Courses and teaching methods are designed to give students considerable practical experience in applying various technical skills to realistic problem solving. In addition to developing students' technical expertise, the Faculty allows students the opportunity of experience in the team working and project management that will usually be very important in their future careers. The Faculty aims to produce graduates who do not require further training by employers. The University is home to several research centres and a number of staff conduct research projects, usually related to their teaching, and often with the collaboration of senior students. Students in science-type courses usually spend around 20 hours per week in a combination of lectures, tutorials, workshop and laboratory sessions.
Students are able to visit staff in their offices for ad-hoc personal assistance.
Students also visit the Faculty's Student Resource Centre, where tutors are available throughout the day to give students individual help with problems they have encountered. Student projects typically involve design of products which include a component such as a microprocessor or larger computer. Completion of the programming and design elements is followed by production and testing of a prototype. Graduates are employed by those businesses that design, manufacture, manage or maintain computer based equipment. In addition to their hardware expertise, graduates possess strong programming skills and also gain employment within the many organisations requiring purpose built software to be produced.