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

Are you thinking about studying a Bachelor of Engineering at WSU? 

We are here to give you all of the must know intel about this degree, including subjects, staff, culture, assessments and so much more! 

Let’s get into it!

What is a Bachelor of Engineering at WSU?

Core Units and Specialisations

How to Get into a Bachelor of Engineering at WSU

What’s the Teaching Format?

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

What is a Bachelor of Engineering at WSU?

A Bachelor of Engineering at WSU is a hands-on and versatile degree that explores a number of the main engineering disciplines, including civil engineering, construction and robotics. The Bachelor of Engineering at WSU provides students with room for flexibility, so that if you are interested in engineering but don’t know which area you would like to specialise in you can decide after your first year of study! 

Students wanting to study a Bachelor of Engineering at WSU must have a strong background (and love for) science and maths and should be ready to complete hands-on, practical projects in their field of interest. It is also recommended that you are able to work in a team and use your critical thinking skills to solve complex problems creatively.

Honours

For this degree there is a built-in Honours component that students complete in their final year of study. This includes doing a thesis research study on your own which is based on real life projects or your own research in a material study. 

Can this degree be studied in conjunction with another?

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at WSU can be studied as a double degree with a Bachelor of Business for an additional year. This double degree allows for students to undertake multi-skilling and adds diversity to their potential career paths.

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Business double degree aims to give students the skills to work as engineers, whilst also providing them with a good understanding of business principles and practices. 

Taking your engineering degree further with a Bachelor of Business will also give you super desirable skills to impress potential employers with, which is definitely never a bad thing! 

Career Paths

There are plenty of career opportunities for engineering students at WSU. These include (but are not limited to): 

• • Construction engineering
  • Structural design
  • Project management
  • Manufacturing
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Robotic and mechatronic engineering

Core Units and Specialisations

What are the Core Units?

In the first year of a Bachelor of Engineering at WSU you will need to complete eight core units. 

You’ll take on the subject Mathematics for Engineers 1, in which you’ll get stuck into all things mathematical right away with this core unit.

You’ll learn everything about differential and integral calculus of a single variable, complex numbers, aspects of matrix algebra, vectors, and some elementary statistics and probability theory. This unit is designed to introduce engineering students to the key concepts needed for their degree.

Another subject you’ll study is Engineering Physics, where you’ll learn the fundamentals to engineering physics and learn how to apply these processes to all aspects of engineering. 

You’ll also be required to take Engineering Materials. Before you get started with your specialisation, it’s important that you understand the fundamentals of engineering materials that you will be using!

In this subject, you will explore materials structure, properties, processing and applications, degradation of materials, sustainability, and the selection of materials for all fields of engineering.

The rest of your core units are:

• • Engineering Computing
  • Introduction to Engineering Practice
  • Mathematics for Engineers 2
  • Electrical Fundamentals
  • Fundamentals of Mechanics

These core units provide a foundational knowledge for engineering students leading into their second year, where they choose a major to specialise in for the remainder of their studies. 

Specialisations

There are five specialisation programs at WSU to choose from:

• • Civil
  • Construction
  • Electrical
  • Mechanical
  • Robotics and Mechatronics

What’s a specialisation in Civil Engineering like?

Engineering graduate Samantha, who studied civil engineering, says that studying civil engineering is so enjoyable and relevant, especially if you want to work in the rapidly growing Western Sydney area.

In this specialisation you study a lot of maths and physics. If you have ever heard the joke, “I learnt trigonometry in high school but don’t know what to do with it,” then Civil Engineering will show you just how trigonometry is used all around you.

Click on one of the key programs above to find out more about it! 

Internships and Work Experience

At Western Sydney Uni there are so many opportunities available for students looking to gain work experience. 

Why not help to build a better, more sustainable world with the Engineering Without Borders international program? Sounds pretty cool, right? In this volunteer program, students can take their degree to new heights and gain valuable, hands-on experience in engineering.

There are also many internships and paid placements available near the uni, including opportunities to work on major projects like the Western Sydney airport. 

The WSU societies Women of Wisdom (WoW) and Women in STEM Education (WiSE) specialise in getting female students into engineering internships. We will talk more about these amazing programs later on!

How to Get into a Bachelor of Engineering at WSU

The ATAR cut off for a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at WSU is 80. 

Alternate Entry

The HSC True Reward Early Offer Program at Western Sydney University provides prospective engineering students with early entry into the degree based on their HSC results instead of a scaled ATAR. 

The School Recommendation Scheme (SRS) is also available to students as an early entry pathway into engineering at WSU. 

Students may choose to transfer from a Bachelor of Engineering Science at the end of their second year of study.

Assumed Knowledge

If you don’t love science and maths then an Engineering degree is probably not for you. Western Sydney University recommends that their Engineering students have studied Physics and Mathematics Extension 1 or Mathematics Extension 2 for their HSC.

It is assumed that applicants for Engineering at WSU have studied two units of Science, two units of English and Mathematics (not including General Mathematics) and have received a Band 5 level or higher in these subjects. 

Scholarships

With $25 million in undergraduate scholarships on offer each year at WSU, there are plenty of opportunities to explore. You can find out more about WSU scholarships here!

The GE Healthcare Biomedical Engineering Scholarship for Women is available for female students studying a Bachelor of Engineering with a sub major in Biomedical Engineering. 

What’s the Teaching Format?

Engineering at WSU is delivered in semesters. The autumn semester begins in March and the spring session begins in July. 

Class Structure

There are a mixture of class formats within the Bachelor of Engineering at Western, including practicals, tutorials, lectures and workshops. How content is delivered will vary based on what discipline you are in, however, first year classes are generally identical.

As there aren’t too many Engineering students at WSU, classes are kept comfortably smaller, and are split between WSU’s different campuses. 

Class times at Western Sydney Uni are also varied, with both days and nights available to suit everyone’s needs. Night classes are particularly helpful for students who are also wanting to work full-time, and tend to be less busy than day classes.  

Lectures

Lectures run for about an hour, with around 50 to 100 students in attendance. It’s recommended that you get to lectures early to grab a seat as they can get very packed, with almost every student in that subject attending. 

Tutorials

Tutorials are generally more intimate, and very useful. They run for about 1-2 hours depending on the subject and are usually kept at around 20 people.

Often professors will run through the content while PhD students attend to and monitor students, meaning that you can have two teachers for just one class!  

Practicals and Workshops

Practicals and workshops last around 2-3 hours, with about 10 people in each one. These classes are kept small so that everyone can get the attention they need and work together to achieve great results.  

How much time do you spend on campus?

Depending on your subjects, you can expect to spend around 7-10 contact hours at university per week. 

What are assessments like?

Generally, if your subject has no practical elements you will usually be required to sit four mini quizzes as well as one mid semester exam and one final exam. 

For more practical classes, students will need to complete two assignments based on that practical as well as a mid semester exam and a final exam. 

Skills That You Refine and Learn

The main skills that you will develop in an Engineering degree at WSU are: 

• • Report writing: In this degree you will be expected to become competent at report writing, which is excellent practice for a career in engineering. 
  • Communication: You will also learn how to communicate with the people you are working with, which is not only a great skill for a career in engineering but also an important life skill for anyone to have! 
  • Problem-solving and creativity: Whilst studying Engineering at WSU, you will learn how to assess situations, identify problems and find creative solutions.  
  • Designing: During this degree you will develop design skills, and be aware of the Australian standards that are very relevant to the engineering workplace.
  • Computer skills: You will also become proficient in computer programs such as Autodesk, which are seen as essential for a career in engineering.

What’s the Faculty and Culture Like?

Faculty

Engineering graduate Samantha says that during her time at WSU she developed a special bond with her thesis professor Dr Olivia Mirza, who inspired Samantha and was particularly open with her about the realities of being a woman in engineering. 

Another notable faculty member is engineering hydrologist Surendra Shrestha, who Samantha says definitely goes above and beyond in his teaching, explains things very well and is always friendly and helpful to his students. 

Culture

At Western Sydney University, there are many great opportunities for both female and Indigenous Engineering students. 

Throughout their studies, students will have the ability to interact and network with people who are already in the engineering field, which makes landing a job after uni all the more possible. 

It’s very easy to make friends in Engineering at WSU and the university and faculty provide a relaxed and fun atmosphere for their students.  

Societies

Let’s face it, engineering is a largely male-dominated industry with female engineers often getting the short end of the stick. 

To fight this, Western Sydney Uni runs two societies that female engineering students can join. These are the Women in STEM Education (WiSE) program and the Women of Wisdom program. 

Our engineering graduate Samantha (who currently works as a Civil Engineer at Aurecon) remains a member of the Women of Wisdom initiative, which provides a network to help support and retain women in their first year of engineering. 

Thanks to these female-focused programs, WSU is playing a massive role in producing engineers just like Samantha, who are working to close the gender gap in this field. Which is something that we can definitely get behind! 

Wondering what the pros and cons of this degree are? Have a read of our article here!

Kellie Maloney is a driven and passionate writer who likes to flex her creative muscle on the daily. Currently, she also works as a Junior Content Writer at ClassBento, a rapidly growing startup that she is super proud to be a part of. When she is not writing for ClassBento or Art of Smart Education, Kellie can be found writing trashy poetry, cooking (barely) edible food or watching YouTube videos.