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Areas of Engineering Study
The UNSW Faculty of Engineering offers the most comprehensive range of undergraduate degree choices in Australia and provides an education closely aligned with industry needs.
The Faculty's Schools:UNSW Engineering Program Structure
An engineering degree provides remarkable career options. But how do you know what kind of engineer you want to be when you are just out of school? At UNSW, we have facilitated the decision-making process by providing students with the option to enroll in the flexible first year program. Rather than have to decide on your area of specialization, and enroll in a specific branch of engineering right away, we give you time decide.
Those enrolling in the flexible program need to transfer to a specific discipline at the end of Year 1.
Year 1
All First Year Engineering students, whether Flexible First Year or other (except Bioinformatics, Civil with Architecture, and Software Engineering), study a common first year. The subjects ensures you gain a broad knowledge base in mathematics, science and engineering fundamentals, and learn the basics of the profession.
Common First-Year Engineering Subjects:
- Computing
- Engineering Design and Innovation
- Mathematics (2 courses)
- Physics
- Plus 3 electives *
* Students enrolled in specific engineering degrees complete one more core subject and two electives.
Elective Courses available in:
- Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry
- Chemistry
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications
- Geology
- Mathematics
- Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
- Mining Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Photovolatic Engineering
- Psychology
- Physics
- Surveying and Spatial Information Systems
Year 2
Engineering degrees start to diverge in second year. You start focusing on the core underlying principles of your chosen discipline. Then you are introduced to new concepts and practical skills used further on in the course. Second-year subjects also consolidate the essential skills gained in the first year.
Year 3
The third year incorporates advanced core engineering subjects as well as a major design project. Here you
have the opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge to the real world. By this stage, you should be
familiar with the laboratory equipment and have developed competent practical skills. In a design project,
you get valuable hands-on experience in project management, problem-solving, marketing, budgeting and
teamwork - all qualities necessary to make a good engineer. In third year, you also start thinking about
streams you wish to specialise in and have the chance to choose further electives.
Usually at the end of their third year, students undertake 60 days of industrial training, a requirement for
all engineering degrees (except for Mining engineering, which requires 80 days).
Year 4
The main component of the final year is the thesis project. This is typically a yearlong project where you complete a research paper in a subject matter of your own choice. You may also choose professional electives to develop areas in which you wish to specialise. Engineering management and ethics subjects are also usually taken in final year.
UNSW Terminology
Program
An approved program of study leading to the award of a degree or diploma, which are the formal qualifications awarded when the students graduate (finish their program). Programs are identified by a set of four-digit numeric code, eg the Computer Engineering UNSW program code is 3645. This is different to the UAC code, which is a six-digit number.
Combined ProgramA program of study that leads to the award of two degrees, ie the graduate earns two qualifications (an example of this would be the Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Laws.)
Concurrent ProgramA program of study that leads to the award of one undergraduate degree and one postgraduate degree, for example the Bachelor of Engineering/Master of Biomedical Engineering.
Undergraduate
Degree programs that do not require students to have previously undertaken university study in order to enrol. They are designed for students who have completed secondary studies (high school) in Australia or have a level of education deemed equivalent to this (e.g. equivalent overseas study or alternate entry programs).
Courses, Core Courses, ElectivesA program consists of courses (ie subjects), some of which are core courses, meaning they are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the requirements of the program, and others are electives. The latter can be chosen from a range of options.
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