There are many good reasons for choosing to study engineering, not least of which, is that because so many companies are engineering-based, a degree in engineering provides an excellent route into a range of careers. These include not only those related to the technical aspects of engineering but also to the management and business aspects.
However, having decided that a degree in engineering is the goal, how do you decide which university course is the best choice? You will obviously be looking for a university with a good reputation, since this will ultimately determine the value of your degree after graduation. The various league tables give an indication of this – although you will want to look at several league tables since they are notoriously variable. You will also want to consider the ‘nature’ of the university (for example, is it a campus university or one based in the centre of a big city) since the student experience varies enormously between these – you need to think what kind of environment is appropriate for you. Clearly the entrance requirements (and the tuition fees) are higher in the more prestigious universities, so you need to consider where you should be aiming.
While the status of a university probably gives a good indication of the quality of the education you will receive, when considering degrees in Engineering you also need to consider the nature of the education you will receive. Universities differ in their approach to engineering education and this can make a tremendous difference to the form of their degrees. Most universities in the UK divide engineering up into a range of separate departments each specialising in a different discipline. Such universities will therefore have a department of mechanical engineering; a department of electronic engineering; a department of civil engineering; etc. However, some universities, including several of the top universities such as Cambridge, Oxford and Warwick, take a different approach by having a large unified school of engineering, covering all the major areas of engineering within a single department. These universities adopt this approach because they feel that this gives a much broader (and therefore better) understanding of the nature of engineering. However, an additional benefit of this unified approach to engineering is that it often allows a great deal of flexibility within the course structure. Very often the first year of the various engineering degrees is common, allowing students to put off making a decision on which area of engineering they are interested in, until they have actually done some engineering!
Another consideration when looking at Engineering degrees is where you want the degree to take you. If you are considering a career as a senior technical engineer then you are likely to want to achieve recognition of your qualifications and experience by becoming a Chartered Engineer or its equivalent in your particular country. Invariably, such recognition requires educational qualifications at the Masters level, and one of the fastest ways of achieving this status is by studying a four year integrated bachelors and masters programme (an MEng) that is accredited for progression to Chartered Engineering status. Such a degree will satisfy all the educational requirements of becoming a Chartered Engineer – students just need to gain a few years of responsible industrial experience after graduation.
While an MEng may be the appropriate route for students aiming at becoming senior technical engineers, many students may be aiming their careers in other directions. For example, many students will wish to study engineering as a preparation for careers in other areas such as management or business. Here students might wish to study for a three year BEng degree in an appropriate engineering discipline and then to move into industry to gain relevant experience appropriate for their proposed career. BEng degrees at good universities will normally be accredited as providing some of the educational requirement required of a Chartered Engineer, but would normally need to be followed by a separate Masters degree in order to satisfy all the requirements. Alternatively, some students might opt for a degree that combines elements of the technical aspects of engineering, along with the business or management aspects. Such degrees will often have titles such as “Engineering Business Management” or “Engineering and Business Studies”. Such degrees are not appropriate for those wishing to become Chartered Engineers and such degrees are often not accredited (since they don’t contain a sufficiently large amount of engineering). However, for students who see their role as ‘managing’ engineering rather than ‘doing’ engineering, such degrees could be just the ticket.
A problem for students interested in engineering is that when they are trying to choose their university degree they haven’t usually actually done any engineering or any management! It is therefore hard for them to make informed decisions on their proposed career. One of the advantages of the unified schools of engineering mentioned above, is that they allow students to put off this decision until they have this experience. Students will gain experience of all the various fields of engineering and management during their first year, and can then decide which degree course is right for them.
Dr. Neil Storey
Director of International Recruitment
School of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK
