The quickest route to senior jobs in the
engineering profession is to obtain a degree in an engineering subject
which is accredited by an engineering institution.
It is the established path to becoming a Chartered Engineer and,
increasingly, a route to Incorporated Engineer.
Study can be at a university, or college or higher education and
there are numerous subjects to choose from - large numbers of students
study electrical and electronic engineering, civil and structural
engineering and mechanical engineering. Smaller numbers study a
broad range of other engineering degree subjects, including aeronautical,
chemical, manufacturing and marine engineering.
Degrees combining two or more engineering subjects are also available
and increasingly popular with those students who do not want to
specialise is just one of the engineering disciplines.
All engineering degree courses include the study of design, the
choice of materials, mathematics and practical application of the
subject in real situations. Many also include elements of other
subjects which are eventually of importance to engineers as their
careers progress.
The minimum qualifications required for entry on to a degree course
are two A-levels or Advanced GNVQ, but for many courses three A-levels
or an Advanced GNVQ plus an A-level are necessary to gain a place.
An accredited Honours degree in an engineering describe is the
foundation qualification for those wishing to become Chartered Engineers.
More than a fifth of undergraduates in engineering are sponsored
through their degree course by an employer. Sponsorship provided
not any financial benefits for students, but also available industrial
training and experience.
Many engineering degrees are offered as sandwich courses which
encourage students to obtain industrial experience working for the
sponsor company between periods of academic study. A course leading
to a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree would, typically, feature
four years of study sandwiched between two years of workplace experience.
Students of some engineering degree courses are offered the option
to extend their Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) studies for an extra
year for their MEng qualification. These studies aim to broaden
and deepen the learning and experience of students.
The fourth year allows more courses on engineering management to
be included as well as providing an opportunity to study the engineering
subject in greater depth than would be possible in just three years.
Standards for the education and training of professional engineers
have been revised by the profession’s regulatory body, the
Engineering Council, and the new requirements will be phased in
from 1999.
The main changes, which will qualify engineers and technicians
for admittance to the Council’s National Register as Chartered
and Incorporated Engineers and Engineering Technicians, are:
- Chartered Engineer (CEng): Four years or equally by a three
year accredited BEng (Hons) degree plus a further year of additional
learning.
- Incorporated Engineer (Eng): Three years academic study, instead
of two, by either a three year accredited IEng degree or a two
year HND plus a further year of additional learning.
Key educational requirements for registration are in three stages
all of which are being boosted under the new arrangements - an accredited
engineering course, initial professional development by an accredited
programme to build competence and professional breadth, and a professional
review to assess competence and commitment. Membership of an engineering
institution will remain obligatory.
Postgraduate study has increased in popularity in recent years
- particularly if a research career is an attractive prospect or
the student wished to study a particular aspect of engineering in
greater depth.
Around 16 per cent of students who graduate in engineering every
year go on to a course for a higher degree. Others go into employment
first and return to academic study later. Also, in increasing number
of master degrees can be studied part time, or by distance learning.
Postgraduate studies can be at many different levels. There are
taught courses for certificates, diplomas and MScs. Certificates
and diplomas take up to a year of academic study and culminate in
an examination. Masters degrees additionally include a thesis on
a relevant project which extends the period of study to a full calendar
year.
The Author: Tony Miller, The Engineering Council, U.K.
This article first appeared in Educational Courses in Britain
