Oxbridge Applications | 13-14 New Bond Street | London W1S 3SX

Tel: 0207 4992 394 | Fax: 0207 4910 343

www.oxbridgeapplications.com









Course Report Engineering Science, Oxford

This report gives you detailed information on the key features of the Engineering Science course at
Oxford, along with a running commentary from a graduate who studied the course, Thakoon.





How do the forces act on the Millennium wheel?
(Past interview question for Engineering Science)



Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
Course Outline

Duration
Four years

Degree awarded
MEng

Colleges
Balliol, Brasenose, Christ Church, Exeter, Hertford, Jesus College, Keble, Lady Margaret Hall, Lincoln,
Magdalen, Mansfield, New College, Oriel, Pembroke, St Annes, St Catherines, St Edmund Hall, St Hildas,
St Hughs, St Johns, Somerville, Trinity, University College, Wadham and Worcester

Course Overview
The Department of Engineering at Oxford teaches a broad-based four-year course that leads to the
degree of Master of Engineering (MEng), which is accredited by all of the relevant institutions (IChemE,
IMechE etc.). The course emphasises the core skills that a professional engineer will need. This includes a
strong awareness of the practical skills that are required in the industrial sector. The course also aims to
instil versatility in the students during the first two years, allowing for exposure to the various
engineering disciplines before specialisms are chosen later in the degree.

Each of the degree courses consists of three main parts. At the end of the first year the undergraduate
must undertake preliminary examinations (Prelims). When these have been passed, the student can then
progress onto Part I Finals, which are taken at the end of the third year. In the fourth year the student
undertakes a major research project in a field of their choice, and completes three Finals Part II papers.

Average Intake
150

Applications shortlisted for interview: 72.2%
Successful applications: 23.8%

Entrance requirements
A levels: A*AA
Advanced Highers: AA/ AAB
IB: 3840 including core points
Or equivalent

Essential subjects
Candidates are expected to have Physics and Mathematics to A level or equivalent and taking
mechanics modules is recommended. Further Mathematics can also be helpful for applicants, though it is
not required.

Admissions test
Candidates for all Engineering courses must take the Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) in their own school or
college or an approved test centre on the 2
nd
November 2011. They will need to register themselves
before Oct 14
th
via Cambridge Assessments entries extranet.

Written work
Candidates are not expected to submit any written work.



Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
Our Case Study Thakoon

Thakoon applied to Oxford in 2005. He began the Engineering course in 2006 and graduated in 2010. Here
he describes his academic background and how he found studying the course.

Did you apply pre- or post-A level?
Pre-A level because I did not want to take a gap year and was confident of achieving the required A level
results.

What were your GCSE results at the time of your application?
6 A*s, 4 As and 2 Bs

What were your A2 subjects at the time of your application?
Mathematics (A), Further Mathematics (A), Chemistry (A), Physics (A), General Studies (A)

Was your offer conditional or unconditional?
Conditional: AAA, including in Maths and Physics, and excluding General Studies

How did you find studying Engineering at Oxford?
The course was four years, which I found to be the right duration for a general engineering course. It
allows the undergraduate to gain a firm understanding and background in the theory of engineering in
addition to becoming used to methodology of logical problem-solving which is imperative to engineers in
their profession.

Contact time with tutors was ideal Oxford University prides itself on the contact with tutors it provides
undergraduates. All tutors I encountered were punctual and reasonably flexible in that if you required
rearrangement they would accommodate as best they could.

The majority of tutors I encountered were good teachers, at worst they were passionate about their
subject but lacking the ability to relate to undergraduates who had not been doing the subject for the
past 10 years. I have on occasions heard of tutors who were less interested in students learning, and
much more so by their own research, but did not encounter any.

The course is organised well and allowed for us to cover all the basic tools after which we focussed on our
optional subjects. The only problem is that for the less organised or proactive students, information
regarding admin isnt always well advertised.














Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
An Overview of the Course

Year One


Thakoon says: The aim of the first year was to gain a firm footing in the subject, by going over the
requisite A level material, albeit very quickly, and introducing undergrads to the majority of topics that
would be covered later in the course. This was done through lectures, where lecturers would go through
subject matter. Following lectures, we completed problem sheets in preparation for tutorials and we also
had laboratory sessions regularly in order to gain practical experience.


The three courses have a common first year in which the student takes five compulsory papers. Each of
these has equal weighting and must be passed before the student is allowed to continue with the course:

- Mathematics: designed to ensure that the student has sufficient awareness of the mathematical
concepts required throughout the rest of the degree.
- Electrical and information engineering: builds on the knowledge of electronics gained at A level.
- Structures and Mechanics: consists of five main topics Statics, Kinematics, Stress and Strain,
Dynamics, and The Analysis of Beams.
- Energy and the environment
- Coursework module: based on continual assessment of the practical work that students
undertake during the first year. The practical aspect of the course is given a high priority and the
demonstrators in the laboratory sessions are knowledgeable.

Preliminary examinations take place in seventh week of the summer term and last three hours in each of
the four examined papers.

Thakoon says: The whole course was compulsory in the first year, so I had no options to pick. I spent
twelve hours in lectures per week, three in tutorials and six in labs, as well as thirty hours spent on two
weekly problem sheets, and lab reports.

There were four exams, one for each of the subjects: Mathematics and Computation, Electricity and
Digital Systems, Thermodynamics and Materials, and Statics and Dynamics. Each of these was three hours
long, and involved problem solving.


















Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
Year Two


Thakoon says: The second year builds upon the work of the first year but becomes more focused on
Finals Part I, which is taken at the end of the third year. Furthermore, a new written paper is introduced,
some topics are shifted between papers and we took some introductory courses on economics and
management. Using the work carried out in these lectures, candidates had to write three coursework
essays at the end of the year which form another Finals Part I paper. We also took courses that relate
technical issues to engineering practice in society for example the professional obligations of engineers
and engineering project management. These were not examined however.


All students in their second year take the following papers, including another practical paper:

- Mathematics
- Electronic and Information Engineering
- Structures, Materials and Dynamics
- Energy Systems

Engineering students will also have practical work. It is included alongside each of these subjects and
includes intensive courses on various practical topics carried out during the summer term of the second
year. You will also take courses that look at how technical issues relate to engineering practice in society.

The first segment Part A of your Finals will take place in this year. It involves four written exam papers
and an assessment of your practical work.


Thakoon says: No options once again, and the workload ramped up a little this time around. I had
twleve weekly hours of lectures, five more in labs and two or three tutorials per week. I would then
spend thirty hours a week completing two problem sheets, and writing up my labs.








Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
Year Three


Thakoon says: The main aim of the third year is to complete material from the core Part I Finals papers.
In addition, we took on two intermediate optional modules from a choice of six, which would also be
examined later on in the year. A third year collaborative design project made up the remainder of work in
our third year and constituted a tenth of our Finals Part I grade.


During the third year, there are two compulsory courses:

- Engineering in Society
- Engineering Computation

Students also choose two options in the following areas:

- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electronic Engineering
- Information Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering

Practical work supplements each of these subjects and includes intensive courses during the summer
term of the second year that focuses on various practical topics. There may be the opportunity to take an
approved language course in place of some coursework. You will also take courses that relate technical
issues to engineering practice in society.

An important part of the third year is the Engineering Science third year design project. You work in a
small design team of four to five students to produce a report in the form of a detailed design proposal
which could then be used either by a manufacturer as the basis for a marketable product, or as a design
for a proposed engineering project. You have to make the main design and economic decisions, selecting
from among several, possibly conflicting design possibilities, allocate work packages amongst your group,
and organise your own project meetings outside of the weekly classes that are held with the academic
project leaders. Visiting professors of Engineering Design participate and provide guidance and technical
advice drawn from their industrial experience.

The second segment of Finals exams Part B is taken in the summer term.


Thakoon says: Finally getting to pick some options, I chose Electronic and Information Engineering. The
primary reason for my choice was that I enjoyed the subject matter and that since the academic work
carried out in the fourth year follows on from the options chosen in the third year I did not want to be
stuck with options in which I did not enjoy the expanded topics. Furthermore, the two subjects played to
my strengths as they are both heavily mathematical and also have some common subject matter.

I had the same amount of work to do as in my second year, with similar time spent in labs, lectures,
tutorials and private study. There was a second round of Finals held at the end of this year, in the same
format as the last year.




Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
Year Four


Thakoon says: The aim of this year was twofold: theory and the fourth-year project. Regarding the
theory, we chose specialist options which generally follow on from the ones chosen in the third year. The
three options we picked formed one half of our Finals Part II grade, the other half is the fourth year
project which you do either alone or at with at most one other student. The work usually involves
significant original design and construction, or original research, and can be based on your own idea
provided that you can find a member of the academic staff to supervise it.


In the final year, you choose specialist options which generally follow on from the ones you chose in the
third year. The range from which you choose is reviewed every year, but covers the major engineering
disciplines.

You also carry out a fourth year project, working on your own, or at most, with one other student. The
work usually involves significant original design and construction, or original research, and is done in
close consultation with a nominated supervisor from the academic staff. Over 100 topics are offered by
supervisors in the Department. It is sometimes possible to work on an idea of your own, or one suggested
by a sponsoring company, provided that you can find a member of the academic staff to supervise it. The
following are examples of fourth year projects:

- Foldable structures for medical applications
- Design of a solid-state MP3 player
- Brake cooling systems
- Control of a free-flying object

Some opportunities may exist for overseas study in the final year, either as part of an exchange scheme
(e.g. with Princeton University in the USA) or in the form of a six-month placement.

Part C of your Finals takes place at the end of the final term.


Thakoon says: For much the same reasons I chose similar options for my third year. I enjoyed the
subject matter and felt those subjects played to my strengths as an engineer. My workload was a bit less
than in previous years, and I was left more to my own devices to complete my project.

We also had fewer exams to take, which was a relief.





Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
My Experience

Thakoon looks back at his time studying Engineering Science:

Why did you choose to apply for Engineering?
The main reason was that I both enjoyed, and was gifted in, Mathematics and Physics. I enjoyed the
subject matter at A level but in particular the parts which I knew would be expanded most in an
Engineering course. I also relish problem-solving, so Engineering was an obvious choice.

Why was your course a good choice for you?
Without a doubt, it is a fantastic course: the breadth of subject matter and the mindset it leaves you with
is, in my opinion, the best for solving problems of any kind, not just those of an engineering nature.

What did you enjoy the most about your course?
The courses challenging nature. Luckily, due to a natural affinity for Mathematics and Physical Sciences, I
was able to overcome the challenging nature of the course without too much distress and it made the
whole experience incredibly solidifying.

What did you enjoy the least about your course?
In all honesty, I cant say there was all that much I didnt enjoy about the course, but at a push I might say
that while the course was well organised, information regarding lectures and course structure was not
always easily obtained. Perhaps with more and more admin migrating to the web this may have been
bettered by now.

Would you like to have studied Engineering at a different institution?
No. Since a large part of the reason I enjoyed the course so much is due to its challenging nature which I
feel is in part due to Oxford Universitys reputation for pushing its students. Furthermore, there are very
few universities which offer a proper information engineering course, which was one of my favourite
subjects on the course.

Would you like to have studied a different course?
No. It is difficult to compare with other courses without having read them, however from my knowledge
of other courses, none of them offer the same mixture of applied mathematics and rigorous problem-
solving that engineering does.

What would you have done differently during your time at Oxford?
Yes, I would certainly have studied harder and attended more lectures to get the most out of the course.
While I enjoyed my time, I really feel I didnt do as well I could have, had I have prepared more
thoroughly for tutorials and labs.

How would you advise students to get the most out of studying Engineering?
Without wanting to sound too draconian, I would suggest they make study the overriding priority whilst
at university. With some humanities courses it can be very beneficial to talk about ideas etc. with fellow
undergrads and it does not feel too much like work. Sadly, I do not feel this is the case with engineering,
in which the only way to get better and gain more from the course is to practise and understand topics in
more detail through reading.







Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
How to Prepare

All of the below suggestions serve only as examples for the kinds of things you should be considering
reading. The key factor in determining what you read must be your own interest, as you will find reading
and absorbing the learnings difficult otherwise.

- Mathematical Methods for Science Students G Stephenson
This is the main set text for the course and will cover all the maths that you will need right up
until the end of your second year. Although a bit dry, this book is the essential text for the first
few years of your course and is worth having just as a reference on your shelf.

- Engineering Mathematics K A Stroud and D J Booth
This covers the syllabus in a lot more detail but it is often hard to find the relevant material in
amongst the more advanced theory.

- Modern Engineering Mathematics and Advanced Engineering Mathematics G James
These two books cover all of the maths that you will need in a clear and concise manner.

- Strength of Materials and Structures Case, Chilver and Ross

You shouldnt feel pressured to rush out and buy all of these books in order to prepare for your interview
(many students use library copies once they are at university) but it would be a good idea to try to get
hold of them to familiarise yourself with some of their contents. For some more light-hearted reading try:

- The New Science of Strong Materials: Or Why You Don't Fall Through the Floor J E Gordon

- Cats Paws and Catapults Steven Vogel

- What Engineers Know and How They Know It W G Vincenti

- Flying Buttresses, Entropy and O-Rings James L Adams

- Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing Henry Petroski


DONT FORGET:

Re-read your personal statement and consider questions that might be asked. In 2010, 64% of all
applicants were asked about their personal statement in their interview.

Re-read all the information on the course and the college. Think about the obvious questions that
might be asked. These may include questions about the appeal of Oxford, Engineering and the
college. You should also think about what you have to offer the college what would you contribute
to the community?







Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
My Preparation

Thakoon answers our questions on how he prepared for his application:

Where did you go to school?
An independent school; 40-70 people applied to Oxbridge each year, and around 50 got in.

What help did you receive from your school?
My form tutor helped me by offering to check drafts of my personal statement and while I didnt attend
them, there were sessions which helped prepare students for the interviews.

What help did you receive from your parents?
They gave me moral support.

How did you prepare?
While I couldnt say I prepared all that well for my interview, I knew that the best way to prepare was to
know all of the standard procedures (i.e. differentiation, integration) from A level Mathematics
thoroughly. In the interview the tutors look to see who can use their tools to solve a new problem in the
most efficient and intelligent manner.

In my personal statement I simply wrote honestly about my passion for Engineering, why I felt the course
would be good for me and also, why I felt I would be good at the course.

What advice would you give to an applicant preparing for an Engineering interview?
The best way to prepare for the interview is to know and, importantly, be able to use the analytical tools
you have already been taught at A level, particularly those learnt in mathematics and physics. The
interviewers will want to see some evidence of passion for engineering outside of theory and so its
always good to have a recent, interesting engineering story to talk about



























Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
My Interview

Thakoon answers questions about his interviews. The details he gives are specific to his experience but
should give you a general idea of what might happen at your interview. Remember, no two interviews are
ever the same.

How many interviews did you have in total?
Two interviews.

What was the format of the interviews?
There were quick introductory statements both from the interviewers and myself, then onto some
problem solving questions.

They asked me to differentiate x to the power of x, asked a question about the forces felt on an
aeroplane in circular motion and another one on electrical circuits with an infinite resistance (i.e. an open
circuit).

How did you go about answering the questions asked?
I went about my task by talking through what I knew would form part of the answer, writing down
information I knew to be true and then asking (relevant) questions in order to gain more information and
push forward towards the answer.

What was your overall experience of the interviews?
I actually enjoyed them, I enjoyed being able to talk about why I want to do engineering with people who
clearly love the subject, and the challenge of the problem solving section, although, admittedly, I would
have enjoyed this far less if I hadnt managed to reach the solution.

What do you think interviewers are looking for in a prospective student?
They want evidence of high potential in mathematics and physical sciences, as the theory found in these
subjects is integral to succeeding in engineering. They also want to see a strong work ethic, since the
course is notorious for its heavy workload. A passion for engineering in the wider world is also critical.
























Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
Past Interview Questions

The following questions have come up in Oxbridge interviews in recent years. We strongly recommend,
however, that you use these to help you to think laterally about your chosen subject rather than to learn
and rehearse answers to them.

General

- What attracts you to Engineering and which part of Engineering fascinates you?

- Why Engineering rather than Physics?

- Do you have any ideas about what you may do for a final year project?

- Why do you want to do the general engineering course rather than a specialised one?

- Which engineers have most inspired you and why?

- Are you considering a gap year in industry, if so what kind of companies are you looking for? If
not, why not, and what work experience have you undertaken/considered?

- Explain the following to someone with no knowledge of physics: force, momentum, power, work.

- Question about the whale that was created above a planet in The Hitchhikers Guide to the
Galaxy.

Electronics

- Subject questions relating to resistance in electrical circuits.

- Explain Kirchhoffs current law.

- How small can you make a computer? What are the limiting factors?

- Talk about a light bulb.

- This torch has no battery. How does it work?

Mechanics

- If you had a cylinder, sealed at both ends, with the pressure rising inside, would it blow at the
end or split along the side first?

- A ship is traveling north at 200ms
-1
and a cannon, 500m west of the ships centres starting
position, is to fire a cannon ball at the ship. If the ship is 50m long, at what range of speeds can
the ball be fired?

- At what altitude h above the North Pole is the weight of an object reduced to one half of its
value on the earths surface? Assume the earth to be a sphere radius R and express h as a
fraction of R.

- Explain how a combustion engine works.


Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com


- If you are on a boat with a hairdryer and a sail, and you blow the hairdryer into the sail, what are
the forces which are acting on the boat?

- Explain how an aircraft flies.

- Sketch the distribution of forces and moment in the beam below:


- Sketch a velocity time graph for a skydiver jumping out of a plane.

- What would happen if you drilled through the earth all the way to the other side, and jumped
into the hole?

- Why are British aircraft carriers shorter than American ones?

- Why does a bullet spiral?

- Why does a cricket ball drift in a direction opposite to the spin imparted on the ball? Draw the
forces on a ladder.

- If you were given two spheres of equal size and weight, but one was hollow and one solid, how
could you ascertain which was which?

- How does a train go around a track?

- How do the forces act on Millennium wheel?

- How does wind speed relate to the amount of power produced by wind turbines?

- How does a pendulum work, bearing in mind that the amplitude of the oscillations increases over
time rather than decreases?

- Why do sausages split lengthways rather than around the circumference?

- Draw an acceleration against velocity graph to describe the motion when you are in a lift.

- Show that the balance condition for the Wheatstone bridge is
|
.
|

\
|
=
2
1
4
R
R
R Rx


Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com



Maths
- Simplify the following expression:
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
x
x
2 cos 1
2 sin
1
1


- If x x f cos ) ( = Sketch )) ( ( ); ( ) 2 ( ;
1
); ( ) ( x f f x f x f
x
f x f x f |
.
|

\
|
+

- Solve the following using partial fractions:
) 4 )( 3 ( + + x x
dx


- A rectangular sheet dimensions a x b is to be made into an open-topped box by cutting a square
of side h from each corner and folding the 4 sides up. Find the value of h which allows the
maximum volume of the box?

- If I am in a room with 5 people and guess all their birthdays what is the probability of getting
(only) one correct?

- Sketch
3 2
3x x y + =

- Find an equation for plane through the point (3, 1, 1) whose normal is parallel to vector (2, 1, -3).

- Find an equation for the plane through (3, 0, 1), (1, 4, 0) and (5, 3, 2).

- Using a diagram provided I had to try and identify how a jet engine worked.

- Differentiate x x x y cos
4
+ =
- Sketch the graphs
x
x f
1
) ( = and
2
1
) (
x
x f = comment on their characteristics.
- Integrate x x x y sin cos 8
7
+ =

- Which is bigger: 'e to the power of pi' or 'pi to the power of e'?


Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com

- Estimate the fifth root of 1.2

- Can you express every natural number in fewer than 50 characters?

- Prove 3 < < 4

- Give two numbers that are prime and have 100 non-prime numbers between them.














































Engineering, Oxford
www.oxbridgeapplications.com
Notes
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................
Disclaimer: Oxbridge Applications is purely an advisory service. The information and preparation we offer
should be taken in that context. We cannot guarantee an applicant a place at any university. As such,
Application Research Ltd. is not liable for any applicants unsuccessful application. Although we strive to
ensure the accuracy of our information, we cannot guarantee it and Oxbridge Applications accepts no liability
whatsoever if the information it provides proves to be incorrect or if an applicant acts differently to how he or
she would have acted without the services of Oxbridge Applications. Your statutory rights are unaffected.