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University of South Australia (UNISA)

Adelaide , South Australia ,Australia

Associate Degree in Engineering

Prepare for a professional career in civil, mechanical, mechatronic, electrical engineering or surveying, or continue studying after this qualification and become a fully-qualified engineer and/or surveyor.

In this qualification you will learn the mathematics, physics and chemistry you need to study engineering. Depending on the combination of courses you choose, you could be eligible for up to 1.5 years of credit towards an Engineering (Honours) bachelor degree with UniSA and accrue some hours in the UniSA STEM Professional Practice Program.  

You’ll be taught by experience lecturers with everything you learn supported by our (well above) world-class research excellence.1

Along with courses in mathematics, physics and chemistry, you’ll study first year engineering core courses. These include Engineering Materials, Engineering Design and Innovation, Sustainable Engineering Practice and Programming Concepts.

You will also select a stream in civil engineering, electrical engineering or mechanical engineering where you’ll study courses specific to these areas.

Campus Information

Mawson Lakes

In the progressive area of Mawson Lakes just 12km north of the city, you can study civil aviation, education, engineering, environmental studies, information technology, science, and sport and recreation management.

Intakes

  • Feb
  • July

Application Processing Time in Days: 14

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

Careers you could consider:

  • Electrical Engineering Technologist: design, build, test and repair electronic parts in mobile phones, medical equipment, machinery control systems, or computers; use computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-assisted engineering (CAE) software to design systems and products.
  • Engineering Design and Development: work on products such as mobile phones or car part construction; research using mathematical modelling; use CAD and CAE software; test prototypes and analysing results.
  • Maintenance Technician: preventative maintenance work such as checking and calibrating instruments, fitting new parts or carrying out quality inspections; emergency maintenance work such as fixing equipment breakdowns or faults.
  • Engineering Associate: work as a paraprofessional and design, develop and maintain products, equipment and processes; apply technical knowledge to complete routine engineering tasks such as performing calculations, operating machinery and preparing reports; and manage small projects under the supervision of a senior engineer.
  • Design Drafter: support engineers to research and design new products and systems for an organisation; draft blueprints, model new components using 3D sketches; interpret engineering sketches, specifications and drawings; create test prototypes and oversee manufacturing processes; collaborate with design and production teams; and apply in-depth knowledge of the latest design trends and engineering software.
  • Engineering Technical Officer: support engineers to analyse and modify new and existing engineering technologies and apply them in the testing and implementation of engineering projects; monitor and test apparatus and operating equipment; conduct statistical studies to analyse production costs for a range of designs; and organise and direct site labour and the delivery of construction materials, plant and equipment.
  • Engineering Developer: work with engineers to plan, design, develop, test and release new products and features, enhancements or fixes; assist with developing new methodologies and implement emerging technologies; write diagnostic programs and design and write code for operating systems; work on products such as mobile phones or car part construction; research designs using mathematical modelling using CAD and CAE software; and test prototypes and analyse results.

PSW Opportunity

Bachelor Degree or Masters by Coursework Degree - 2 years - 3 years (Adelaide)

Masters by Research - 3 years - 4 years (Adelaide)

PhD qualification - 4 years - 5 years (Adelaide)

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

The admission criteria have been grouped to assist you to easily find the information most relevant to your circumstances. However, you may fit into more than one and the university will consider applicants against each of the relevant criteria.

Certain conditions apply. For more information refer to Appendix 4 of the University's Selection and Entry policy.

Applicants are required to meet one of the following criteria with a competitive result, and demonstrate that they fulfil any prerequisite requirements and essential requirements for admission:

Recent secondary education

  • Meet any prerequisite requirements with a minimum grade of C- or equivalent
    AND
  • Qualify for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), and achieved a competitive Selection Rank (ATAR), or
  • Complete secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE,
    or
  • Complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 24 points

Applicants who have not achieved the Selection Rank required for automatic selection may be selected for any remaining places based on the grades of their year 12 subjects.

OR
Higher education study

  • Complete or partly complete a recognised higher education program at a recognised higher education institution, or
  • Complete at least four Open Universities Australia (OUA) courses at undergraduate level or above
    OR

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

  • Complete an award from a registered training organisation at Diploma level or above
    OR

Work and life experience

  • Qualify for Special Entry, or
  • Complete a 12-month UniSA Foundation Studies program or equivalent, or
  • Hold completed secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE obtained more than 2 years in the past.