P4D1 Bachelor of Engineering (Specialisation) with Honours - Catalyst Program - Courses & Units

The information on this page is for current students. If you are applying for our next intake, please view our active course offerings here.

Overview 2020

Entry Requirements: See entry requirements

Duration: Minimum 4 Years, up to a maximum of 9 Years
Duration
Duration refers to the minimum and maximum amounts of time in which this course can be completed. It will be affected by whether you choose to study full or part time, noting that some programs are only available part time.

Location

Hobart: Semester 2

Commonwealth Supported places available

This course may not be available to international students. Please see the list of distance courses (i.e. online and taken outside Australia) that are offered to international students

You can do so many different things. You have so many job options. You come out with a career path, but it’s also really easy to recreate your career later.

Lily Panton – Bachelor of Engineering graduate

Are you a high-achiever with a passion for engineering?

The Engineering Catalyst Program combines a Bachelor of Engineering (Specialisation) with Honours with extra experiences, activities and opportunities. It was created for outstanding students, just like you.

A global focussed engineering career needs a globally connected education. Taking you from Tasmania to the world, you can apply for the Overseas Exchange Program and spend a semester learning at one of our international partner institutions. If you're accepted to the program, you'll be automatically supported by a $2,500 scholarship.

You can also apply for a Summer Research Project where you will work with a supervisor on a research topic of your choice. Again, upon being accept for a project you'll be supported by an automatic $3,000 scholarship.

You can even graduate with a custom built, multidisciplinary second degree, the high achiever academic extension Bachelor of Philosophy at no extra cost, with just a few additional units.

There is a $7,500 relocation scholarship available for domestic interstate students moving to Tasmania, and a $3,000 bursary for Tasmanian students to support the start of University studies.

If you want to get the most out of your University experience, set yourself apart in your chosen field, and give yourself an edge for future employment, the Engineering Catalyst Program is for you.

Course objectives

The Engineering Catalyst Program gives you a globally relevant and professionally accredited engineering education including hands-on research experience and enriching overseas exchange and education opportunities.

You will gain a broad, practical foundation of engineering skills and knowledge, covering physical sciences, mathematics and engineering science, followed by specific theory and practice in one of the specialised engineering fields.

Group work, projects, and engineering design competitions provide extra challenges and opportunities to work alongside world-class academics and researchers. The university also encourages you to find opportunities for international exchange and all students undertake 12 weeks of integrated work experience as part of their degree. Engineering is about design and making, and we ensure you have the skills and experience to do both when you graduate.

Our engineering degree also lets you customise your learning towards your career of choice by studying complementary units from another area of the University. For example, pick up units from the Health and Medicine for a career in biomedical engineering.

The degree is desired by employers world-wide, with graduates being highly sought after due to the hands-on and multi-disciplinary nature of their education.

Practical experience

Your Engineering learning experience goes beyond lectures, labs and tutorials, ensuring you graduate with significant practical experience, preparing you to meet the challenges of your future career.

The university has a commitment to providing hands-on training across a breadth of engineering disciplines, and to conducting inter-disciplinary research that benefits our students as well as the community. You benefit from our expertise and long standing connections in fields such as alternative energy systems, high-speed catamarans, and biomedical implants.

We also have strong industry partnerships across a variety of industries including TasNetworks, Hydro Tasmania, Incat, Tasmania Police, Entura Energy, Shree Minerals, Mineral Resources Tasmania and Copper Mines of Tasmania, to name a few!

Formula SAE and the UTAS motorsport team

The Formula SAE Competition is a national motorsport competition between universities. The UTAS Motorsport team brings together students from engineering and other areas of the University conceive, design, fabricate and compete with a small, formula-style racing car. The group work, projects and competitions provide extra challenges and opportunities to work alongside world-class academics and researchers. While this competition is particularly relevant for those who wish to pursue a Mechanical Engineering specialisation, the Motorsport Team needs and attracts cross-discipline interest, in particular as they have transitioned to racing electric vehicles.

Our practical, hands-on learning approach

A major feature of your Engineering studies is the emphasis placed on laboratory and workshop work. The design classes provide you with opportunities to learn the techniques of developing safe and reliable designs, and you write regular reports to ensure your experience is complete and prepares you for the demands of industry. For both the laboratory, workshop, and design classes, extensive use is made of computer aided design and implementation.

Dedicated labs and workshops provide you with a huge range of technology and testing environments for your specialist discipline. This delivers extensive first-hand experience with industry standard equipment for your career of choice.

These include:

Aerodynamics lab
Applied Mechanics lab
Communications Engineering lab
Concrete and Structural Testing lab
Control Systems Laboratory
Dynamics lab
Electronics lab
Geomechanics lab
Hydraulics lab
Mechanical workshop
Mechatronics lab
Power lab
Renewable Energy Lab
Stress Analysis lab
Thermodynamics lab

Study overseas as part of your degree

Never mind a gap year when you can travel and study overseas and have it count towards your degree! The University exchange program provides students with the opportunity to gain an international experience as part of their current degree, with 150 partner institutes globally across 30+ countries, there is a program type for everyone offering programs from semester length to just 2 week international stints.

The exchange is typically undertaken in your second year, and you'll be fully supported by our dedicated Student Mobility team all the way. Upon successful application to the semester exchange, Catalyst students automatically receive a $3,000 scholarship to assist with costs. Other financial assistance is available for both domestic and international students.

Find out more by visiting the Student Mobility website.

Summer research project

Regardless if you choose to pursue a career in research, the Summer Research Project is a great way to set yourself apart for your future career. You apply to conduct a six to eight week research program on a topic of your choice during the summer, typically between your second and third year. If your is successful, Catalyst students receive a guaranteed $3,000 to assist with costs!

You have the advantage of working in some of Australia's best facilities, with access to leading researchers in whatever field of study you're interested in. This may become a pre-cursor to an honours year, or a great experience to add to your CV, either way it's putting you ahead when it comes to starting your career.

Work placement

All engineering students undertake 12 weeks of industrial experience via work placement, typically in the summer between your third and fourth year. In most cases, students arrange this experience placement themselves via the connections and networks they form during their first years of study. At the discretion of the employer this experience can be paid at the appropriate award rate, and based on your performance, can lead to graduate positions at the completion of your degree.

Our teaching staff are also here to help, identifying networking opportunities through their long standing industry connections and highlighting particular businesses that allow you gain experience in your area of interest. We can also help arrange the placements in some circumstances.

Career outcomes

The Engineering Catalyst Program offers outstanding career advantages, giving you an edge over your competitors.

By combining our highly sought after Bachelor of Engineering (Specialisation) with Honours degree with a wealth of extracurricular opportunities, you graduate with a combination of knowledge, skills and experience that truly sets you apart.

The University of Tasmania’s focus on hands-on training and inter-disciplinary research makes our degree highly desirable in the international landscape.

Students work alongside our team of world-class academics and researchers, gaining practical knowledge that can be applied in a wide variety of careers. These opportunities cover a broad range of disciplines and skills in a world where there is an ever-increasing demand for people in the profession.

Engineers are well paid, and find interesting and engaging career opportunities across government, private companies, industry and consulting firms. After starting in technical positions, Engineers often move into management roles within companies and organisations due to their organisational and analytical skills.

A key component of our new engineering degree is your ability to customise your learning experience towards your career of choice. You can select units from complementary areas of the University, such as geography for a career in environmental engineering, and choose projects, in particular your fourth year honours project, specifically designed to lead you towards your desired industry.

Career Opportunities with Engineering

Engineers are involved in making key decisions in almost every industry, including the construction of buildings, roads and major infrastructure projects, alternative energy system development, electronics and transport, biomedical implants and many more. They balance contemporary thinking, creative design, critical analysis, and applied science and technology to solve problems in almost every aspect of our lives.

Graduates qualify for technical positions but often move into management roles within companies, organisations or consultancies across many industries. Career options in Engineering include the following jobs and industries:

Aerospace
Biomedical
Building and construction
Civil and environmental engineering
Computer systems
Government agencies
Health industry
Industrial electronics
International development
Manufacturing

Mining and exploration
Petrochemical
Power generation and transmission
Property development
Renewable energy
Robotics and automation
Software engineering
Structural engineering
Telecommunications
Transport

Postgraduate study

If you successfully complete this course, you may be also be eligible to apply for a range of other postgraduate courses including Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas and Masters by coursework and research. Filter the course list by Postgraduate to view the current courses available.

Professional Recognition

The Bachelor of Engineering (Specialisation) with Honours is a professionally accredited degree.

Accreditation by Engineers Australia, and subsequent recognition by the internationally accepted Washington Accord, means your degree provides truly global qualifications. Your skills will be valued and recognised around the world including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, China, South Africa, Ireland, Turkey and Russia.

The Civil, Mechanical, Electronics and Communications, and Electrical Power specialisations all have full accreditation. Provisional accreditation is being sought for the new specialisation, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, with full accreditation granted once the first students of the new program graduate. In the meantime, all the students entering existing accredited degree programs will continue to be recognised.

If you have any questions about the accreditation process, please contact us for further information.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Engineering (Specialisation) with Honours component of the Engineering Catalyst Program normally takes four years to finish.

All students start their degree with a common first year, including foundation studies in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. This multi-disciplinary, design focused first year enables you to select the area of engineering which you are best suited after gaining a valuable framework of experience. Note that the first year of all specialisations can be studied at the Launceston campus; however, students will need to move to Hobart to continue their studies in second year onwards.

You then choose a specialist area of study within the core engineering disciplines, civil, electrical and mechanical, and focus on that through a combination of theory, design oriented projects, industry experience, and major laboratory work.

The flexible degree structure allows you to customise your learning towards your career of choice by studying complementary units from another area of the University. For example, pick up units from the College of Health and Medicine for a career in biomedical engineering.

Industry Experience

All engineering students undertake 12 weeks of industrial experience via work placement, typically in the summer between your third and fourth year.

Integrated Honours

In your fourth year, you will undertake a substantial high-level, two-semester project within your engineering specialisation. This involves an analysis of requirements, feasibility study, and design and development, usually resulting in a prototype.

Our engineering specialisations

Civil Engineering

Civil engineers focus on designing, planning and constructing the world we live in, both above and below the ground. Projects include dams, bridges, pipelines, gas and water supply schemes, sewerage systems, roads, airports, and structures across all scales, including residential buildings. As cities grow, the role of the civil engineer becomes even more important as we balance development with sustainability, working to futureproof where we live, both functionally and for the environment.

Electronics and Communications Engineering

Our world is more connected than ever, and electronics and communications engineers are designing, creating and maintaining the infrastructure that enables that global connectivity. They design and maintain 4G and emerging 5G networks, control automatic and robotic autonomous vehicles and mobile devices, and enable the safe navigation of ships and aircraft by radar and GPS. They also help improve quality of life around the world, creating bionic ears, pacemakers, life support systems and other biomedical devices. Engineers are collaborators who balance creative design, analysis and applied science to design, build and manage structures, machines, manufacturing processes and infrastructure. They cross disciplines, and borders, embracing the challenge of creating the world of tomorrow.

Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Combining elements from both electronics and communications and engineering, and electrical power engineering, this specialisation provides skills and knowledge applicable to both areas. Graduates may choose career paths where crossover skills are desirable, such as automation and control within the electrical power industry.

Electrical Power Engineering

Sustainably meeting global energy requirements is at the forefront of modern engineering challenges. In response, electrical power engineers manage projects across the generation, transmission, distribution and utilisation of electrical energy. They are looking to reinvent the world’s energy systems, working across a scale that crosses continents, right down to the local community where delivering reliable, sustainable power can directly tackle poverty and save lives.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineers are involved in mechanical design, manufacture, assembly, commissioning, maintenance, safety, management, and development of policies within vast global sectors including energy, transportation, manufacturing, and automation. The largest and most complicated machines on the planet, from ships and aircraft to highly technical mechatronics and automation, need the skills and knowledge of a mechanical engineer.

Bachelor of Philosophy

The Bachelor of Engineering (Specialisation) with Honours and Summer Research Project all contribute to the requirements for the Bachelor of Philosophy. This means that by successfully completing the Engineering Catalyst Program, you can be only a few units away from attaining a second degree for no additional cost.

Civil Engineering

Year 1

Year 1 units

Semester 1

KMA152

Location	Study period	Attendance options		Available to
Hobart	Semester 2
Hobart	Intensive Session Jan B
Hobart	Intensive Session Jun

Bachelor of Engineering (Specialisation) with Honours - Catalyst Program (P4D1)

Overview 2020

Entry Requirements

Duration

Duration

Location

Formula SAE and the UTAS motorsport team

Our practical, hands-on learning approach

Study overseas as part of your degree

Summer research project

Career outcomes

Career Opportunities with Engineering

Postgraduate study

Professional Recognition

Course structure

Our engineering specialisations

Civil Engineering

Electronics and Communications Engineering

Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Electrical Power Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor of Philosophy

Year 1 units

Semester 1

Mathematics 1A

Conceptual Design and Communication

Engineering Statics

Engaging with Sustainability

Developing your Creative and Entrepreneurial Potential

Global Food Security

Living and Working with Cultural Diversity

Good Thinking: Reasoning Skills for Life

Ethics and Social Responsibility

Asia and Australia: Bound by Sea

The Dark Arts: Culture, Crime and Corruption

Discover your potential: Leadership, Service and Employability

Big Decisions! Rational belief and action in an uncertain world

Humans: Earth Shapers

Indigenous Lifeworlds: Local to the Global

Introduction to German

Introduction to Japanese

Introduction to Indonesian

Energy

Introduction to Latin

Introduction to Chinese

Complementary Medicines in Contemporary Society

The Global Challenge of Understanding Dementia

Sport Doping, Performance Enhancing Drugs and their Detection

Semester 2

Mathematics 1B

Engineering Design and Sustainable Development

Engineering Circuit Theory

Engineering Dynamics

Semester 1

Engineering Mathematics

Engineering Design and Build A

Structural Mechanics

Engineering Geology and Soil Mechanics

Semester 2

Engineering Mathematics 2B

Engineering Design and Build B

Thermal and Fluid Engineering

Materials Engineering

Work Placement A

Semester 1

Social Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age

Steel and Timber Design

Introduction to Surveying and Spatial Sciences

Semester 2

Fluid Mechanics 1

Transportation Engineering

Research Methods

Work Placement B

Semester 1

Honours Project A

Honours Project Group A

Foundation Engineering and Design

Semester 2

Honours Project B

Honours Project Group B