There’s never been an easier way for us to connect and create content. Offering a new way of taking in information, podcasts are a great alternative to reading journals or the news whilst keeping our subject knowledge informed and up-to-date.

If you have an interest in the subject, or are thinking of pursuing engineering at university and are looking for other ways to read around your subject before interviews, be sure to take a look at our six recommendations for engineering podcasts below.

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1. The Engineering Student Experience

Created by a senior lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cal Poly Pomona in the USA, this podcast offers great insights into what it’s like to study engineering. 

Its aim is to help students make better-informed decisions about whether to pursue the subject in higher education and if so, how to help them succeed beyond the classroom. Most episodes include interviews with current students and staff, as well as professional engineers who answer a range of student queries and industry-related topics.

2. Bletchley Park

One of our favourite sites to take students during our summer courses, Bletchley Park is home to British codebreaking and of modern information technology. It played a main role during World War II, discovering secret information on the British enemy, which had a profound impact on the outcome of the war.

Each week, the podcast brings listeners a number of fascinating stories from Veterans and current staff and volunteers on the significance of the site, including how the engineering of codebreaking helped to change the world and made significant changes to the way we obtain secret intelligence today.

3. To The Moon and Beyond

If aerospace engineering is of interest to you, then this podcast from The Conversation is a must-listen.

It’s only composed of 5 episodes that were put together to mark the 50 years since the first moon landing, but it offers a great exploration of past and future possibilities for space exploration - it even explores what could be a possibility for space by the year 2069. Episodes are composed of interviews with experts from all over the world, including space scientists, historians, futurists, engineers and even a former astronaut!

4. Engineering IRL

Have you ever learned a formula in maths or been taught a certain concept in engineering and thought, ‘how does that apply to anything in real life?’ Well, meet the podcast that explains it all!

Each week, Engineering IRL breaks down a number of engineering concepts and applies them to real life contexts. The aim is to help listeners understand how engineers resolve everyday issues, as well as how engineering concepts may be applied to solve more complicated problems in the future. 

A great one to reference during university and job interviews, future employers will be pleased to see you’re looking at the subject in a practical context and considering your role in the future.

5. Future Tech Health

Interested in Bioengineering? Future Tech Health updates listeners with the latest research and technological advances to help prevent, diagnose and cure diseases. 

Looking at everything from stem cell technology to medicines and even diets, it will keep you well informed and up-to-date on your industry’s latest developments, which will help you to round your academic profile with an understanding of the subject in a real-world context for university and job interviews. 

6. The Autosport Podcast: Formula 1 and more

For fans of Formula 1, Formula E, Touring and Rally cars, The Autosport Podcast is a great listen! 

Offering expert opinion, analysis and technical insights about the industry from some of the world’s most renowned motorsport journalists, the podcast touches on a range of industry-related topics including aerodynamic concepts, mechanical structures and all the latest news in the motorsport industry. Episodes are around 30 minutes long, so a short and easy listen which fuels your interests!

Looking for another way to sample engineering before pursuing it at university or as a career? Take a look at our available engineering summer courses and see how we could help to kick-start your career.

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About the author

Rhys Mackenzie is the Website Marketing Manager at Oxford Summer Courses. With extensive experience in SEO and digital content management, they are passionate about showcasing the best that Oxford has to offer. Their previous role at Experience Oxfordshire gave them a deep appreciation for the city's unique cultural and academic offerings. Learn more about Rhys here.