What kind of job combines the creative satisfaction of a designer with the computing power of the space program and a potential salary per year?
Design is a work of most engineers that are trained to do and are engaged in much of their working life. Nearly everyone will be working with computer systems and software totaling close to a quarter of a million pounds. As a job, this is not only highly rewarding in a creative sense, but carries an extremely good salary package.
So how do you move into this interesting and lucrative career? This requires some explanation, as there are several degree qualifications offered by universities, including BSc, BEng, MEng. These degrees may have a full-time route, or contain an extra year spent in employment where you can gain experience in your chosen discipline - known as a sandwich route. Both BSc and BEng courses is usually three years full-time, four years sandwich, while the MEng is four years full-time, five years sandwich. In the contemporary world all of these courses will suffice to obtain employment in this sector.
What should you expect from a typical course? A number of departments suppose that engineering is predominantly a creative subject. At every level students are challenged with practical projects, beginning in the first year with a slightly less aggressive version of 'robot wars' moving through group projects in year two, and culminating in individual or group projects in the final year. For the most part courses will provide an element of choice or specialization in a particular aspect of the discipline, usually in the second or final year.
Students have not only to absorb and apply engineering principles, but also to develop an understanding of management and interpersonal skills, including written and verbal presentations. Communication with students of other disciplines, such as Multimedia Production and Multimedia Technology are encouraged.
Departments always put themselves on graduate employment rates with most believing that the industrial placement year is an important development element in the maturity and effectiveness of graduates. As a result students are encouraged to take up this option, supported by the university arranging placements with a wide variety of national and international companies.
This cover some benefits to the students: for example, over half of those placed in industry return with substantial financial support for their final year, and most returning with a firm offer of employment upon graduation. Besides, it was noticeable that those taking up industrial placement tend to be in the upper classifications when graduating.
| 
