Engineering

Engineering at Cambridge begins with a rigorous multidisciplinary foundation and adds deep specialist and professional expertise. This unique blend of analysis and problem-solving prepares you for finding imaginative solutions to real-world challenges, in engineering and beyond.

Overview

Ucas code

H100

Campus code

X

Typical offers made per year

18

Typical Undergraduate cohort

62

Minimum offer level

A Levels: A*A*A

IB: 42 points, with 776 at Higher Level.

Other qualifications: check what other international qualifications are accepted at Cambridge

STEP (SIXTH TERM EXAMINATION PAPER)

COURSE DURATION

BA (Hons) 3 years full-time, or MEng 4 years full-time

Essential subjects

A-level Mathematics/IB Higher Level Mathematics (Analysis and Approaches) and Physics

Desirable subjects

A=level/IB Higher Level Further Maths

ADMISSIONS ASSESSMENT

All applicants for Engineering must take the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT). Further information about this pre-registration required assessment can be found here.

Why Choose St John's for Engineering?

We have a dedicated Director of Studies for each of Year 1, Year 2 and Years 3 & 4 of the Tripos, all of them Engineering Fellows in St John’s. This supports your learning throughout the course.

St John’s has many Fellows in Engineering, working at the cutting-edge of research across all divisions of the discipline. You’ll be studying with foremost researchers, with the expertise to advise and support you in whichever aspect you choose to specialise.

We admit around 15 Engineering students ever year, making up 10% of our undergraduates. This creates a vibrant academic community and means that, whatever your specialism, it’s likely that several students at St John's will have chosen the same track.

St John's has a great engineering vibe and an active student society, the Parsons Society. This organises events throughout the year, where students share knowledge, hear from visiting speakers and enjoy social occasions.

St John’s engineers have long been renowned for their transformational ideas, from Sir Charles Parsons’ invention of the steam turbine to the revolutionary Raspberry Pi computer created by Dr Eben Upton.

Watch this video to hear more about studying Engineering at St John's.

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Our academics

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Michael De Volder

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Dr Irene Dedoussi

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Laura Díaz Anadón

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Zoubin Ghahramani

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Ian Hutchings

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Tom Hynes

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Hannah Joyce

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Dr John A Leake

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Janet M Lees

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Dr Andrea Luppi

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Dr Dick McConnel

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Duncan C McFarlane

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Dr AC Metaxas

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Dr Matteo Seita

Fellow

Director of Studies

Sub-Director of Studies

Professor Andrew Wheeler

Fellow

Course structure and information

Engineering is a demanding and fulfilling four-year course, building deep foundational knowledge before you choose where to specialise from the end of your second year.

Find out more about the course structure and what to expect when studying at St John's College.

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Supporting your studies

Academic skills support

All St John's students have access to academic skills support throughout their studies. Academic skills workshops are offered throughout the academic year, and focus on a variety of topics including general study tips, essay-writing skills and revision strategies.

Some subjects hold compulsory academic skills workshops during the Michaelmas term. If you require individual support you can contact one of our Academic Skills Advisers, who each have a range of specialities, including essay writing tips, numeracy, presentation skills, prioritisation and revision skills. We have specialists in Arts and Humanities and in STEM, and in particular in Engineering.

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Undergraduate Academic Research Project (UARP) Awards

St John's offers a number of grants to undergraduates who want to pursue academic research projects or Summer School courses related to their subjects at a University (including Cambridge) or other approved academic institution during the Long Vacation.

In addition to a general fund which covers all subjects, several subject-specific funds are also available. The Peter Munn Fund is dedicated to supporting Engineering projects. The Parsons Fund provides grants towards projects with links to Greece (Modern or Ancient) or the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as funding music-related projects. The Robert Tong Bursary offers free accommodation and access to the Library at Queen Mary, University of London during a set period.

All undergraduate students, including finalists, are eligible to apply for these awards.

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Exchange Programmes

St John's is proud to collaborate with a number of great institutions to provide exciting cultural and academic exchanges. Our current exchange partners include Caltech Scholars exchange, Collegio Ghislieri di Pavia University Exchange, Heidelberg University Exchange, Nagoya University Exchange Scheme and NUS Research Exchange Programme.

Discover student life

meet our students

It’s amazing to be taught by world-leading experts, there are some really cool academics here - we can ask them questions directly and they encourage debate

Ed, Engineering, undergraduate

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It’s amazing to be taught by world-leading experts, there are some really cool academics here - we can ask them questions directly and they encourage debate

Ed, Engineering, undergraduate

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I like problem-solving, Maths and making things, so I had to be an engineer! Me and my dad made a spreadsheet and narrowed it down to three colleges – then my mum came in and said, ‘that’s nonsense, you’ll like John’s, they have good May Balls’, and I liked her non-data driven approach.

In my first term I didn’t know what to expect but once you are here, everyone tries hard to keep you on track; every student has a supervisor for each subject, you know them well, they check in on you, and they know how you’re doing. It is straightforward – put the hours in and it will be ok.

The Engineering Fellows at St John's have taught me how they think - how they go from first principles to build something useful and practical - and that experience has been amazing

Emre, Engineering, undergraduate

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The Engineering Fellows at St John's have taught me how they think - how they go from first principles to build something useful and practical - and that experience has been amazing

Emre, Engineering, undergraduate

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I wanted to do something meaningful for humanity and for the planet. Engineering fits, I love it. It’s a very sociable STEM subjects and I find working with my teammates and lab group partners very rewarding.

I can explore what I’m good at and get new insights from my supervisors and peers, it’s a great process. I was part of the Engineering Department’s Cambridge Riviera racing team and we built a hydrogen-powered boat to race in Monaco - I learned a lot from working with third-year engineers.

Cambridge is a big university and St John’s is the perfect size - I know the people here, I can always talk to them, they’re my friends and we are part of a very strong community.

In first year, we have College ‘parents’ who offer advice, guidance, and an introduction to life at St John’s - mine are engineers, like me, and it’s been great to have that early contact with older students studying the same subjec

Antonia, Engineering, undergraduate

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In first year, we have College ‘parents’ who offer advice, guidance, and an introduction to life at St John’s - mine are engineers, like me, and it’s been great to have that early contact with older students studying the same subjec

Antonia, Engineering, undergraduate

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I enjoyed Maths, DT and Physics at school, and they aligned in Engineering. I didn’t know which engineering type to do but the Cambridge course is general for the first two years so you can try them all.

I chose St John’s as it’s big, central, there’s a Choir, and it’s not far from the Engineering Department. I’m enjoying the collegiate experience; I got to know people on my staircase at freshers, and I play College netball, so I’ve met other St John’s women. We have socials in the Bar and I play College basketball, which is fun.

Applying

We admit the brightest and most committed students.

Your school/college examination results and predictions should be as strong as possible, so that your teachers can confidently identify you as one of their very best students when they write your UCAS reference.

Our strongest applicants have gone beyond their school or college curriculum, with wider analytical reading, completing MOOCs or competing in Olympiads or Challenges.

Developing your interest in Engineering will make a big difference to your knowledge and understanding and show your commitment to independent study. Showing us how you have done this will help us to distinguish you from applicants who are doing well in school/college but are not pursuing their academic interests to the next level.

If you are invited to interview, you will have one or two interviews, each with two Engineering academics. Together the interviews will last for 40-45 minutes.

In the interview, you will be asked to solve a variety of problems. One of these will be provided in advance, for you to prepare a solution before coming into the interview. Other problems will be introduced for the first time in the interview. Beforehand, you might want to revise your subject content and remind yourself about the Engineering content in your personal statement, as we may wish to talk about this.

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Life after St John's

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Our societies

Parsons Society

The Engineering society at St John’s offers opportunities for all College engineers to socialise and further their understanding of the subject through organised events.

Various events are held throughout the year to allow engineers from different year groups to mix socially and increase their interest and knowledge in the subject.

We have a welcome meal for freshers to meet older engineers, talks from industry speakers, Formal Halls, and an annual dinner and garden party.

All Engineering undergraduates and postgraduates studying at St Johns are granted automatic membership.

Find out more Visit society's website

Discover all societies

Notable alumni

Professor Tshilidzi Marwala

1997

Academic

Nobel Laureate

Royal Medal winner

Academy Award winner

Pulitzer Prize winner

Olympic Medal winner

Poet Laureate

After a degree in mechanical engineering, Marwala came to St John's for a PhD in computational intelligence. In his academic career, he has developed applications of artificial intelligence (AI) for engineering, computer science, finance and healthcare. As Vice-Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg, he improved the institution's global rankings. In his capacity as rector of the United Nations University and UN Under-Secretary-General, he has urged governments to harness AI to address inequality and climate change.

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Sir Charles Parsons

1920

Engineer

Nobel Laureate

Royal Medal winner

Academy Award winner

Pulitzer Prize winner

Olympic Medal winner

Poet Laureate

Sir Charles Algernon Parsons by Walter Stoneman, print 1919, National Portrait Gallery x23456

Parsons designed and built the Turbinia, the first turbine-driven vessel, in 1894. His work led to the turbine becoming the main mode of electricity generation in power stations and of propulsion in large ships. A room in College is named after him.