Do you have a knack for science and maths or do you love working with machinery? Or, perhaps both? Then, a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS is one undergraduate degree you should consider studying!Â
This article goes over all the essentials about this course from the core units, classes, assessments to university culture.
To know more about Mechanical Engineering at UTS, just read on!
What is a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS?
Core Units for this Degree
How to Get into Mechanical Engineering at UTS
What’s the Teaching Format?
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
What is a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS?
A Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS focuses on the branch of engineering that designs and manufactures mechanical systems. Mechanical systems include anything from machines, bridges, trains or other systems that require movement.
In this course, students learn conceptual and skills-based knowledge in designing, implementing and maintaining these systems. Through the built-in Honours program and a Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice, graduates also come out of this course with strong practical and research experience.Â
Can this degree be studied in conjunction with another?
A Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS can also be studied as a combined degree with the following degrees:
Career PathwaysÂ
While graduates mostly find jobs as mechanical engineers, they can enter a diverse range of fields including:
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- MiningÂ
- Security
- Automotion
- Biomedicine and HealthÂ
- Aerospace
Core Units for this Degree
Regardless of the major and specialisation, there are eight core subjects for engineering students. These are:Â
These units are studied in the first four years of the course. Physical Modelling introduces all first-year students to the fundamentals of principles and natural processes such as mechanics, thermal physics, electricity and waves. It is a laboratory-focused subject that has a strong foundation in mathematics and modelling natural phenomenons.Â
Focusing on teamwork and collaboration, Engineering Communication is a UTS subject that partners with the Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Students work in a group to design a solution relating to a real-life engineering project set by EWB.
Major UnitsÂ
Since students choose their major when they apply for the degree, units in a Mechanical Engineering major are taught in all the years of this course.Â
First Year
First-year units are introductory subjects to engineering design, machinery, and theoretical components such as Newton’s Laws of Motion. In Introduction to Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, students learn to create models, mechanical drawings and solve simple problems on engineering mechanics.Â
Second Year
In the second year of study, units become more skills-based, wherein students are expected to draw on their conceptual knowledge to solve problems and design solutions. For example, students design a bridge in Mechanics of Solids and use computational tools and programming to solve typical engineering problems in Engineering Computations.
During the second semester, students take the unit Engineering Professional Experience 1 and attend their first six-month internship that is relevant to their study!Â
Third Year
The third year refines the student’s design skills, in which there are many project tasks to complete in the units.
Mechanical Design 1 and Mechanical Design 2 are two units which respectively focus on a design-and-build project of a mechanical device and how to write an engineering design proposal. There is also additional conceptual knowledge in the unit Thermodynamics.
Fourth Year
The first half of the fourth year extends third-year conceptual knowledge, where students are taught heat transfer in machinery, vibration theory in physical systems such as trains, and professional skills associated with project management.
These are taught respectively in Heat Transfer, Mechanical Vibration and Measurement and Engineering Project Management. During the second semester, students undertake their second six-month internship that is relevant to their study.
Fifth Year
The last year is dedicated to the Honours program, where students undertake a research project that is underpinned by their chosen theoretical framework. In the second semester, students write a report following the implementation of their project.Â
Are there any built-in internships?
In the compulsory study of the Diploma in Professional Engineering Practice, all engineering students attend two 6-month internships to ensure that graduates have a competitive skill-set when entering the workforce.
There is a preparatory unit where students will learn how to apply for internships as well as about workplace professionalism. While the internships must be registered with the UTS Career Department and Hub, students find and apply for these experiences independently.Â
The first internship ideally takes place in the second semester of the second year, when students have accumulated just under 87 credit points. The second internship typically occurs in the second semester of the fourth year.Â
How to Get into Mechanical Engineering at UTS
The ATAR cut-off for a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS is 82.45.Â
If your ATAR does not initially meet the cut-off, check the Year 12 Adjustment Factors scheme! You can be awarded up to extra five points to your ATAR, based on your performance on HSC subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Software Design and Development, and Biology.Â
Students are also advised to complete the Year 12 Engineering and IT Questionnaire to demonstrate their motivations for studying their degree. This can assist with your application if your ATAR falls short of the cut-off by up to three points.Â
Alternatively, you can choose to study a Diploma of Engineering through UTS College. This allows you to get into the second year of a Bachelor of Engineering and continue your studies from there! Depending on your choice of workload, a Diploma of Engineering lasts 8, 12 or 16 months.Â
Assessments
Although there are no additional assessments, commencing students must take the mathematics readiness survey to determine their most suitable first-year mathematics subject.
Is there any assumed knowledge?
The assumed knowledge for this course is Mathematics Extension 1, Physics and English Standard.
ScholarshipsÂ
You should consider applying for certain scholarships if you have been accepted into a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS.
The Wai Tang and Kee Wong Diversity Opportunity Scholarship offers up to $17,000 per year for Engineering students from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (C&LD) background. In addition, NSW Data Analytics Centre Scholarship is valued at $25,000-$36,500 and is open for continuing engineering students who wish to pursue a career in data analytics or data science.Â
What’s the Teaching Format?
A Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS is taught in semesters and a mixed range of lectures, tutorials and practicals. For this course, tutorials and practicals are sometimes interchangeable names.Â
Class Structure
Lectures
The majority of the subjects have a weekly lecture that is around 60 to 120 minutes. The lectures are more general and explain the content assessed in the subject.
There can be around 50 to 300 people depending on the size of the cohort. They are usually recorded and supported by class notes.Â
Tutorials
The tutorials are also around 60 to 90 minutes and a class size of 20 to 40 people. Tutorial sessions provide the opportunity to apply lecture content to solve simple exercises with the guidance of the tutor.
In certain classes, students must solve these exercises as preparation for the tutorial and discuss them in class. These exercises include anything from manufacturing, thermal physics and momentums equations.Â
Practicals
Practical classes can be broken up into computer classes or laboratory classes. The computer classes are where students apply what they have learnt about a range of software including programming languages and CAD software.
The laboratory classes are more hands-on where students make something physical. There usually are about 20 to 80 people and go on for approximately 60 to 90 minutes.
How much time do you spend in classes?
Depending on the year of study, contact hours can range from 8 hours to 20 hours per week.
What are the assessments like?
In a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS, the main assessments include quizzes, practical assessments, lab reports and exams. The weighting of assessments average from 10% to 30% however, depending on the importance of the assessment can range from 1% to 75%.
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- Quizzes are short class tests given throughout the semester.Â
- Practical assessments mainly entail semester-long projects, in which students build a prototype related to the particular concepts studied in the unit.Â
- Lab reports are based on an experiment that students will undertake in class, where they calculate and report on the results.Â
- Exams are taken at the end of the semester and are operated under exam conditions for 2-3 hours. For example, Introduction to Electrical and Electronic Engineering (which is part of the mechanical engineering major), students are generally given 2 hours to complete the practical exam.Â
Skills That You Refine and Learn
Throughout their course, Mechanical Engineering students develop and sharpen their problem-solving, conceptual and communication skills.Â
Problem-solving skills relate to the student’s ability to garner theoretical knowledge to troubleshoot issues in physical systems, both in their own projects and in given situations. Through the emphasis on designing solutions in practical assessments and the Honours project, students iterate their ability to think keenly and laterally to solve real-life and simulated engineering problems.
Conceptual skills relate to the student’s theoretical knowledge in the fundamental sciences such as thermal energy, vibration theory and Newton’s Laws of Motion. This skill is fundamental to Mechanical Engineering students, who are expected to design and maintain important physical systems that keep a functional society.
Communication between project teammates is an essential skill learned in the engineering undergraduate. From the start of the degree, students learn to productively participate and collaborate in the group projects, as well as preventing and resolving miscommunication. This supports their transition to the workplace, where they may even take up a leadership role.Â
What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?
FacultyÂ
A Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS is a part of the Engineering and Information Technology faculty. This is a large and dependable faculty that definitely has a warm sense of community, both in peer-to-peer support and teaching staff.
There is a high percentage of staff who are very supportive and accommodating. Many tutors will be happy to work with students if they are having problems understanding the content or completing an assessment — sometimes even, arranging beforehand, on a Sunday!Â
UTS has also renovated many of its buildings in the last 10 years and Mechanical Engineering students will experience a range of state of the art laboratories.
Culture
Engineering is a very collaborative field of study and it’s recommended to form a study group to strengthen your potential in learning. Therefore, there are several societies that you look at joining while studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at UTS.Â
UTS Engineering Society (EngSoc) is one of the largest societies at UTS, where students get the opportunity to make friends, build industry connections and participate in both social and academic activities. Some events include networking events, fundraisers and even trivia nights!
Extracurricular student project teams can be a great way to form friendships while gaining valuable experience relating to engineering. For example, the UTS Motorsports Electric (UTSME) team is a project where students design, manufacture and race an electric open wheeled race car in Winton, Victoria!
Other student projects include the UTS Rocketry team and the ATN Solar Car team. It should be noted that these projects require a large time commitment.
Support Programs
If you ever feel behind in your degree, there may be relevant U:PASS (Peer Assisted Study Success) sessions that may help you bump up your marks. In these sessions, you will have the chance to talk to and be taught by U:PASS leaders, who are trained senior students who have performed well in the subject.
Interested in the pros and cons of this degree? Check out our article here!
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.
