Engineers increasingly enter a global market where the products they create, market and sell is becoming more complex. It is important that engineers appreciate the non-technical aspects of engineering, which include sustainable development and the environment, people management, financial management, marketing, international relations, ethics, health and safety issues, and quality assurance. This unit lays the foundation for the professional development component of the engineering degree. The student must demonstrate awareness and understanding of the social, cultural, environmental and economic context of professional engineering practice, apply a design process to an engineering problem to formulate appropriate and justified solutions and exhibit the ability to function effectively as part of an engineering team.

The unit addresses the elements of competency required to be demonstrated at the point of entry into practice as mandated by Engineers Australia. These include understanding the fundamentals of team dynamics and leadership, effective oral and written communication,and functioning effectively as a member of a multidisciplinary and multicultural engineering team.