Central Queensland University Bachelor of Engineering/ Diploma of Professional Practice Co-op Course

The course I am currently taking is the bachelor of Engineering/ Diploma of Professional practice co-op course. this course has one main benefit over tradition engineering courses as it integrates two six month paid work placements in to the program. This means that at the end of the degree you not only exit with text book knowledge and skills, but real on the job training. The contacts gained during these placements are very benefiting and often lead to employment at the end of the course.

This particular course is open to students wishing to specialise in mechanical, electrical or civil engineering, and is a four and a half year course but as 1 year is devoted to work placements it is only 3 and a half years in the classroom. The first year of the degree is a generic program and all strands of engineering take the same subjects, and then specialise in the second year. Work placements occur in the first semester of third year and again in the second semester of forth year.

The biggest benefit I see out of taking the course through CQU is that they have an incredible link to industry, and out of every student who has every taken the course through Gladstone has exiting the course with a job, and some with multiple job offers. This course leads to incredible opportunities and I would recommend it to anyone looking at doing engineering.

Another note to make on studying engineering is that paid vocational placements are offered during every holiday, and in an industrial centre like Gladstone there are too many placements and not enough students to take them. Every student my cohort that applied for work got a placement, some with multiple offers of placement. Engineering has so many opportunities from the beginning that it makes it a very good option.

The other benefit of these placements is that it eases the financial pressure that is usually felt during university degrees, and being paid for an entire year of study makes it that much easier to be able to support yourself.