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

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.

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.

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.