Chemical Engineering - UL or UCD

micomalley

Hi all! My first time posting so be nice Im starting college next year and Im fairly set on Chemical Engineering. just wondering where is the best place to study it, UL or UCD. Doing a coop or work placement is very important to me and and so UL seems appealing but as its a relatively new course I'm slightly worried. Chemical Engineering has been going for years in UCD and I have more confidence in the UCD course.
Hope youlld be able to give your thoughts in anyway atall. And if anyone whos doing Chemical Engineering, would ye be able to give your opinions on it.
All help is much appreciated.
Thanks, Michael

mrac

Personally I would go for the UCD course. The UL one is very new and as of yet is not accredited with the IChemE (which is very important when you go into industry and want to get chartered). In contrast UCD is fully accredited, been around for years and is very well regarded in industry.

If its just the co op thing that you like about UL you should know that UCD also do a work placement at the end of year 3 so there isnt really any difference in that regard.

Shane L

Currently in 2nd year chem in UCD plenty of talks from companies (mainly for 3rd years) and some presentations from people who have been on work placement OP.I think UCC have been doing a chemical Eng course for a long while as well if you want to look into that?

Rob_Ireland

I've just finished the Chemical Engineering degree in UCC.

Great course, small class numbers means lots of interaction with the lecturers.

Work placement was invaluable. Learned a load. Make sure you do a course with placement, it's probably the most valuable part of the degree.

Both UCC and CIT have been running a course for years, have full IChemE accreditation, and have plenty of contacts built up in industry.

Out of my class of 21, 20 now have full time jobs, and i'm off travelling!

micomalley

Thanks alot guys.
Yeah the work placement is important to me and I know they all offer them but I've been told UL has the longest work placements.
Or is it possible to take a year out in UCD on a work placement?
I have heard great things about Cork and it is very tempting but cause I'm from Mayo it just seems really awkward from a travelling perspective coming home to a job at the weekend.
Anything big or small you think i should know know just post it. Every little helps! Thanks

beargrylls93

mrac wrote: »

Personally I would go for the UCD course. The UL one is very new and as of yet is not accredited with the IChemE (which is very important when you go into industry and want to get chartered). In contrast UCD is fully accredited, been around for years and is very well regarded in industry.

If its just the co op thing that you like about UL you should know that UCD also do a work placement at the end of year 3 so there isnt really any difference in that regard.

sorry i havent actually read the rest of the thread so someone might already have said it but ul have being doing a chemical engineering PhD for the last 20 odd years , and a course cant become accredited by the english society until the college have a graduated class.... its not that a course isnt good enough... some books dont make that clear ... i'm in first year in ul doing it, cross referenced it with the PhD modules and we have 2 of the same this term.... very hard course but its class

theres 6 in my class i think 5 of us got over 500 so its not a class a dumbasses just cause we're more 'in the country' than dublin
also you have a guaranteed 8 month work placement in ireland in 3rd year but i'm not so sure how much help they give you when you wanna go abroad, which i definitely am


f your two main lecturers check witold kwapinski ( and check the awards he has ) and seamus mcmonagle.... two seriously sound teachers...

good luck with the choice anyways.... and lick the words off the pages of the organic chemistry chapters of your book :L :L

mrmeindl

micomalley wrote: »

Hi all! My first time posting so be nice Im starting college next year and Im fairly set on Chemical Engineering. just wondering where is the best place to study it, UL or UCD. Doing a coop or work placement is very important to me and and so UL seems appealing but as its a relatively new course I'm slightly worried. Chemical Engineering has been going for years in UCD and I have more confidence in the UCD course.
Hope youlld be able to give your thoughts in anyway atall. And if anyone whos doing Chemical Engineering, would ye be able to give your opinions on it.
All help is much appreciated.
Thanks, Michael

UCD, CIT and Queens are ICheme acredited, UL is not. UCD and CIT have been doing chemical engineering for years and have numerous grads working in industry in Ireland and abroad. If you're picking between UCD and UL go UCD definitely.
Edit, CIT do placement in the summer between 3rd and 4th year, dunno if UCD do.

micomalley

Thanks alot for the replies. Is it certain that this course will become accredited once a class is graduated?And why did you choose UL over Cork or Dublin?
The small class sizes appeals to me aswell. The info on the lecturers is great. On the Open Day Seamus McMonagle showed myself and a friend around the labs. It was real indepth and he seemed liked a great guy.

beargrylls93

micomalley wrote: »

Thanks alot for the replies. Is it certain that this course will become accredited once a class is graduated?And why did you choose UL over Cork or Dublin?
The small class sizes appeals to me aswell. The info on the lecturers is great. On the Open Day Seamus McMonagle showed myself and a friend around the labs. It was real indepth and he seemed liked a great guy.

many of the lecturers would have no problem in you ringin them up and asking, in any university im sure thats the case, theyre not just being polite students from schools do come and sit in on classes and everything....

ha we're all thinkin a going down to a pub nearby where seamus and a few other professional irish music players play every wednesday night, the teachers are more than just a person who reads off the board...

to be honest i live in nenagh (tipperary) and my sister went to cork, it was a two hour 15 minute drive twice a week for her and four times for the mother... i think if you were to take the train that distance the weekly ticket is like 45 euro which wouldn be the worst, the bus is cheaper but it depends if your willing to go for about 3 and a half hours....

witold kwapinksi ( type him into the ul website ) told us that course cant be accredited until they have a graduated class, but because of ul's 20 odd years in teaching the Masters chemical engineering degree there wasnt any worry about getting it, the graduating class will also have graduated from an accredited course..

lc4life

Hey, in exact same situation. Split between the two universities.

I personally from my research love the UL course the way its set up and UL itself. Just wondering how likely is it to become accredited and when? Still considering UCD though, due to its gret reputation and its accreditation and also Horizon modules.

Any info from students studying either would be great. How difficult is it and what are hours per week like? Also how much chemistry actually is involved.

beargrylls93

lc4life wrote: »

Hey, in exact same situation. Split between the two universities.

I personally from my research love the UL course the way its set up and UL itself. Just wondering how likely is it to become accredited and when? Still considering UCD though, due to its gret reputation and its accreditation and also Horizon modules.

Any info from students studying either would be great. How difficult is it and what are hours per week like? Also how much chemistry actually is involved.

its not just 'likely' to get accredited its guaranteed.. some people might be inclined to scaremonger on that but it is guaranteed... since the last time i posted we actually had IChemE.ie representatives come and talk to us bout our course and we all joined their society as students ....

also in the first semester the only chemistry module is general chemistry one which is like an introduction for all the engineers, but in my second term i have organic chemistry, physical chemistry and process technology( among others). Process technology is not about chemistry persay but it is the most important part of our course we've beeen told... but im sure some of the others on this post will be able to tell you more about that !

also i hope this helps, if it doesnt im sure others will be posting on this forum....

lc4life

beargrylls93 wrote: »

its not just 'likely' to get accredited its guaranteed.. some people might be inclined to scaremonger on that but it is guaranteed... since the last time i posted we actually had IChemE.ie representatives come and talk to us bout our course and we all joined their society as students ....

also in the first semester the only chemistry module is general chemistry one which is like an introduction for all the engineers, but in my second term i have organic chemistry, physical chemistry and process technology( among others). Process technology is not about chemistry persay but it is the most important part of our course we've beeen told... but im sure some of the others on this post will be able to tell you more about that !

also i hope this helps, if it doesnt im sure others will be posting on this forum....

Thats great to know. UL was always a preferred choice but now knowing this is just giving me peace of mind, that I would be doing an accredited course. So are the first class of chemical engineers graduating this year?

Thanks for the info, I have heard theres far less chemistry than you'd expect but there seems to be more than enough modules on it. Are your day's long? Is it alot of hours a week?

beargrylls93

lc4life wrote: »

Thats great to know. UL was always a preferred choice but now knowing this is just giving me peace of mind, that I would be doing an accredited course. So are the first class of chemical engineers graduating this year?

Thanks for the info, I have heard theres far less chemistry than you'd expect but there seems to be more than enough modules on it. Are your day's long? Is it alot of hours a week?

well im only in my second semester like i said so the hours might get longer but i dont start untill two oclock tomorrow about twenty to twenty eight hours a week depending on the week so far for me which honestly isnt too bad the workload isnt massive so far

no this is only the second year for the chemical and biochemical engineering course, but ul has had a chemical engineering masters for the last thiry odd years or so, the teachers arent new people rushed in for us, theyve been teaching the stuff for years i was told by one lecturer seamus mcmonagle, you'll find that lad on the ul website if ya want

lc4life

beargrylls93 wrote: »

well im only in my second semester like i said so the hours might get longer but i dont start untill two oclock tomorrow about twenty to twenty eight hours a week depending on the week so far for me which honestly isnt too bad the workload isnt massive so far

no this is only the second year for the chemical and biochemical engineering course, but ul has had a chemical engineering masters for the last thiry odd years or so, the teachers arent new people rushed in for us, theyve been teaching the stuff for years i was told by one lecturer seamus mcmonagle, you'll find that lad on the ul website if ya want

Oh good to know its not too strenous yet, get to enjoy the social aspect aswell.
Yeah sound, i'll look him up. I just searched there on the IChemE website and it actually says UL is already accredited along with CIT UCC and UCD.

http://www.icheme.org/membership/accreditation/universities.aspx

beargrylls93

lc4life wrote: »

Oh good to know its not too strenous yet, get to enjoy the social aspect aswell.
Yeah sound, i'll look him up. I just searched there on the IChemE website and it actually says UL is already accredited along with CIT UCC and UCD.

http://www.icheme.org/membership/accreditation/universities.aspx

does that mean colleges get accredited as a whole or on a course basis ???

lc4life

beargrylls93 wrote: »

does that mean colleges get accredited as a whole or on a course basis ???

I really don't know. It's a good sign anyway. I might contact them, see what the story is with it.

beargrylls93

lc4life wrote: »

I really don't know. It's a good sign anyway. I might contact them, see what the story is with it.

do , let us know if ya remember afterwards .....

its a good sign but even if its not true its only a matter of having a graduating class

lc4life

beargrylls93 wrote: »

do , let us know if ya remember afterwards .....

its a good sign but even if its not true its only a matter of having a graduating class

E-mail sent, suppose its just a matter of waiting now. I'll get it up as soon as I can.

Daniel S

I'm in UL.



UL.

lc4life

Daniel S wrote: »

I'm in UL.



UL.

What exactly, makes it better, do you think? In your opinion

lc4life

Heres the email I finally got after having to go from one department to another. I think Im more confused to be honest.

Thank you for your email enquiry, IChemE does accredited the Postgraduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering at the University of Limerick as a conversion course at Bachelors level.

Therefore should a candidate successfully complete this degree they will partially meet the academic requirements for IChemE Chartered membership and in order to apply they will be required to fulfil our Further Learning to Masters Level requirement, which is either an accredited MSc or a work based route which involves submission of an additional report and an additional interview.

For more information please download the Get Chartered Guidelines from the How to apply section on www.getchartered.org you will follow Route 2.


I hope this answers your query and should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

mrmeindl

lc4life wrote: »

Heres the email I finally got after having to go from one department to another. I think Im more confused to be honest.

Thank you for your email enquiry, IChemE does accredited the Postgraduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering at the University of Limerick as a conversion course at Bachelors level.

Therefore should a candidate successfully complete this degree they will partially meet the academic requirements for IChemE Chartered membership and in order to apply they will be required to fulfil our Further Learning to Masters Level requirement, which is either an accredited MSc or a work based route which involves submission of an additional report and an additional interview.

For more information please download the Get Chartered Guidelines from the How to apply section on www.getchartered.org you will follow Route 2.


I hope this answers your query and should you require any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.

UCD and CIT's degrees fully meet the ICheme requirements for chartered membership. UCCs might aswell.

kiliano

lc4life wrote: »

Hey, in exact same situation. Split between the two universities.

I personally from my research love the UL course the way its set up and UL itself. Just wondering how likely is it to become accredited and when? Still considering UCD though, due to its gret reputation and its accreditation and also Horizon modules.

Any info from students studying either would be great. How difficult is it and what are hours per week like? Also how much chemistry actually is involved.

Hi ya I'm currently a 1st year student doing chemical engineering in UL. Love the course, as far as the accreditation goes like its been said befre ICHEME cant accreditate the course until a class has graduated ( The first year to finish will be the year above us) so by the time you graduate accreditation shouldn't be a problem, also as said the post gradute diploma in chemical engineering already here in UL for the last god knows how many years is already fully accredited by ICHEME so all our lecturers and the head of department see now reason how our BEng cant be. Icheme representative from england has already given us a presentation on Icheme membership and how we need to become charted so in truth there seems to be no problem with the course getting accreditation once the first class have graduated. As far as the course content, yes there is alot of chemistry,( so far organic, physical, general with much more to follow) its not called chemical engineering for nothing, but also so far in first year we've done engineering maths, engineering physics, process technology, computational methods in chem eng, principles in chem eng, even some CAD. The course is difficult but there is extremely good academic support available in UL if you need it. as for the social life, ask anyone in UL and they'll tell ya how unreal it is! Like with all engineering courses in any college its intense and the hours long enough ( getting longer after 1st year!) like my man beargrylls says give seamus, ake or witold a buzz...they're the type of people who'd only love to talk to ya! Hope this helped :P