Information for Prospective Students
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General university information and activities for new students.
Engineering at Aberdeen
- Engineering - what do engineers do?
- The School
- Degree Programmes
- Careers
- Taught Postgraduate Courses
- Research
What do Engineers do?
Professional Engineers work with materials, energy, manpower, finance and technology. They are employed in applied research, in design and development, in manufacture and production, in the planning and commissioning of equipment, and in site and plant supervision. Engineers require a wide range of skills and must be adaptable, imaginative and aware of the practical aspects of their work. Job satisfaction among professional engineers is high because they can follow projects through from design and planning to completion.
Engineering today requires a "systems" approach where the total product is designed as a coherent entity. Technological advances can only be properly exploited using a team in which each specialist is aware of the problems and solution techniques available to colleagues. There is no room for the water-tight divisions that used to separate the traditional branches of engineering. In designing a typical oil platform we find engineers working together to optimise the inter-relationships of the structure, the gas turbines driving electrical generators, the motors which drive oil and mud pumps, control gear for drilling and pumping, communications networks and safety systems. Interactions which might cause pollution, electrical hazard, or explosion must be analysed and eliminated. In fact, many of the methods used by individual specialists are closely related mathematically and benefit from cross fertilisation in use. Such co-operation is readily achieved when these engineers have all been taught side by side.
The School of Engineering
The rate of change of technology is so rapid that integrated departments which stress the uniform nature of engineering are now recognised as the most appropriate basis for teaching engineering. A broad understanding of their subject assists engineers in their professional careers, especially in their capacity as managers. Students here gain insight into the whole range of engineering disciplines in addition to developing a recognised specialism. This makes Aberdeen unique among the Scottish Universities. Engineering degrees at Aberdeen are broadly based, therfore students need not make an early commitment to one particular branch.
The School of Engineering provides a modern and attractive environment for teaching and research. It is supported by excellent workshops and laboratories dedicated to particular areas of work such as satellite communications, computer aided design, electrical machines, materials testing, laser welding, hydraulics and fluids, concrete, large structures and geotechnics.
Our staff consists of approximately 40 lecturing staff, including 9 professors, supported by 20 research staff and assistants. There are currently about 90 postgraduate students and over 600 undergraduates.
Undergraduate Degree Programmes
The School of Engineering offers a five year programme leading to the Honours degree of Master of Engineering (MEng) and a four year programme leading to the Honours degree of Bachelor of Engineering (BEng). The main specialisations are Chemical Engineering, Civil and Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The Integrated Engineering programme takes advantage of the unified nature of the Engineering at Aberdeen.
Careers
To be a Professional Engineer is the main aim of most of our students and a recognised degree in Engineering is the first step, followed by some years of experience in a responsible job. We believe our course will equip you for this later phase of your career. We give you enterprise and communication skills and our links with industry provide a foretaste of practical challenges. Part of this provision are regular lectures from industrial speakers and industrial consellors for civil engineering students. The University's Careers Service organises courses on interview technique and CV preparation, as well as arranging recruitment visits by employers.
The University supports local liaison with the Engineering Industry Training Board to co-ordinate the provision of vacation training in the oil and gas industry. This is encouraged, not simply as a useful source of finance, but as a valuable experience which helps in the choice of a final career. There is also a local STEP co-ordinator who can assist with summer placements.
A limited number of industrial sponsorship are available through the School of Engineering. Two of our sponsors are Baker Oil Tools and Baker Hughes INTEQ who have places for mechanical engineering students. Many large companies offer such assistance at a national level and able students are encouraged to apply as the associated training offers a very full introduction to real engineering.
Taught Postgraduate Courses
The School offers a range of postgraduate courses targeted primarily at the Energy sector. These include an MSc in Energy Futures, an MSc in Energy Systems (developed in partnership with the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China - please note: this programme is for Chinese speaking students and candidates are only accepted if recommended by HUST), an MSc in Project Management (both campus-based or distance learning), an MSc programme in SubSea Engineering (delivered via distance learning) and an MSc in Safety Engineering, Risk Analysis and Risk Management.
For a complete list of taught postgraduate programmes offered by the School, please click here.
Research
The integrated nature of the School of Engineering encourages wide-ranging research that often crosses the boundaries of traditional engineering disciplines. Support for these investigations comes from a similarly broad base, with industrial funding from major companies to smaller high technology enterprises building on innovation, as well as from national and international funding agencies. Our external research funding currently stands at £9 million.
Reasearch is organised in four Research Groups. This research spans the spectrum of Engineering topics, with a strong reputation in many areas including sea-bed mechanics, chaotic dynamics, laser welding, underwater holography, offshore safety, satellite and network communications, electrical drives and controls, image processing and erosion by wind, rivers and tides.
We are pleased to welcome students from all over the world, and particularly pleased to welcome back our graduates to pursue higher degrees as research students funded by industry and by grant awarding bodies such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.