Mechanical Engineering HNC Overview
An HNC is the first level of Higher Education (Level 4) and completion of this course will allow for progression on to an HND (Level 5) and potentially a Full Degree programme. In addition, completion of a Mechanical Engineering HNC provides evidence that you have developed the knowledge and skills required to perform a number of the duties of a Mechanical Engineer in industry.
Our Mechanical Engineering HNC programme offers full Online Delivery and Assessment. This is a Distance Learning offer, but not in the traditional sense. Our teaching materials consist of Bite-size video tutorials and interactive practice questions. In addition, our assessments can be completed and assessed entirely Online.
Studying by Distance Learning can be challenging. When you complete your HNC with us, this will be a real testament to your self-motivation, organisational skills, persistence and perseverance. These are additional transferable skills and personality traits that are highly desirable in the Engineering sector.
ALL ENGINEERS ACADEMY ONLINE COURSES
Mechanical Engineering HNC Course Content
A BTEC HNC in Mechanical Engineering is an 8-unit qualification, made up of a combination of core and specialist units. To view the specification provided by the awarding body, please click the BTEC Edexcel image.
The Engineers Academy® BTEC HNC in Mechanical Engineering consists of the following units (specialist units subject to change):
Core Engineering HNC Units:
- Unit 4001 – Engineering Design
- Unit 4002 – Engineering Mathematics
- Unit 4003 – Engineering Science I
- Unit 4004 – Managing a Professional Engineering Project
Specialist Mechanical Engineering HNC Units:
- Unit 4008 – Mechanical Principles
- Unit 4009 – Materials, Properties and Testing
- Unit 4011 – Fluid Mechanics
- Unit 4013 – Fundamentals of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
Entry Requirements for our HNC in Mechanical Engineering
Although the Awarding Body for the Mechanical Engineering HNC does not set formal entry requirements, it is the responsibility of the centre delivering the qualification to ensure that students have a reasonable expectation of success on the programme.
Individuals from a range of backgrounds express an interest in Mechanical Engineering programmes. Some have academic qualifications and no formal experience, whilst others have worked as Engineers for many years, but do not have relevant academic qualifications.
In addition, studying via Distance Learning, particularly Online, can be vastly different from studying in a traditional manner.
For these reasons, we require that all applicants complete relevant Bridging Courses prior to enrolment. These Bridging Courses are intended to enable the development of the analytical skills necessary for Higher Education programmes in Engineering. In addition, participation and completion of these Bridging Courses provides some assurance that students enrolling on to our HNC programmes are willing and able to engage with the course materials and the Study Platform.
To enrol on to our Mechanical Engineering HNC you should complete the following 2 Bridging Courses:
- Level 3 Essentials Maths for Engineers (40 hours approx.)
- Level 3 Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering (25 hours approx.)
These can be ordered as a discounted bundle below:
- Level 3 *MECHANICAL BUNDLE* (65 hours approx.)
Upon completion, you will receive certificates for the above Bridging Courses, which will entitle you to enrol on to our Mechanical Engineering HNC Programme.
Engineers Academy Clients
Additional Programme Study Requirements
You will be provided with full, unlimited access to the Engineers Academy Study Platform for the duration of your chosen HNC programme. In order to access the Study Platform, you will need an Internet connection and Internet access. In addition, you will need the following:
- A scientific calculator (Casio FX83GT or equivalent)
- Microsoft Office 365 / LibreOffice software (or equivalent)
- A Laptop or Desktop Computer with the following specifications
- Operating System: MAC operating on version 12 Monterey, or PC operating on Windows 10 (or newer)
- Processor: X86-based 64-bit processor, 4 cores, 3GHz minimum
- RAM: 8GB minimum
- Storage: 10GB minimum
- Graphics Card: DirectX11 minimum
Note: You will also be required to register for additional subject specific software, but wherever possible, we will recommend software that offers free trials and / or student licenses. Please ensue you have the necessary permission to install software on the Laptop / Desktop that you intend to use for your studies.
Henry Lewis –
I have just completed my HNC in mechanical engineering with the Engineers Academy. The extremely high quality of the learning materials for the bridging courses and the HNC units has ensured that I had a good understanding of the subjects and gave me the tools necessary to succeed. The feedback, encouragement and professionalism I experienced from everyone I had contact with at engineers academy has made this challenging process so much easier. Overall I would strongly recommend anyone looking to carry out any further education to use engineers academy.
aidonbale –
I only have positive feedback for Engineers Academy and the team. Returning to education can be daunting, but with the help of Andy, Jon and Rob and their unwavering support I managed to complete my HNC in Mechanical Engineering. I don’t believe many companies would be able to provide the expertise, support and professionalism that EA have over the entire period of my HNC.
For anyone considering returning to education, I would absolutely recommend Engineers Academy.
danielhayes –
I have completed my HNC in mechanical engineering with Engineers Academy and found it to be a brilliant learning platform.
As I was out of study for many years, the level three bridging course was a great start, it brought me up to speed and prepared me for the course content.
Every subject has tutorial videos and tests at the end to help test your knowledge. There are plenty of comprehensive guidance documents and the tutors are on hand to offer support when needed, as well as when they give formative feedback before final submissions.
I found the course to be very suitable for me as I was able to work at my own pace, working around my family and my day-to-day job.
The support from Engineers Academy is exceptional and I would like to thank all the tutors Andy, Jon and Rob, for all their help and support throughout my HNC.
I would highly recommend this course if you are wanting to study mechanical engineering.
Chloe F –
Engineers Academy is an exceptional learning platform where each topic is broken down into tutorial videos and practice questions to solidify your understanding.
I’ve studied with Engineers Academy for three Level 3 bridging courses as well as this HNC, and the entire experience has been nothing but rewarding and a joy. Without fail, tutors have been helpful and efficient in their feedback and responses. I genuinely feel fortunate to have found this platform – the skills I’ve developed have boosted my confidence and helped me progress in my career.
If you’re looking for a flexible, supportive, and well-structured route into engineering, I couldn’t recommend Engineers Academy highly enough.
Bilaal Rehamn –
The course is designed to make it as simple as possible for you from beginning to the end. At first, I did struggle with some aspects mainly the mathematical side of things. However, the course structure and support from the tutors allows you to navigate through this. The response time from the tutors is truly admirable, as it saves a lot of waiting around when unsure on topics you might come across.
I would recommend this course to anyone considering!
Hector –
When I initially started a HNC in 2020 with another provider, I had to quit after a few months due to poor learning material and lack of support from tutors.
Three years later, I had reached a point in my career where I had to complete a HNC or be severely limited in my future options.
When I started this course I was apprehensive about if I could complete it but I was pleasantly surprised with the high quality of the learning material and the tutor support where necessary and was able to complete the course.
I would highly recommend Engineers Academy for anyone wishing to do a HNC or HND.
James Merchant –
A little background. I came to the course having not studied since leaving school at 16. I am now 36. I joined a company who required us to have an HNC and I was given a day off each week as a study day.
When first enrolled onto the programme you are required to carry out 2 bridging units, Maths and Engineering Principles. When you first open and start these, it can appear a little daunting, especially if like myself it has been a while since you have done any maths!
Each subject has tutorial videos and a test at the end to see if you have understood everything. Once the bridging units are completed you start the actual HNC units. Again, the units are laid out similarly to the bridging units, with online tutorials and a test. However I found myself in a really good rhythm of watching the video tutorials, taking notes, doing the practice tests, and from there found myself ready to start the actual assignment tests.
The video tutorials are brilliant and easy to follow and really set you up ready for the assignment. Support can be found in the student forum and also each unit has its own forum where you can ask a question and see older questions, with answers, from past learners.
The support from the tutors at the Engineers Academy is exceptional. I would like to give a special mention to Andy for his help throughout my HNC. He responded to email queries within 24 hours, although most times he replied the same day.
Before submitting an assignment you send it for what is called formative feedback, where your tutor goes through your submission and highlights any areas that need additional work before final submission. This is also turned around really quickly.
I achieved a Merit grade overall and the whole process took me around 2 years.
I never leave reviews but felt I would this time as I hope it inspires someone else in a similar position who may be a little unsure to take the plunge. If I can do it, so can you!
Nathaniel Dyton –
Having completed my HNC just recently, looking back on it I can safely say it was honestly the best thing I could have personally done to help me achieve my academic goals.
I struggled massively with normal lecturers and lectures that made me go to a physical place to complete my qualifications and had multiple overlapping assignments that meant the stress levels were a lot higher than I would have had otherwise.
With the Engineer’s Academy’s HNC program that was all rectified and completely mitigated. With the way the program is set up with easy to digest and comprehend videos, alongside super helpful lecturers that can answer your queries and direct you to additional information, it became a breeze.
During my level 3 in mechanical engineering I was a Pass to Merit grade student, but the way they’ve set this up so that its done on your own time and you can pick/choose when you start assignments to work around your schedule really made the difference in the quality of work that I could produce with my finishing overall grade for the qualification at a Distinction. This is honestly such a gratifying thing and was definitely in part to Engineers Academy.
Couldn’t recommend them enough, and will be coming back here for my HND.
Roriemclarty –
I have just completed the HNC in Mechanical Engineering through the Engineers Academy and it has been excellent throughout. Beginning with the Bridging courses to get you back into learning, especially if you have been out of Education for a while, through to the courses themselves, they have all been informative, well presented and each subject very well explained. You are not restricted to when you learn as they are available to you at any time, downloading the videos was an excellent way for me to be able to continue learning when I was away for work.
The tutors are always on hand to speak to for advice and assistance when there were problems that weren’t understood. Always getting back to me promptly and with enough detail on the problem to help to understand the solution. All the tutors have been excellent and I cannot thank them enough for the help getting through the course.
I highly recommend The Engineers Academy to anyone looking to complete a distance learning HNC in Mechanical Engineering.
Luke Butler –
I have just finished my HNC with an overall grade of distinction and it was a real challenge but one that I am incredibly grateful for. I definitely had times that I needed assistance and some extra guidance and the tutors at Engineers Academy are always on hand to help. I received feedback within 24 hours every single time, on some occasions even on the weekend I received feedback straight away. The dedication that the tutors put in to this is truly remarkable. My biggest advice would be use the tutors for assistance like you was in a classroom with them. Take it one assignment at a time, keep chipping away and work hard and you will get it done, self discipline is key!
If you want to complete a HNC as quick as possible then this is the course for you, you can study and progress as much as you want, you get out what you put in.
Thanks to Engineers Academy it has been a pleasure and I hope to enrol onto the HND program in the near future.
Oliver Brackenbury-Danquah –
I started my HNC in Mechanical Engineering with Engineers Academy through an apprenticeship programme at work and was unsure what to expect with it being distance learning. After two years of study, I am now complete. Andy and Jon are fantastic, both in the speed of their replies and with the quality of information they deliver. The example videos are structured well and give you all the information, tools and equations to complete the tasks and assignments at hand.
I personally wasn’t the strongest at maths but the bridging courses soon bring you up to speed after several years out of an education environment. I couldn’t recommend Engineers Academy enough. 5 stars.
Ben Watkins –
I can’t recommend Engineers Academy and this Mechanical Engineering HNC course enough to anyone looking to further their education. The bridging courses available were the perfect re-introduction to learning and set the foundations for the knowledge required to start the Mechanical Engineering HNC course. They also provide insight in to the type of learning material to be expected during the HNC.
All the video tutorials are packed with information which is presented in a way that is very understandable. The knowledge learned is tested at each stage to ensure solid understanding of all the content before commencing the formal assignments. This structured approach to learning is very efficient and also allows for planning around other family and work commitments.
The additional support on hand from Andy and Jon proved invaluable. Most answers to queries could be found in the FAQ section of each unit whereby questions can be asked for prompt and really detailed responses from the tutors. These can then be viewed by other students who come across the same challenges.
At other times, especially during the final paper, email exchange with Andy was exceptionally prompt, informative and supportive. The final paper is a big task but all the information provided along with it enables it to be broken down in to manageable chunks. Where errors and challenges presented themselves that I couldn’t overcome alone, Andy was always at hand to help out with suggestions and advice to help solve the problem.
I was nervous about studying again, especially with a young family and other work commitments. The Engineers Academy team have helped me prove to myself that it is possible and for that, I cant thank them enough. If you are in the same boat, give it a go – the feeling of reward after completion is worth it alone!
Jack –
I can strongly recommend this course for anyone looking to gain an understanding of engineering across a broad range of topics and concepts. Andy was incredibly helpful throughout and the video content was absolutely first-class. The course was challenging but rewarding and required a great deal of commitment, and also helped develop personal traits such as self-discipline and time management.
A huge thank you to Andy and Jon at Engineers Academy, and if you want to develop as an engineer and are considering undertaking this course – and are prepared to put the time in – go for it!
Ross Grant –
Before starting this course I was employed as a trainee design engineer for a mechanical contractor but had no experience with mechanical engineering. This HNC course was a great option to develop and gain new skills which would help further my career with the benefit of being able to complete the course whilst in full-time employment. Studying under Andy & Jon, the course has delivered vital knowledge and transferable skills which have proven useful in my career and improved my confidence. I entered the HNC course with a BA (Hons) in Ancient History and a U-Grade in Physics at A-Level, but with their prompt and helpful feedback, and informative course content, I have achieved a Distinction. Their guidance has been excellent and I would highly recommend the course.
mbennett –
I have just completed my HNC in Mechanical Engineering with Engineers Academy and it is one of the best training courses I have completed in a very long time.
When starting the HNC, you are required to complete bridging courses. For someone like myself who has been out of education for a long time, having these types of bridging courses is an excellent way to get yourself back into the swing of things. The bridging courses include Mathematics and Science and the training videos are excellent. With practice questions to help ensure you fully understand the training, this bolstered the confidence in myself and set me on the right track to ensure a successful completion of the HNC. I would highly recommended taking a lot of notes during these bridging courses, as a lot of the information in these courses extended into the HNC in different aspects, which will help later on.
When conducting the HNC itself, the training video’s and information are second to none! The delivery of training is through interactive videos where information is both visual and vocal. As the videos are recorded, you can pause at any time to take notes, go back over information that has been relayed to ensure you fully understand and more importantly, be able to access these videos at any time! I found this extremely useful as sometimes too much information can be become an overload, especially when learning new information. As such, by being able to go back over selective parts, all information can be easily accessed.
Andy and Jon are some of the best Tutors out there and are key to the success of Engineers Academy. There are times where sometimes you just don’t fully understand a question or how to achieve the answer. Andy and Jon are always available to guide you in the right direction or relay the question in a different manner that gets you to the end point. I believe this is the best approach as this gives you the confidence to find the answer and understand it, without it just being given to you!
Having completed this course, I can 100% recommend Engineers Academy to anyone wanting to complete further education. At times it is hard, balancing full time work with education can sometimes lead to long hours on the laptop, but without the help of Engineers Academy, I would never have been able to complete this!
I look forward to completing further studying with Engineers Academy and would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to complete a HNC.
Eva –
This course is fantastic. The flexibility to study at your own pace, alongside a full time job is great. The subject material is given via short videos and lots of practice questions are given following each subject.
The tutor is super helpful and responded to questions promptly, no matter the time of day and even over holiday periods.
This is by far the best course I have completed.
James.clough –
I have just completed the mechanical engineering HNC. The course was brilliant and it flowed amazingly well. Tutor support was always on hand to assist with any problems.
Having completed distance learning courses before with the OU, I can honestly say that this set up made everything very easy and without question played a major part in me completing the course.
Big thanks to the whole team, great people with a great product.
Neil King –
Having struggled to attain an HNC previously, due to work commitments and employer changes, Engineers Academy succeeded in helping me to achieve the qualification I needed.
The combination of well presented videos, guidance from the tutors via phone, email and forums and reference documents, enables you to, within reason, work at a pace to suit you whilst working toward completion.
The assignments are well thought out with sufficient guidance and are suitably challenging. Prompt feedback on the completion of assignments helps to deliver a sense of achievement driving you on to complete the next unit.
The final project was engaging and interesting, having never experienced project management before it did seem to be an uphill struggle, but with guidance completion was achieved.
Josh Roberts –
Having completed the HNC in Mechanical Engineering , I can say that this has been one of the most interesting and enjoyable methods of learning I have experienced. The content has been presented in a clear and straightforward manner, and is available 24/7 with extremely dedicated tutor support . The flexibility that Engineers Academy provided whilst maintaining a full time role was essential for me. If you want to progress and gain relevant engineering knowledge with a pace that fits your world, then Engineers Academy is for you.
Mark Jelbert –
Having completed this course, it was very challenging to do whilst working it around work and family life. However the course structure is well placed for this and allowed me to learn at my own pace as life allowed. The instructor was very helpful and very punctual, answering any questions I had usually the same day. I will be completing the HND course as it is perfect for me. Good course and I would recommend it to others.
Scott Higgins –
Excellent course, the format for learning provided by Engineers Academy is excellent.
Andy was always available for help, advice and guidance.
Excellent course content and I would really recommend anyone considering this course to do it.
Thomas Martin –
Just completed my HNC with the Engineers Academy. It has been an incredibly rewarding challenge. You will have times you get stuck or need guidance which is to be expected during a level 4 qualification. Fortunately the support given throughout has been second to none, Andy and Jon are always on hand with super quick, easy to understand informative responses via email and nothing is too much trouble. The interactive platform that Engineers academy operates on is brilliant and has never let me down. The course is structured using video tutorials and then interactive practice questions to ensure you have understood the video content, this is also backed up with handy equation/information sheets. Once you have passed the practice questions (these are automatically marked by the platform) you are allowed to start the assessment of which there are generally 4 in each unit. Each of these are marked super quick with feedback given. You can also see the average mark for each set of practice questions and how you compare, I found this very useful for setting myself a target percentage or showing me the areas I needed a bit more practice. For example if I was at 60% and the average was 90% then I knew I needed to work on that particular set of practice questions a bit more. For me personally I found the easiest way to go about the qualification was to take notes from the videos and watch them until I fully understood the content. This method may take a little longer but I felt more time spent on the video tutorials and taking notes paid off when completing the practice questions and assessments. I did put in a lot of hours, sometimes I was over 30 hours a week towards the end of the qualification (madness, I know) but I needed to get it finished as quickly as possible and wanted the distinction grade which inevitably entails more work. This enabled an overall distinction grade in about 8.5 months. Just to add the bridging modules are so important in setting you up for the HNC and make understanding the HNC content a lot more straightforward, I have reviewed these separately. I cannot recommend these guys highly enough if you are looking to gain your HNC, best decision I ever made.
Fraser McColl –
I started my HNC with the engineers academy in April 2020. Having not been in any sort of academic setting for years I was very apprehensive but I needed this qualification for a promotion. The support given by Andy throughout was fantastic. It took me a while to figure out the best way to handle the course. I found taking my time and writing as much info from the videos down as possible and using any incorrect practice questions to better understand where I went wrong.
Andy was great at explaining and guiding me through anything I didn’t understand without just giving the answer.
The main aim for me was speed, as such I put as much spare time as I could into the course. Some weeks, I had over 20 hours study time. I slowed down towards the last 2-3 units but still managed to achieve a merit overall in just 9 months. For this reason alone I would highly recommend the course. You really do get out what you put in.
Overall the course is great. I did come across a couple of errors within the course but Andy quickly rectified these after I brought them to his attention. The layout of the course is spot on. At first it seems a little daunting, I struggled through the bridging course using just the videos to attempt the coursework. Once you figure out the best way to make the study material work for you, you can make progress very quickly whilst still learning a lot. I particularly enjoyed the use of renewable energy examples and scenarios. As this is becoming more and more relevant in todays world.
I would highly recommend Engineers academy to anyone thinking of undertaking distance learning.
Graham Mills –
I began considering an HNC in mid-2018. Some research turned up six or so options for a Mechanical Engineering HNC by Distance Learning, the DL part being essential for someone with no option for full-time study. But almost all of them said, in a nutshell, “Yes you can study with us, but first you need all these other qualifications, which will take years to achieve on their own.” The Engineer’s Academy (EA) was the only option that took a sensible approach to course prerequisites. Completing the two bridging courses was all that was needed. I have reviewed those courses separately and hold them both in high regard.
This HNC is structured in much the same way as the bridging courses, with each topic covered thoroughly and blending neatly into the next part, where applicable. Each step is manageable, with just the right degree of challenge, which is a hard balance to find: ask too little and people won’t feel like they’ve achieved anything; ask too much and they’ll get despondent with the whole process. In both the practice questions and the graded assessments, EA provides students with just the right level of challenge. It is important for students to understand the elements covered in the lessons, but also to be pushed to expand upon their understanding using their own initiative.
I like to refer back to a school Maths class as a juxtaposition to my experiences with EA. Back at school I had a teacher who would put a sheet on the overhead projector, say to us “Copy this!” and then sit reading her book while we frantically scribbled down a bunch of stuff we didn’t understand. This and other experiences put me off education almost entirely, whereas EA has opened up a whole new way to learn and helped me to bury the anxiety I had about returning to education. The lessons never take steps that are too large to follow; every single bit is explained and perfected through practice. It’s a truly refreshing experience and I’d recommend anyone hesitant of returning to education (as I was) to dive in and see how you get on. It’s changed my perception of my own potential.
Topics covered include materials and their properties, mechanical principles such as how forces are applied to components and how to calculate the affects of these forces, fluid dynamics, plus the Maths and Science aspects of all of it. Want to know why heating steel can change its strength? Or how to calculate the force needed to drag an object up a gradient? Or how much cross-sectional area a support structure needs? These sorts of considerations are all around us, from the thickness of chair legs to the number of cables needed for an elevator, and it’s been immensely beneficial to learn how it all works.
Looking back to those early days of research just one year ago, it’s hard to believe that I’m now several units towards an HNC qualification. Without Andy and his work on this excellent platform, I wouldn’t be here and I’d still be going nowhere in life.
Philip Gowers –
Having already completed the first few subjects of the Mechanical Engineering BTEC HNC with Engineers Academy, I have only positive words about the structure of the course, the content, and online portal in which it is run.
The content is aimed directly at gaining key knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts, and applying it to real world engineering problems in the course assignments / assessments.
I look forward to my continuing study, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is contemplating studying an Engineering HNC.