College flags key information providing assessors with a more complete picture of the educational and social circumstances relevant to the applicant. Some applicants may be set lower offers and some more challenging ones.
If your application has demonstrated sufficient potential you will be invited for an online interview. These typically run from November to March.
During the interview, your interest and aptitude will be assessed through a range of questions and problems. You are encouraged to present some examples of your own work/projects towards the end of the interview, although this will be for two minutes maximum, so please choose your examples carefully.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
For further information on our application process – from personal statements to interviews – please visit our Application Information and FAQ page.
Fees and funding
Home fee
2026 entry
Not set
As a guide, the Home fee for 2025-26 was £9,535 per year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a Home student, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the UK government to cover the entire cost of tuition for every year of your course.
The loan is paid directly to the university.
You will start repaying it only after you leave your course, have a job, and are earning above a certain amount.
Once the repayments start, the amount you pay each month depends on how much you earn, not on how much you owe in total.
Home students can apply for a means-tested Maintenance Loan to help with their living costs.
How you apply for student finance depends on whether you have studied before and where you’re from or normally live. Find out more on the UK government's website.
The Imperial Bursary is available to all Home undergraduate students with a household income below £70,000 per year.
The amount awarded is based on your household income, with up to £5,000/year available for students from the lowest income households.
It's money which you don't need to pay back, and it's paid on top of any government funding you may also receive.
It is available for each year of your course, as long as your annual household income remains below £70,000.
You might need to budget for additional costs related to your course that aren't covered by your tuition fees – like field trips, books and protective clothing.
Our extra costs page outlines the additional costs related to courses in each of our departments. It's not an exhaustive list and any additional costs you could incur will be determined by the course and modules you choose.
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
100% Of Imperial Design Engineering graduates in work or further study*
- 100% Of Imperial Design Engineering graduates in work or further study*
- 0%
77% Of Imperial Design Engineering graduates in highly skilled work or further study*
- 77% Of Imperial Design Engineering graduates in highly skilled work or further study*
- 23%
*2021-22 graduate outcomes data, published by HESA in 2024
.svg){kind=icon}
Gain transferable skills relevant to a career in design engineering or similar fields.
Establish important links with employers through your six-month industrial placement. Previous providers include: Dyson, Brompton Bicycles, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, ABB Robotics, Microsoft Lift, Fitch, Monokoto, Random International, Better Future Factory and Cambridge Consultants.
With specialised knowledge, you'll be highly sought after in a range of sectors.
Leading design and technology companies are just some of your options.
Others have developed startups based on their entrepreneurial expertise.
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7594 8888
- Email: design.engineering@imperial.ac.uk
Request info
Learn more about studying at Imperial. Receive useful information about our life in our undergraduate community and download our latest Study Guide.
Events, tasters and talks
Meet us and find out more about studying at Imperial.
Course data
Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications