Students tend to panic going into years 11 and 12. It's not because the work is so hard or that they have too many subjects to choose from, though that is a part of it. Their dread mostly stems from having to decide what the rest of their lives will look like when they have practically no life experience and no idea what is and isn't a good career.
Choosing a field of study that delivers the most transferable skills is the rule of thumb to follow. Critical thinking and problem-solving, communication and leadership are all transferable skills. Any course of study that helps you build cognitive skills like logical thinking, abstract reasoning and spatial processing will serve you well no matter what your future holds.
An engineering student can tick off all those boxes and more as they earn their degree. The best part about studying engineering is that it presents you with so many options. You might study structural engineering at the undergraduate level and decide you also want to learn mechanical engineering. It's no problem to go back to school to pick up those specialised skills.
Engineering is such a diverse career field! There's never been a better time to study engineering because most of the crises we face today demand an engineering solution. Engineers are at the forefront of technological designs to mitigate climate change effects as well as coding the latest software advances. From robotics to aeronautics and artificial intelligence to digital currency, engineers ply their trade across them all.
Whether you want to help design smart cities or the new space station, these five Australian schools of engineering have the education you need. We ranked them according to their global standings and how they measure up against other Australian universities. Read on to find out what they have to offer and what it takes for you to study on their campuses.
#5 Best Universities for Engineering in Australia: the University of Sydney
We have to put the brakes on that gushing intro just a bit. Engineering is a blanket term to describe a diverse array of specialties. A software engineer doesn't need the level or type of maths skills a civil or structural engineer does. You'll learn things in chemical engineering courses that a manufacturing engineer will never study during their coursework.
As we combed through the best Australian universities for engineering, we looked at which types of engineering these schools excel at teaching. The University of Sydney (USYD) specialises in mechanical, aeronautical, and manufacturing engineering. If you're interested in learning more about electrical engineering and microcircuitry or chemical engineering, USYD is the school for you. Also, this school ranks #2 in Australia for civil and structural engineering.
USYD's School of Engineering boasts the Southern Hemisphere's most comprehensive biomedical engineering program. The already state-of-the-art facilities are currently undergoing an upgrade to better meet the challenges of personalised medicine - blending artificial intelligence with healthcare needs.
You can start your USYD engineering education by signing up for their Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) program. You'll need a 90 Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), at minimum. It wouldn't hurt to have good Maths and English scores, while you're at it.
Globally, USYD ranks 80th for overall engineering studies and 19th for overall education. In Australia, USYD ties at #2 with the University of New South Wales (UNSW). These two schools are similarly ranked for law studies in Australia.
#4 Among Best Engineering Universities in Australia: Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is one of the world's top universities. QS ranks it at #34 for overall education and #80 for its engineering programs. In Australia, ANU is the fourth-best university across the board, 3rd-best for electrical engineering and 7th-best for mechanical, manufacturing and aeronautical engineering.
This university's College of Engineering and Computer Science lists mechatronics and engineering research as specialities but that's far too modest. It offers a full complement of undergraduate degree programs. You may register for their Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree plan or go for one of their six computer-related study programs.
Also, note that ANU is one of a handful of universities that offer a Humanitarian Engineering course. This type of engineering entails finding solutions to improve the lives of marginalised people, things like water desalination and irrigation. You may choose this course as a minor in your Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) program.
To qualify for entry to that undergraduate study program, you must present a minimum 85 ATAR and a Mathematics Advanced (or equivalent). You might visit the College of Health and Medicine to get a better idea of what the future of bioengineering looks like.
#3 Best Australian Universities for Engineering: Monash University
As an engineering student at Monash University, you can rest easy knowing that your school's Faculty of Engineering ranks 3rd across Australia. Furthermore, it ranks #1 for computer science studies. That's not a big stretch for a university that ranks 42nd globally for overall study and 70th for engineering studies.
Like the other university engineering schools on this list, Monash has an extensive course catalogue to entice the best engineering students. You may undertake a double degree in Materials Science and Engineering or dedicate yourself to chemical engineering studies. Indeed, Monash is the #1 school for chemical engineering in Australia.
You may start your engineering qualifications with Monash's Bachelor of Engineering, which takes four years to complete. Or you may pursue a double degree such as a Bachelor of Art-Bachelor of Engineering; doing so adds just one year to your undergraduate studies.
Once that achievement is behind you, consider specialising in one of this Faculty's five areas. They are Materials Science, Mechanical and Aerospace, Electrical and Computer Systems, Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering.
Like ANU, Monash University is generous with its entry requirements. An 85 ATAR gave engineering students guaranteed entry in 2023. However, they had to deliver in English, Maths and either Chemistry or Physics.
Those are about the same requirements this university asks for entry into its Business Studies degree programs! But as an engineering student, you'll have to work a bit harder than business school students will.
#2 Best Universities for Engineering in Australia: the University of Melbourne
Throughout our series of articles on what to study after high school, The University of Melbourne has consistently taken the top spot for virtually every field of study. Except for engineering studies. But that doesn't mean that you should avoid this school's Faculty of Engineering.
The University of Melbourne places 50th in the world for engineering studies; it ranks 14th globally for overall studies. In Australia, it is the top university and it's got the study programs to back up its stellar showing. This school further distinguishes itself as Australia's first engineering faculty.
Rankings and accolades aside, Melbourne University's Faculty of Engineering boasts four study areas to specialise in. Together, they cover every type of engineering speciality, from computer engineering to geomatics engineering, an emerging field that focuses on spatial information.
It will take you five years to earn full engineering credentials from the University of Melbourne. You'll spend three of them in undergraduate studies and the last two in a master's program. Every subject in your curriculum refers directly to your declared major, even your electives.
Entry requirements vary depending on the study program you choose. A minimum 88 ATAR will qualify you for some (but not all) of this Faculty's study programs. Each degree plan has its additional requirements, too. You can count on maths and science as prerequisites, along with English.
#1 Best Australian Universities for Engineering: UNSW
The University of Melbourne doesn't shine so brightly that it overshadows all other Australian universities. As mentioned above, UNSW ties with USYD for overall ranking. Globally, this school comes in 19th place overall and 49th for its extensive engineering programs. But its first-place ranking for engineering studies is unshakable.
UNSW is home to eight engineering schools. The curriculum includes everything from biomedical and chemical engineering studies to photovoltaic and renewable energy programs. As a UNSW undergraduate student of engineering, you may choose from 25 specialised fields.
If you're unsure what type of engineering you'd like to specialise in, consider enroling in this school's Bachelor of Engineering course. That option will give you the flexibility to choose your path a little later. To maximise your hiring potential after graduation, you could pursue a double degree, maybe a Bachelor of Engineering with a Bachelor of Computer Science. UNSW offers many such combinations.
To qualify for entry into UNSW's engineering programs, baseline student requirements are 90 ATAR, Physics and Maths Extension I. However, this school's engineering course catalogue is extensive and some courses have more stringent requirements.
UNSW's Faculty of Engineering is the largest in Australia; this school is renowned for its international partnerships in research and student exchange. Studying engineering at UNSW opens pathways to international study of the most advanced engineering concepts and principles. This research university UNSW is also one of the best schools to study medicine in Australia.
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