Charles Darwin University will next year become the first Australian university – and the third in the world – to offer bachelor and master programs in chemical engineering on line.
The offerings, which are expected to generate interest from remote and regional students, are the latest demonstration of CDU’s commitment to innovation and increased flexibility in the higher education sector.
Engineering and Information Technology Head of School Professor Friso De Boer said the programs would prepare work-ready employees for the mining, gas and energy industries.
“This is an exciting extension to our suite of undergraduate and postgraduate programs relevant to the petroleum and mining sectors,” Professor De Boer said.
“We already have a batch of about 20 students keen to start the undergraduate program next year as a discipline within the Bachelor of Engineering degree.
“It is important that we are able to adapt to market trends and moves in digital technologies by providing options that appeal to today’s mobile and flexible-oriented student market.”
Professor De Boer said the students would undertake most of their course work via CDU’s online learning environment, known as Learnline.
“They will be required to attend campus for week-long intensive sessions in order to undertake their laboratory work.”
Professor De Boer said the $7 million state-of-the-art North Australian Centre for Oil and Gas had significantly strengthened CDU’s capacity to offer vocational and higher education training for the resource industry.
“Chemical engineering offers a world of exciting, challenging and well-paid career
opportunities and we anticipate that demand for highly skilled and well-informed chemical engineers will remain strong well into the future,” he said.