BEng or BSc? Accreditation?

jlow1

Im just finishing my 3rd year of Mechanical Engineering and I'm currently looking into doin my 4th year somewhere.
I've narrowed it down to a BEng (Hons) here in Ireland
A BEng (Hons) in the England that apperently is 'not accredited by any professional body yet'
And a BSc (Hons) in Wales thats not accredited yet either
and finally a BSc that is accredited here in Ireland.

So my questions are:
Are job opportunities going to be harder to get with a BSc than a BEng as an engineer?
Also, is it vital to have a Honours Degree that is accredited by professional bodies and by them i persume they mean IMechE etc...

Any advice will be greatly appriciated as application deadlines loom!

Thanks
James

brownacid

There is absolutely no point in doing a course which is not accredited, it would just be a waste of your time. If an institute of engineering is not going to stand over the degree and say that graduates will have the knowledge required to perform their duties then why would an employer hire you.

bnt

It's not quite as simple as that, since accreditation is an ongoing process. You could start a programme that isn't accredited at first, but which gains accreditation while you are on it, because it's new. The process (in Ireland at least) requires that students actually complete it and the whole experience is evaluated.

So, if students only ever chose already-accredited programmes, no new programmes would ever get accredited. If you compare the new programme to existing programmes, you can probably tell whether accreditation is likely. (It's obviously in the university's interest to see that it happens.)

(The opposite also happens - programmes lose accreditation while students are on them - but not often! )

Kavrocks

bnt wrote: »

It's not quite as simple as that, since accreditation is an ongoing process. You could start a programme that isn't accredited at first, but which gains accreditation while you are on it, because it's new. The process (in Ireland at least) requires that students actually complete it and the whole experience is evaluated.

Courses can gain provisional accreditation in Ireland before any students have graduated and then after there are graduates for it it can go for full accreditation.

Darren1o1

Kavrocks wrote: »

Courses can gain provisional accreditation in Ireland before any students have graduated and then after there are graduates for it it can go for full accreditation.

When I started in DCU, they were applying for accreditation. I believe you need at least one set of grads for a preliminary accreditation (or at least did from EI back then). After another 1-3 years they are reassessed and given a 3-5 yr approval depending on the review... DCU did well and got a 5 yr then.

jlow1

ok so gettin the impression that it might not be so bad doing a course that isnt accredited in the HOPE that it will be accredited?

Can anybody give advice and weather to do a BEng or BSc??

Also is there any point in trying to get a job with just my Level 7 BEng???

Any advice appreciated.

Darren1o1

jlow1 wrote: »

ok so gettin the impression that it might not be so bad doing a course that isnt accredited in the HOPE that it will be accredited?

Can anybody give advice and weather to do a BEng or BSc??

Also is there any point in trying to get a job with just my Level 7 BEng???

Any advice appreciated.

Well I think from 2012 you need a masters to practice as an Engineer. A level 7 will probably get you a position as a technician or drafter. This is under the Bologna agreement and should be consistent across Europe. Bsc and Beng does matter, it just depends on the institution on what they typically award. Can you post the courses just to be sure?

OwenM

You need a UK Masters, because most of their degrees are 3 years. An Irish 4 year level 8 degree is at this level.

Darren1o1

OwenM wrote: »

You need a UK Masters, because most of their degrees are 3 years. An Irish 4 year level 8 degree is at this level.

This is incorrect. Per the Bologna agreement, you will need to go to level 9 to be an Engineer.

Kavrocks

Darren1o1 wrote: »

When I started in DCU, they were applying for accreditation. I believe you need at least one set of grads for a preliminary accreditation (or at least did from EI back then). After another 1-3 years they are reassessed and given a 3-5 yr approval depending on the review... DCU did well and got a 5 yr then.

I was only recently talking to the Head of Electronic Engineering in DCU about the prospect of their Master's courses gaining accreditation and he had assured me they had recieved provisional accreditation from EI but won't recieve full accreditation until somebody graduates from the course.

Darren1o1

Kavrocks wrote: »

I was only recently talking to the Head of Electronic Engineering in DCU about the prospect of their Master's courses gaining accreditation and he had assured me they had recieved provisional accreditation from EI but won't recieve full accreditation until somebody graduates from the course.

Yes this is typical. I am doing the CAMM masters (Mechanical and manufacturing) and that is (luckily) already accredited. Is Grim Jim still the head or is he Head of all Engineering and computing?

Kavrocks

Darren1o1 wrote: »

Yes this is typical. I am doing the CAMM masters (Mechanical and manufacturing) and that is (luckily) already accredited. Is Grim Jim still the head or is he Head of all Engineering and computing?

Dean of all if we are talking about the same person.

jlow1

I was studying at LJMU in the UK for a 3 year honours degree but to my shame I failed a module in the May exams and again in August, it was a subject I struggled with greatly. Unfortunately the School of Engineering rules only allowed me to repeat it that one time so I was awarded just a certificate and they waved me goodbye!
didnt know what I was going to do for the year so got into year 3 of the BEng in Mechanical in LIT by chance!

Preferably only want to get on a one year add-on so here is one or 2 of the UK course in looking at

http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/?view=CourseDetail&code=DUFMDT1&page=apply
Head of course has said "its not accredited by any professional body" and "for accreditation you need to do at least 2 years on an accreditied programme"

Also always wanted to do Motorsport Engineering so I have been told
that this BSc (Hons) Motosport Technology will "the intention will be to accredit this programme for IEng with the IMechE as soon as possible"

http://www.smu.ac.uk/index.php/potential-students/faculty-of-applied-design-and-engineering/ae/497-bsc-hons-motorsport-technology

other than these I will be applying for the BEng Hons in LIT, GMIT, Sligo IT, Carlow etc.......

davey101

Darren1o1 wrote: »

This is incorrect. Per the Bologna agreement, you will need to go to level 9 to be an Engineer.

To become a "chartered" engineer you require a masters form 2012. you are still an engineer with Hons degree! To my knowledge the Bologna acquirement was developed so everyone in Europe comes in-line, as already mentioned an honours degree here was equivalent to that of a masters in England. The old diploma was the same as the English Degree, hence the upgrading of the title.
And as far as accreditation goes Kavrocks is correct, there needs to be a certain amount of graduates before accreditation is given. Quite a lengthy and in-depth process.

Darren1o1

davey101 wrote: »

To become a "chartered" engineer you require a masters form 2012. you are still an engineer with Hons degree! To my knowledge the Bologna acquirement was developed so everyone in Europe comes in-line, as already mentioned an honours degree here was equivalent to that of a masters in England. The old diploma was the same as the English Degree, hence the upgrading of the title.
And as far as accreditation goes Kavrocks is correct, there needs to be a certain amount of graduates before accreditation is given. Quite a lengthy and in-depth process.

Op was talking about accreditation, which is why the conversation relating to the masters is relevant. The other option according to EI is a BEng(Hons) and CPD

cozzie55

Darren1o1 wrote: »

Op was talking about accreditation, which is why the conversation relating to the masters is relevant. The other option according to EI is a BEng(Hons) and CPD

With the CPD route you have to take the professional engineering exams to get charter-ship which are apparently a right pain.
If you do a two year masters then you can gain charter-ship with just an interview as far as I am aware.

Darren1o1

cozzie55 wrote: »

With the CPD route you have to take the professional engineering exams to get charter-ship which are apparently a right pain.

Agreed.