Engineering and Computing

 The Engineering programmes are busy and focused, you would spend from 25 to 35 hours a week on the Glasnevin campus, Monday – Friday with a combination of lectures, lab work, tutorials and projects.  

All of our Engineering courses have a paid work placement of at least 6 months (10 month if you are continuing on to the masters)  This happens in the third year at the end of a shortened second semester. This constitutes an important part of the programme of study and typically lasts 6 to 7 months.  You will liaise with our INTRA office to organise a suitable placement for you that fits within the programme you are studying. In the past many students have been hired by their work placement companies after they have graduated in year 4.  It is a wonderful learning experience and gives students the opportunity to put their learning into practice.

You can see more about work placements here on the course pages

No, you do not need engineering for the Leaving Cert and you will not be at any disadvantage. Any skills from the Leaving Cert engineering course that are required on the programme will be covered in the first year.

The Maths in first year builds on Leaving Cert higher level Maths and then more advanced topics are covered in subsequent years. That said, you will have degree options available to you with different levels of Maths content, so you can choose whatever suits you best.  DCU has a Maths Learning Centre on campus for those students who need help working through mathematical problems; it is free of charge and provides a great help to any student who struggles in certain aspects of Maths.

Mechatronic engineering is a mix of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering. This allows the engineer to design and select parts from both fields and integrate them into devices and systems. A simple example is a washing machine. A mechanical engineer would be interested in the design of the parts that make up the machine. The drum (what size, shape, materials and manufacturing processes should be used). The mechatronic engineer might look at the speed the drum should rotate at and how to control and vary this speed. They may also be interested in the different wash cycles and how to control the level of water in the drum, the temperature of the water and how long the cycle runs for.

Each of the above are controlled by sensors and a mechatronics engineer would have a good knowledge of how these sensors work and how to integrate them into a system.

To date we have had sufficient places in all of our programmes to be able to accommodate all students on their preferred programmes. If this isn't possible we will allocate students their 2nd choice.  However, If you know you are interested in Biomedical Engineering you should apply for Biomedical as your first choice on the CAO, this will guarantee you your place on the programme in second year (should there be too many students who wish to switch into Biomedical).  If you choose Biomedical as your first choice on the CAO and after year one you feel it is not for you, you can move into one of the other engineering courses. All of our BEng courses are 4 years. It is also worth noting, Electronic and Computer Engineering (DC190), Biomedical Engineering (DC197) and Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (DC195) offer a 5th year option where you can gain a Masters degree in that course.  You do not have to decide on the Masters until the end of year 2.

DCU has sustainability at the core of the university, within research and within teaching. Sustainability is a key theme throughout Mechatronic, Mechanical/Manufacturing, Biomedical and Electronic/Computer Engineering degrees. We have recently launched a degree called Mechanical and Sustainability Engineering (DC194)  There are a number of modules in the common first year & also second year where sustainability and energy systems are introduced and discussed. INTRA allows students to apply for a period of work with companies in the sustainability, energy and transport areas. Students in their final year can develop their thesis in sustainability, energy and transport areas. DCU also offers Masters courses in Sustainability.

 Biomedical science and biomedical engineering share a common foundation of knowledge in biology. Both fields develop an intensive understanding of the complexities of the human body. Biomedical engineering focuses on creating devices and tools that improve people’s health. Biomedical science is the study of the life sciences areas such as stem cell biology, virology, molecular genetics, cellular biology, structural biology, developing a deeper understanding of how these areas function. Within Biomedical Engineering you will study how devices are made, what materials to use, how to programme them and how they improve a patient’s life. This is a very exciting rapidly expanding area and Ireland has a lot of companies working in this space. Many of our students get a 3rd year placement with Biomedical companies.

DCU do not offer Civil Engineering courses here in DCU. DCU offers Mechantronic, Biomedical, Mechanical/Manufacturing and Electronic/Computer Engineering.

Students will learn about materials and material properties that are used in the construction of many products including, buildings, bridges, vehicles, electronics, implants, etc.

Computing for Business is about how computers are used in business.  Specifically, this focuses on technology within companies and encompasses all the various types of software, such as database management, relationship management and so on. You will learn to understand how software and information systems address real-world business problems and how you can best use computing technology to help organisations work together.  You will learn how to use and manage information technology and systems to improve and even re-design the way organisations do business. There is some programming on the course but it is a lot less programming than in our Computer Science degree.

Computer Science is our technical Computer Science degree.  By studying this course you will qualify as a strong programmer and software engineer.  This course will give you in-depth knowledge of software engineering and the practical skills to apply this knowledge to develop the technology behind computer games, mobile phones, the Internet, web applications etc. With this degree you can travel the World and work in any country as programming languages are the same Worldwide.

The B.Sc. in Computing for Business gives you the foundation for a career in IT in modern business enterprise.  You will find opportunities all over the world in banking and finance, high-tech enterprises, the government sector, e-commerce etc. Enterprise Computing students learn about many different aspects of technology and can decide what they would like to when they graduate. Many students are now working as systems analysts, business analysts, technical support, network engineers, web developers and project managers.  They are highly sought after graduates.

Computer Science is more programming and software engineering focused rather than design focused. You do not require any past experience in CAD or programming, as all first year modules are taught at an introductory level. If you are someone who wants to have a career in game development, programming is a crucial requirement to have and Computer Applications focuses heavily on programming.