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Considering Switching to Computing with Electronic Engineering

Hi all,
I'm a mature student coming up on 30, currently studying part time (60 credits a year) at the Open University.

My current degree is BSc (Hons.) Computing and IT (Software) and I'm considering switching to BSc (Hons.) Computing with Electronic Engineering

I've spoken to a senior advisor at the OU and it is possible for me to switch over if I want to.

The key factors:
- My current degree is accredited with the BCS as meeting the academic requirements for Incorporated Engineers.

- Computing with Electronic Engineering is not accredited.

- By June, I will have completed 210 credits towards my current degree. 180 of which should be credit transferable to Computing with Electronic Engineering.
- I would need to pick up T193, a year 1 (6 month) Electronics module I missed, in October, as one of my year 1 modules is not transferable.

So, it would mean an additional 30 credit module over continuing on my current pathway. But should not extend my degree length at all as I'm one module ahead anyway, having taken 90 credits during the first year of the pandemic.

My thoughts for considering the change:
I'm enjoying my Computing degree and have found it generally useful, but I have always had a pull towards electronics, but I've never followed it.
I have already been a part time software developer for the last 5 years or so, so I am gaining lots of experience in practice. So, I don't think it'll be too much of a damper to my software development career to pivot away from a specialist software pathway.

I'm very keen on exploring more deeply into lower level software development including embedded software and robotics, which I think would benefit greatly from electronics study.

I would be studying 3, 30-credit electronics modules and dropping 1, 30 credit web development module and 1, 30-credit project management module.

I would welcome any opinions, thoughts, advice, and notes about anything I've forgotten to consider.

Thank you in advance! 🙏
Dan
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Original post by BeADan
Hi all,
I'm a mature student coming up on 30, currently studying part time (60 credits a year) at the Open University.

My current degree is BSc (Hons.) Computing and IT (Software) and I'm considering switching to BSc (Hons.) Computing with Electronic Engineering

I've spoken to a senior advisor at the OU and it is possible for me to switch over if I want to.

The key factors:
- My current degree is accredited with the BCS as meeting the academic requirements for Incorporated Engineers.

- Computing with Electronic Engineering is not accredited.

- By June, I will have completed 210 credits towards my current degree. 180 of which should be credit transferable to Computing with Electronic Engineering.
- I would need to pick up T193, a year 1 (6 month) Electronics module I missed, in October, as one of my year 1 modules is not transferable.

So, it would mean an additional 30 credit module over continuing on my current pathway. But should not extend my degree length at all as I'm one module ahead anyway, having taken 90 credits during the first year of the pandemic.

My thoughts for considering the change:
I'm enjoying my Computing degree and have found it generally useful, but I have always had a pull towards electronics, but I've never followed it.
I have already been a part time software developer for the last 5 years or so, so I am gaining lots of experience in practice. So, I don't think it'll be too much of a damper to my software development career to pivot away from a specialist software pathway.

I'm very keen on exploring more deeply into lower level software development including embedded software and robotics, which I think would benefit greatly from electronics study.

I would be studying 3, 30-credit electronics modules and dropping 1, 30 credit web development module and 1, 30-credit project management module.

I would welcome any opinions, thoughts, advice, and notes about anything I've forgotten to consider.

Thank you in advance! 🙏
Dan
Atom RSS Chat


I’d say to go for the electronics course if it’s something that interests you because you’ll have that much more motivation for it. I know some people who did courses without an accreditation, but through their work afterwards met the criteria to become a chartered engineer, and spoke the organisation separately to ask to be accredited. If it’s something important to you, then I’d recommend contacting them because you’ve already had five years of work, so the chances are you might already qualify for it.
Reply 2
Original post by Rivvy000
I’d say to go for the electronics course if it’s something that interests you because you’ll have that much more motivation for it. I know some people who did courses without an accreditation, but through their work afterwards met the criteria to become a chartered engineer, and spoke the organisation separately to ask to be accredited. If it’s something important to you, then I’d recommend contacting them because you’ve already had five years of work, so the chances are you might already qualify for it.


Yeah, I've spoken to some more tutors at the OU and the more I look into it, the more it's growing on me.

I do web development in my job, so I don't think the module I'm dropping will have much to teach me that I can't learn from work. And like a tutor guild me: everyone and his dog wanted to be a web dev 😅 and AI will make web devs redundant soon anyway!

So diversifying is probably a good idea anyone m anyway.

And when it comes to project management, I can always take a standalone ITIL/DevOps course of needed later down the line.

I think you're right about being a chartered/incorporated engineer, I've seen you can have a meeting with them and they can help me out a plan together if I'm missing anything requirements down the line.

But in the medium term, I think electronics is the way to go for me.

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