The Melbourne Model
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Melbourne is the first university in Australia to adopt a teaching model that is consistent with the Bologna Declaration (a joint declaration of the European Ministers of Education in June 1999) which aims to promote a system of tertiary education worldwide that allowed for comparable university degrees internationally. From 2008, the University will offer an exciting range of 'new generation' undergraduate programs which have academic breadth as well as depth of content and will lead to employment, professional graduate programs or research higher degrees. What the Melbourne Model means for EngineeringIn 2008 Melbourne Engineering will accept students into a five-year engineering program structured as a three-year undergraduate degree followed by a two-year Master of Engineering, which leads to professional accreditation by Engineers Australia. In many parts of the world including the USA , Europe and Japan there is a strong movement towards a five-year engineering education leading to professional accreditation at the Masters level. The Bologna model of engineering education recently introduced in Europe is structured as a three-year engineering preparatory degree in engineering, science, mathematics and broadening subjects, followed by a two-year intensive Master of Engineering degree leading to an accredited professional engineering qualification. An accreditation panel from Engineers Australia reviewed the new engineering programs at Melbourne in March 2007. Provisional accreditation was recommended, with the panel expressing enthusiastic support for the Melbourne Model and the five-year engineering program. Compared with the existing four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree offered in most Australian universities the new Melbourne five-year degree provides students with the benefits of greater flexibility in subject choice, significant opportunity to broaden their education in areas outside engineering (such as business), and a deeper and more industry relevant engineering education at the Masters level. The new ‘Melbourne Model' means that through undergraduate degrees, students can select a course that interests them, and then complete their engineering degree with the professional Master of Engineering. For example, a student who may have previously wanted to do a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Engineering degree would now apply for the Bachelor of Commerce and enrol in a specified sequence of engineering subjects that lead to the professional Master of Engineering. It is an exciting time to be thinking of a career in Engineering. With great career opportunities and a world of choice afforded by the Melbourne Model, there has never been a better time to study Engineering. Find out more about Engineering at Melbourne in 2008 - pathways and courses on offer here. More information:
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