Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Engineering Intermediate Year
The Engineering Intermediate Year of the BE(Hons) degree provides you with the foundation to continue with your intended engineering specialisation. You will learn about the fundamentals of engineering design and the typical design constraints professional engineers face.
There are several Engineering Intermediate Year options depending on your background. These are outlined below.
Standard Intermediate Year
Students who have completed high school with the required Maths with Calculus, Physics and Chemistry take a standard Intermediate Year of eight courses (120 points).
The courses you are required to take for a standard Engineering Intermediate Year depend on the engineering specialisation(s) you wish to study in the Professional Years. If you are unsure of which engineering specialisation you wish to study it is possible to take courses that keep your options open for more than one engineering specialisation. The information below will help you sort out which courses you need to take, and which semester to take them in.
This information can also be found on the UC Regulations website and in the Guide to Enrolment 2012 (page 16).
Intermediate Year Charts and Course Information 2012
- 2012 Required Intermediate Year Courses Chart (PDF)
Outlines the required Engineering Intermediate Year courses for each engineering specialisation.- 2012 Options Chart (PDF)
Detailed information on which courses to take to keep your options open for more than one engineering specialisation (and to alternative science majors).- Balancing your workload 2012 (PDF)
How to structure your courses between semesters to give a balanced workload. Based on the 7 options listed in the Options Chart above.- Outline of 2012 Intermediate Year Courses (PDF)
A print-friendly version of the description of each of the Intermediate Year courses mentioned in the charts above.2012 UC Course Information
Common required courses:
- ENGR 101 Foundations of Engineering
- EMTH 118 Engineering Mathematics 1A
- EMTH 119 Engineering Mathematics 1B
- EMTH 171 Mathematical Modelling and Computation
- PHYS 101 Engineering Physics A: Mechanics, Waves and Thermal Physics
Other option courses:
- CHEM 111 General Chemistry A
- CHEM 112 General Chemistry B
- COSC 121 Introduction to Computer Programming
- COSC 122 Introduction to Computer Science
- ENGR 102 Engineering Mechanics and Materials
- PHYS 102 Engineering Physics B: Electromagnetism, Modern Physics and 'How Things Work'
For Engineering Intermediate Year 2011 information see Resources page.
Mechanical Engineering - exemption from CHEM111
Intermediate Year students studying towards Mechanical Engineering ONLY are eligible for an exemption from CHEM111 General Chemistry A if they can demonstrate they have achieved at least 14 Level 3 NCEA credits in chemistry or equivalent. Completion of CHEM114 Introductory Chemistry with a B+ grade or better is considered an equivalent standard.
Following any exemption from CHEM111 students must take both COSC121 and PHYS102 .
The exemption will not apply to other engineering specialisations - if you do not take CHEM111 because of this exemption, you will not be eligible for any of the other engineering specialisations that require CHEM111 (Civil, Natural Resources, Forest, and Chemical & Process Engineering).
If you have questions about this exemption please contact a Student Advisor to discuss your options.
Electives
For most engineering specialisations you are required to take an elective course to make a full workload. This course can either be a standard Intermediate Year course that will keep your options open for other specialisations OR can be another 15 point course of your choosing. It does not have to be engineering related.
Please note: Introductory courses such as MATH101, CHEM114 and PHYS111 will NOT be considered suitable as an elective course.
Introductory Courses - catching up on background learning
If you do not have a suitable background knowledge in Maths with Calculus, Physics, and/or Chemistry, you may be required to take an Introductory course (CHEM114, PHYS111 and/or MATH101) to build up your knowledge before attempting the corresponding Intermediate Year courses.
Introductory courses must be taken IN ADDITION to the eight required Intermediate Year courses for your chosen specialisation(s) as they are NOT considered acceptable as elective courses. This may mean completing your Intermediate Year over summer school, or even over two years of study, as your workload will be increased significantly. More information is available below under 'Two year Intermediate Year'.
Modified Intermediate Year
You may be exempt from taking some of the required courses during the Engineering Intermediate year if you have taken the AIMS Math course or another STAR Science course and/or you have achieved excellent NCEA results (or equivalent) in relevant subjects.
Students in this position are invited to choose alternative courses in consultation with the Dean of Engineering and Forestry once high school results are available. See the 'High Achievers' section on the How do I get in? page for more information on required results, and details on how to be considered.
Two year Intermediate Year
You may be required to complete your Engineering Intermediate Year over two years of study if you do not have the recommended background knowledge or you fail some courses in your first attempt at the Intermediate Year.
Catching up on background learning
If you do not have suitable background knowledge in Maths with Calculus, Physics, and/or Chemistry, you may be required to complete appropriate Introductory courses at UC before taking some of the related Intermediate Year courses.
For Mathematics you will need to take MATH101, for Physics PHYS111, and for Chemistry CHEM114.
These courses are all offered in the first semester of the year, giving you the chance to complete your Intermediate Year in one year of study, perhaps with summer school courses, if you only need to take one or two of them. If you need to take all three Introductory courses, you are advised to spread out your learning over two years of study. You will need to take some additional courses to make yourself full-time. Contact the Student Advisors for more details.
You may also wish to take Science Headstart courses before taking the Introductory courses. These courses are offered during the summer before Semester One starts.
Repeating Intermediate Year courses
If you are repeating the Intermediate Year because of failures, you will need to take additional courses in your second year of study to make a full-time workload, unless otherwise approved by the Dean of Engineering and Forestry.
A schedule of suggested courses that complement studies in engineering (PDF, for 2012) is available for your reference.
Your proposed courses for your second year of study will need to be approved by the Dean of Engineering and Forestry. Note that a maximum of two years is given to complete the Intermediate Year. If you are unsuccessful in your second attempt you will need to transfer to an alternative programme of study (for example a BSc) or an alternative option.
More information is available by contacting the Student Advisors.
Intermediate Year at another New Zealand University
It is possible to take an equivalent Intermediate Year at other New Zealand Universities for some engineering specialisations. Your application for entry to the First Professional Year is considered in the same way as students who have completed their Intermediate Year at UC. Please contact the Student Advisor for more information.