Hopefully Someone Can Help

[Do-Luck]

I'm currently looking into doing an Electrical Engineering course, and because I finished school 6 years ago, I forget the whole tertiary system.

Basically, what 'would' the course be labelled as? (Like how they have post/undergraduate and all that)

I'm a fully qualified A-grade electrician, would this help in decreasing the length of the course?

Any help is appreciated

[Ruffels]

you have to apply for it through Vtac still, just like any other yr12 student does i belive!

and due to the fact that you are a fully qualified electricain would definatly give you credits and exemptions

most of the uni's ... rmit, swinbourne etc have electrical engineering cources , both degree (4 years), advanced diplomas (2 years) and diploma certificates (1 year) just depends how far you wanna delve into it

because you are only 6 years out they still take your entre 'TER' score into account, but you are assesed as a "mature age student"

so best thing would be to contact Vtac or even one fo the universities like RMIT and get some more info!

-Ruffels

[RCHOO]

I'm currently looking into doing an Electrical Engineering course, and because I finished school 6 years ago, I forget the whole tertiary system.

Basically, what 'would' the course be labelled as? (Like how they have post/undergraduate and all that)

I'm a fully qualified A-grade electrician, would this help in decreasing the length of the course?

Any help is appreciated

Become a Electrical Inspector...If i had my way again i know i would.

[The Baron]

If you've completed Year 12 or equivalent, you would be looking for an Undergraduate Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) at one of the Universities. this is usually a 4 year course full time.

however anoter option would be to work towards such a degree by completing a number of smaller post graduate type courses and utilising RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) from your existing career in the field.

This would start with a Certificate II or IV, then move onto a Diploma and finally to full degree and then Mastersa. Most of it can be done part time but this obviously takes a lot longer.

Best advice - contact the Universities and tell them wa=hat you want to do - they will surely accomodate you - especially if you want to be full fee paying

[Rekin]

Try and get into Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical & Computer systems) at Monash Uni Clayton.

Course involves a shit load of maths and a lot of theory.

have a read through this to see if this is what you mean by Electrical Engineering;

http://eng.monash.edu.au/courses/undergraduate/ecse.html

In my electrical uni in first year, we learnt

superposition, capacitor charging, logic circuits, circuit analysis for voltage/current, nodal mesh

Basically a drawing of a circuit, and ways to calculate voltage/current at certain points using formula's, theories and rules.

Although this is just a basic intro to electr and becomes much more detailed in the following years.

Best would be to contact the Electrical Engineering department and see their response.

Enquiries

Tel: + 61 3 9905 3404

Fax: +61 3 9905 3409

Email: [email protected]

[Roy]

O work for an Engineering Consultancy with around 70 employees. We work on a range of projects and what continues to upset me is the tradesman workign for us earn far more then the engineers. Especially in the electrical side of the business. If you can do switchboards and automation/controls then you are laughing all the way to the bank.

But if you want to do engineerign because you think you will like it...then go for it!

[Do-Luck]

Brisby, at the moment I'm working in the domestic field installing gate motors etc, so the pay isn't that good I am looking into getting back into construction though.

Cheers for the help guys, Pat, I'll email them now and see if they can give me any further information regarding it.

[khunjeng]

I'm a Elec Engineer and have worked on shit loads of big projects also.

Biggest project comming up is the new Vic Government mandate to roll out smart electricty meters...there is going to be a shortage of qualified electrictions as they aim to roll out new meters to 100% of victoria in 4 years at around 1Billion dollars. I'm runnning the comms program for Singapore Power one for the main electricty companies, soon to be the biggest in July if any1 reads BRW and know a company called Babcock and Brown! So find a company in this game as they will all be flat out starting next year.

Apart from that if your keen I would go to RMIT or Swinburne. Only cos I have been most impressed with people from there over the past few years although in reality the big ones are pretty much the same.

I did mine at Swinburne and got a D for Quantum Mechanics...now thats top shit! haha

[Do-Luck]

Thanks man! I knew there'd be one on here somewhere

I'll hunt around on the net for more info this week, and hopefully make some calls next week.

Did you do a degree? masters?

[eMsta]

khunjeng is correct - RMIT and swinburn - even though they are not classified as in the same league as monash and melbourne uni by many people - they provide excellent practical work when it comes to engineering and computer systems etc. Monash eng is pretty good too - my bro did science eng (specialising in bio med and electrical engineering) - i know that monash and rmit give work experience for students (or they require the student to do work experience) - not sure about swinburn though.

If you havent done an undergrad before, they might just ask you to go into the undergrad course. But that im not sure about. Many accountants started with tafe and then went on to part time undergrad course - so im assuming that this is the same for engineering.

Honestly, if I could turn back time - I would have gone into engineering and then accounting straight away instead of doing computer science and then masters in accounting.

[khunjeng]

Thanks man! I knew there'd be one on here somewhere

I'll hunt around on the net for more info this week, and hopefully make some calls next week.

Did you do a degree? masters?

Degree (under grad)

Personally...f**k masters unless ur boring and cant get a job thats the only reason you would do it this young and without expereinece. You will find now you have some work experience that the degree will be much easier cos u have the drive to do it. As with most we did it straight outta high school and didnt really know wtf was going on. Those mature age guys, although I gave them shit, had drive and got good results.

Like with most things...having a solid plan and the drive will ensure u make things happen. The bit of paper does help, your really learning how to think and its fairly obvious when you speak with people who dont have suitable technical qualifications..

Finally accounting is a very important thing to understand. When i did mine I did some additional MBA subjects for management and accounting which has been good stuff for me.

My words of wisdom for you : Its not about having a good job, its about doing a good job that makes you happy.

[eMsta]

My words of wisdom for you : Its not about having a good job, its about doing a good job that makes you happy.

too true ^^^

[CrispyFries]

not sure about swinburn though.

Swinburne has Industry Based Learning (IBL), a year of working in your industry half way through the course

[eMsta]

Swinburne has Industry Based Learning (IBL), a year of working in your industry half way through the course

ah so just like RMIT then....

monash has only 3 months i think (during summer vac)

[Rekin]

My words of wisdom for you : Its not about having a good job, its about doing a good job that makes you happy.

I sometimes wonder why im still in engineering...

2yrs in cant afford to drop it now, hopefully it will become better in 3rd/4th year lol

In regards to Monash IBL for engineering there are 2 types;

Compulsary 3month biz exp during end of year 3

or

1yr work experience which can be picked up at beginning of year 4

[eMsta]

trust me man...if ur not enjoying it now...whats the point of sticking around for the rest of it....i did 4 years of IT, hated every single moment of it - should have dropped it in second year...but like you I thought "cant afford to drop it now" - and i have a huge hecs debt

[khunjeng]

I sometimes wonder why im still in engineering...

2yrs in cant afford to drop it now, hopefully it will become better in 3rd/4th year lol

In regards to Monash IBL for engineering there are 2 types;

Compulsary 3month biz exp during end of year 3

or

1yr work experience which can be picked up at beginning of year 4

Swinburne started the 1 year IBL. Others copied cos they realised 3-6 months is a waste fo time. When u come back from that its amazing the difference it will make. 3 months is just a joke...u might as well just go on holidays as it takes 3-4 months just to get started.

I went to Swinburne for the IBL. And glad aI did, best decission.