OU courses in aeronautical engineering

[ACARS]

Anyone know any good places, websites that specialise in aeronautical engineering degrees for the Open University in the UK?

Thanks

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'd be delighted to be proven wrong, but to the best of my knowledge the OU doesn't do an aero eng course. If they do, I'd love to tutor for it - it would be an interesting challenge.

Various of the "normal" universities do distance learning or part time aero-eng courses, and it's worth asking a few (they don't seem to publicise what they do much). Also Embry Riddle in the USA does distance aero-eng courses, they're not cheap but have a good reputation and don't seem to care where in the world you are.

G

[Blacksheep]

The "Open University" doesn't do engineering degrees as such but their BA course requires students to do at least one module in each faculty - Arts, Science, Humanities and so on and you can major in one faculty. It is therefore possible to get an OU degree majored in "Technology" but not engineering per se. Check out their website at www.open.ac.uk (http://www.open.ac.uk) for information.

Engineering degrees usually require "laboratory" work as well as book learning. This is the reason for the paucity of distance learning engineering degrees. The same applies to many other courses in pure science, also social sciences such as psychology. Most distance learning courses are in subjects that can be studied from books and library research.

Seems a pretty sensible approach really. How do you study science or engineering to a decent standard without conducting experiments using "state of the art" equipment? Although people working in engineering have access to hardware to play with, imagine the workload for the university in trying to supervise and assess what you do!

I know of one Australian chap who did an engineering degree by distance learning (Melbourne Institute of Technology I believe) but he still had to attend formal classes for the practical part of the course, amounting to about one third of the workload.

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Through difficulties to the cinema

[Genghis the Engineer]

Whilst I agree in principle with you BlackSheep, I think that it is important that people already working in the industry should have the opportunity to gain a BEng MEng or MSc part time without having to give up work. The OU does science degrees, and I can't see that the issues for science or engineering are all that different.

I have just remembered somebody I know who did a part time Aero-Eng degree at Farnborough college, that might be worth a look.

G

[Blacksheep]

Genghis,

I absolutely agree that people employed in engineering should have more access to professional development. There is the CEI route to Chartered Engineer but with no disrespect, and although the difference is quite subtle, that's not quite the same thing as a degree. Engineers may know what it means but the general public have no idea.

My own solution to the intellectual development problem was to follow the Economics/Management route to a degree by distance learning while staying in the industry, but this isn't the same as an engineerig degree either. I now have a trained intellect that is restricted by technician level engineering knowledge. Very frustrating! I'd love to do a part time engineering degree but as an expatriate I'm restricted to distance learning.

What is needed is a degree programme that allows people to study the academic elements at home or "night school" and then complete laboratory work during weekend or holiday seminars at a university.

How do we convince a university to set up such a course? I already tried to convince the University of London through Convocation that the Internet should be used more in the delivery of their existing external programmes. They simply don't have enough lecturers to cope with the additional workload. Perhaps you could you have a word with your friends in the RAeS bar one day about the possibility of the CEI organising an engineering degree in association with a university, lets say Imperial College for example, rather than in-house Institutional Qualifications?

Sadly, New Britain seems to be no longer interested in engineering. Perhaps a new name would help? Can anyone suggest a new, dignified name for engineering? One popular novelist characterises engineers as "Cunning Artificers" Thats about right, but we need something more dignified.

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Through difficulties to the cinema

[Genghis the Engineer]

I agree absolutely with everything you say Blacksheep - I incidentally got to CEng through the degree route. Whilst the EngC route is valid and I would fight anybody who tried to take it away, some jobs (and to an extent personal satisfaction) require degree level knowledge (mine included).

I have a few academic contacts through my various nefarious activities (the aero departments at Southampton and Bath Universities mainly) and I'll gladly put some feelers out and see what anybody says. I don't sit on the right RAeS committees for this sort of thing, but I can certainly ask the people who do.

My feeling is that given the OU has (so far as I know anyway) little or no aeronautical expertise, the best approach would either be for an existing University who has some distance learning knowledge to do something unilaterally, or somebody to do a collaboration with the OU. In the latter case, the proximity of Cranfield and Milton Keynes brings an obvious possibility to light.

G

[Jango]

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is actually looking at setting up engineering degree courses, including aeronautical disciplines through a web based virtual uni.

My boss has been part of the discussion group leading to this. As she, along with many other have seen there is a real need for this kind of flexible learning for aviation professionals. Expat life, shift work all tend to make it pretty difficult to accomodate regular courses.

As previously mentioned, shame UK, Aus and other leading Unis are being left behind.. a sign of the times.

[NTL]

If you are looking for distance learning Uni courses from OZ there are several to try. The Unversity of Western Sydney, Swinbourne University in Melbourne and Griffith University in Brisbane. They all offer teriary qualifications by distance learning. They all have websites, so you can find out the info you require from them.

[SchmiteGoBust]

ACARS,
One point to consider about the degree decision. There are not many jobs that require a degree in engineering that pay as much as you can get with a maintenance licence. This sounds a bit illogical to me, but I suppose at the end of the day it takes longer to become a licensed engineer than to obtain an engineering degree. The path to a licence is more tortuous as well so relatively there aren't as many about.
Maybe a degree in law would be a good idea. One friend of mine did law whilst I was taking my course- he is now a partner of a firm coining in 85000 plus expenses!!!!

Edited due to mistakes in grammar caused by lack of education...heheheh....

[This message has been edited by SchmiteGoBust (edited 31 January 2001).]