Pros and Cons of a Bachelor of Software Engineering at RMIT

Are you a maths whiz? Or, are you interested in a career that involves programming? Regardless of your skills and interests, reading about the pros and cons of studying a Bachelor of Software Engineering at RMIT can shed light on whether this degree is the right one for you. 

In this article, we’ve asked Johana, a Software Engineering graduate from RMIT, to share her study experience and give some valuable advice to anyone interested in the course.

Let’s dive in! 

Why should you study a Software Engineering degree at RMIT?

Top 3 Pros of a Software Engineering Degree

Top 3 Cons of a Software Engineering Degree

Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make

Things to Know Before Starting RMIT Software Engineering

What Makes this Degree Different

Motivations for Studying RMIT Software Engineering

Potential Career Paths

Why should you study a Software Engineering degree at RMIT?

The tech industry is an exciting place to be right now, wherein you can be at the forefront of new technological advancements. By studying a Bachelor of Software Engineering at RMIT, graduates can access a wide range of career options in this industry, especially with the industry placement and Software Engineering project that is integrated into the RMIT coursework. 

Coursework in this program is designed to incrementally build up the student’s professional and technical abilities, and ultimately help students secure a great tech job. As Johana tells us, “You graduate with industry experience that helps to set you up for the future, and sets you apart from many other graduate candidates when you start job hunting!”

She shares, “Overall I enjoyed my time as a Software Engineering student and would personally encourage this degree over things like I.T and Computer Science, the two reasons being the industry placement and the final year Software Engineering Project.”

Top 3 Pros of a Software Engineering degree

#1: Interesting coursework

All throughout the course, Johana tells us that “[you engage] with interesting problems to solve“. 

She notes two components of the coursework. Firstly, the third year industry placement and also the fourth-year unit ‘Software Engineering Project‘. This unit offers an exciting opportunity to work with an industry professional and develop software solutions such as a website or app. 

“The fourth year SE [Software Engineering] Project allowed you to use what you learned during your internship and apply it to a project that you and your team run entirely self-directed,” she reflects. “it also aims to release a product that is actually used.”

#2: Learning skills that are high in demand

“[Software engineering] skills are in high demand all over the world,” Johanna says, “and in a rapidly evolving industry that is constantly expanding.”

Education and opportunities in STEM are consistently funded by the government as well as a wide range of companies — in other words, it is quite a well-supported field! 

In this course, graduates build valuable skills in programming, web development and computer science.

Johana explains that this is not only learned theoretically, but also in a practical and real-world environment: “the third year industry placement was the best thing to have happened to me and I’m actually still working for the company I interned at and am now leading a team of engineers,” she says. 

#3: Wide career options

The last pro Johana tells us is that “there are many different avenues this degree can take you: web development, mobile development, games, cyber security, systems engineering, networking“.

For people who are passionate about the tech industry, they are bound to find their niche or the role that is best suited to their wants and needs.

Top 3 Cons of a Software Engineering degree

#1: Long degree 

Johana tells us that it is a four-year degree which, in the rapid-moving tech world, is a long time. 

This means that course material can sometimes feel quite outdated, especially once graduates join the industry. For example, while Software Engineering students may hate studying web development in university, they may turn out to work as a web developer and love the role!  

So, it is important to keep an open mind to your units and acknowledge that some university classes won’t paint the best picture of how different skills will be used in a day-to-day job. 

#2: Limited career support 

While the third year industry placement is a valuable experience, there is not much university support in finding the internship. 

Like any job-hunting process, the placement process requires a lot of self motivation since everything relies on the student applying and interviewing at various firms. As Johana tells us, “It’s very daunting trying to find industry placements as there is limited support from RMIT.”

#3: Broad subject material 

“Subject material is incredibly broad, which is good in some sense because it gives you a bit of insight into the different things out there,” Johana says, “but it makes it difficult for you to spend enough time doing something to know you enjoy it.”

As there are many skills relating to engineering and technology, an undergraduate, and even a four-year program, cannot grasp all that you’d like to know. Here, the industry placement or seeking postgraduate study can help finding your feet in your preferred niche of work. 

In addition, having a chat with tutors or industry professionals at RMIT CSIT networking events help illuminate your choices.

Any regrets? 

While transferring degrees is a normal thing students do, the university timetabling schemes are sometimes rigid. 

For Johana, she says, “I wish I started in this degree to begin with, and didn’t start mid-year. I transferred from Information Technology. Some subjects only run in Semester 1 which messed up my timetable. Ended up taking a fourth year course in second year which was really challenging at the time.”

What do you wish you had known before starting the degree? 

Since Software Engineering is geared towards mathematics, there is prerequisite knowledge in mathematics. Shaping up in your skills, and even getting ahead by learning a bit of programming, can help enormously once you enter your university-level courses. 

What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities? 

One point of difference is that the Software Engineering cohort at RMIT is small, as opposed to cohort sizes in USyd and UNSW. So, classes feel quite tight-knit after the early years of the course. 

There is not much difference in the course structure of Software Engineering Bachelor’s degrees, since external accreditation shapes what units and knowledge areas are taught. However, The QS rankings can be an indicator of how well such units are taught: RMIT is ranked #9 in Australia for its Engineering and Technology degrees. 

What inspired you to choose this degree?

The industry placement was the primary reason for transferring into SE.

“I initially chose IT because I was interested in tech, but knew very little about it and wasn’t sure I’d be good at it. IT seemed like an easier place to start,” Johana says.

She adds, “Location of the city campus also played a big role, it was very convenient for me.“

What are the possible career paths?

The knowledge gained from graduating a Bachelor of Software Engineering at RMIT can open up a wide range of career opportunities, with great and stable salaries.

Some career options include: 

• • Computer programmer 
  • Software engineer 
  • Software developer
  • Web developer
  • Systems engineer

Lynn Chen is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is a Communication student at UTS with a major in Creative Writing. Lynn’s articles have been published in Vertigo, The Comma, and Shut Up and Go. In her spare time, she also writes poetry.