Engineering Science - Student Profiles

Stephen, 3rd year

'I’m currently designing an offshore device that could convert wave energy in the sea into electricity, to be transmitted back to land. There are five people in my team, working on this for our 3rd year project. I particularly enjoy it because I am putting into practice everything that I have been learning over the last two years.

I was attracted by the academic challenge of studying at one of the top universities in the world, and the Engineering Science course at Oxford really caught my eye because students cover a wide spectrum of engineering before choosing specialised options. I was convinced that the course would provide me with a broad foundation to understand and tackle real world engineering problems, which cannot be solved solely by one discipline of engineers.

My tutorials are mostly arranged with one other student and one college tutor. This has enabled me to discuss engineering problems in depth with tutors who are the top academics in their fields.

I was Secretary of the Engineering Society last year, which was a great experience to see how various types of events are organised behind the scenes. I am also a member of the Engineering Department’s Joint Consultative Committee, which enables undergraduates to exchange ideas about the development of the department with senior academic staff. It shows how Oxford is committed to continual improvements – and listening to their students!'

Jonathan, who graduated in 2010, now works for a defence electronics firm called Thales Group as an acoustic engineer. He says:   

‘The approaches to problem-solving I learned at Oxford have been directly applicable to the challenges I have faced in my career so far. The tutorial system has given me confidence in my skills, and the ability to communicate my opinions effectively.’