Frequently Asked Questions about 1st Year Enrolment.

These questions will cover some of the general points that many students enquire about. If you have other more detailed enquiries please feel free to contact the Faculty via telephone or email. Follow the links to find the answers below.

What is an Engineering or IT specialisation or stream?

The Engineering degree is completed in a specific branch of Engineering called an Engineering Specialisation. The BIT and BCST are completed in a specific IT area. In the enrolment process these are called a degree streams. In first year, students enrol in many common units but in second year and in the third and fourth years, they will be required to take different core units pertaining to the stream of Engineering or IT in which they plan to graduate. Some streams are similar, others are distinctly different, so it is wise to plan from first year a path to achieve the desired stream. Many streams have UAI entry requirements but this does not lock students into or out of these areas. Flexibility is built in to the Sydney University Engineering program by having a largely common first year and the ability to transfer between streams based on performance at university.

The core, recommended and elective unit of study requirements for each stream are shown in the Faculty Planner. A standard menu version of each stream is available which allows you to map our your degree.

The specialisations for Bachelor of Engineering are :

Aeronautical Engineering
Aeronautical Engineering (Space)
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Civil Engineering (Construction Management)
Civil Engineering (Environmental)
Civil Engineering (Geotechnical)
Civil Engineering (Structures)
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering (Power Engineering)
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering (Biomedical)
Mechanical Engineering (Space)
Mechatronic Engineering
Mechatronic Engineering (Space)
Project Engineering and Management (Civil)
Software Engineering
Telecommunications Engineering

The streams for BIT or BCST are
Computer Science
Information Systems

If you have been given a UAC offer in one of these areas you should choose the standard program for that stream. If you have chosen Flexible first year then use the plan that is available for this.

What is Flexible First Year?

In many cases, students who have not been to university previously will be uncertain of which stream of Engineering or IT they should choose. The Flexible First Year program allows students to take a common set of first year units and then decide after 1st semester or at the end of 1st year which stream they wish to complete their degree in.

Flexible First Year also allows students who have not met the higher UAI requirement for a specialist stream to attempt 1st year at the University of Sydney and then apply to transfer into the specialist stream for 2nd year. Transfers are conditional on student performance in 1st year and the required average marks for transfer to a higher entry stream are detailed in the Engineering Handbook .

There are two distinct programs for Flexible First Year. Students planning on going into areas such as Aeronautical, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, Project Management or Space Engineering will enrol in common units of study, designated FFY Stream A. Students planning on going into areas such as Computer, Electrical, Mechatronic, Mechatronics(Space), Power, Telecoms or Software Engineering will enrol in FFY Stream B common units.

If you have been given an offer of Flexible First Year you will be given the choice of several enrolment standard programs based on common units of study. Choose the program that will lead to your preferred area of Engineering. Remember, initial enrolment is not set in concrete and you will be able to vary this enrolment after semester one if you decide to change your direction. However, plan carefully, changing between very different streams at a later stage may require that you pick up missing units of study.

How do streams work with combined degrees?

Combined degrees allow students to complete two degrees concurrently. This allows both to be completed in a compressed period of time rather than the total time added together for both courses. This is possible due to the commonality in course components and the replacement of Engineering or IT elective units with core components of the second degree.

If you have been given an offer for a combined degree then at enrolment time you will need to choose your Engineering or IT stream. You could also choose to do the Flexible First Year program which lets you find out about all the different courses before choosing your specialisation at a later semester.

A set of standard programs of enrolment are available for most streams and the Flexible First year program. However, if you would like to enrol in a specialist stream that has a higher UAI than the combined degree entry mark then this requires Faculty approval. If you UAI meets the stream requirement, then this approval will be given during the enrolment process.

How many credit points should I take for a semester?

You should take 24 credit points each semester as a full-time student. There is an upper limit of 30 credit points per semester, but as a first year student you will need to contact the faculty for approval to enrol in an overload. For your initial enrolment you must select a total of 48 credits covering the two semesters of first year.

To finish your degree in the recommended minimum time you will have to take 48 credit points per year, or 24 per semester. In later years you can vary your enrolment to take between 36 and 54 credits per year (18 to 30 per semester). You are however required to be a full-time student for the duration of the program and special permission is required if you enrol in fewer than 18 credit points in each semester. (Part-time enrolment is only approved in extenuating circumstances and only for short periods). International students must be enrolled full time.

You must keep in mind however that you have an 8 year limit to finish your BE degree (10 years for most combined degrees) and that the award of Honours is only available to those completing within a 5 year period (6 for combined).

Students wishing to accelerate their degree programs may consider undertaking units offered at Summer School or undertaking up to 30 credit points each semester. The degree summaries and sample programs shown on the web assume you will enrol full-time in the standard 24 credits per semester.

What happens if I cannot complete the enrolment process before the offer expiry date?

If you have problems attending an enrolment session then please contact the faculty for instructions. If you know that you will be unavailable during the enrolment period, a enrolment proxy can be arranged. If unforeseeable circumstances prevent you from taking up your enrolment before the expiry date then contact the the faculty as it is normally possible to arrange for late enrolment. However, remember, the faculty has a policy of not enroling students after the start of semester, so don't leave it too late.

How do I get Honours in Engineering?

Honours in Engineering is based on performance over the 4 or 5 years of your degree. It is determined by the average marks you achieve in your units of study. The calculation is weighted to give greater emphasis to the subjects taken in the later years of your stream. See the Engineering Faculty Handbook for details.

There is no requirement to enrol in extra or Advanced units of study in order to attain Honours. As a first year student you should concentrate on doing well in your standard program, particularly the core units, so that you will achieve high marks and give yourself a good start.

Can I take units of study from other Faculties?

Yes. Generally you can take any unit of study offered by most other Faculties of the University. Lists of available units of study can be found in the various Faculty Handbooks. Each Faculty website has links to Departmental and unit of study information.

If the unit is not listed as being part of your standard program then the onus is on you to get written permission from the relevant department and bring it to the Faculty of Engineering to approve the variation.

There are pre-requisite requirements, limits, and exclusions. In most cases outside units of study will be treated only as elective units for your degree and may not count toward the core requirements. You should refer to the degree stream requirements section of the Faculty Handbook.

Can I recieve credit for previous tertiary study?

Yes. The amount of credit you may receive depends on your individual circumstances, but the total amount of credit granted will not be greater than 96 credit points.

At initial enrolment time you should select the standard program of units of study for your stream. You must then lodge an application for credit from previous study, including a transcript showing results from your previous institution. The Faculty will then give approval for an appropriate variation of enrolment based on this credit.

The Faculty must sight originals of your academic transcripts, as well as detailed descriptions of prior units of study completed, as at the time of completion of the units. Descriptions will normally be an extract from a Handbook or a unit of study syllabus/outline, and should include the credit point value, learning outcomes, assessment details, texts and references, and contact details for each unit of study.

What level of Maths should I choose?

All 1st year Engineering and IT programs contain core units in maths. Specifically, MATH1001, MATH1002, MATH1003, MATH1005 covering areas of algebra, calculus and statistics. The assumed knowledge for these units is HSC Maths Extension 1. If you have not done this level of maths at the HSC then it is strongly recommended that you take a bridging course before starting the above units in semester 1. If you have only completed General Math at high school then you will need to consult an adviser at enrolment time to approve an appropriate enrolment that suits your background.

Details of the bridging course and the requirements for Junior maths units are available at

Info on Maths Course Selection

If you think you are ill prepared to attempt first year maths please contact a faculty advisor.

If you have a good grade in HSC maths and/or have done extension 2, you may be elligible to enrol in advanced maths units. Consult the above site for details. Remember, enrolment transfer to advanced units is done after initial enrolment and requires that you contact a faculty advisor for approval.

Are there any bridging courses available?

There are bridging courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, designed to cover the assumed knowledge that students would normally cover in the HSC. They run in February each year after enrolment and are recommended for students who either didn't take a subject at the HSC or feel they need some revision.

Students who have not done Chemistry at HSC level can replace the standard Chemistry 1 unit (CHEM 1101) with a Chemistry Fundamentals unit (CHEM 1001)

Who can enrol in advanced units of study?

Advanced units of study are available to those students enrolled in any program in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies who have performed at a high level in subjects in the HSC or who perform well in their studies at the University.

Enrolment in Advanced Engineering units is by invitation from the Dean. Enrolment in Advanced IT units is performance based and you should consult the School of IT about your eligibility to enrol in Advanced level subjects in the first year of study.

At initial enrolment time you should select the standard program for your stream. You can then apply to the Faculty for a variation of enrolment based on your UAI or a letter of offer from the Dean of Engineering.

Students should also consult the unit of study Tables for assumed and prerequisite marks in the HSC required to enrol in Advanced units of study.

What is the Advanced Engineering Program?

The Advanced Engineering Program is aimed a creating a interesting experience for talented students who have performed well in the HSC and continue to do so at University. It is tailored to meet students' individual needs and is restricted to the very top students.

Students may be able to bypass some first year study and take on Advanced Engineering projects in their place. If you have outstanding results in any of your HSC subjects you will be sent a letter of offer from the Dean of Engineering to join this program.

Even if you did not get an offer to join the program in first year, if your performance in first year is outstanding, you will be given an offer to join the later years of the program.

By completing a set of Advanced Engineering units over 3 or 4 years of your degree you will be eligible to receive a Certificate in Advanced Engineering on graduation along with your Engineering degree.

Who do I contact in the Faculty for further advice?

The Engineering Faculty has program and year advisors covering all the streams and degree combinations. Their contact information is shown below. For General advice contact the Faculty Undergraduate Office.

General Information,

Tel : + 61 2 9351 2534
Email : engineering@eng.usyd.edu.au

Details of specific advisors can be found in the contacts page.