Quality Courses

Besides deciding which type of course would suit you best, it is important to choose the right university. Each university sets its own curriculum, decides the teaching methods that will be used, and the qualifications required for entry. The facilities available within each university, the qualifications of the staff, and the specialisations available will also differ. It can be difficult to know which universities will offer the best education, especially as each institution wishes to promote its own courses. Although the reputation of a university may give an indication of the quality of education, the fact that they have a good reputation does not necessarily mean that the Electronic Engineering course will be equally good. Similarly, some of the best universities for the study of electronics are not generally recognised.

In order to help choose a suitable course, there are a number of sources of independent information. The British Government established the Quality Assurance Agency to assess the quality of education provided by each university in particular subjects. In order to make these assessments, a panel of experts visit the university to observe teaching, talk to students, graduates and their employers. They then award a grade out of 24 points. The panel also produce a report covering each of the six areas of the assessment. The assessments for Electronic Engineering, involving 76 institutions, were carried out between 1996 and 1998. The reports on each institution are publicly available on the QAA Website: www.qaa.ac.uk.

A total of ten universities gained the maximum possible grade (24 out of 24), but it is important to look at the individual reports, since these specify what the courses aim to achieve. The assessment is a judgement of how well these aims are achieved.

A second factor to consider in quality of courses is accreditation by professional bodies. In the case of Electronic Engineering, this is the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). The IEE looks at both the subject matter and the way it is taught, and can award accreditation for three different levels of course. Accredited Master of Engineering (MEng) and Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) honours courses lead eventually to chartered engineer status, while other degree courses can lead to Incorporated Engineer status. Although accreditation of a course means that it has met the required standard, if a course is not accredited this does not necessarily mean that it is not a good course. A course can only be fully accredited once students have graduated, and so it may take four to five years before a new course can be accredited. Courses that address new technologies may be very relevant to industry, but because they are new, they may not be accredited. Courses that combine electronics with other disciplines may also not be accredited because they do not contain sufficient core Electronic Engineering material, but this does not mean they are not worth considering if the subject is what you want to study.

The choice of whether to study an MEng or BEng (honours) course can be a difficult one. MEng courses tend to last four years, while BEng's are generally one year shorter. This does save money on fees and living expenses, but if your eventual aim is to gain chartered status, a further year of academic study is required following graduation from a BEng.

Your choice of university may also take account of the cost of living. This can vary a great deal depending on the location of the university. Although London, for example, has many attractions for students, the costs of accommodation, transport and food all tend to be higher than in other parts of the country. Worrying about money and the need to work can be a big distraction from your academic work.

With the choice of different subjects, course structures and universities open to students of Electronic Engineering, it can seem overwhelming. You should try to decide what you really want to get out of your course. Then look for independent information, try to talk to someone who has studied at the universities you are interested in and, if you are unsure about what a particular course involves, or whether a particular university would suit you, then contact the Department with your questions. You will be able to learn a lot from the way they answer, both about the courses and the way that they treat students.

Author: Dr Jim Gilbert, School of Engineering, University of Hull

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