Practical engineering education

Engineering is a diverse field that lets you design your own future.

According to Engineers Australia, employment prospects for engineers are good. Engineering is considered to be a field with a skills shortage in Australia. Job vacancy numbers are the highest they have been for 10 years. Outside of Australia, there are jobs available globally in all areas of engineering, from software to electrical to structural.  Whether you want to build robots or bridges, you can turn your passion into a rewarding profession that can take you anywhere.

If you want to become an engineer but are unsure what type, Deakin University’s Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) is the ideal course. We have recently streamlined 5 courses into one, where you can choose your major. All students complete the same core units, such as sustainable design and programming for engineering. But you decide which field interests you most and focus on that.

New campus

Along with redesigning the course, in 2024 Deakin is now offering engineering degrees from our Melbourne Burwood campus. Previously, they were only available in Geelong. This is an exciting addition that allows students more options of where to live and study.

Project based learning

A key feature of Deakin’s new engineering degree is, according to Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Professor Nick Birbilis is that ‘It is unique in that it is delivered through design-based learning and novel assessment with no traditional exams.’

‘Our students learn by solving real-world industry challenges,’ said Professor Ben Horan, Head of the School of Engineering. ‘We offer a hands-on approach to learning where students work in smaller sized classes to design solutions to engineering problems.’

Student learning is assessed based on actual projects, not how well you can answer exam questions in a lecture theatre.

It was Deakin’s approach to project-based learning that inspired Tharuka to come to Deakin from Sri Lanka. His dream was to one day working on self-driving vehicles when he enrolled in the former Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering (Honours). While studying, he contributed to ‘a project in swarm robotics, successfully built a robotic proof of concept for my final year project and won the sumo-robot competition’. This experience has led him to roles working on autonomous vehicles for both on land and under water since graduating.

Engineering for the future

A focus of engineering at Deakin is sustainability. According to Associate Professor Ashim Debnath in the School of Engineering, students learn to ‘design in a sustainable way not only just for today, but also for the future.’ Civil engineers, he says, assess the side effects of infrastructure. ‘Will we make a lot of air pollution? Will we pollute local bodies of water? Will it destroy bird life habitats?’

Deakin’s approach to sustainability in engineering is important to students such as Sarbjeet. He is studying civil engineering at Deakin, with a focus on water management strategies. ‘With climate change and unpredictability associated with the availability of water, it becomes very important for us to be careful with how we use our water,’ he says.  ‘Deakin’s commitment [to sustainability] is very important for everyone. This is a very important step towards creating a climate resilient future.’

Take your career to the next level

Postgraduate study is an opportunity to specialise in fields with growing demand globally. Deakin University offers masters degrees in energy system management and infrastructure engineering and management. Both programs are designed to educate the next generation of leaders who want to make an impact in sustainable engineering practice. Infrastructure engineering at Deakin focusses on economic and social impact. Graduates of Deakin’s energy system management degree apply their skills to address the global demand for renewable energy.