Editorial submitted by Swinburne University of Technology, Principal Partner of Engineers Australia, Victoria.
Revolutionising engineering education is the focus for Swinburne University of Technology who have announced a new degree in engineering practice to produce graduates who possess a broad interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial skillset.
Swinburne will offer a Bachelor of Engineering Practice (Honours) from 2018 as an alternative to the traditional teaching and assessment approaches in engineering.
Associate Dean of Learning Innovation in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology at Swinburne, Dr Llewellyn Mann MIEAust said that reports commissioned by UNESCO and the Australian Council of Engineering Deans suggest that a new approach is needed to engineering education.
“This course was created as a world-leading approach to engineering education”, Dr Mann said.
“It leverages the existing strengths of Swinburne in engineering, design, innovation, entrepreneurship and social impact.”
Co-designed and co-delivered with industry, the degree will ensure future graduates are prepared to enter the corporate environment of an established company or create and run their own business.
Over 66 industry partners from 50 organisations have participated in the design of the course, with further workshops planned in the coming weeks and months.
“Students will join a simulated engineering practice from day one, work as engineers in teams on industry projects, and will be supported by engineering mentors throughout the entire course.”
Entry to the degree will be based on interview rather than ATAR results, and assessment will be based on individual performance within a team rather than on exams.
“We will be looking at underlying traits, motivations and passions – why do students want to become engineers and are they ready for this sort of a challenge.”
Swinburne will still offer the more traditional Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degrees, producing technical engineers who are still in high demand, alongside the new degree. Students who complete the Bachelor of Engineering Practice will graduate as engineers with technical knowledge as well as a broad interdisciplinary focus.
“These new graduates will be in-demand among employers who are looking for engineers who are integrators, have a broader entrepreneurial and innovative skillset, and will work alongside the more technical engineers to oversee and manage projects.
"We aim to attract a far more diverse group of students into engineering, including women and people from an indigenous background, and a number of strategies will be implemented to do this", said Dr Mann.
Swinburne will work towards accrediting the degree with Engineers Australia meaning it will be internationally recognised, like the other engineering courses already on offer at the university.
Domestic students will be accepted into the degree in semester 1, 2018 and the course will be open to all prospective students from semester 1, 2019.
For more information on the Bachelor of Engineering Practice, visit the Swinburne website.
Image: iStock.