Program Information

DEGREE PROGRESSION

Progression Plans provide students with an example of how they should structure their degree.

This helps ensure that students are able to finish their degree within the allocated time frame and avoid delays.

To find your relevant progression plan, please visit Enrolment Sequencing and enter the degree code applicable to you. Note that this sequence is a suggestion, hence you do not need to follow if it does not suit you.

Additionally, later on in your degree, you may want to perform an official progression check if you have made significant changes to your plan. This can be done through submitting the forms found at Program Progression Check.

STEPS TO PROGRESSION!

SEQUENCING OF ELECTIVES

Level 1 Prescribed Electives

All Civil Engineering Students must complete 12 Units of Credit (UoC) of Level 1 Prescribed Electives, which is equivalent to two first year electives. These courses are not prerequisites to any core engineering courses (for Civil Engineering), so they can be completed at any time or in any sequence.

Students are recommended to take one Level 1 Elective in Term 2 and one in Term 3. This recommendation varies for those studying a Civil Engineering double degree.

The recommended first-year electives are:

MATS1101 (Introduction to Materials for Engineering Applications)

A very useful course for understanding important material properties, stress and strain which is relevant to future core civil courses, such as

ENGG2400.

Could be a bit challenging for students who have not done Chemistry or

Engineering Studies in high school, however still manageable overall.

ENGG1400 (Engineering Infrastructure Systems)

A system optimisation and network modelling course. Recommended if you are generally interested in transport systems. A relatively easy and doable course which explores concepts which are usually not explored in other courses, however applicable to a wide range of real life situations.

GMAT1110 (Surveying and Geospatial Engineering).

This is the recommended elective for Surveying students, intended to replace ENGG1400. Delves into determining relative positioning of features above, on and below Earth’s surface. Involves outdoor practical exercises to familiarise students with using electronic surveying equipment.

Of course, you can enrol in whatever first year electives are available! Read up on each elective and speak to older students about their choices to see what interests you - don’t be discouraged to digress from the recommended electives!

See the full list of Level 1 electives at Civil Engineering Handbook and Environmental Engineering Handbook.

Discipline Electives

In the final year(s) of your Civil Engineering degree, all students must complete at least 6 UoC of Discipline Electives. Students are recommended to pick discipline electives directed towards your specialisation.

Generally, straight Civil Engineering students need to take a total of 5 discipline electives:

3 for the Civil Engineering specialisation stream component of your degree (part of the main 168 UOC); and 2 additional discipline electives for the Engineering (Honours) degree component (an extra 12 UOC to meet the UoC required for completion)

If you study a double degree or decide to take a practice elective or Higher Honours Thesis, the number of discipline electives will vary. Contact the Nucleus Hub for further details.

Note: If you’re planning to take Honours Research Thesis, CVEN4701 is a

prerequisite.

Please see the list of available Discipline Electives at Civil Engineering Handbook and Environmental Engineering Handbook including their prerequisites and offering terms.

Practice Electives

Practice electives is also another option to satisfy the program requirements instead of taking Discipline Electives. If students are to take Practice Electives, they must take 6 UoC of the Engineering Vertically Integrated Project (ENGG2600, ENGG3600, ENGG4600) which runs across 3 terms, each contributing towards 2 UoC each. More details on the Practice Electives can be found in the Civil Engineering Handbook.

Vertically Integrated Projects are one of four main pillars that forms the framework of the ChallENG Program. The ChallENG Program aims to connect UNSW engineering students, academics and industry to real-world, project based learning initiatives. Students are exposed to a multidisciplinary learning approach that emphasises development of technical and design skills, and expands their professional expertise. Find out more at this website here.

STREAM SPECIFIC COURSES

Some core civil engineering subjects are taught by both the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and School of Mechanical Engineering. These subjects are Engineering Mechanics (ENGG1300) and Fluid Mechanics (ENGG2500).

The two schools teach these subjects during different terms in the yearly academic calendar. Although the subjects are taught similarly in principle, it

is recommended that Civil Engineering students enrol in the stream

offered by the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering to ensure relevance to your degree. However, Civil Engineering students may want to enrol in the Mechanical streams if they wish to sequence their progression differently.

ENGG1300 (Engineering Mechanics)

Builds foundation of using rigid body mechanics to analyse static and dynamic systems/structures.

Taught by the Civil School in Term 2

Taught by the Mechanical School in Term 3

ENGG2500 (Fluid Mechanics)

Builds foundation of analysing the behaviour and properties of water (primarily), and its effects, within systems.

Taught by the Civil School in Term 1

Taught by the Mechanical School in Term 3

WEIGHTED AVERAGE MARK

Weighted Average Mark (WAM) is the record of your performance in the courses you’ve undertaken which are shown on your transcript.

Grade-only results not included in calculating WAM can be found here.

Note: If you are approved for transfer of credit for course(s) completed at UNSW in a different program, then the marks you achieved for those specific course(s) will be included in the calculation of your WAM for your new Program (2016 onwards).

M = mark received in a course U = units of credit for a course ∑ = the sum of

On one’s transcript (updated termly), there will be a record of your individual raw marks for each course along with a grading (FL, PS, CR, DN, HD). Additionally, there is a record of each term WAM, which indicates your cumulative performance for each particular term, and your nominal/overall WAM, being a record of your performance throughout your entire degree program.

Honours WAM

Honours/faculty WAM will be more relevant in the later years of your degree and is calculated differently to your overall WAM. As all students studying civil engineering (single or dual) are enrolled in an honours program, this WAM is used to determine your award class at the end of the degree. It uses the following formula, where there is a weighting placed dependent on the level (not year taken) of the course indicated in the Handbook.

Details on Honours WAM and its calculation can be found here.

Becoming a Demonstrator: If you would like to work for the school as a paid demonstrator on a course that you have completed, you are able to apply via the CVEN Intranet. The selection of demonstrators is highly dependent on your WAM and performance in the particular course, along with your past experience with teaching.

Opportunities

Your time at university should not only revolve purely around your studies and your results do not fully dictate your understanding of engineering. However, by maintaining a consistently high WAM, there are several opportunities that are made available to you. Some notable opportunities have been included below.

Program Transfer: One of the requirements for transferring programs will usually be that you must have achieved above a specified WAM. This mark will be different depending on the program that you would like to transfer to.

Exchange: Students who would like to apply for exchange may want to maintain a good WAM in order to increase the likelihood of being accepted into the school which they apply for. Depending on the competitiveness of the institution selected, the “cutoff” WAM may be much higher for some than others.

Industrial Training: Some companies (although not many) look at WAM when selecting applicants for interviews, and it is often a requirement to declare your WAM in the application process. Maintaining a high WAM could open up more opportunities for work and increase your chances of progressing forward in the application process, although it is certainly not everything.

Thesis: In your final years, students will be required to complete a thesis, which could be either coursework-based or honours research-based. For Research Thesis, a prerequisite WAM of > 70 is required. High Honours Research will also be made available for high performing students who have a WAM of > 80.

Honours Class: If students are aiming for a particular Honours Class at the end of their degree, they should pay attention to their Honours WAM. Class divisions include Honours Class 1, Honours Class 2 Division 1 and Honours Class 2 Division 2.

What is Honours WAM?

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

Industrial Training (IT) gives engineering students the opportunity to gain exposure to a professional workplace, culture and its expectations. It allows UNSW's industry partners to work with current students and identify potential future recruits. It is an essential part of professional development, hence it is a requirement at UNSW to complete your degree. Most students will tend to start looking for IT in their 3rd or 4th year, however finding opportunities early on in one's academic journey allows for more flexibility and exposure to different specialisations that may interest you. It also allows you to practice and gain exposure to the interview process without the pressure of having to land the role.

Requirements

At least 60 days of industrial training throughout your degree.

This could be a combination of Traditional Paid or Unpaid, Non-traditional Placements or Overseas Placements, each with their own set of rules which must be followed for the placement to qualify.

For more information on different types of placements, please read Types of Industrial Training.

Moodle Course

To begin your IT process, it is heavily encouraged to enrol in the Faculty of Engineering Industrial Training Moodle page early on (for example in 2nd year).

Prior to beginning IT, prerequisite modules must be completed via this Moodle course, and supporting documentation must be submitted and approved by the School. It is a requirement to gain approval prior to commencement of your placement, so it is crucial that you start the modules and documentation process early.

Many questions regarding the process and required documentations will be provided on this course page. It will provide you with resources on topics such as where to find training, how to apply for training, and how to be successful in the process. This page also includes information about Industrial Training Workshops run each term by the engineering faculty.

Documentation which must be provided includes (but is not limited to): 1. Letter of Offer/Contract from the company

a. Company letterhead b. Duration of your placement (minimum of commencement date) c. Remuneration (if the placement is paid)

2. Job description (from company/supervisor) with technical engineering tasks you will perform in relation to Engineers

Australia Stage 1 Competencies. This could be:

a. Employment contract which lists your responsibilities (on company letterhead) b. Job Advertisement (from company/website) c. Job description (on company letterhead) d. Screenshot of an email from your supervisor/employer listing your responsibilities (from company email)

UNSW Employability

We highly encourage students to start considering which career path is suitable for them as early on in their studies as possible. This gives ample time for students to try a larger variety of options, so that by the end of their degree, they will have a definitive idea on what they would like to pursue. Use available uni resources such as professional development seminars, booking one-on-one appointments to have your CV reviewed or free careers-related resources! Find out more at www.careers.unsw.edu.au