The aim of the schools offering engineering degrees within The University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy is to provide an outstanding engineering education to future leaders in the Australian Defence Force and to pursue excellence through contributions to research, the profession, industry and the community.

The BE program is of four years duration and the degree may be awarded as a pass or an honours degree. The engineering programs at UNSW@ADFA have been granted full accreditation by Engineers Australia.

All Engineering degrees lead to a Bachelor of Engineering degree, with the type of engineering specified.

First-Year engineering students enrol in separate programs in Aeronautical, Civil, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering. There is, however, considerable commonality in the first year within the engineering programs. More than half of the programs are devoted to mathematics, physics and computer science.

Aeronautical engineering is the study of the design, development, manufacture, maintenance and control of machines or vehicles operating in the earth's atmosphere or in outer space.

The design of a flight vehicle is quite complex and demands a knowledge of many engineering disciplines such as aerodynamics, propulsion systems, structural design, materials, avionics, and stability and control systems. Maintaining and operating a flight vehicle requires an understanding of materials, reliability and maintenance, structural analysis for necessary repairs, together with a knowledge of the disciplines within the design process.

The Aeronautical Engineering program has been designed to meet the needs of the Australian Defence Force as Australia's largest aircraft operator and covers the design, and reliability and maintenance of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Air Force BE(Aero) graduates may be involved in the operation and maintenance of aircraft and then become responsible for the airworthiness and modification of aircraft and engines, or the acquisition and introduction of new equipment into the Service. Army BE(Aero) graduates are most likely to be involved in the maintenance and repair of the Army's rapidly growing fleet of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Navy BE(Aero) graduates are required for maintenance and repair, modifications, operational deployments and airworthiness of Navy's fleet of rotary wing aircraft.

The BE program in Aeronautical Engineering is firmly based on mathematics and the physical sciences in Year 1 and the engineering sciences in Year 2, leading into an engineering approach to analysis, design and operation in the later years. The major streams of the course are aerodynamics, stability and control, structures, materials, airworthiness, design, and management.

Students are encouraged to develop resourceful and innovative attitudes throughout the course especially in their final year thesis. A number of elective courses are available in the final year. Electives may be selected from courses offered in other schools, subject to the approval of the Heads of Schools concerned.

The Bachelor of Engineering degrees require a prescribed program structure as determined by the engineering program chosen. Descriptions of the courses which comprise the degree program are given in the Course Catalogue section of this Handbook. Specialisation in Aeronautical Engineering increases as the degree program progresses. At the final year level, thesis projects and elective courses are offered permitting further specialisation in particular areas.

1.0 General Award Rules

1.1 A student must comply with the Undergraduate General Award Rules. In the event of a conflict, the rules for the Bachelor of Engineering take precedence over the Undergraduate General Award Rules.

2.0 Degree Requirements

2.1 The degree of Bachelor of Engineering shall be conferred as a pass degree or as an honours degree. Honours may be awarded in the following categories:
Honours Class I
Honours Class II, Division I
Honours Class II, Division II

2.2 To qualify for the degree of Bachelor of Engineering, a candidate shall normally be enrolled for a minimum of eight sessions and gain a minimum of 192 units of credit (normally 24 units in each full-time session).

2.3 A candidate completing a Standard Program shall complete courses, in the years prescribed, for all engineering students and those pertaining to one particular branch of engineering as set out in the relevant schedule.

2.4 A candidate completing a Non-Standard Program shall, subject to the requirements of Rule 2.5 (below), timetabling requirements and the approval of the appropriate Heads of School, be permitted to enrol in any one year in courses selected from more than one year of the relevant schedule.

2.5 Before a candidate's enrolment will be accepted for any course, the candidate must have completed the relevant pre-requisite courses shown in the Course Catalogue, except where the Course Authority for the appropriate course approves otherwise.

3.0 Practical Experience Requirements

3.1 Before graduation a candidate shall complete 60 days of approved practical engineering experience which must be done in blocks of at least 20 working days each, each block being in the service of a single employer.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following web-page:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html