School of Engineering

fenc

In March 1958 the Jamaica Institute of Technology was established and in the following year the name as changed to ‘The College of Arts, Science and Technology’ (CAST). The department of Engineering was among the first to be established and the offerings of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering programmes.

Students registered for and received instruction in their desired programme in the (then) Engineering Department; however, in most of their courses, they were examined by external bodies, viz. the Union of Lancashire & Cheshire Institute to the Higher National Diploma (year 2 level), and the City & Guilds of London Institute. The Department would include in the curriculum other courses not offered by these examining bodies. Upon successful completion, the student would be awarded an Engineering Diploma in either the Electrical or Mechanical discipline.

The institution has always maintained a strategy of developing infrastructure and programmes in response to industry’s requirements for trained technical and professional manpower. Thus in AY 1984-85, the department completed the restructuring of all its full-time Diploma programmes, in response to industry needs for graduates in specialist areas (such as Electrical – Power, Electrical – Electronics, Electrical – Instrumentation & Control, Mechanical – Plant and Mechanical – Production.) As of AY 1984-85 all courses were internally examined.

With the success of the internally examined programmes, came the confidence to embark on the design and initial implementation of a post-Diploma Bachelor of Electrical Engineering programme in 1986. There was substantial support from the Engineering Advisory Committee, the Jamaica Institution of Engineers and the University of the West Indies – St. Augustine, Faculty of Engineering for the development of this programme. The programme was accredited by UCJ in 1991, with recommendations in their report that a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering programme be introduced to complement the Electrical Programme. The first cohort of Mechanical Engineering students was admitted to the University in 1992. Both Electrical and Mechanical programmes were accredited in 1996.

On September 1, 1995, by an act of parliament cited as the University of Technology, Jamaica Act the institution (CAST) was accorded its new status. The department of Computing and Engineering were merged to form the Faculty of Engineering and Computing, having two schools viz., the School of Engineering and the School of Computing and Information Technology.

Courses of Study

The School of Engineering offers various types of courses.

Graduate

Building on knowledge and experience gained through previous post-secondary study, postgraduate certificates require a university degree or diploma for admission

Undergraduate

A bachelor’s degree is an eight-semester (four years) programme of study

Diploma

Diploma programs require the completion of at least four semesters (two years) of study.

Professional Short Courses

OVERVIEW : FENC professional short courses are designed to provide participants with specific skills and knowledge in computing and engineering that are applicable to industry. where possible, the University partners with certifying bodies and/ or international bodies to ensure dual certification.

Professional short courses classes generally encompass a combination of:

The Assessment procedures generally involve assignments, in-class tests and practical work.

On successful completion of the course, that is, where a student gains a mark of 50% or above,
the individual will be awarded a “Certificate of Competence”.

Popular Courses

In addition to the courses above, the Faculty also offers industry specific courses in Welding, Computer Repairs Radio Technician, Radio Technicians Licensing (Class A & B), Computer Network Engineering, Digital Broadcast Television, Forensic Computing, Hydroponics, CNC, Failure Analysis, Wind Turbine operation & Maintenance, Robotic, Hydraulics & Pneumatics and Industrial Plant Reliability Systems.

fenc