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Popular Course - Engineering
Engineering
The thing about electronics is that it gets everywhere. Sometimes it’s
obvious and sometimes it’s not. Your new iPhone is clearly identifiable
as a piece of stand-alone electronic equipment as is your Sat-Nav,
mobile phone and electronic notebook. A quick look around though and a
little bit of thought has you identify all manner of things as having
significant electronic components. A modern car has tens of
microcomputers that look after the monitoring of the vehicle from brake
wear to engine performance where both sensors (for collecting
information) and transducers (for control) are connected. Then include
displays for the driver, noise cancellation systems, traffic master
systems and the like and we soon see that much of the added value in a
car comes from the use of electronics.
It’s easy to go on in the same vein. Modern
passenger aircraft are another example. All of the engine management,
navigation, fly-by-wire, passenger entertainment systems, safety
systems, radar and pilot information displays are electronic systems.
There are a host of other electronic systems on an aircraft of course
and wiring them all up contributes greatly to the weight of the aircraft
so here is an idea. Get rid of the wire, replacing it with a fibre optic
system employing a packet switched protocol to move the information
about, saving weight and fuel! You can go further too and look for the
electronic components in buildings, bridges, on farms and in the home.
The point is this. Almost wherever you turn there is a need for
electronic engineers to design bespoke systems. Unlike some engineering
disciplines, where there are limited opportunities to devise and design
things from scratch, electronic components are always needed. If you are
looking to enter the aviation industry then there is limited demand for
air-frame designers but plenty of need for expertise in electronics.
I hope that I have convinced you that into the far
foreseeable future a good electronic engineering degree from a good
university will open up a plethora of career opportunities. If
you are thinking of studying in the UK then you
need to try
and identify institutions that suit you. Your own
performance at university depends on how you are motivated by the course
and how you are stretched by the staff and your own peers. Look at the
entry grades that are needed and pick a place that you can “just” get in
to. If the entry standards are too high for you then even should you get
in you could be left far behind. If the entry standards are too easy
then you might be top of the class but still learn less than you would
at a more demanding place. Look for choice in a course too. Larger
institutions offer chances to specialise in different aspects of
electronics. You might be interested in biology but don’t want to do
medicine - so you can choose a course that offers modules in bio-medical
applications of electronics – just an example of what’s possible.
One way of assessing the merit of an electronics
department is to look at their web sites where you will often find
details of course content but you will also find pointers to the
research that they do. Why am I bothered with that? Where there is
plenty of good research going on you will find switched-on staff who are
passionate about their subject and are keen to teach it and keen to
persuade the best students that when their undergraduate days are done
then a postgraduate degree might be in order!
Contributed by:
Dr Jeff Reeve, University of Southampton
CIVIL ENGINEERING
As civilization evolves and we place even more
demands on the Earth’s resources, civil engineers will influence how
society develops and how we live our lives sustainably. The role of a
civil engineer is varied and will have a bearing on most events that
take place on a daily basis, including energy supply, infrastructure and
transportation, clean water provision, flood alleviation, managing waste
and recycling. It’s much more than just buildings and bridges!
The career streams for a civil engineer can vary
from specialisms such as sustainability experts, materials technologists
and geospatial engineers to more traditional roles such as structural
engineers, construction managers and project managers. Although there is
a global downturn at the moment, the opportunities are still strong for
students with degrees in civil engineering. Within the UK, many large
companies are still actively recruiting graduate engineers, the
lifeblood of many firms. In all cases, top ranking firms are looking for
articulate, motivated students who will bring added-value to the
company, in the form of specialist knowledge such as materials
technology or sustainability. Graduate engineers now working in the UK
have found themselves involved in a variety of jobs including projects
in the Gulf states, India and China, not just the UK.
The construction industry is going through a very
challenging and exciting period with major projects such as the
developing the east of London for the 2012 Olympic Games, harnessing
power through the Three Gorges Dam in China or expanding the mass
transit system of the Delhi Metro, pushing the boundaries of design,
materials science, construction and sustainability and in many cases,
graduate engineers are at the forefront of these challenges. Indeed, it
will be the graduate engineers of today who will shape these cutting
edge companies in the future. As with most professions, the construction
industry is driven by innovation and research and with a civil
engineering degree, you can become part of an exciting research
community. Research is currently focusing on two areas: minimizing
environmental impact of construction and maximizing the performance of
construction materials. Reducing the carbon footprint of concrete for
example, is an exceptional challenge and alternative materials to
traditional cement and aggregates are now being considered at a nano-scale
level to reduce resource burden and improve performance.
When considering undertaking a degree in the UK,
students should always check the quality of the Civil Engineering
Department and University, find out more about the teaching staff and
their areas of expertise, and, most importantly, examine the quality of
research within the Department as this will determine how well the staff
is tuned-in to the requirements of the construction industry. In
addition, always check to see whether the degree is accredited by the
Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) or Institution of Structural
Engineers (IStructE) as only then will the degree count towards becoming
professionally qualified (CEng) in the UK and recognised worldwide.
Contributed by:
Dr Moray Newlands, University of Dundee
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