Employers & Student Vacation Work
Summer Vacation Work
CUED believes that Summer Vacation Work Placements play a key role in the development of Undergraduate Engineers. Consequently, CUED needs offers from employers of suitable jobs during the long summer vacation, for periods varying from 4 - 12 weeks. In 2011 CUED students undertook just over 600 Engineering related placements, and the Placements Team presented just over 800 opportunites to our undergraduates.
What is it all about?
The Engineering course at Cambridge covers a vast range of subject matter throughout the four year duration. You can watch a super cool video where you can listen to our staff and students explain in less than 4 minutes how our course is set up. Starting in the first year our undergraduate students learn the fundamental principles underpinning mechanical, civil, structural, electronic, electrical and software engineering. We also have a strong interest in Life Sciences, Sustainability and Manufacturing at a later stage in the course. The course structure reinforces the concept of the integrated nature of modern engineering. More detailed information is available via the Course Content link.
Academic entry levels are extremely high at Cambridge and virtually every one of our students has at least three "A" Levels at Grade A or the equivalent, many of our students are achievers in non academic areas, see the list of our Olympian athletes available via Student Achievement Links.
Circa 20% of our students are "deferred" entrants and have taken a Gap Year prior to arrival at Cambridge. Most of them have spent this time in industry gaining additional skills and experience.
Details of the full course content are available via the link to the right of this page, however it's worth noting that in addition to lectures and laboratories in the first and second year all students learn to:
- • Use electronic measurement equipment and build and program a Micropocessor
- • Utilise the basics of C++ as well use some MatLab Skills.
- • Give Presentations
- • Use CAD equipment and draw by hand
- • Build and test a load bearing structure
- • In a team of six, build and test an autonomously guided vehicle from a box of components
Optional studies include:
- • Stripping and re-building of a motor vehicle engine
- • Surveying
- • Foreign Languages: Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Japanese
In recent years there has been a development of extra curricular student engineering project teams based on activities which are linked to their studies. See the Student Projects link to the right for further information. If your organistation would like to become an active participant, click here for information on how to do it.
Availability
Students are available to work between mid-June and the end of September. The Cambridge Timetable is available via the links on the right.
The next step...
Please look at this short video which describes how one company Halcrow Engineering Consultants uses our students on vacation placements.
Whether you are a large or small company, if you think you can find some useful work or a project for one of our students, contact the Industrial Placements Team. Information on how the system works is available via the Links, and if you are already convinced, there is also a Job Specificaion Sheet that you can complete and forward to us.
- Nuts and Bolts of hiring a Summer Vacation Student
- Engineering Undergraduate Course Content
- 10 Good Reasons to Hire a CUED Student
- When are our students available to work?
- Previous Student Placement Project Examples
- How the Hiring Procedure Works
- Download a Job Specification Sheet
- A short video which explains how one company uses our students.
- Another short video which explains the CUED course is set up.
- Student Achievements
- CUED London 2012 Olympians. Six out of 10 Cambridge competitors came from CUED
- University League Tables
- Access to CUED Students
- Cambridge University Careers Service
- CUES Student Engineering Society
- Student Project Teams
- Prizes and Scholarships
