Schools offering engineering degrees within UNSW Canberra aim to provide outstanding engineering education to the future leaders of the Australian Defence Force and to pursue excellence through contributions to the engineering profession, industry and the community.

The BE program is of four years duration and the degree may be awarded as a pass or an honours degree. The engineering programs at UNSW Canberra have been granted full accreditation by Engineers Australia. All Engineering degrees lead to a Bachelor of Engineering degree, with the type of engineering specified.

Aeronautical engineering is the study of the design, development, manufacture, maintenance and control of machines or vehicles operating in the Earth's atmosphere or in outer space.

The design of a flight vehicle is quite complex and demands a knowledge of many engineering disciplines such as aerodynamics, propulsion systems, structural design, materials, avionics, and stability and control systems. Maintaining and operating a flight vehicle requires an understanding of materials, reliability and maintenance, structural analysis for necessary repairs, together with knowledge of the disciplines within the design process.

The Aeronautical Engineering program has been designed to meet the needs of the Australian Defence Force as Australia's largest aircraft operator and covers the design, and reliability and maintenance of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Air Force BE(Aero) graduates may be involved in the operation and maintenance of aircraft and then become responsible for the airworthiness and modification of aircraft and engines, or the acquisition and introduction of new equipment into the Service. Army BE(Aero) graduates are most likely to be involved in the maintenance and repair of the Army's rapidly growing fleet of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Navy BE(Aero) graduates are required for maintenance and repair, modifications, operational deployments and airworthiness of Navy's fleet of rotary wing aircraft.

Except for Electrical Engineering and those in the Chief of Defence Force Students Program first-year engineering and technology students enrol in a common program taking foundation science and engineering courses. In second and increasingly in third and fourth years the programs diverge into their specialities although there are some courses that span across programs in all years. A key element in all years is the design stream which emphasises complex problem solving. Other streams such as aerodynamics, stability, control, thermofluids, structures, mechanics, materials and management often incorporate project based learning informed by academic research and industrial practice. Electives and a final year thesis enable students to pursue particular interests both within and outside the specialist discipline.
At the end of the program students are expected to meet the graduate attributes of the University and Stage 1 Competencies of Engineers Australia, ready to practice in their chosen profession and with the ingenuity and resourcefulness to meet rapid technological change.

2 x General Education and 1 x Technical Elective Course

Fourth Year Program

and 3 x Technical Elective Courses

Students may choose to specialise by taking elective courses in the following streams:

Structural Integrity Stream:

Rotorcraft Stream:

High Performance Aerospace Vehicle Stream:

Note: Enrolment in ZEIT4011 and ZEIT4012 require the approval of the Undergraduate Coordinator.

Upper Level courses from other programs may be taken with approval from the Undergraduate Coordinator.

1. Faculty Regulations for Undergraduate Students

A student must comply with the Faculty Regulations for Undergraduate Students. In the event of a conflict, the rules for the Bachelor of Engineering take precedence over the Faculty Regulations for Undergraduate Students.

2. Degree Requirements

2.1 The degree of Bachelor of Engineering shall be conferred as a pass degree or as an honours degree. Honours may be awarded in the following categories:

Honours Class I
Honours Class II, Division I
Honours Class II, Division II

2.2 To qualify for the degree of Bachelor of Engineering, a student shall normally be enrolled for a minimum of eight sessions and gain a minimum of 192 units of credit (normally 24 units in each full-time session).

2.3 A student completing a Standard Program shall complete courses, in the years prescribed, for all engineering students and those pertaining to one particular branch of engineering as set out in the relevant schedule.

2.4 A student completing a Non-Standard Program shall, subject to the requirements of Rule 2.5 (below), timetabling requirements and the approval of the appropriate Heads of School, be permitted to enrol in any one year in courses selected from more than one year of the relevant schedule.

2.5 Before a student's enrolment will be accepted for any course, the student must have completed the relevant pre-requisite courses shown in the Course Catalogue, except where the Course Authority for the appropriate course approves otherwise.

2.6 Students are required to include 12 UOC of General Education courses, normally taken in the third or fourth year of study.

Students must select one General Education coures from each of the following groups:

Group 1 ZGEN2222 Introduction to Strategic Studies, OR ZGEN2801 Strategy, Management and Leadership;

and

Group 2 ZGEN2215 Law, Force and Legitimacy, OR ZGEN2240 Introduction to Military Ethics.

3. Practical Experience Requirements

Before graduation a student shall complete 60 days of approved practical engineering experience which must be done in blocks of at least 20 working days each, each block being in the service of a single employer.

Service Training and Practical Experience Requirements

Service training conducted during the degree program is recognised as partially satisfying practical experience requirements in the following ways:
Naval Midshipmen, 30 days for experience gained at a defence establishment between second and third years. (Time at sea prior to arrival at UNSW Canberrais not eligible for consideration.)
Army Cadets, 30 days for the year spent at Royal Military College between third and fourth years.
Air Force Cadets, 30 days for experience gained at a defence establishment between second and third years.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

These regulations apply to all undergraduate degrees and are to be used in conjunction with Academic Rules and Program Information. All rules in this Handbook apply to each student who enters an undergraduate program in 2012. The rules remain applicable until the student exits their program, either by discontinuation or graduation. Students who entered a program in another year should consult the rules and regulations for that year.

1. Meeting degree requirements

1.1 To be eligible to graduate, a student must comply with the Faculty Regulations for Undergraduate Students and specific program rules.

1.2 Every student must complete courses as part of their degree. The requirements of a course will be outlined by its course convenor.

1.3 A student will be prevented from enrolling in a course if they have not met the prerequisites specified.

1.4 Each course completed or granted as credit towards a program may be counted towards only one major in that program.

2. Multiple enrolment

No student will be admitted into a UNSW program without the approval of the relevant Head of School if they are already enrolled in another program of study at any tertiary institution.

3. Study required per UOC

25-30 hours of work(over a 13 week teaching period) including face-to-face teaching sessions and private study time, is expected for 1 UOC per session (e.g. 150-180 hours of study is expected for a 6UOC course).

4. General Education requirement

4.1 All UNSW Canberra programs include 12 UOC of General Education courses.

4.2 All ZGEN courses are worth 6 UOC and are offered each semester. If students wish to undertake more than 12 UOC of ZGEN courses they may select an additional ZGEN course/s as upper-level free electives.

4.3 Students must select one General Education course from each of the following groups:

Group 1 ZGEN2222 Introduction to Strategic Studies OR ZGEN2801 Leadership and Management;

and

Group 2 ZGEN2240 Introduction to Military Ethics OR ZGEN2215 Law, Force and Legitimacy.

5. Limit of Pass Conceded (PC)

A student cannot be awarded more than 18 UOC for PCs.

6. Limitation on enrolment each semester

In any session, a student cannot enrol in more than 30 UOC without the approval of the Registrar's Nominee (Manager, Student Administrative Services).

7. Credit Cancellation Period

No units of credit shall count towards any award at undergraduate level if ten or more years have elapsed since a candidate accumulated the units of credit.

8. Credit for previous study

8.1 Credit may be granted on the basis of previous studies at a recognised tertiary institution provided a Credit for Previous Study form is submitted and approved within the credit cancellation period.

8.2 If a student believes their previous studies and/or work experience have given them the knowledge and skills taught within a core course, but they have not completed suitable studies at a recognised tertiary institution, they may seek approval from the relevant program authority to substitute this course for one outside their degree rules.

9. Variation of program or course requirements

Upon sufficient cause being shown, the Presiding Member, Academic Board may, in special cases, vary the requirements of the degree rules provided that any proposed variation shall be initiated by a recommendation from the relevant Head of School and the Registrar's Nominee.

Enrolment in this progam is restricted to Midshipmen, Officer Cadets and Advanced Students in the Australian Defence Force and equivalent ranks from selected foreign Defence Forces.