University of Technology Sydney

Information for students

The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT) is Australia's leader in practice-based engineering and IT education and research, and currently enrols over 9000 students in industry-recognised courses from undergraduate to doctoral level.

The faculty prides itself on its high level of engagement with the engineering and IT professions locally and internationally, by offering short courses and consulting expertise to the local community, and internationally through its courses offered in Hong Kong and Shanghai, a significant local international student population and a robust student exchange program. FEIT is also the leading research faculty at UTS, with a diverse range of research being undertaken in matrix across the faculty's schools, research centres and institutes.

The faculty structure comprises four portfolio areas in teaching and learning; research and development; international; and external engagement, each led by an associate dean. Seven schools house the academic sub-disciplines of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology:

Location, contacts and inquiries

The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology is located at City campus in Building 11.

Contact details can be found on the faculty's website.

UTS Student Centre

Inquiries from prospective and current students may be directed to:

UTS Student Centre
telephone 1300 ask UTS (1300 275 887) or +61 2 9514 1222
Ask UTS

Environmental Health and Safety Plan

Information Technology is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for students, staff and visitors, and adopting a socially responsible approach towards protecting and sustaining the environment. Promoting a safe, healthy and environmentally sound environment is the responsibility of all staff and students.

The names and locations of first aid officers and first aid kits are indicated by appropriate signs in Building 11 and school areas.

More information is available at Safety and Wellbeing.

Information Technology facilities and support

The new Engineering and IT Building opened in mid-2014. It is a state-of-the-art, five-star green building featuring teaching spaces and laboratories of the future. Facilities include collaborative theatres and classrooms; the UTS Data Arena – 3D visualisation arena; and a Software Development Studio for industry collaboration. Information Technology has a strong commitment to providing an effective and supportive learning environment for its students. The building also houses the Remote Laboratory, one of the first of its kind in the world. It enables students to conduct experiments in real time on real experimental equipment via the internet. IT students have access to both university computing laboratories as well as a number of faculty computing laboratories adapted for specific courses. The FEIT Learning Precinct is located in Building 11 on Level 5. It provides access to tutors for individual and small group support, reference material, and software and hardware resources on a drop-in basis, and is open for extended hours.

Computing facilities

The faculty provides computer laboratories, network services and high bandwidth internet access for use in teaching and research. This gives students the software and information they need for their subjects and the services to communicate and collaborate with their peers. Personal laptops can also be used to access network services and the internet.

Teaching laboratories

Computer laboratories

The faculty has a large number of computer laboratories that are used in many subjects. They are regularly updated with the latest hardware and undergo a complete upgrade of operating systems and programs before most sessions.

Most labs offer students a choice of operating systems at the login screen, which gives the laboratories great flexibility to meet student and class needs.

A large number of labs are for general purpose use. Others include internetworking labs, professional presentation labs and a graphics lab.

Network services

UTS: Information Technology provides a Unix shell, via SSH, with a home directory that is backed up regularly. Students can access additional services; this is normally organised by their lecturers. Services include Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL databases, Subversion repositories and internal websites.

Breakout pods and lounge areas

These areas provide space for students to collaborate or for individuals to have time on their own. All areas have access to the wireless network and many, particularly the breakout pods, have wired access and power.

Specific-purpose laboratories

Access to specific-purpose laboratories is arranged by the academic involved in a particular subject or research project.

Networking laboratories

These three laboratories are equipped with user-configurable, rack-mounted network equipment for teaching computer network subjects.

Graphics laboratory

A laboratory of specially equipped computers for graphic-intensive subjects is available. In particular, the computers have advanced graphic accelerator cards and the Maya software application.

Creativity and cognition studios

These studios form a multidisciplinary environment for research into computing support for creativity and into the development of new art forms and art practice using digital media. They include a games studio, a sound studio and a video wall with an interaction space incorporating a range of sensor systems.

Remote access facility

The remote access facility provides modem access for students and staff. This gives users access to UTS: Information Technology's computing systems and the internet.

Service desk facility

Students requiring IT support for any faculty-provided IT system, including the computing laboratories, should telephone or email, between 9am and 5pm weekdays, describing the problem:

telephone +61 2 9514 7922
email FEITServiceDesk@uts.edu.au

Compulsory safety induction

As part of the faculty's commitment to safety, all engineering and IT students are required to annually complete a safety induction in order to access secure facilities within the faculty. Completion of the safety induction is not required to be able to attend scheduled/supervised lab sessions or use some IT labs during business hours. Students enrolled in an engineering or IT course are automatically given access to enrol in the safety induction through UTSOnline (FEIT – Safety and Wellbeing Essentials Module).

Students from outside the faculty who enrol in engineering or IT subjects and need access to secure faculty facilities must contact the faculty to enrol in the FEIT – Safety and Wellbeing Essentials Module.

Bridging courses

UTS provides bridging courses in chemistry, mathematics and physics for students who do not meet the assumed knowledge requirements for their course. Bridging courses are usually offered in February, between enrolment and the commencement of classes.

Professional body in ICT

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the professional association and peak body representing Australia's ICT sector across all levels of government, industry, education and research. Graduates of most bachelor's and some master's courses offered by UTS are eligible to apply for professional-level membership of ACS – refer to individual course entries for further details.

Women in Engineering and IT Program

The Women in Engineering and IT (WiEIT) Program at UTS is a long-standing initiative to redress the low rate of female participation in the field by communicating the opportunities of engineering and ICT (information and communications technology) careers as a course of study; by promoting the involvement of women in the course, in the Faculty and in research at UTS; and by networking with professionals from engineering and ICT fields and professional organisations. The program also seeks to address attitudes and behaviours which may deter students and staff from achieving, in a safe and rewarding learning, research and working environment.

The WiEIT Program invites students, staff and industry to support its ongoing activities and contribute ideas for new initiatives which will attract and support more women to choose to study engineering and IT.

The Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology is a leader in practice-based education and has offered a year of industrial experience, the Diploma in Information Technology Professional Practice, as part of its undergraduate courses for many years. The industry experience provides a better understanding of the relationship between theory and practice, and increases students' employability by providing work experience before graduation.

Staff in the faculty's Engagement Team maintain contact with industry to assist over 700 FEIT students to obtain internships annually. The team can advise students on the details of obtaining and documenting an internship via CareerHub, the UTS system for online internship management. Students seeking internships must register in CareerHub before their intended period of work. It is the student's responsibility to advise the Engagement Team via CareerHub of the start and finish dates of the internship and to enrol in the appropriate subjects.