Imagine a course where you don’t have to sit a single exam and have no formal lectures.
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Well it’s a reality that is happening right now at Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the engineering course has attracted the attention of one of the world’s best universities.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) commissioned report canvassed opinions from a wide range of international experts and CSU was chosen among a small group of universities as an emerging leader in engineering education.
It puts CSU’s new engineering program alongside renowned engineering education names such as University College London, Singapore University of Technology and Design and University of Technology Delft.
The report describes CSU Engineering as creating a ‘new chapter in engineering education’ by offering a radically different approach to undergraduate engineering education.
With a focus on human-centred engineering and diverse opportunities, students are able to explore authentic problems using state-of-the-art technology.
Professor of Engineering Euan Lindsay said the decision to have so exams or formal lectures was appropriate.
“That’s not how engineering is practiced,” he said.
“This new process is a Netflix-based one, where students can get information at their own demand.”
He said he was proud to get recognition from MIT.
“It’s the number one engineering school in the world. They’ve been looking to reinvent themselves and they’ve looked all over the world with this study.
“We’re very pleased with the recognition.
“We’ve been different in our approach to the course. We took some risk but they’ve been the right choice.”
CSU Engineering is the only Australian engineering degree hosted in a business facility.
The course started in 2016 and the first Bachelor of Technology/Master of Engineering (Civil Systems) graduates will complete the degree in 2021.
The first three semesters are on campus, followed by four years of paid work placements, with students mentored by a diverse academic team drawn from Australia and the world.
CSU vice chancellor Professsor Andrew Vann said it’s a major coup for CSU to be identified as a global leader in engineering education.
“It gives us the confidence to keep pushing the boundaries to meet the changing expectations and needs of students, employers and society into the future,” he said.
There are 37 universities in Australia offering engineering degrees, with 12,000 graduates a year.