Engineering
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Engineering Summer Courses
Explore how scientific and mathematical ideas can be used to design, build and improve the world around us with Atlas Summer Courses. Designed for students aged 13–15, our two-week Engineering summer course gives you the opportunity to investigate how engineers approach problems and develop solutions to real-world challenges.
Through discussion, problem-solving and independent study, you'll explore engineering ideas while developing your ability to analyse problems, apply scientific reasoning and think creatively about possible solutions.
What's Included?
Your residential Engineering summer course includes academic teaching, accommodation, meals, a certificate on completion, airport transfer from Heathrow and insurance.
Choose from Plus, Superior and Premier packages, with accommodation and additional benefits varying by package.
What Is Engineering?
Engineering is the application of scientific and mathematical ideas to solving practical problems and developing new technologies, structures and systems.
Engineers work across many different fields, from designing buildings and machines to developing energy systems, transport and new technologies. While the challenges can vary considerably, engineering often involves understanding a problem, working within constraints, evaluating different approaches and improving a solution through testing and analysis.
Studying engineering therefore involves more than simply knowing how something works. It encourages you to ask how it could work better, what limitations need to be considered and how scientific principles can be turned into practical solutions.
An Engineering summer course gives you the opportunity to explore this way of thinking and discover how mathematics and science can be applied beyond the classroom.
What Will You Study on an Engineering Summer Course?
There is no prescribed syllabus that every student follows. Atlas Summer Courses tutors create their own syllabi, drawing on their expertise while taking the interests, abilities and learning needs of their students into account.
Depending on your course, you could explore areas such as mechanics, forces, structures, materials, energy, engineering design or different approaches to solving technical problems.
You might consider questions such as:
- How do engineers turn an idea into a workable solution?
- How do forces affect structures and mechanical systems?
- Why are particular materials chosen for different applications?
- How can mathematics help engineers predict how a design will behave?
- What trade-offs do engineers need to consider when developing a solution?
- How can an existing design be analysed and improved?
This flexible approach allows tutors to explore their specialist areas while responding to the interests and progress of the group. Any syllabus shown on our website is an example from a previous course rather than a guarantee of the exact topics you'll study.
How You'll Learn on an Engineering Summer Course
The Atlas Summer Courses Engineering summer course combines small-group seminars with independent study across the two-week programme.
24 hours of small-group seminars
You'll take part in eight seminars where you'll explore engineering ideas through interactive discussion, problems, case studies and activities. You'll be encouraged to apply scientific and mathematical reasoning, compare different approaches and explain the thinking behind your solutions.
12 hours of private study
Between seminars, you'll complete independent work that could involve reading, researching an engineering question, solving problems or preparing a presentation.
Together, these help you become more confident approaching unfamiliar problems, applying what you know and developing solutions independently.
Who Is the Engineering Summer Course For?
Our Engineering summer course for 13–15-year-olds is designed for students who enjoy understanding how things work and using mathematics and science to solve problems.
You don't need to have studied Engineering before. The course may particularly appeal to you if you enjoy mathematics or physics, like tackling technical challenges or are curious about how structures, machines and technologies are designed.
You'll develop transferable skills including mathematical and scientific reasoning, analytical thinking, problem-solving, independent study and communicating technical ideas clearly.
If you'd like to explore related subjects, you can also discover our Mathematics and Physics summer courses.
Learn from Expert Tutors
Atlas Summer Courses tutors are experienced educators and subject specialists active across academia, industry and education.
They bring their own academic expertise and interests into their teaching and have the freedom to shape their syllabus around both their specialism and the students in their group. This allows each Engineering summer course to explore different problems and areas of engineering while maintaining an appropriate level of academic challenge.
Tutors are confirmed closer to the summer, so profiles on our website are examples of tutors who have previously taught with us rather than confirmation of who will teach your course.
Where Can Engineering Take You?
Engineering is a broad field with connections to mathematics, physics, computing and other sciences.
Students interested in the subject may later choose to explore areas such as mechanical, civil, electrical, aerospace, chemical or environmental engineering, depending on their interests.
The mathematical, scientific and problem-solving skills associated with Engineering can also support future study and careers across technology, manufacturing, energy, transport, robotics, research and other technical fields.
An Engineering summer course gives you the opportunity to explore engineering at an earlier stage, experience its approach to problem-solving and discover which areas you might want to investigate further.
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FAQs about Our Summer Courses
No. You don't usually need to have studied your chosen subject before joining an Atlas Summer Courses summer course. Courses are designed for the relevant age group, and tutors can adapt their approach to the abilities, interests and experience of the students in their group.
There is no fixed curriculum that every student follows. Our tutors create their own syllabi based on their academic expertise and the interests and learning needs of their students.
This means the exact topics can vary between courses and years. Any syllabus or topics shown on our website are examples from previous courses and shouldn't be taken as a guarantee of exactly what you'll study.
Teaching depends on your age group. Students aged 9–12 and Scholars aged 12–14 learn through structured, interactive small-group classes. Students aged 13–15 combine small-group seminars with private study, while students aged 16–17 and 18–24 experience seminars, tutorials and independent study.
Across our programmes, teaching is designed to encourage active participation, questioning and independent thinking rather than simply listening to lectures.
Your course includes your academic programme, accommodation, meals and a certificate on completion, alongside the activities and experiences included within your programme.
What's included can vary depending on the programme, age group and package you choose, so we recommend checking the individual course details for the full inclusions before applying.
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Summer Courses
Choose from over 40 subjects taught through flexible, age-appropriate programmes. Our tutors adapt their teaching methodologies to different age groups and shape course content around students’ interests, rather than following a fixed curriculum.
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