As for course.
Get a nice broad degree which can be used for anything.
eg Mech Eng.
Remember the biggest skill you are learning by doing an engineering degree isn't all those equations. Its teaching a method of approaching problems and solving them in the most cost effective manner.
As i found after a few career changes these skills are universal in application. They work just as well in IT as they do with big lumps of metal, lots of wires etc.
As for ATPL giving you credit, if the University does give you credit its not one I would have liked to be at anyway.
The ATPL's are less than first year standard and in the none tech subjects below A-Level standard.
The other thing to think about is are you a born engineer?
Might sound a strange question but there are definatly 2 types of engineers going to university.
1. Academic types who don't really know what they want in life but Engineering seems like a good career compared to the rest.
2. Born Engineers who have a gut feeling about structures systems etc. The skills learned at Uni have only given them the tools to prove what they knew already. Back of a fag packet calc's. Also a tendency to fix everything themselves is shown.
MJ
Ps if you do engineering this next hint took me 3 years to sus out then it was all easy
energy in = energy out
Account for all the energy going into a system and it will equal the energy going out. Sounds easy but energy is fly stuff and the skill is knowing where its got to.