Strategies for increasing undergraduate power electronic course enrolments

Over the last decade student enrolments in electrical power engineering subjects at the University of Canterbury have been falling. This paper discusses changes designed to stimulate interest in power electronics. One of the changes that has been introduced is the use of practical assignments to stimulate interest. In the Year 4 power electronics course the practical assignment is to design and build a DC-DC converter for use in a mini solar car race. A number of other strategies, such as the early introduction of power electronics, team teaching, industry relevant lectures and fields trips have also helped increase the number of students enrolling in power electronics and other power engineering courses at the University of Canterbury