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Thread ID: 127782 2012-11-14 01:34:00 Opinions wanted: Engineering - UoA vs AUT Chanvin (16943) PC World Chat
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1312345 2012-11-14 21:31:00 While this is not indicative of all students at AUT, surely UoA must be of a superior standard.


Having spent six years teaching at tertiary level before and while I went into journalism, at three different universities, I can assure you that unprepared students are everywhere.
Zara Baxter (16260)
1312346 2012-11-14 21:40:00 Hmm, interesting stuff guys. I mainly conceive it as a prejudice kind of thing but I do agree that the teaching styles are slightly different.
The atmosphere is different too...
Chanvin (16943)
1312347 2012-11-14 22:09:00 I graduated with a Auckland University Engineering degree in 2011, so I feel I am 50% qualified to answer this question .

The Engineering program at The University of Auckland is an extremely challenging and rewarding program . The admission standards are very high and as a consequence you will meet many intelligent and well rounded students . The lecturers are generally very good and you will undertake a good mixture of theoretical and practical work during your time there . Out of all the students in my graduating class (I did Electrical and Electronic Engineering), I would say that upwards of 60% of them had graduate jobs within 3 months of graduating . Given the present economic climate in New Zealand, I think this is very good . I suspect that the statistic for Mechanical Engineering would be similar if not slightly better - I think there are slightly more opportunities for graduate mechanical engineers in New Zealand compared to Electrical Engineers .

Below I will detail my knowledge of AUT, it is not extensive . I have never researched the AUT Engineering program, however I do have a bit of experience tutoring AUT Engineering students .

- I would say that the AU Engineering program would have a much higher theoretical focus compared to AUT . And by theoretical I mean mathematical . In this sense, I would say that AU prepares you with a 'traditional engineering education', one that provides you with a rigorous mathematical and analytical background but also gives you opportunities to apply this in a practical setting . My experience with students from AUT is that the emphasis at AUT is much more practical . This is by no means a negative aspect, but you need to decide which approach works better for you and what you want from your career .

As an example of the distinction consider this . All AU engineering graduates are required to undertake a workshop training course before they graduate . This course aims to provide students with basic skills of workshop practice - including welding, basic woodwork etc . This course is undertaken at AUT . AU does not have the workshop resources or the capable teaching staff to undertake such a course . However, AUT has these resources, and indeed their graduates do graduate being much better prepared in these areas .

In the end however, from a employer pov, I don't think it will matter much providing you can demonstrate you are a hard working and motivated individual . Both degree programs have IPENZ accreditation ( . ipenz . org . nz/ipenz/education_career/accreditation/" target="_blank">www . ipenz . org . nz) which is argubly the most important aspect for an employer .
noone (22)
1312348 2012-11-15 01:00:00 Established as a university That is as may be, but its roots are shallow and as others have said, it lacks the depth and cachet of UoA. Perhaps I should have said people 'think of it' as coming from the polytech system and as AIT tried and failed, it doesn't say too much for the roots of AUT. I reckon it was a coat-tail job on reputations of MIT and RMIT. It offers a wide range of degree courses but has a much smaller faculty and UoA dwarfs its facilities. It is in the 'we try harder' marketing bracket and in time it will build a reputation, but it hasn't happened yet.

Cheers

Billy 8-{)
Billy T (70)
1312349 2012-11-15 01:52:00 From what I've heard, AUT has gone downhill. Isn't UoA now one of the harder universities to get into? icow (15313)
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