Overview

Engineering degrees offered by UNSW Canberra aim to provide outstanding engineering education to future leaders in the Australian Defence Force and to civilian students to pursue excellence through contributions to research, the profession, industry and the community. The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Electrical Engineering is of four years duration … For more content click the Read More button below. The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Electrical Engineering program at UNSW Canberra has been granted full accreditation by Engineers Australia and has been recognised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Electrical Engineering is built on a foundation of mathematics, computing, and physical science. An introduction to electrical engineering is provided through two courses in the first year, with progressively larger components in second and third year. The remaining early year courses consist of programming, mathematics, and physics: these are essential foundations for the later year EE courses.  The final year is devoted exclusively to electrical engineering courses. Each year of the program comprises a number of discipline-based courses and courses taught by other discipline areas. Most courses in the first three years of the program are common for all electrical engineering students. In the fourth year, students have the option to select specialty topics in areas such as communications, surveillance and radar, computer engineering and guided weapons electronics. Electrical Engineering is one of the newer branches of engineering. It has its origin in the turning to the practical use of the discoveries of Faraday, Ampere, Maxwell and a number of other eminent 19th century physicists. It has remained the most strongly science-oriented branch of engineering and is closely related to computer science. At first, it had its major impact by providing the means for the generation, distribution and utilisation of electric power. While this remains an important sub-area of the whole discipline, the last few decades particularly have seen a rapid and extensive diversification into the fields of computers and control as well as electronics and communications, and beyond them into such areas as biology, medicine and space technology. It is now true to say that there are very few areas of civilised activity that have remained untouched by the ideas and products of modern electrical engineering. The rapid growth in networked devices is driven almost entirely by electrical engineering.  Electrical engineers work at the intersection of electronics, mathematics, programming, control, and networking, and are thus ideally suited for the problems of the coming decades.

Program Structure

Students must complete 192 UOC when taken as a standalone program.

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Electrical Engineering requires a prescribed program structure as determined by the engineering program chosen. Each year of the program comprises a number of School-based courses (identified by the prefix ZEIT) and courses taught by other Schools within UNSW Canberra.

Completion of each year, thereby allowing progression to the next year, is normally achieved by satisfactory progress in each of the courses given in that year. At the discretion of the Head of School, students may be allowed to concurrently enrol in courses from more than one year of the program.

1. Core Courses - 150 UOC
2. Technical Elective Courses - 30 UOC
3. General Education Courses - 12 UOC

Disciplinary Component180 Units of Credit:
General Education12 Units of Credit:

Program Constraints

Maturity Rule

Enrolment Disclaimer

Please note that this Handbook is a comprehensive catalogue of our offerings and includes courses that can be taken to satisfy program requirements irrespective as to their availability for a particular year. Availability of courses is best checked using filters on this site or on the class timetable site.

You are responsible for ensuring that you enrol in courses according to your program requirements and by following the advice of your Program Authority. myUNSW enrolment checks that you have met enrolment requirements such as pre-requisites for individual courses but not that you are enrolling in courses that will count towards your program requirements.

Admission Requirements

Special Admission Requirements

Other

For more information about admission requirements for various UNSW programs, visit the following website(s):
Domestic Students
International Student

Program Requirements

Compulsory Training Component

Before graduation a candidate shall complete 60 days of approved practical engineering experience. Work experience consists of internships/placements in conventional professional engineering workplaces where significant technical engineering tasks related to the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies are undertaken. Internships/placements include those undertaken in either civilian or Defence establishments.
Work experience placements can consist of placements in a university setting that includes working in a research group or other programs (i.e. mentorship, project-based program, immersion experience, etc), where the student gains exposure to engineering related tasks, technical skills and professional development. Such university-based placements can account for maximum 30 days full-time equivalent.
The minimum duration of each work experience placement must be 5 days full-time equivalent. Maximum of 5 placements in different organizations are permitted.
Students can claim up to a total of 15 days, full-time equivalent, of work experience by partaking in activities such as engineering related projects, professional events, site-visits, leadership roles, workshops, etc. during their program. In making this claim, the student must provide detailed justification, in their reflection journal, comparing the engineering work experience learning outcomes listed by Engineers Australia against those gained during the various activities.
Students can claim Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) through application made to the engineering work experience coordinator who will assess this on a case-to-case basis.

Progression Requirements

For more information on university policy on progression requirements please visit Academic Progression

Associated Programs

Similar Program

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - BE (Hons)4475 - Electrical Engineering (Honours) (CDF)

Professional Outcomes

Accreditations

Engineers Australia

Career Opportunities

The Electrical Engineer in the Navy is known as a WEO – a Weapons Electrical Officer, and is responsible for electronic systems associated with gun and missile control systems, navigation systems, air and ground communications, radar and sonar systems and data systems. WEOs are not only responsible for technical matters but are a vital link in management: they may become involved also in personnel, financial and resource management.

RAAF Electrical Engineers usually are employed to manage a wide variety of operations including the repair and maintenance of modern radar, navigation, communications and computing equipment. They may be posted to a squadron in charge of an avionics section, or to a development area working on technical problems associated with new equipment. As they gain experience they can be expected to be posted to one of the commands, usually as a project officer concerned with the management and funding of projects.

Army Electrical Engineers usually pursue a career either in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals or the Royal Australian Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. New graduates may be involved in such areas as the operation, management and repair of state-of-the-art communications equipment or the management of guided weapons systems, laser designation and range finding equipment and radar.

Graduates in the defence sponsored programs can expect to work in policy, procurement, or development of technologies for the department of defence.  More broadly, our EE graduates work in local startups, and in the APS in many different roles.  There is a direct pathway for further research study at UNSW Canberra or at other universities: an honours degree in EE from UNSW Canberra is held in high regard by local and international universities. The broad foundation in programming, problem solving, and mathematics makes our EE graduates well suited to roles in data science, or in any role that requires quantitative problem solving.

Recognition of Achievement

University Medal
Honours Classes

Program Fees

At UNSW fees are generally charged at course level and therefore dependent upon individual enrolment and other factors such as student's residency status. For generic information on fees and additional expenses of UNSW programs, click on one of the following:

Domestic Students
Commonwealth Supported Students (if applicable)
International Students

Pre-2019 Handbook Editions

Access past handbook editions (2018 and prior)
Pre-2019 Handbook Editions