BlogUniversityWhat It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University

What It’s Like Studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University

RMIT Engineering - Fact Sheet

Are you interested in complex problems and seeing these solutions improve the lives of those around you? Well, a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University could be just the thing for you!

Still unsure? This article will unpack everything you need to know about the degree.

So let’s jump straight into it!

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

What is a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University?

A Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University teaches students fundamental engineering principles by covering a range of scientific, mathematical and professional theoretical content and practices. 

Students are taught foundational engineering concepts in the first year, before choosing an area of specialisation in their second. It is ideal for anyone who wants to do engineering, but is unsure of what specialty to pursue. 

Honours 

This degree has a built-in Honours program. This means that in the fourth year of study, students complete an Engineering Capstone Project. 

“It is a big exterior project that you can work on with a team of people within your university and within that degree.” — Joseph Cadzow, Bachelor of Engineering (Computer and Network Engineering) (Honours) III at RMIT

The project requires students to develop a practical solution to an engineering problem of their choosing. It is designed to test all of the engineering skills students have been building throughout the degree and it is a useful way to show future employers what they’re capable of.

Double Degrees

RMIT Engineering has the capacity to be studied as a double degree. Students in various engineering specialities can choose to combine their degree with a course from the Business, Industrial Design or Computer Science faculties.

Typically, completing a double degree only adds one additional year of study.

Check out the full list of pairings here!

Career Paths

Engineering students are some of the most sought after graduates by employers. The critical thinking and problem solving skills taught to them are of valuable use to any industry.

For this reason, Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University offers a wide range of career paths for its graduates. Some of these include:

Wondering what other jobs you can get with a Bachelor of Engineering? Check out our article here!

Core Units and Specialisations

Students completing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University need to complete 384 credit points to graduate. Each unit equates to 12 credit points, therefore a full-time student can expect to complete four units/classes per semester.

Specialisations

The Engineering specialisations available at RMIT are extensive and diverse. 

They include:

  • Advanced manufacturing and mechatronics
  • Aerospace engineering and aviation
  • Biomedical engineering
  • Chemical engineering
  • Civil engineering
  • Computer and network engineering
  • Electrical and electronic engineering
  • Engineering management
  • Environmental and sustainable engineering
  • Mechanical and automotive engineering
  • Telecommunications engineering
Computer and Network Engineering 

A Bachelor of Engineering (Computer and Network Engineering) (Honours) is one of the many options available. 

RMIT Engineering - Quote

First Year

The first year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) sees students completing various introductory classes. You can expect to take Introduction to Professional Engineering Practice and Creative Engineering CAD, two classes which take you through the basic practical knowledge and software skills needed for the rest of the course.

In this first year, students can also choose 2-3 classes focussing on different Engineering specialisations. They can take units such as Introduction to Chemical Engineering or Introduction to Aircraft, to get a feel for which discipline they like best.

At the end of first year, students must choose one specialisation.

Second Year 

The units for second year students depend on which engineering specialisation they selected at the end of first year. 

A Computer and Network Engineering student can expect to take classes such as Engineering Computing 1, which delves into the basic building blocks of computer systems, programming and coding.

Third Year

This same student will take Research Methods for Engineers in their third year. This unit teaches students how to ethically conduct research and communicate their findings. 

Third year also allows students to complete one elective. You can find the full list of available electives here

Fourth Year

As mentioned before, fourth year students complete the Honours component of their degree. This takes place in Engineering Capstone Project Part A and B

At the same time, students also complete additional units from a selection specific to their specialisation.

Industry Placements

Students gain industry experience through several of their major group projects. These assessments often involve students working on real-life industry problems with actual clients.

RMIT also offers an Engineering Industry Experience Placement Program. This program helps students find external internships, mentors and future employment.

How to Get into a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at RMIT University

To gain entry into this degree, students must achieve a minimum ATAR of 75.15. 

However it should be noted that each engineering specialisation has a different ATAR entry mark. For example, to get into the Computer and Network Engineering stream, students need an ATAR of at least 81.40, while Chemical Engineering requires only a 77.20.

Prerequisites 

Along with obtaining a high enough ATAR mark, prospective students must also meet certain prerequisites. 

These include completing Year 12 with a study score of at least 30 in English or 25 in English other than EAL, as well as achieving at least 20 in any Mathematics course.

Adjustment Schemes

If you’re a bit unsure about your ability to meet those entry requirements, don’t worry!

RMIT has loads of bonus schemes to help you get into the course.

One of these is the Schools Network Access Program (SNAP). This adjustment scheme provides priority entry to certain degrees for students from selected Victorian secondary schools.

It is designed to increase tertiary access to students from underrepresented areas. Access to this scheme means that students can receive an ATAR that is within 20 points of the lowest selection rank and still be accepted into the course.

Alternative Pathways

Depending on which area of specialisation you choose, there also could be different pathways into the degree that don’t solely rely on your ATAR.

For Computer and Network Engineering, students can complete a two year Associate Degree in Engineering Technology, before applying for a transfer into the third year of a Bachelor of Engineering (Computer and Network Engineering) (Honours) degree. Because the associate degree covers all the necessary engineering foundational knowledge, students are able to enter into the Bachelor’s degree without extending their time at university.

These alternative pathways differ for each engineering specialisation. You can find more information on the different pathways available here.

Scholarships

RMIT also offers a range of different scholarships for engineering students. 

One worth noting is the Sir William Tyree Engineering Scholarship. This is awarded to a commencing Bachelor of Engineering student who has experienced financial or educational disadvantage.

Recipients of this scholarship receive $16,000 for each year they are studying. 

What’s the Teaching Format?

RMIT uses a semester format to structure their teaching year. Full-time students must complete two semesters a year consisting of weekly lectures, tutorials and labs. A full-time weekly study load is said to be 30-35 hours.

Class Structure

RMIT Engineering - Class Structure

Lectures

Lectures are the first point of content delivery for each week. These presentation-style learning environments see senior academics introducing you to the content for that week.

They are normally hosted in large auditoriums, last about two hours and consist of approximately 200 students. 

Tutorials

Tutorials are a space for students to reinforce the content learnt in lectures. They are generally smaller groups of about 20 to 30 students and involve tutors guiding students through various discussions and activities.

They are great opportunities for students to ask questions about content — so don’t be afraid to speak up if you are feeling a bit lost!

Labs 

Labs are 2 hour classes, with about 20 to 30 students, where all of the theory learnt that week is applied to practical situations. It gives students a chance to have hands-on experience working with different theories and skills. 

“We learnt about different protocols for networking and then later on in the week we went to the lab and we had to do different activities to prove how the protocol works or how it behaves.” — Joseph Cadzow

What are the assessments like?

Assessments for this degree consist of mid-semester and final semester exams, weekly lab reports and quizzes, as well as major Engineering group projects.

They are often due around the same time, so certain weeks can get pretty stressful. But it is all manageable if you slowly chip away at them throughout the semester. 

Skills That You Refine and Learn

RMIT Engineering - Skills

An Engineering degree at RMIT University equips its graduates with a lot of very useful skills.

In the numerous group projects, students are taught how to work well in teams. This is particularly important as engineers are often working collaboratively in groups to find solutions to problems. All of these major projects also teach students how to be effective project managers. 

The main role of engineers in society is to find solutions to complex problems in society. Hence, RMIT teaches its Engineering students how to use mathematical and scientific theories to solve problems in the most efficient way possible.

Students are also taught how to be flexible with their thinking and adapt quickly to different situations. There is no telling what projects graduates will face in the industry and so it is critical that they are able to adapt the theory and technical skills taught at university to their individual circumstances.

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

RMIT is a smaller and newer university compared to others in the Melbourne area, which ultimately explains its super modern and forward-thinking campus. 

The on-campus culture is said to be really good. The RMIT student union is really involved and there are always lots fun events going on. 

Everyone is really friendly and in the Engineering cohort there are lots of group chats to help students stay connected.

“If you’re willing to make friends with people in the course, you make friends quickly” — Joseph Cadzow

Faculty 

The Engineering faculty is also super helpful. They are quick to respond to emails and always willing to stay behind after a tutorial to answer any pressing questions. 

The faculty is constantly making amendments to the degree, improving class structure and content so as to provide the best possible learning experience for students.

Relevant Societies

The RMIT University Student Union houses a whole bunch of different clubs and societies that are directly relevant to Engineering students. Each of these groups offer career-relevant resources to its members, host formal networking events and fun engineering challenges, as well as organise casual meet-ups for students to socialise. 

Societies are a great way for students to get involved in university life and make really strong friendships. Some of the clubs and societies available at RMIT include:

You can find the full list of societies at RMIT here!

Support Programs

RMIT hosts a range of support services to help students make the most of their time at university. 

On campus there is the Ngarara Willim Centre, which is a dedicated support service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

They also have a peer mentoring service, which is an online or in-person mentoring program that pairs students up with an older peer to help with coursework, study skills or general university life advice.


Jessica Arentz is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney where she studies a Bachelor of Arts/Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Marketing). She currently volunteers at 2SER community radio station as a producer and newsroom reader. When not writing, you can find Jess searching the web for cheap flights or spending her days with her head buried deep in a book.

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