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QTAC code (Australian and New Zealand applicants): Toowoomba campus: 907052; Distance education: 907055; Springfield campus: 927052

CRICOS code (International applicants): 054271G

Notes

Please note that the Civil Engineering major is the only major that is available on-campus at Springfield in the Associate Degree of Engineering.

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In this section:

• Agricultural Engineering major
• Civil Engineering major
• Computer Systems Engineering major
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering major
• Environmental Engineering major
• Mechanical Engineering major
• Power Engineering major
• Process Engineering major

Agricultural Engineering major

This major prepares students for a career as an engineering officer. Students learn to apply practical analysis and technical principles to the areas of sustainable agricultural production, agricultural machinery hydraulics and hydrology.

USQ is the only institution in Australia that offers degrees specialising in Agricultural Engineering.

Career opportunities

Engineering or technical support officer in agricultural machinery, water resources engineering, irrigation, soil and water management, salinisation, drainage, mine rehabilitation, engineering problem solving and management.

Civil Engineering major

This major prepares students for a career as an engineering officer. Students learn to apply practical analysis and technical principles to the areas of design, testing, inspection, plant operation and manufacturing processes.

Career opportunities

The building and development of infrastructure, such as roads, railways, airfields, irrigation works, buildings, harbour facilities, dams, pipelines, sewers, tunnels, canals and disposal works.

Computer Systems Engineering major

This major prepares students for a career as an engineering officer. Students learn to apply practical analysis and technical principles to the areas of design and development of computer systems, including both hardware and software.

Career opportunities

Engineering applications of expert systems, hardware interfacing, computer sales, computer engineering technologist, computer manufacturing and computer systems officer.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering major

This major prepares students for a career as an engineering officer. Students learn to apply practical analysis and technical principles to the areas of design, testing, inspection, plant operation and manufacturing processes.

Career opportunities

Analogue and digital electronics, computer engineering, microprocessors and applications, measurement, instrumentation and control, robotics, telecommunications, microwaves, fibre optics, biomedical engineering, power stations, distribution and machines, defence services, electricity networks, government departments.

Environmental Engineering major

This major provides students with skills in environmental impact assessment and management, soil and water resource management, rehabilitation of degraded lands, and water supply. Basic studies in the engineering sciences provide the foundation for the specialist environmental engineering courses which comprise the core of the program.

Career opportunities

Water and wastewater treatment, river hydrology, soil conservation, irrigation, salinisation, drainage, mine site rehabilitation, environmental studies, water resources engineering, soil science, engineering problem solving and management.

Mechanical Engineering major

This major prepares students for a career as an engineering officer. Students learn to apply practical analysis and technical principles to the areas of design, testing, inspection, plant operation and manufacturing processes.

Career opportunities

Manufacturing, refineries, mining, transportation, computing, energy and education industries, including project planning and management design, development, supervision and commissioning of new systems, computer-aided design and manufacture of consumer products, machines and equipment, specialist technical sales.

Power Engineering major

Students will study electrical power generation, distribution and transmission, electrical power equipment and systems. Specification, design and analysis of electrical power equipment and systems are also covered.

Career opportunities

Power stations, electricity and power companies, component manufacturers and electronics industry.

Process Engineering major

This major prepares students for a career as an engineering officer in the gas, minerals and manufacturing industries. Students learn to apply practical analysis and technical principles to the areas of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, sensors, actuation, instrumentation, computer control systems, and graphical user interfaces. Specification, design, analysis and operation of processing equipment and systems are covered. Students in this major may specialise in instrumentation and control, machine systems or process plant technology.

Career opportunities

Process engineering officer in the gas, mineral, manufacturing, instrumentation and control, agricultural and food industries.

Professional accreditation

All majors (except Process Engineering) in this program have received provisional accreditation from Engineers Australia. Provisional accreditation for the Process Engineering major will be sought during 2012. Graduates of provisionally accredited majors in this program are eligible to apply for graduate membership of Engineers Australia as an Engineering Associate (Officer). After further professional development, a graduate member with an Associate Degree may apply for chartered status as an Engineering Officer and, when granted, may use the post-nominal OMIEAust CEngO.

Program aims

The Associate Degree of Engineering is a tertiary level program designed to educate engineering associates in the theory, methods and practices necessary to support professional engineers. To this end, the program is designed to provide a general understanding of a broad field of knowledge, with Electives available in most majors in the final stages of the program to allow a measure of specialisation.

Program objectives

Graduates of the program should be able to demonstrate:

• a knowledge of a branch of engineering practice, appropriate to those functioning at engineering associate level in that branch of the engineering work force

• the ability to analyse and propose solutions to technical problems in accordance with established practices and precedents

• the potential to assume technical responsibility for the completion of tasks and provide a support function for engineers

• an awareness of their limitations and a willingness to seek advice and accept direction from senior engineering associates, engineering technologists and professional engineers

• an ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing

• a capacity to adapt to changing circumstances and to master new techniques

• appropriate administrative and manual skills

• an aptitude to undertake further learning and study.

Admission requirements

Applicants shall normally:

• have studied four semester units and achieved an exit assessment of 'Sound Achievement' or better in the Queensland Senior Secondary School subject: English. It is recommended that applicants should also have satisfactorily completed the subject: Mathematics B (Mathematics A is assumed)

or

• be able to demonstrate that they have achieved an equivalent standard in these subjects at another institution

and

• Australian applicants: have achieved a Queensland Overall Position (OP) band, or an equivalent Rank based on qualifications and previous work experience, at or above the specified cut-off level

• International applicants: must have met the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app's requirements or have completed the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app's programs.

How to apply

Domestic students

may be made through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). The same procedure applies whether you plan to study on-campus or by distance education.

If you completed Year 12 at a Queensland secondary school you will be assessed for entry on the basis of your Overall Position (OP) or equivalent score. Year 12 students from other states or territories are considered for entry on the basis of their UAI, ENTER or TER and the subject prerequisites indicated. Other applicants will be based on their overall Rank.

International students

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Program fees

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth supported place is where the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of your higher education and you as a student pay a , which varies depending on the courses undertaken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .
Commonwealth Supported students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .
Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who reside outside Australia pay full tuition fees.
Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. You are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

Program structure

The Associate Degree of Engineering program consists of core, major study and in most majors Elective components. Students enrolled in the Associate Degree of Engineering program may undertake a specialisation in one of seven major discipline areas:

• Agricultural Engineering

• Civil Engineering

• Computer Systems Engineering

• Electrical and Electronic Engineering

• Environmental Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering

• Power Engineering.

• Process Engineering

The Associate Degree of Engineering program consists of 16 Academic courses that can be completed in two years of full-time study or four years of part-time study. The program is available in on-campus and external modes of study.

Full-time, on-campus students may, with the permission of the appropriate Program Coordinator, undertake courses by external study. This may be desirable if students wish to extend the range of courses open to them in the Elective areas.

The program structure for each of the major studies in the Associate Degree of Engineering is shown in the following pages.

Elective Courses

Elective courses are included in the list of Academic courses. Students should select these courses from the Electives list.

Required time limits

Full-time students have a maximum of four years to complete this program. Part-time students have a maximum of eight years to complete this program. A pro-rata adjustment of the maximum time period will apply for those students who transfer from one mode of study to another. A pro-rata reduction in the maximum time period will apply to students who are admitted to a program with advanced standing.

Practical experience

To be eligible to graduate from the Associate Degree of Engineering, students must obtain an aggregate of at least 30 days of suitable practical experience during their program. This experience may be in an engineering office or laboratory where the student would be working principally with professional engineers and engineering associates. It may, however, be preferable for students to spend some time in field or factory activities to gain insight into industrial practice and to see what is involved in converting designs into finished products. Students are required to enrol in in the latter part of their program and keep a record of appropriate experience as specified in the Course Specification. The work experience is to be endorsed by an appropriate person in the organisation providing the experience and submitted to the examiner. The student must meet all costs associated with the acquisition of practical experience to satisfy this requirement. The record of work experience must be made available for perusal by the Head of Discipline upon request. The acceptability or otherwise of employment experience, and the period of that type of experience that may be credited towards the 30 days, will be determined by the Examiner of .

IT requirements

Access to an up-to-date computer is necessary. On-campus students can access appropriately equipped laboratories, but should consider acquisition of their own computer. External students should be able to access a computer with the following as advised by the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app. All students should have access to email and the Internet via a computer running the latest versions of Internet web browsers such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. The ¾«¶«´«Ã½app has a wireless network for on-campus students' computers. In order to take advantage of this facility and further enhance their on-campus learning environment, students should consider purchasing a notebook/laptop computer with wireless connectivity. A notebook/laptop may be required for some courses.

Residential schools

External students are required to attend a number of during their program. These are associated with Practice courses and are normally conducted at the end of Semester 3 (February), or during the mid-semester recess in Semester 2 (September/October).

Practice Courses

The major practical work requirements associated with each of the Faculty's programs are contained within a series of Practice courses. These courses are designed to enhance learning, communication and practical skills through laboratory sessions, workshops, seminars, field trips and group activities.

Practice courses may be undertaken in either on-campus or external mode. Students enrolling externally will be required to attend a compulsory where compulsory attendance is indicated. However, students who enrol in Practice courses in on-campus mode may be required to undertake a series of weekly activities and/or attend a compulsory residential school. The only final grades available in these courses are Pass (P) or Fail (F).

Practice courses are zero unit courses that are a compulsory part of the program. However, they do not attract a student contribution charge for Australian residents or a tuition fee for international students. External students should ensure that they are able to attend the residential school prior to enrolling in a Practice course. The recommended enrolment pattern for Practice courses is shown in the Recommended Enrolment Pattern in each program entry in this Handbook.

Safety boots are compulsory in engineering laboratories for several of the Practice courses and are strongly recommended for all other Practice courses.

is the first in a series of Practice courses designed to enable students to acquire engineering and professional practice skills, including practical and teamwork skills, problem solving and engineering judgement. It is designed principally to cater for the needs of recent school leavers and those lacking any significant experience of the engineering work force. Students who have a trade certificate and have been employed in the engineering industry for some time may be able to claim exemption from the course.

Articulation

Students who have completed an associate diploma or an associate degree program in engineering at a Queensland university within the last five years are eligible to claim up to a maximum of 16 units of advanced standing in the Bachelor of Engineering Technology program if studying in the same discipline area.

Exit points

Students who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete the Associate Degree of Engineering, and who satisfy all of the requirements of the may be permitted to exit with that award.

Other information

The Head of Discipline, may permit a student to enrol in an Elective course other than those specified for the accredited program. Students who wish to enrol in Elective courses other than those listed, must obtain written approval prior to enrolling in the course.

To satisfy the requirements of the program students must complete all of the Academic courses and the Practice courses in the following tables that show the recommended enrolment patterns for on-campus and external students. Students following a non-standard enrolment pattern should consult the section of this Handbook to ascertain if a course is offered in another term.

Engineering Pathways

A special Pathway has been developed for students who intend to study the Bachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering once they have completed the Associate Degree of Engineering program. Pathway to the Bachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering maximises the advanced standing (exemptions) students will receive in these programs. A Pathway to theBachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering has been developed for each of the following Associate Degree of Engineering majors into the equivalent major:

• Agricultural Engineering

• Civil Engineering

• Computer Systems Engineering

• Electrical and Electronic Engineering

• Environmental Engineering

• Mechanical Engineering

• Power Engineering

Pathway to the Bachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering has been specially developed for students who study part-time. Full-time students may seek approval to follow the Pathway to the Bachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering, but it is not timetabled for on-campus students.

Students must have the approval of their Head of Discipline to undertake the Pathway to the Bachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering. Students are strongly advised to consider and apply for approval for this Pathway as soon as possible in order to maximise the credit they will receive in the Bachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering . This should be done prior to the commencement of the second year of studies if possible.

The Head of Discipline will also consider a student's GPA before granting approval.

Once approval is granted, their Head of Discipline will advise them of the courses they should study when granting approval for them to follow the Pathway to the Bachelor of Engineering Technology or the Bachelor of Engineering.

In this section:

• Agricultural Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern
• Civil Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern (Toowoomba Campus)
• Civil Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern (Springfield Campus)
• Computer Systems Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern
• Environmental Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern
• Mechanical Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern
• Power Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern
• Process Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern

Agricultural Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern

Agricultural Engineering Pathway

It is recommended that students wishing to continue into the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Agricultural Engineering) or Bachelor of Engineering (Agricultural Engineering) programs using a Pathway should have completed at least eight courses, including , with a GPA greater than 5. Pathway students should enrol in and as electives.

Civil Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern (Toowoomba Campus)

Civil Engineering Pathway

It is recommended that students wishing to continue into either the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Civil Engineering) or Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) programs using a Pathway should have completed at least eight courses, including , with a GPA greater than 5. Pathway students should enrol in instead of and enrol in as an elective.

Civil Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern (Springfield Campus)

Springfield on-campus students may be required to attend practical sessions at off-campus locations or on-campus in Toowoomba. Transportation is available from Springfield to the location of the practice course.

Computer Systems Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern

On entering the Associate Degree of Engineering (Computer Systems Engineering) external students are required to purchase a kit of tools comprising an electronic soldering iron, wire strippers, long nose pliers, diagonal cutter, safety glasses and an electronic prototyping 'breadboard'. These will first be required for and , and further details will be provided on commencement of these courses. Additionally, all students enrolled in course will be required to purchase an electronic kit.

Students who are enrolled in the Computer Systems Engineering major and the Electrical and Electronic Engineering major and who have been granted an exemption in the course are strongly advised to purchase the study materials from the USQ Bookshop and work through these to refresh their knowledge.

Computer Systems Engineering Pathway

It is recommended that students wishing to continue into either the (Computer Systems Engineering) or (Computer Systems Engineering) programs using a Pathway should have completed at least eight courses, including , in lieu of , with a GPA greater than 5. Pathway students should seek advice the program co-ordinator before selecting their electives.

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern

On entering the Associate Degree of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) external students are required to purchase a kit of tools comprising an electronic soldering iron, wire strippers, long nose pliers, diagonal cutter, safety glasses and an electronic prototyping 'breadboard'. These will first be required for and , and further details will be provided on commencement of these courses. Additionally, all students enrolled in course will be required to purchase an electronic kit. For external students in the course , access to a multimeter and hook-up wire is required, together with the purchase of some electronic components.

Students who have been granted an exemption in the course are strongly advised to purchase the study materials from the USQ Bookshop and work through these prior to attempting or .

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Pathway

It is recommended that students wishing to continue into either the (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) or (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) programs using a Pathway should have completed at least eight courses, including , in lieu of , with a GPA >5. Pathway students should seek advice the program co-ordinator before selecting their electives.

Environmental Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern

Environmental Engineering Pathway

It is recommended that students wishing to continue into either the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Environmental Engineering) or Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering) programs using a Pathway should have completed at least eight courses, including , with a GPA greater than 5. Pathway students should enrol in as an elective.

Mechanical Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern

Mechanical Engineering Pathway

It is recommended that students wishing to continue into either the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Mechanical Engineering) or Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) programs using a Pathway should have completed at least eight courses, with a GPA greater than 5. Pathway students should enrol in and as electives.

Power Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern

On entering the Associate Degree of Engineering (Power Engineering) external students are required to purchase a kit of tools comprising an electronic soldering iron, wire strippers, long nose pliers, diagonal cutter, safety glasses and an electronic prototyping 'breadboard'. These will first be required for and , and further details will be provided on commencement of these courses.

Additionally, all students enrolled in course will be required to purchase an electronic kit. For external students in the course , access to a multimeter and hook-up wire is required, together with the purchase of some electronic components.

Students who have been granted an exemption in the course are strongly advised to purchase the study materials from the USQ Bookshop and work through these prior to attempting or .

Power Engineering Major Pathway

It is recommended that students wishing to continue into either the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Power Engineering) or Bachelor of Engineering (Power Engineering) programs using a Pathway should have completed at least eight courses, including , in lieu of , with a GPA >5. Pathway students should seek advice the program co-ordinator before selecting their electives.

Process Engineering Major recommended enrolment pattern