The College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway has announced details of a special entrance maths examination to give students a second chance to pursue a career in engineering.
The exam, which takes place on Wednesday, August 21, is for students who achieve the CAO points for an undergraduate engineering degree course at NUI Galway but who have not met the obligatory maths requirement.
This year, NUI Galway will hold an intensive preparatory course for applicants intending to sit the exam. This free course will run from August 15 to 20.
For more than 20 years NUI Galway has provided this special entrance exam to help applicants who did not achieve the required grade C3 or better in higher level mathematics. Those who took lower level maths in the Leaving Cert may also apply for the exam. Students who pass this examination will be deemed to have satisfied the maths requirement and, providing they have the necessary points, will receive an additional CAO offer at round two.
In addition to preparing students for the special entrance examination, lecturers will demonstrate the relevance and application of mathematics to engineering. The aim of the preparatory course is to bridge the gap between the Leaving Certificate lower level and that required to be successful in the entrance exam. This will be achieved by tackling a variety of problems of increasing difficulty. Learning how to approach a problem and apply the knowledge available will be emphasised.
“The nature of engineering programmes is that they are focused on the development of analytical and problem solving skills, and thus require significant use of mathematics and applied mathematics,” said Professor Gerry Lyons, dean of engineering and informatics at NUI Galway.
“Every year we see a number of promising students who perform poorly on the day of the Leaving Cert exam. Our special entrance maths examination provides these students with a second opportunity to demonstrate that they have reached the necessary standard in maths. Over the years, we have had some exceptionally talented students graduate and pursue successful careers in engineering because they were given the second chance which this exam represents.”
NUI Galway offers students an undenominated entry to engineering. This course is specifically designed for students who are interested in becoming engineers, but uncertain as to which field they want to specialise in. This course offers students the option of studying engineering in a general way for one year before going on to specialise in their chosen field in year two.
To apply for the special maths exam visit www.nuigalway.ie/engineering/specialmaths html. Those interested in the revision maths course and the examination should call 091 492 101 or visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering/specialmaths.html for further details.
