COUNTDOWN TO COLLEGE:THERE ARE new regulations regarding the recognition of engineering qualifications, writes Brian Mooney
The education standard for the title of chartered engineer will from 2013 onwards be an Engineers Ireland accredited master’s degree (level 9) or equivalent.
How long will it take?
It will now take the equivalent of five years of studying engineering for progression to chartered engineer for those on honours degree level 8 programmes and even longer for those studying level 7 or level 6 programmes.
Engineers Ireland, which represents the profession, is justifying this step as a protection of the quality of professional engineering. It says it is in line with European best practice and will ensure continued international recognition of Irish engineering qualifications.
It also claims the change will facilitate greater mobility for engineering graduates at both industry and education levels.
If you enrol on a level 8 engineering degree programme, when you graduate you will be automatically eligible for membership (MIEI) of Engineers Ireland.
To attain the education standard for chartered engineer, the most direct route is to continue your studies beyond levels 7 and 8 towards a level 9 accredited master’s degree.
How will the economic downturn affect the demand of engineers?
Despite the economic downturn, there continues to be a high demand for graduates in a number of sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, digital, water, healthcare, communications, alternative energy and infrastructure.
The Government’s continued commitment to scientific and engineering research plus the projects outlined in the National Development Plan would indicate a bright future for young engineers.
Other hopeful signs in the otherwise gloomy economic environment are Bord Na Móna’s recent announcement that it is investing €1.2 billion over the next five years in renewable energy.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has announced an investment of €350 million in e-learning technologies, while Boston Scientific will provide a €50 million investment in research and development for its Galway base.
What are the different areas of engineering that you can study?
There is a multiplicity of disciplines in engineering which are delivered in nine universities and 13 institutes of technology.
They include: aeronautical, biomedical, biosystems, food and agriculture, building services, chemical, civil, computer and software, environmental, electrical/electronic, industrial and materials, mechatronics/ electromechanical, manufacturing and design, transport, mechanical and structural.
If you are perplexed by the wide number of options available, you can use the first year of your engineering degree to choose your area of specialisation.
Broad-based programmes at UCD, TCD, NUI Maynooth, NUI Galway, UCC, UL, DIT and IT Blanchardstown offer the possibility to specialise from their second year. There is a lot to commend these routes; many students feel that it is only by getting to know the specific disciplines that they can be sure of the right option.
Subject requirements
To study engineering at level 8 honours degree, you need at least a HC3 in maths and normally at least one science subject. Some courses, for example electrical, electronic or computer engineering at DIT, do not require a science subject.
How do you study engineering without a higher level maths qualification?
At certificate and ordinary degree level, you will need at least a grade OD3 or HD3 in maths. Level 6 qualifications will lead to engineering technician status, with level 7 leading to engineering technologist. Graduates of these programmes can progress onwards to level 8 engineering qualification.
Architecture
The fact that 40 per cent of architects have become unemployed during the current construction downturn will probably lead to a fall-off in demand for places this year.
There are six higher degrees available through the CAO: at UCD (DN001); at the University of Limerick (LM099); offered jointly by UCC and CIT – (CK606); at Waterford IT (WD144); at DIT Bolton Street (DT101); and structural engineering with architecture (DN078) at UCD.
Both the DIT and UL courses are restricted application courses, which must be listed by the February 1st deadline.
The National Building Agency (www.nba.ie) awards a scholarship for architecture to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Architectural Technologist
Architectural technologists prepare the paperwork used in construction as well as freehand and computer-aided design drawings.
Seven institutes of technology offer three-year ordinary degree level 7 programmes: the Dublin IT (DT105); GMIT offers two programmes, (GA472) and (GA873) in Castlebar; Cork IT (CR090); Waterford IT (WD094); Letterkenny IT (LY547); and Carlow IT (CW 407) and (CW007) on its Wexford campus.
Monday: paramedical degree programmes