www.eng.monash.edu
Student Enhancement
Programs in Engineering
Professor Gary Codner
Associate Dean (Education)
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Monash Engineering Research and Industry Training
(MERIT)
Student Enhancement programs
Students have access to a range of
programs which enrich their
learning experience in addition to their
undergraduate degree
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Components of MERIT Program
Leadership
Work Ready
Undergraduate
Research
Opportunity Program
(UROP)
Summer
Research
MERIT
Women in
Engineering
Student
mobility
scheme
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Leadership
in a
Technological Environment
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Leadership Program
Winner of Vice-Chancellor’s Award for
Programs that Enhance Learning 2010
• Entry
– invitation to Engineering
Excellence Awardees &
central scholarship holders
(approx 50), OR
– application at the end of
Level 1 (approx 10)
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Structure of Leadership Program
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Residential (3 day)
Residential (2 day)
Residential (2 day)
• Project development
• Personality testing
1. What is
Leadership
2. Communications
for leadership
• team skills
& management skills
4. Ethics
5. Sustainability
7. Innovation &
entrepreneurship
6. People skills
8. Globalisation
9. Change
management
3. Critical thinking &
problem solving
Half day industry visit
One Week industry
placement
Vacation placement
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Year 1 Leadership Residential:
Personality Testing
• Understanding of self is important to
understanding others
• Myers Briggs testing is done at the start of
year 1 and then integrated throughout the
program
Leadership in awww.eng.monash.edu
Technological
Environment Participants
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
2007
2008
2010
2009
2011
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Phase 2 Residential: Developing teamwork skills
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End of Year Annual Leadership Dinner
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Industry involvement in Leadership Program
Provide
• guest speakers or panel members
• Mentors
• Shadowing and work placement opportunities
• Site visits or visits to company
• Industry Scholarships
– currently over $3m of industry funded scholarships
available over the next 4 years
– Includes mentoring and work placement opportunities
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Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Program
(UROP)
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
By invitation to high performing
students

Provides undergraduate students an
early opportunity to experience real
life in an engineering research
environment
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
Entry can be at level 3 or 4

Series of seminars at start of program
to develop research skills

how to frame a research question
Critical reading and evaluation
skills related to research data and
papers
oral presentation skills

Endnote training session



Financial support to attend national
and international conferences
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Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program (UROP)
• Students work with either a research
staff member or within a research group
• Projects need to be interesting
• Leads to a research career
• Want research projects from industry
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Summer Research program
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Summer Research Program
• Undergraduate students are invited to explore
the challenge of research via a 12 week
research project.
• The project is undertaken at the Clayton
Campus from November to February
• Summer Research scholarship holders receive
a $400 per week allowance (tax exempt)
• Explore a topical problem in great depth from a
variety of research areas.
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Work Ready
Program
Available to all undergraduate
students
 Job search program
 Meet an engineer
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Job Search Program:
Module 1: Career management & finding employment
Week 2
Seminar 1: Planning your career in engineering
Week 3
Workshop 1.1 Identify your aspirations, values,
skills & interests
Week 4
Workshop 1.2 How to find engineering jobs
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Job Search Program:
Module 2: Writing Quality Applications
Week 5
Seminar 2: Writing quality job applications for
engineering jobs
Week 6
Workshop 2.1 Targeted written applications:
Resumes and key selection criteria
Week 7
Workshop 2.2 Targeted written applications:
Cover letter & key selection criteria
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Job Search Program:
Module 3: Tips & tricks for Interview Success
Week 8
Seminar 3: Preparing for a job interview in engineering
Week 9
Workshop 3.1 Behavioural interview practice
Week 10
Workshop 3.2 Assessment centre practice
Choice of two Seminar times per week
Choice of five Workshop times per week
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Job Search Program: Semester 2
Mock Interviews
• Write mock application and respond to
selection criteria for vacancy advert
• Mock interview with an Engineer or
Human Resources person from an
engineering company
• Feedback on interview and testing
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Meet an Engineer: speed networking
• Once per semester “meet an engineer”
sessions covering all disciplines
• CONCEPT: “speed dating approach”
– Quick, focused discussions
• Sessions last for 2 hrs, but you only have a
10 minute time slot, then move on (Can
stay longer if no one in the queue for that
engineer)
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Women In
Engineering
Program
• Seminar series concentrating
on issues related to women in the
engineering workforce – given by
women academics and industry
professionals
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University Student Mobility
Scheme
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Student Mobility Program
• Study abroad for one or two
semesters
• Study at our Sunway Campus
at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
 Generous university support to
study at Sunway
 Includes free airfares, free
accommodation and $3500
living expenses for 1 semester,
or $4000 for 2 semesters
Sunway Campus, Malaysia
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Scholarships
Women in Engineering Bursaries
• New for 2012: up to 50 bursaries will be offered (ATAR above 95.00)
– (duration one year, value $5000)
Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA)
• Faculty offers a number of awards each year based on VCE ATAR
scores
• Awards are worth $6000 per year for four years
• ATAR score must be greater than 98.00 to be eligible (99.4 in 2011)
Other centrally awarded scholarships available
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Thank you