Summary

The Tripos regulations state that: ‘to obtain honours in Part IB of the Engineering Tripos a candidate must satisfy the Examiners that he or she has such workshop or equivalent experience as shall be determined by the Faculty Board of Engineering, and to obtain honours in Part IIA of the Engineering Tripos or the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos, a candidate must satisfy the Examiners that he or she has such industrial or equivalent experience as shall be determined by the Faculty Board’.

Requirements for students who joined the Department in October 2016 or thereafter

The Faculty Board of Engineering have agreed that students who join the Department in October 2016 or thereafter should be required to complete a minimum of six weeks of relevant industrial experience by the end of Part IIA of the Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering Triposes (by June in their third year).  

Requirements for students who joined the Department in October 2015 or earlier

Part IB of the Engineering Tripos: four weeks of relevant industrial experience [by the end of their second year].

Part IIA of the Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering Triposes: four additional weeks of relevant industrial experience or, for a student who has not been a candidate for Part IB of the Engineering Tripos, four weeks of relevant industrial experience (by June in their third year).

Definition of relevant industrial experience

Relevant industrial experience is defined as work of a technical nature that is related to the subjects studied in the Engineering Tripos and the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos.  It may involve research, design, development, testing, manufacturing or construction work and should include interaction with the work of others who are likely to be professionally qualified.

Students who have undertaken any relevant technical experience prior to their arrival may be able to count it towards the requirement. A counter-signed report will be necessary to show as evidence.

Any dispute concerning the interpretation of these requirements will be determined by appeal to the Head of the Department of Engineering, whose decision will be final.

Advice

The Department of Engineering has an Industrial Placements Coordinator, who supports and advises students in finding suitable placements to meet the course requirements.  The Industrial Placements Coordinator maintains a comprehensive database of suitable companies which is accessible to current students.

Further information is available on the Industrial Placement website.  Companies and institutions who wish to advertise their placement vacancies and to engage with the current engineering undergraduates are warmly encouraged to get in touch.

The Industrial Placements Office is located in Room BNO-41 on the Office Floor, North Wing of the Main Baker Building on the Trumpington Street site.  Telephone: 01223 332791

Documentation

Confirmation is required from an authorised officer of the company or institution where the industrial experience has been obtained.  A report template is available on request from the Industrial Placements Coordinator, or from the Industrial Placements website for current undergraduates, although a letter of confirmation including the relevant information complete with a counter-signature from the employer would suffice.