UTS course code: C10061
UAC code: Refer to majors
Testamur title: Refer to majors
Abbreviation: BE DipEngPrac
Course fee: HECS (local); $9,000 per semester (international)¹
Total credit points: 204

Footnote:
1. $5,500 per semester during Engineering Internships.

Overview
Course aims
Admission requirements
Advanced standing
Attendance
Course duration
Course structure
Honours
Professional recognition
Other information

Overview

The program leading to the combined award of Bachelor of Engineering, Diploma in Engineering Practice is a comprehensive preparation for careers in the professional practice of engineering.

The Bachelor of Engineering, Diploma in Engineering Practice is a combined degree and the awards are not available separately. Both elements of the program are closely interwoven and interdependent, and prepare students for the professional engineering internship by linking theory and application. The degrees combining engineering with business, biotechnology, science and medical science may also be combined with the Diploma in Engineering Practice by undertaking further work and study.

As noted earlier, the combination of formal academic learning in the University and experiential learning in the workplace is called Cooperative Education. UTS Engineering degree courses have embodied this principle for over 30 years. The courses are highly regarded in industry, and graduates have enjoyed correspondingly high employment rates: according to many reports and surveys, the highest of any engineering degree courses in Australia. Cooperative Education is also well known and highly regarded in other countries, particularly North America.

Engineering education in many countries is undergoing revolutionary change, and the UTS program is at the forefront of much of this change.

At present, students can major in the combined award in one of nine areas. These are Civil Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering, Construction Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Software Engineering and Telecommunications Engineering (see also General degree, without major). The choice of major can be made at entry, or postponed until the end of the first year without extending completion time (subject to availability of places and adequate performance). Further majors will be introduced in subsequent years in response to technological developments and employment demand, and provision will be made to allow students to change from existing majors. It is also possible for students to negotiate a program that focuses on an area outside the designated majors. There is considerable elective scope, which can be used either to extend engineering knowledge or to take a sub-major in a different discipline such as business or social science.

Course aims

The UTS program aims to equip graduates with the skills and attributes needed for professional practice and professional leadership. The program is designed around the triple themes of academic development, personal development and professional formation. It provides sound foundations in engineering theory, technical expertise, and knowledge of professional practice, while also developing academic literacy, advocacy skills and social awareness so that graduates are equipped to grow as lifelong learners and to become effective citizens in many different capacities. The concept has been strongly endorsed in wide-ranging industry consultations. Interaction between work experience and academic curriculum has been greatly strengthened, giving the program a depth that no other full-time academic course can match.

Admission requirements

Full details relating to admission are available from the UTS Student Info & Admin Centre at the University's postal address, or by telephone on (+61 2) 9514 1222. The following brief comments are offered as a general guide.

The main intake of students commences the program in March each year. Australian residents apply for admission through the New South Wales Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Mid-year entry may be available, but cannot be guaranteed. Inquiries for admission mid-year should be directed to the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Office, telephone (02) 9514 2666.

NSW Higher School Certificate

Selection is competitive and is made on the basis of UAI (Universities Admission Index) alone. The minimum UAI for entry varies from year to year and is likely to vary between majors, depending on the numbers of applications for entry and places available. The

UAC Guide, published annually, quotes the UAIs applying in the previous year.

Although there are no formal subject prerequisites, the Bachelor of Engineering, Diploma in Engineering Practice is taught on the assumption that students have competencies equivalent to two units of English, three units of Mathematics and two units of Physics. Some bridging courses are available.

TAFE qualifications or tertiary studies

UTS recognises the following tertiary qualifications for matriculation:

• completed TAFE Diplomas, Associate Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, and Tertiary Preparation Certificate (TPC) – partially completed TAFE courses are not usually acceptable
• successful completion of at least one year full-time or two years part-time study in a degree course at an Australian university, and
• awards, or partial completion of degree programs, at recognised overseas universities.

Selection depends on the level of achievement in the qualification or course concerned, and may involve other factors.

Intending applicants are advised to ensure that their maths and English language skills are equivalent to those assumed for NSW Higher School Certificate applicants. If you are from a non-English speaking background, you are strongly advised to complete a TAFE course, English for further studies, or the TAFE Certificate IV, English for Academic Purposes, before enrolment at UTS. Applicants with little recent mathematics exposure are strongly advised to undertake the UTS subject Foundation Mathematics before enrolling. For further information, telephone (02) 9514 2666.

Supplementary and bridging courses and English proficiency

Entrants who have not studied the equivalent of three units of HSC Mathematics, or who do not feel confident with this material, are encouraged to contact the Faculty's Undergraduate and Postgraduate Office for advice. Lack of background and/or confidence may create obstacles to successful orientation to the University in the first year of study. There are mathematics bridging courses which may be recommended, as well as an option to take the first mathematics and physics subjects at a slower pace than the standard.

The Mathematics Study Centre, the Physics Learning Centre, the Engineering Learning and Design Centres, the Computing Study Centre, and the English Language and Study Skills Assistance (ELSSA) Centre are all available to enrolled students.

International students

International students should apply through the UTS International Office, from which all details of fees, requirements and procedures are available.

A Foundation Studies Program in Mathematics, Science, Computing Science and English is available to international students who do not meet the requirements for entry to degree programs. This program is offered through Insearch Limited, affiliated to UTS. The Institute's and the Faculty's policy is to guarantee an offer to full-fee-paying international students who complete the program with a weighted average mark of an adequate level. For entry in 2003, this level was set at 85 for Computer Systems and Telecommunications Engineering majors, 95 for the Software Engineering major, and 60 for all other majors.

Engineering Cooperative Scholarships

UTS Engineering Cooperative Scholarships, sponsored by engineering employers, are awarded each year to students who are successful in the HSC examinations (or equivalent) and who are entering any of the majors available in the Bachelor of Engineering, Diploma in Engineering Practice. Refer to Endowments, prizes and scholarships for details.

Advanced standing

Students who have pursued relevant studies at another tertiary institution may be admitted with advanced standing and exempted from certain subjects. Extensive industrial experience gained prior to admission may qualify a student for exemption from part of the engineering internship requirements. Applicants for advanced standing should read the following sections carefully. It is also important to note that it is Faculty policy that advanced standing should be resolved at the time of initial enrolment and further requests after the first semester of enrolment are not considered except under exceptional conditions or where circumstances have changed.

TAFE studies

Students with TAFE Diplomas are entitled to advanced standing in the Bachelor of Engineering, Diploma in Engineering Practice (BE DipEngPrac). The level of advanced standing depends on the relevance of the TAFE area of study to the proposed major in the BE DipEngPrac. For a TAFE Diploma in the same area, students could expect to get between 24 and 48 credit points, depending on the grades obtained in the TAFE subjects. To qualify for 48 credit points, all subjects at TAFE would need to be 'A' passes. Once a student has been confirmed as qualifying for a specific credit-point value of advanced standing, the individual subject exemptions will be negotiated by the student with an academic adviser, to make up the credit-point total. Forty-eight credit points corresponds to 25 per cent of the academic content of the course, equivalent to two semesters. Students who have taken specially designed TAFE–university articulation subjects, or who have completed advanced diplomas, may gain more than 48 credit points.

Completion of particular TAFE qualifications does not guarantee the offer of a place at UTS: selection is competitive.

Partially completed Bachelor of Engineering studies

Students with partially completed studies in a Bachelor of Engineering course at another Australian university, accredited by the Institution of Engineers, Australia, who are admitted to a UTS BE course, are guaranteed full proportional credit for up to 50 per cent of the academic requirements for the degree. This is on a specified-credit, case-by-case basis. Further credit may be allowed, on a discretionary basis, up to a maximum of 75 per cent of the academic requirements for the degree.

Other studies and recognition of prior learning

The Faculty examines applications for advanced standing from entrants in all other circumstances on a case-by-case basis. This may include recognition of prior learning for candidates who do not hold formal qualifications but have extensive relevant experience.

Advanced standing in the Engineering Practice Program

Exemption from part of the Engineering Practice Program is granted only on the basis of actual work experience that can be shown to meet the required standards. The maximum exemption would be one work-experience semester, incorporating the subjects 48121 Engineering Practice Preview 1, 48111 Engineering Experience 1 – 1st Internship and 48122 Engineering Practice Review 1.

In no circumstances is exemption granted from the whole of the engineering internship requirement.

Candidates transferring from a full-time degree course at another university are reminded that the academic and work-experience requirements of the UTS program have to be individually satisfied. Advanced standing in the academic program does not confer pro-rata advanced standing in industrial experience. Advanced standing in industrial experience is only granted on the basis of actual experience of the required standard. Candidates transferring from full-time courses elsewhere are welcome, but should seek advice on their attendance pattern and progression plan.

General proviso

The Faculty reserves the right to advise any student who is admitted with advanced standing, and who is not succeeding in the program, to undertake some or all of the subjects from which exemption had been granted.

Attendance

Attendance patterns are based on a semester calendar, with some additional flexibilities (see below). A semester consists of 13 weeks of formal teaching, a one-week Vice-Chancellors' Week, a one-week tutorial week, and a three-week examination period. The Autumn semester runs from the beginning of March to early July, and the Spring semester from the beginning of August to early December. Refer to Principal dates for 2004 for exact dates.

Course structures provide flexibility to students in negotiating their academic requirements with their work and other commitments. Each semester, full-time students may enrol in four subjects and may combine their academic study with work. The only restriction is that subject prerequisites and requirements of the Engineering Practice Program must be met. However, it should be understood that four subjects represent a heavy commitment for most people. Students who combine this with other substantial commitments run the risk of failure and frustration. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own arrangements, but should be guided by Faculty advice and by the experience of others.

The timetable of subject offerings is designed to guarantee a viable course structure for students undertaking a range of different attendance patterns. These include part-time attendance and sandwich pattern.

Part time

Part-time attendance usually requires students to attend two subjects each semester. This requires classes for up to four three-hour sessions, at least two of which (though sometimes more) are typically held in the evening, and the other two typically during the day. In special circumstances attendance on four nights may be available but is not recommended.

Sandwich

A sandwich pattern requires full-time study interspersed with a minimum of two engineering internships (each of at least 22 weeks' duration and adding up to at least 44 weeks, though the Faculty encourages students to gain more experience than the minimum). The first internship is normally taken after completing two or three semesters of study. The full-time periods of study typically involve four subjects per semester.

The Faculty is aware that some employers appear to expect students to be able to undertake an entire degree program concurrently with a full-time job, without any allowance for study time. This is simply unrealistic and is not condoned. The Faculty is glad to advise students in such a situation.

It is anticipated that some subjects will be available during a Summer session, between December and February. This may enable completion of the course in an accelerated timeframe, and also provide opportunity for students to recover missed subjects or to optimise their study–work arrangements. Also, the Faculty expects over the next few years to make increasing numbers of subjects available in flexible learning modes, including distance, block attendance, and work-based learning. Major projects may also often be conducted in the workplace.