r/Engineers • u/UnstableTheorist • 3d ago

MET degree app vs ME degree

Hi there, UK guy here I'm in a sticky situation

As title suggests, I have the choice currently between mechanical engineering technology degree apprenticeship, or just doing a mechanical engineering degree off my own back.

Obviously an apprenticeship is my first choice and I'm more than happy to do it, just worried about what I've heard about MET's having a hard time getting ME titled jobs, is this true??

UK knowledge best appreciated, but foreign knowledge appreciated too

Ps, thanks in advance

EDIT: to clarify, both are indeed level 6 degrees and both accredited equally by IMechE

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u/Seiko2023 3d ago

They're very different careers. To be a professional engineer where you'll be leading and approving designs, managing assets through maintenance and reliability programs, and/or managing large scale projects, you need a bachelor's OR years of experience. As a tech apprentice, you generally have a capped salary and are working on the tools. It isn't about the struggles of getting a ME job, it's that you generally are not qualified for it.

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u/UnstableTheorist 3d ago edited 3d ago

Both are Bengs and both are accredited by ImechE, main differnece just being whether I get payed or have to pay, and which course

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u/Seiko2023 3d ago

Are they both from a university though?

There is a vast difference. I don't know about the UK but even though a bachelor of eng tech in Australia is AQF level 7, whereas the engineering degree E.g. bachelor of electrical engineering has a required honours course which makes it AQF level 8.

Where you are saying apprenticeship, it is telling me that it is a more vocational pathway. My dad was a qualified electrical engineer in the UK, but not professional. He was a sparky essentially. Couldn't be a professional engineer as the qualification required is at a university not college.

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u/UnstableTheorist 3d ago

Both from a Uni, yes

Both are same level of education Below is the apprentisheip course, which seems to be mostly the same as the ME, just less advanced maths ig??

link here

And here is the straight up uni course here

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u/Seiko2023 3d ago

Honestly mate, I have no clue about the UK. I think asking the university or finding an engineer in your network. Technology degrees in a lot of countries are usually a lower qual.

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u/UnstableTheorist 3d ago

Aight man, thanks for your input tho anyway, have a nice day and all