Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Mechatronic)

This is a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) that combines electrical engineering with mechatronics, the area where electronics, mechanics, control systems and computing meet. You will study circuit theory, signals and systems, power electronics, electrical machines, embedded systems, sensors and actuators, control engineering, robotics, and mechanical design. The mechatronic side means you learn to make machines that sense, decide and move: motor drives, automated production equipment, drones, robotic arms, and the control software that runs them. The electrical side gives you the grounding in power, energy systems, and electronic design that sits underneath all of it.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor honours degrees at this level usually run over four years of full-time study, split into semesters or trimesters. You enrol in units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need to pass the required total to graduate. The first two years are largely core: mathematics, physics, engineering mechanics, programming, circuits and electronics. Later years bring more choice, with electives and specialisation units in areas such as power systems, robotics, embedded computing or control. The honours component is built in, typically a final-year research or design project worth a substantial block of credit, supervised by an academic, where you investigate a real problem and report on it. Many students also complete a period of work-integrated learning, such as an industry placement or an industry-linked project, because engineering employers in Australia expect graduates to have seen a workplace before they finish.

What you actually learn to do

By the end, you should be able to design and analyse electrical and electronic circuits, model and control dynamic systems, write embedded software, work with motors, drives and power converters, and take a mechatronic system from concept through to a working prototype. You will spend time in laboratories and workshops, not just lecture theatres, using instrumentation, microcontrollers, CAD tools and simulation software. Team projects are common, because engineering work is rarely solo. You also learn to write technical reports, present designs, and work within Australian standards and safety practice.

Who it suits

This degree suits someone who likes both the physical and the computational sides of engineering, who wants to understand why a motor behaves the way it does and also write the code that controls it. If you enjoyed maths and physics at school and you like building or programming things, it is a natural fit. It also suits students who want a qualification that opens doors in several directions rather than locking them into one narrow speciality.

Practical things to know

The course is registered on CRICOS (code 118388F), and tuition is published there, check the official register and the university page for current figures. English requirements for international applicants are typically IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall for undergraduate engineering, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself, so you may need to meet both. While studying in Australia on a Student visa, you can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream lets many graduates stay and work in Australia for a period, check current conditions with the Department of Home Affairs. Engineering graduates often work towards registration or membership with Engineers Australia, which matters for career progression in this country. Confirm all details, including credit points, unit lists and entry requirements, on the official course page.

• Electrical engineer, design, testing and maintenance of electrical systems, from building services to industrial plant, in firms across Australia.
• Mechatronics engineer, automation, robotics and control roles in manufacturing, mining, food processing and logistics.
• Control systems engineer, tuning and programming the systems that regulate machinery, processes and equipment in resources, utilities and manufacturing.
• Power systems engineer, work with electricity networks, generators, renewables integration and grid operations, including for network operators and energy companies.
• Embedded systems engineer, firmware and hardware for devices in defence, medical technology, automotive and consumer electronics.
• Automation engineer, PLC and SCADA programming, industrial networking and plant commissioning.
• Electronics design engineer, circuit and PCB design for products made by Australian and international technology companies.
• Robotics engineer, research and development in universities, CSIRO-linked projects, and specialist robotics firms.
• Project engineer, managing technical delivery on infrastructure, energy and defence projects.
• Consulting engineer, advisory work for engineering consultancies serving construction, transport, water and energy clients.

Typical employers include energy utilities and network businesses, mining and resources companies, defence contractors, manufacturers, engineering consultancies, technology firms and government agencies. Graduates often pursue membership of Engineers Australia and, in some roles, registration under state-based professional engineering schemes.