Program Objectives and Learning Outcomes

The broad objective of the Faculty of Engineering's undergraduate programs is to develop well-educated graduates with the basic skills, attributes and knowledge required to practise as professional engineers. The desired skills are those that enable graduates to be problem solvers; critical thinkers; life long learners; good communicators; team players; independent investigators; effective managers; self-motivated; as well as economically, environmentally and socially aware.

It is intended that these attributes be developed in students at the same time that they gain knowledge in a broad range of disciplines. An additional objective of the programs is to provide the skills and knowledge in a social context.

Bachelor of Engineering Program Rules

1. The Bachelor of Engineering is awarded following completion of all requirements for the relevant engineering program including the completion of all specified courses in the program totalling a minimum of 192 UOC. No more than 60 UOC (excluding the 12 UOC of general education courses) of Year 1 courses can be counted toward the degree.

2. The specific requirements for the Bachelor of Engineering in the various disciplines are set out in the relevant sections in this Handbook.

3. The degree may be awarded with Honours, based upon the overall performance in the program and in accordance with Faculty and School policies. Honours are awarded in the following classes: Class 1, Class 2 Division 1, and Class 2 Division 2.

4. The standard duration of the program is four years, or eight sessions, of full-time study, each comprising 24 UOC. Students may undertake the program over a longer period on the basis of part load.

5. Each student is required to complete the specified industrial experience in industry prior to graduation.

6. General Education electives may only be attempted after the student has attempted at least 48 UOC.

General Rules of Progression

Progression in all undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Engineering is permitted by course. However:

1. Programs will continue to be stated and timetabled by year or stage. A non-standard program is one which involves enrolment in courses from more than one year or stage, or comprises courses which are not normally included in that program for a particular year. It can not be guaranteed that non-standard programs can be completed in the minimum number of years. Students are not permitted to enrol in courses with clashing timetables.

2. Students must satisfy the rules governing re-enrolment. These are set out in detail in the UNSW Calendar Summary Volume. At any time, a student's academic standing is deemed to be one of: Good Standing, Referral, Probation 1, Probation 2, or Exclusion. Any student not in Good Standing should discuss the situation with the Academic Adviser in the relevant school, and may be required to talk to a counsellor in the Careers and Counselling Unit.

3. Students must satisfy the relevant prerequisite and corequisite requirements. This will usually necessitate students completing or attempting all courses of a particular year or stage before proceeding to a course in the next part of a program. Further details are available from Schools.

• A prerequisite course is one which must be completed successfully prior to enrolment in the course for which it is prescribed.
• A corequisite course is one which must either be completed successfully prior to enrolment in, or be studied concurrently with, the course for which it is prescribed.

4. Only in exceptional circumstances will students be allowed to enrol in a program containing courses from more than two consecutive years of the program or totalling more than 27 units of credit. Students repeating courses will be expected to choose a program that includes previously failed courses and limits their Units of Credit. Details of these limits are available from School Offices and may only be exceeded with the express permission of the Head of School. A failed elective may be replaced by another elective.

5. Students are only permitted to enrol in courses that satisfy the program requirements as specified in the Online Handbook for the program enrolled. Enrolment in any other course is permitted only on a Non-Award basis, that is, on a tuition fee basis.

6. Notwithstanding the above, before a student can enrol in any non-standard program, such a program must meet with the approval of the Head of School.

General Education Requirements

Students in each program must satisfy the General Education course requirement of that program. No General Education courses may be taken until at least 48UOC has been attempted. The General Education course requirement is normally 12 UOC, must be taken from at least two different Faculties, and is usually taken in the second and third years of study. As a general rule, students may not enrol in General Education courses which are similar in content to courses offered in their respective programs, with a maximum of 3UOC of General Education courses able to be taken from the Faculty of Engineering.

Each Faculty has responsibility for deciding what courses may be counted towards the General Education requirement for the students in their programs. The Faculty of Engineering is committed to providing the widest range of choice of general education electives for its students and strongly encourages students to make the best use of this flexibility.

For a comprehensive list of available courses, see http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/vbook/brGenEdByFaculty.jsp

For further general information, please refer to "General Education" in the Table of Contents (see left-hand side of page) or contact your School Office.

Honours

In the Bachelor of Engineering degree programs, honours are awarded for meritorious performance over the degree program with special attention paid to a candidate's performance in the final year courses and thesis project.

The award of Honours is based on a weighted average mark (WAM) calculated for each student. Each program has its own rules for calculating this WAM but, in general, each course in the program is allocated a weight, usually according to the year in which the course appears in the nominated program and the number of units of credit attached to that course. The calculated WAM is not the same as the WAM which New South Student provides. The rules for calculating the WAM for each program are available from the corresponding School Office.

Honours Class 1 are awarded for WAM greater than or equal to 75, Honours Class 2 Division 1 are awarded for WAM greater than or equal to 70 but less than 75, and Honours Class 2 Division 2 are awarded for WAM greater than or equal to 65 but less than 70.

In the cases of combined degrees, such as the BE BA, the BE Bsc or the BE BCom, the award of the BA, BSc or BCom degree at Honours level requires two additional sessions of study.

Students wishing to gain a degree at Honours level in Arts, in Science or in Commerce as part of their combined degree program must meet all the relevant requirements of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Business and of the appropriate School concerned. Students may enrol for the Honours year only on the recommendation of the Head of their School in the Faculty of Engineering and with the approval of the Head of the appropriate Arts, Science or Commerce and Economics School. For Honours in Science, approval must also be sought from the Science Student Centre. AUSTUDY support is available for the combined degree program including the Honours level.

Transfer between Programs

Transfer from programs in the Faculty of Engineering into single degree programs in the Faculty of Engineering is generally permitted but must be applied for, provided a student is of Good Standing and places are available, subject to the following exceptions:

Into 3648 BE Software Engineering after 1 Session provided a WAM of at least 70 in COMP and MATH courses, otherwise provided a WAM of at least 65 in COMP, SENG and MATH courses.

Into 3647 BE Bioinformatics provided a WAM of at least 65 in BIOS, COMP, SENG and MATH courses.

Industrial Experience Requirements

Each student is personally responsible for ensuring the completion of the full 60 days (80 days for Mining Engineering students) approved industrial training (or professional practice in the case of Surveying and Spatial Information Systems students) prescribed as part of the requirements for the award of the degree. Industrial Training should be concurrent with enrolment and is best accumulated in the summer recesses at the end of Years 2 and 3, but should preferably be completed by the end of Year 4. It may be taken within Australia or overseas. The award of the degree is dependent on the completion of the requisite period of industrial employment at a standard approved by the University.

Students in formal part-time programs must complete an approved program of industrial experience of not less than twelve months prior to the award of the degree.

Students should, in general, work with professional engineers and take an active part in the design of simple equipment, solving of engineering problems, or any other work which is relevant to the profession of Engineering.

On completion of the requisite number of days of industrial experience (professional practice) employment, every student must submit a report, typically 2000-3000 words, summarising the work done and the training received and including a description of the organisation of the company.

Industrial Training will be assessed as a compulsory part of a nominated course in each program. Students must complete the industrial training requirement in order to receive a completed assessment for that course. Further detailed information for each program is available from the corresponding School Office.

Field Excursions or Site Visits

Field projects, site visits and industry seminar lectures are a requirement of some courses and may involve additional expense.

Part-time Study

After completing Year 1 full-time, it is possible for students to progress with a program which has a part-time load (less than 18 units of credit in any session). Very few undergraduate courses are offered in the evenings and students need to be able to attend classes as the timetable demands. Formal part-time programs, which provide courses at times suited to part-time students, are not offered at undergraduate level.

Professional Recognition

All engineering programs offered by the Faculty of Engineering are fully accredited by Engineers Australia, meeting the examination requirements for admission to graduate and corporate membership, or are in the process of being accredited. The latter are the relatively new program Renewable Energy Engineering program which currently has provisional accreditation and will seek full accreditation in the next accreditation round and the new program Photonic Engineering which will seek provisional accreditation in the next accreditation round. Substantial or complete recognition is accorded to the BE programs by overseas engineering institutions.

Engineers Australia (EA) has as its first objective the promotion of the science and practice of engineering in all its branches. EA has its national headquarters in Canberra and functions through a series of divisions, the local one being the Sydney Division. Within each division are branches representing the main interests within the profession, e.g. civil, mechanical, electrical, engineering management and environmental engineering.

Students of an approved school of engineering may join the Engineers Australia as a student member (StudEA). Student members receive the monthly publication Engineers Australia and for a small fee they also receive The Transactions which contains articles on a particular branch of engineering.

Student members are invited to participate in the Excellence Award for Work Experience, the National Young Engineer of the Year Award and to avail themselves of other EA services including the Mentor Scheme and industrial experience guidance. Information about membership of EA is available from School Offices.

The award of the BE degrees in Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry the Institution of Chemical Engineers, and Royal Australian Chemical Institute is sufficient academic qualification for corporate membership to the Institution of Chemical Engineers and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

The degree of BE in Surveying and Spatial Information Systems is recognised by the Board of Surveying and Spatial Information of New South Wales as meeting the requirements for entry as a candidate to become a Registered Surveyor in New South Wales. The degree is also recognised by the Institution of Surveyors, New South Wales, and the Spatial Sciences Institute for admission as corporate members. Students wishing to become Registered Surveyors after graduation are advised to gain practical experience under a Registered Surveyor during their program. Details are obtainable from the Registrar, Board of Surveying and Spatial Information of NSW, P.O. Box 143, Bathurst NSW 2795.

The award of the BE degree in Aerospace Engineering is recognised by the Royal Aeronautical Society as giving exemption from the formal examination requirements for corporate membership. Advancement from graduate membership to associate membership grade is awarded on a case by case basis after a further period of some years of professional experience.

The award of the BE degree in Naval Architecture is recognised by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), London, as the academic qualification for corporate membership of that body.

The award of the BE degree in Mining Engineering from UNSW is a recognised tertiary qualification required for corporate membership of the Australasian Institution of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). On completion of the degree, a Mining Engineer may apply for Graduate Membership of the AusIMM. Following three years relevant experience after graduation, graduates may apply for Corporate Membership of the Institute. The BE degree in Mining Engineering is also required in some jurisdictions to obtain the statutory qualification of Mine Manager.

Computing Requirements

All software required for coursework is provided on the computers in the School computer laboratories. Some students find it convenient to buy their own computer and software so that they can also work at home.

Fees

Information regarding fees for UNSW programs can be found at https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html