I'd recommend this course to prospective students because of the breadth of options in the first year. Students are exposed to both mechanical and electronic engineering, and to the integration between both. They also learn about biomedical and sustainability engineering.

 I really enjoy the mix between lectures and laboratories in engineering. The lectures cover the theory in depth, but it’s extremely rewarding to see a student develop their own understanding of course topics based on lab work.

Our engineering programmes are hands-on and the practical elements give students exposure to products, procedures and processes they’ll use when they leave DCU. That means they hit the ground running. They also spend six to 10 months working in an industry setting and integrating as part of that team. 

For their final year project, they learn skills in time management, technical writing and budgeting and use these to complement their engineering skills. It’s no surprise to me that DCU is ranked first in Ireland for graduate employment.

 DCU is extremely friendly, with accessible academic and technical staff. It’s also highly innovative in terms of teaching methods. I’ve begun to use augmented reality (AR) applications, for example, where students can interact with a range of motors on their mobile devices, stepping through the operation and identification of key components of these motors using AR.

Nigel Kent is Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering