Engineering at UEA is built on strong links with industry. Employers value our emphasis on multi-disciplinary working, transferable skills, and independent thinking.
Engineering covers a huge range of skills and disciplines, so we make sure our students are trained in everything from mathematics to managing risk. We’ve got a great track record of getting our graduates employed, thanks to our vocational and diverse teaching and extra-curricular activities.
We not only develop the skills that make a great engineer, but we also introduce our students to employers and working engineers. Students are exposed to real-world scenarios, get the chance to regularly meet industry professionals, and explore innovative technology first-hand on numerous site visits.
In fact, thanks to our great industry links, we've been shortlisted for a National Undergraduate Employability (NUE) Award for 'Best Collaboration between a University and Employer'. Our extensive collaboration with the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) has gained recognition as one of the 'most effective and influential collaborations [...] between a university and employer to offer students additional employability skills and opportunities'.
Current students: you can discover the full range of employability resources and opportunities on your This Is ENG Blackboard site (UEA login required).
Accreditation
All degree courses within the School of Engineering at UEA are accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council. Some degree courses are also accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Energy Institute..
There are lots of advantages to studying an accredited course:
- Completing an accredited course enables you to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and competencies as outlined in the Engineering Council’s UK-SPEC.
- Graduates of accredited courses benefit from improved career prospects and higher earning potential
- Our accreditation is an international recognition and can pave the way to career opportunities in the UK and abroad.
- Students will be able to register as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng) after graduating and gaining suitable professional experience.
Select Partnership Scheme
Select is a pioneering scheme that takes advantage of our strong partnerships with local, national, and international engineering companies. Hosted annually, the Select event brings together engineers at all stages of their careers through speed interviews and networking.
Designed for undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students, the Select scheme equips you with employability skills and builds your self-confidence in a friendly environment. To prepare for the main event, you'll attend a bespoke workshop targeted at skills development and identifying your goals. The scheme's objective is to build connections between our students and professional partners, giving you the chance to gain work experience and deepen your understanding of the engineering sector.
Placements
Students on a Year In Industry (also known as a placement year) degree spend two years at UEA, the third year on an industry placement, and then return to the University for their final year of study. During your placement , you'll be paid a realistic wage and be supported throughout your year in industry.
Engineering at UEA has excellent connections with leading engineering organisations, keen to host Year In Industry students. A great number of these students go on to work for the same company they spend their placement year with.
Professional Society Membership
Professional societies are like clubs which specialise in a particular discipline. Members are people who share an interest in that subject. Becoming a member of a professional society can give you access to exclusive links with industry, funding, events, journals, and support. We fund student membership of:
- Institute of Engineering and Technology
- Energy Institute
- Institute of Mechanical Engineers
- Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers
- Women in Science and Engineering
- Nuclear Institute
Internships
We host paid summer internships in our facilities, helping students gain a greater understanding of their studies and develop practical skills, with the expert guidance of our academics and technicians. We run different internships every year to provide a variety of opportunities during your course.
See what some of our previous interns had to say about their experience:
What attracted you to the internship?
Sanitation and access to clean water have been huge issues in many parts of the world. This internship interested me as it would equip me with the knowledge to detect contaminants dangerous for human consumption and use. This internship also demonstrated the use of nano-material such as graphene in sensors to increase sensitivity, a concept I wanted to explore further.
What was your internship about how did you find it?
This internship allowed me to prepare samples for researchers. The samples were prepared by alternating different layers of graphene oxide and polymers, and were created in glass slides and optical fibres. The function of layering graphene oxide and polymers was to create sensors that can detect even the smallest concentration of certain water contaminants. This would be useful for remote detection in a water treatment plan and can reduce both the manpower and money necessary to do so.
At first, my responsibilities were daunting because of the jargon used. I also had to look through the different research papers and familiarise myself with the meaning of the technical terms before I could understand the aim of the research. Fortunately, my supervisors explained everything to me slowly and clearly. They understood that I would make plenty of mistakes and they encouraged and supported me when I had difficulties.
Would you recommend partaking in an internship to other students?
I would recommend that students get involved in an internship as it will equip you with further skills and knowledge to be used as a future engineer. There are so many things that we, as students, don't know about the world of research. This internship opened my eyes and allowed me to appreciate how important it is for more people to get involved in research that positively impacts future generations. This internship boosted my confidence and encouraged me to expand my horizons. It felt like I had made a small difference. An internship will help students who are interested in research and pursuing a PhD.
How has the internship supported your development?
I have developed my laboratory skills such as measuring different chemicals accurately and am able to use the different machines in experiments. However, the most important thing I learnt from this internship was to be patient as this quality determines the success of extracting the best samples possible. The more patient you are, the better the experiment will be. This made me appreciate the work of researchers because it is not as easy as it looks.
What did you enjoy most about this opportunity?
I loved talking and interacting with my supervisors. My supervisors were also my lecturers and it was very enjoyable to interact with them outside my studies. I got to discuss my concerns with them and they gave me some advice about pursuing a PhD after graduating. I also got to learn something I didn't know much about. I always hear about how graphene is one of the best materials that has ever been discovered but through this internship, I got to know why. In my opinion, the small details that we tend to ignore are the most interesting things in the world.
What attracted you to the internship?
It was good for my CV and the topic is relevant to renewable energy, the area in which I would like to work in the future. Learning such a complicated software such as Hyperworks also allowed me to develop useful skills.
What was your internship about and how did you find it?
This project aimed to develop a finite element model for the high-speed gearbox system capable of predicting the performance under wind turbine operating conditions. The main task was to learn to use the Hyperworks software. This was a big challenge as it is not an intuitive software and requires a lot of time and specialisation in order to use it professionally. The one month internship felt very short considering that most of the time was used to acquire the confidence in the software, and left little time to put the knowledge into practice. In any case, this was a good lesson in independent learning and not giving up when I didn’t make as much progress. I felt I was not the right person for the task but soon realised that it would have been just as challenging for any one of my peers with the same level of knowledge.
Would you recommend partaking in an internship to other students?
Yes, it is a great experience to enter into the world of work in a topic that you choose for your studies. It is rewarding thanks to the close contact with professors and researchers with whom you can exchange ideas and opinions. It is also a huge learning experience, personally and professionally and improves your CV for the purpose of applying for jobs in the future.
How has the internship supported your development?
Aside from improving my approach to self-learning and challenging myself more, the skills acquired when using the Hyperworks software and FEM modelling have been useful. The internship has also equipped me with a better understanding of wind turbines and their efficiency.
What did you enjoy most about the opportunity?
The professors were always kind and available to help. I was also in contact with the PhD student who was supervised by the same professor and they helped me a lot with my work. I started enjoying the work after understanding more about the software and when I started to see some results.
What was your internship about and how did you find it?
I participated in an internship exploring the fracture mechanics of 3D printed polymers. In this, I performed a tensile and four-point bending test on 3D printed plastics, to determine the material properties and examine the fracture details in order to predict the fracture patterns of the material.
Participating in this internship gave me the opportunity to work on original research under the supervision of a university academic. This has benefitted me in that I have been able to demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills as well as being the first major collaborative project that I have worked on.
Would you recommend partaking in an internship to other students?
This internship really gives you the chance to use your problem solving and analytical skills. Since it is original research, any correlations or patterns that you can observe you know that you have found yourself, which gives you a sense of accomplishment when you discover something. Guidance from a university academic can help you see problems in a way that may be different to how you would have thought about it, which you can apply to other situations to see them from a different perspective.
