Electrical Engineering Education at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

In recent years an alternative system of education at degree level has been established across Australia within the Colleges of Advanced Education. This paper examines in detail the courses provided in the largest Electrical Engineering School in an Australian College of Advanced Education (R.M.I.T.) and describes the particular features which characterise them. The School consists of the Department of Communication and Electronic Engineering and the Department of Power Electrical Engineering, both of which provide undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The objectives and underlying philosophy of the courses are described and their scope is given in detail. The recurring problem of trade-off between breadth and depth is reviewed. Industry interacts with the courses in a number of ways, the most significant being through the individual and group design projects undertaken by students. These design projects are used to bring realistic engineering problems to the student. They have become a key segment of the educational program. Developments relating to postgraduate education and the continuing education of engineers are also presented.