Approximate Time Commitment:

The following table shows the total contact hours for each of the units as well as the approximate non contact hours that one might expect to spend on assignments and projects. Generally speaking sub-unit assignments should take about 15 hours and the project (Year 2) up to 250 hours.

Method of Assessment:

An end of semester open book exam is administered for each module each of duration 1.5 hours. In addition assignments are given for each course module at approximately three week intervals. Apart from the Design Project module, where there is no exam, each module is marked on the following basis; Assignment: 30%; End of year exam: 70%. The pass standard for each module is 40%. To progress to Year 2 participants must meet the pass requirements for the Year 1 examination and obtain an aggregate mark of 50% across all six modules.

Progression Routes:

It is possible for candidates who have successfully completed the Diploma to progress to the level 8 BE Honours Degree in Process & Chemical Engineering (CK600PCE) subject to satisfying relevant criteria. Diploma graduates who are accepted onto the BE Honours Degree programme will be awarded 60 ECTS credits towards the BE in Process & Chemical Engineering at UCC and permitted to transfer directly into the second year of the full-time BE Honours Degree programme in Process & Chemical Engineering, provided (s)he satisfies the following requirements:

1. (S)he has been awarded the Diploma with First Class Honours.

and

2. (S)he satisfies the mathematical competences required for entry to the BE honours degree (normally taken as having achieved a Grade C3 or better in Leaving Certificate Higher Mathematics or equivalent, i.e. a candidate must be capable of showing a demonstrable knowledge and aptitude for Mathematics, to a level that will enable successful completion of the BE Honours Degree).

Organisation: 

Total contact hours are 99 in year I and 87 in year II. Participants are in addition required to complete unit assignments during non-contact hours with a broadly similar time commitment. The course is run weekly over a period from the end of August / beginning of September (in 2018-19 it's the week beginning 27th August 2018) until the end of April 2019. The Certificate year (year 1) is held on Tuesday evenings from 6.15pm to 9.30pm (plus Monday evenings during September) and the Diploma year (year 2) is held from 6.15pm to 9.30pm on Thursday evenings from 30th August. Both courses are run in Room 322 in the Food Science Building on the main UCC campus. Exams are held in UCC in December and April/May at similar times/days to lectures.

The Diploma and Certificate in Process and Chemical Engineering programme is one of a number offered through the Centre for Adult Continuing Education at UCC. Participants are registered as part time students of UCC for the academic year they take the course and are thus entitled to utilise the student services provided through the Boole Library, UCC Computing, the Disability Support Office, the Mardyke Arena (special membership rates for Adult Continuing Education students), An Ghaeilge Labhartha, the Careers Service and the Language Centre. For more details on all of these, see the Lifelong Learning Brochure, which can be requested from the Centre for Continuing Adult Education site.