BlogUTSWhat It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS

What It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS

UTS Engineering - Fact Sheet

If you’re interested in a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS, then we’ve got you covered! 

We’ll dive into everything you need to know including core units, majors, assessments, uni culture and more. 

So, let’s get straight into it!  

What is a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS?
Core Units and Majors
How to Get into a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

What is a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS?  

A Bachelor of Engineering at UTS is offered with a Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice—it provides you with the skills, knowledge and work experience you need for a career in engineering. It is very hands-on and during the degree students will work on real-life engineering projects to find and carry out solutions. 

Students gain professional experience and develop their skills during their two 6-month internships (part of the Diploma). Honours is already built into the program so students will graduate with an engineering capstone project they can show to future employers. 

Can this degree be studied in conjunction with another?

Lucky for you, Honours is already included as part of the degree (sweet!). There are also some great double degrees and you can combine a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS with any of the following: 

    • Business
    • Medical Science
    • Science 
    • Law 
    • Creative Intelligence and Innovation
    • International Studies 

Career Paths

Of course, it depends on your major but there are a range of different job opportunities after completing a Bachelor of Engineering:

    • Mechanical engineer
    • Electrical engineer
    • Biomedical engineer
    • Software engineer
    • Civil engineer

…the list goes on and on and on—believe us! 

UTS Engineering - Student Quote

Learn more about a career in Environmental Engineering here!

Core Units and Majors

Core Units (Engineering)

During the degree, you’ll complete a total of 8 core engineering subjects. Now, there is a fair bit of maths involved with Mathematical Modelling 1 and 2 which looks at problem-solving and all things to do with calculus and statistics. 

If you did Year 12 Physics, you’ll be fine with Physical Modelling which gives you a recap and builds on from what you did back then. In the subject Engineering Economics and Finance, you learn the foundations of economics and finance from an engineer perspective. 

You’ll learn about how to commercialise and put different products into the market with Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation. As you expect, Engineering Project Management teaches students how to manage a project and the responsibilities that come along with it. 

In Design Innovation and Fundamentals, students work in teams to design and produce a solution for an engineering project—so, it’s time to get innovative. The subject Engineering Communication is a really exciting one as students work in teams on a brief from Engineers Without Borders (EWB) as part of the challenge and have to find a solution to this real-life issue! 

Honours 

In the final year, all students of a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS complete a final research project!

In the Autumn session, you’ll do the subject Engineering Research Preparation where you’ll choose an issue that needs to be addressed, do the planning and the research for it. In the Spring Session, you’ll then complete your Engineering Capstone project and write up a big report on it. 

Core Units (Diploma)

So, the Diploma is part of the degree which gives you that industry experience through two 6-month internships. Along with the internships—known as Work Integrated Learning 1 and 2, there are other core subjects which students must complete for the Diploma. 

Engineering Practice Preparation 1 and 2 helps student’s plan their learning goals for the internships, looks at professionalism in the workplace, plus way more—basically it gets you ready for your internships! Engineering Professional Experience 1 and 2 are mandatory tasks for the internships such as finding one and submitting all the necessary documentation on time. 

After the internships, students will complete the Engineering Practice Reflection 1 and 2 where they will reflect on their experience and what they’ve learnt from it. Check out this for more info on the core subjects of the Diploma. 

Majors

There are 12 awesome Engineering majors you can choose from:

What’s a Biomedical Engineering Major like?

A Biomedical Engineering Major focuses on applying the technical aspects of engineering to the world of health and biology. 

There’s a mix of general engineering subjects with science subjects and project based biomedical subjects. You’ll learn a little bit of everything in terms of engineering with subjects like Programming Fundamentals, Electronics and Circuits and an Introduction to Data Analytics. 

Of course, there’s also the science side of the major with various chemistry, biology and anatomy subjects. So we’re talking about all the interesting stuff like Cell Biology and Genetics where you’ll learn in depth about genetics, DNA and how cells function. 

You’ll also develop your practical skills in this subject during labs. Human Anatomy and Physiology teaches you all about the human body and Physiological Systems extends on this. 

“We have a lot of really good, practical subjects that allow us to get more hands on experience. There’s a lot of labs and projects you can do where you end up actually making really cool stuff.” – Sarah Tran

From the third year on, you start to focus more on specific biomedical subjects and learn a lot about the biomedical industry. The subject Medical Devices and Diagnostics teaches you about the current and emerging medical devices which are used to treat patients and Biomedical Industry Frameworks looks at the rules and regulations associated with medical devices and the ways to put them on the market. 

The Fundamentals of Biomedical Engineering Studio A and B are practical-based subjects where students work on a project that is either industry guided (professionals collaborate with you on their project to find a solution) or can be used in the real word to enhance people’s health (now, that’s some pretty exciting stuff!). It’s all about problem-solving and being innovative—as you can imagine, there’s a lot of research and report writing that goes along with it!

Electives 

Throughout the degree, you’ll complete four electives or depending on your major, you’ll choose a specialist stream that aligns with your major instead of choosing electives. Have a look here for more info on the structure of the major you’re most interested in!

Built-in Internships 

This is the exciting part where you gain industry experience and get to put what you’ve learnt into practice while learning lots of new things along the way. The two 6-month internships form part of the Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice. 

The first internship is taken in the Spring semester of the second year and the second internship is in the Spring semester of the fourth year. 

The internships are a requirement of the Diploma and although you have to find them yourself, UTS helps you with your resume and interview skills. They also email and post regular internship opportunities so you’ve just got to apply and take them when they come. 

 

How to Get into a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS

Well, it depends on your chosen major but the ATAR cut-off for a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS ranges from 80-87.20. There’s no need to worry if you don’t get the required ATAR for Engineering because UTS offers you another way!

Pathway Programs 

You can study a Diploma of Engineering with UTS Insearch and if you meet the required GPA (Grade Point Average), you can transfer straight into the second year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours). The Diploma can be completed in a year (standard) or even just 8 months (accelerated).

Check out all the details here! 

Assumed Knowledge 

You’ll be expected to have done Mathematics Extension 1, Physics and Standard English in the HSC (although Advanced English is recommended). 

If you choose to major in either Biomedical, Civil or Environmental engineering, taking Chemistry in high school will make life easier! It would be helpful to have an understanding of programming if you choose to major in Software Engineering—you’ll have a head start.

Scholarships

There are all sorts of scholarships that you can apply for at UTS which can be found here!

What’s the Teaching Format?

A Bachelor of Engineering at UTS is taught through lectures, tutorials and workshops. Lucky for you, UTS Engineering has semesters (sigh of relief). 

UTS Engineering - Class Structure

Lectures

In the lectures, you’ll learn all the content and take heaps of notes, and they’ll usually run for 1-2 hours depending on the subject. For the core subjects, you can expect to have 200 to 300 students attending. 

The lectures for the majors are smaller and vary according to the specialisation you’ve chosen. For example, Civil Engineering is fairly popular and can have 100-200 people while Biomedical Engineering is more niche with around 50 people. 

Tutorials

Although the tutorials range from 1-3 hours depending on the subject, it’s common to have a 3 hour tutorial. You can expect to have 20 to 40 people in the class. 

Tutorials are more discussion-based and interactive where you’ll do group work and complete various activities. 

Labs

You can have a lab that goes anywhere between 1-3 hours. You’ll usually have one or two subjects a semester where you’ll work in the lab. 

There’s a ton of different labs with various tools that you’ll use to develop your practical skills—computer labs, science labs, electrical and mechanical labs… You can also expect to have 20 to 40 people in your labs. 

How much time will you spend on campus?

If you study a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS, you’ll take four subjects a semester. That means you could expect around 16 contact hours a week (of course, this is an estimate and it varies depending on the year you’re in and your major).

What are the assessments like?

You can expect to have exams for the core engineering, maths and physics subjects! You’ll definitely get more confident with giving presentations because you’ll do a fair few of them during the degree. 

For the more science-based exams, you’ll carry out pracs in the lab which you’re assessed on and there will also be final exams. Attendance for the labs are also important and count as a small percentage towards your final grade. 

The kinds of assessments vary for each major, however Civil Engineering has a lot of exams while Biomedical Engineering has more reports and research projects. 

Skills That You Refine and Learn

UTS Engineering - Skills

Throughout the Bachelor of Engineering at UTS, whatever your major is, a lot of problem-solving will be involved. You’ll have to think creatively to work out solutions for various problems and real world issues.

This degree will also develop your oral and written communication skills as you have to give presentations and write up reports. It is important that you’re able to communicate confidently and clearly in the engineering world. 

There’s also a focus on group work so you’ll learn pretty quickly how to become a good team player and contribute to the team effort. Now, if you’re not already an organised person, you’ll learn how to become one during this degree because there are a fair few things to juggle. 

You have to manage your time and stay on top of your work otherwise it’s very easy to fall behind. You also have to factor in part times jobs and a social life—don’t worry, it is possible to do it all. 

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

The Engineering students are a close-knit bunch! Everyone is really supportive and whenever you have a question or need help, there’s always someone there for you. 

They also like to be social when they’re not busy studying for an exam or working on a major project—and that’s why you should check out the UTS Engineering Society! This is where the fun happens and you’re bound to meet some really awesome people. 

There’s a number of great workshops and panels, trivia nights, scavenger hunts and of course First Years EngCamp and the much loved Tech & Eng Ball for those studying a Bachelor of Engineering at UTS.

You should also check out the Biomedical Engineering Society or Electrical Society if you choose to go with those majors. If you’re a girl who’s interested in an engineering degree, then you will want to get involved with Women in Engineering and IT who provide awesome opportunities for women during their engineering or IT degrees! 

Wondering what the pros and cons of this degree are? Check out our article here!


Tanna Nankivell is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently in Germany completing a year of study for her double degree in Communications (Journalism) and Bachelor of Arts (International Studies). She has had articles published on Central News – the UTS Journalism Lab and wrote a feature piece for Time Out Sydney during her internship. Tanna has a love for travel and the great outdoors, you’ll either find her on the snowfields or in the ocean, teaching aqua aerobics or creating short films. 

 

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