Engineers Ireland, the representative body for the engineering profession in this country, has awarded full accreditation to the honours civil engineering degree at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT ).
This recognition deems successful graduates from the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours ) in Civil Engineering to have achieved the educational requirement necessary for the title ‘chartered engineer’. The granting of the accreditation is for a five-year term and will also apply retrospectively to graduates from the course since 2008.
The two-year honours degree was developed in 2006 as an add-on to the existing ordinary degree (level 7 ) programmes offered by the Department of Civil, Construction and Mineral Engineering. Notwithstanding the well-publicised current downturn in construction and related professions, this particular course is going against national trends in increasing its student numbers year on year. From seven students in 2006, there are currently 33 students enrolled full-time on the programme.
This recognition from Engineers Ireland is particularly important to graduates in times of increasing competition for jobs in Ireland. Moreover, it offers international recognition worldwide through the Washington Accord - a major international agreement covering mutual recognition of third level engineering qualifications - and thus offers greater employment potential to graduates.
Welcoming the announcement, Austin Hanley, Head of School of Engineering, said: “This is a significant milestone in the delivery of civil engineering education in the midlands region. It puts the programme on a par with universities and ensures worldwide professional recognition. It will provide our graduates with even more confidence that their qualifications will be recognised by employers both at home and abroad.”
The announcement comes hot on the heels of the move by the School of Engineering to a brand new state-of-the-art 10,500 sq m dedicated faculty building at AIT.
Further information on the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours ) in Civil Engineering or any of the programmes offered by the Department of Civil, Construction and Mineral Engineering can be obtained from the AIT website, or directly from Fergal Sweeney, Head of Department, at [email protected]
