Engineering

Bachelor of Engineering Science program information

Engineer students with robot and laptop

The Bachelor of Engineering Science (3706) is a 3-year non-accredited pass degree that also serves as an exit degree for the Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) (3707) program. As such, students cannot generally request a transfer into this exit degree. It provides graduates with a grounding in a specific engineering discipline, as well as foundational knowledge in the underlying theories and sciences that provides the basis for engineering. It provides graduates with technical skills and confidence to analyse and apply their knowledge to solve engineering problems. Graduates will also be able to think in terms of systems and complex interactions and be capable of contributing effectively in teams. Additional exit dual degree combinations are available with Arts, Science, Computer Science and Commerce. The Bachelor of Engineering Science can also be used to provide a second, complementary area of Engineering Specialisation in the dual Materials Science and Engineering (Honours) / Engineering Science, and Engineering (Honours) / Engineering Science degrees.

The Bachelor of Engineering Science program structure consists of 144 UOC:

  • 96 UOC Major (refer to the UNSW Handbook for a list of majors)
  • 36 UOC Free Electives
  • 12 UOC General Education


The 96 UOC major consists of Engineering courses from a specific BE (Hons) discipline stream, with a minimum of:

  • 18 UOC (minimum) – Level 1 Prescribed Electives
  • 18 UOC (minimum) – Level 2 Prescribed Electives
  • 24 UOC (minimum) – Level 3 or higher Prescribed Electives
  • Any remaining UOC is taken from the above three lists

There are no Industrial Training Requirements for this degree.

BEng (Hons) progression rules and the appeals process

Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) program must satisfy progression requirements to remain in their program, in line with UNSW’s Program Design Procedure. Students must show cause not to be excluded from the program (i.e. transferred out of the degree and blocked from returning) if they have any of the following:

  • 2 fails in any given core course
  • Failed more than 50% of the BE courses after attempting at least half of the BE Stream (min. 84 UOC)
  • Have a WAM below 50 with 48 UOC or more of the BE Stream remaining.

Students who do not meet these progression rules are transferred into the Bachelor of Engineering Science degree. Students in dual Engineering (Hons) degrees are transferred into the matching dual exit degree. The Faculty of Engineering checks students against their progression requirements on a yearly basis, after the release of Term 3 results. Students who are not meeting requirements are contacted by their UNSW email address.

  • Students have an opportunity to show cause why they should not be excluded by completing the appeals form and uploading support documents. Students will receive an email outlining the process for appeal, open/close dates for submitting an appeal (4 weeks to submit), and a summary of possible outcomes. Appeals are then considered by the Engineering Transfer Appeals Committee, and an outcome is communicated to students prior to the start of Term 1.

    The appeal process consists of the completion a form that asks students to outline factors affecting performance, actions taking place to improve on academic performance, in addition to other questions relating to academic performance. Students may also include additional information that may assist the Committee when reviewing appeals, as well as attaching relevant supporting documents (e.g. transcript, academic advising statements, medical certificates, etc.).

  • Students are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of their Academic Advisor before completing the appeals form. Further guidance may be provided by The Nucleus: Student Hub and/or UNSW’s Student Support and Success Advisors.

    If you have questions about this process, please contact The Nucleus: Student Hub. You can also call them on +61 2 8936 7005.

Re-admission to the BE(Hons)

Students who are transferred to the Bachelor of Engineering Science, and can demonstrate sustained improvement in their academic performance, can apply to return to the Bachelor of Engineering (Hons).
    • A minimum of 48 UOC completed while in the BEngSc program*; and
    • A minimum WAM for the courses completed while in the BEngSc program such that students will meet the BE (Hons) progression requirements when transferred; and
    • Any core courses failed while studying in the BE (Hons) program have been passed, as have any taken during the BEngSc program that would be core in the BE (Hons); and
    • Students must be in GOOD Academic Standing; and
    • Students can complete the BE (Hons) program within the maximum time to complete.

    To re-enter the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) program, students must submit an Undergraduate Internal Program Transfer (UG IPT) via myUNSW upon meeting the above criteria to be considered for transfer. Return to the Engineering (Hons) degree is at the discretion of the Faculty of Engineering; the appeals committee can and does transfer students to the Engineering Science degree with the expected outcome that they graduate from it.

    NB: The criteria are the same for Bachelor of Science (Hons) (Food Science) students who were transferred out of their degree to be readmitted back into 3061.

    *Students who were transferred to the Bachelor of Engineering Science program with less than 48uoc left before graduation may apply to be transferred back to the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree in their final term and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students in this situation who are unable to submit an IPT application via myUNSW should contact The Nucleus: Student Hub.

  • An application for IPT is the process by which a current student transfers from one degree to another via an application made through myUNSW. IPT is a free service for UNSW undergraduate students, and you can find more detailed information on the process here.

    To use the IPT service you must be:

    • An undergraduate student
    • Currently enrolled or on official program leave from UNSW. This excludes discontinued, excluded, suspended or lapsed enrolments.
    • A commonwealth-supported domestic student or an international student.
    • Not in your final term of study*.
    • Over 18 years old. If you are under 18, contact The Nucleus: Student Hub to complete your application.

    Your eligibility depends on:

    • Your WAM in your current program or your overall studies at UNSW
    • The units of credit (UOC) you have completed and/or are enrolled in
    • Your being of GOOD academic standing
    • You have no fee blocked (e.g. outstanding tuition fees)
    • Places being available in the program to which you want to transfer
    • Compliance with the academic rules of the program you wish to transfer to.

    *Students who were transferred to the Bachelor of Engineering Science program with less than 48uoc left before graduation may apply to be transferred back to the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree in their final term and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students in this situation who are unable to submit an IPT application via myUNSW should contact The Nucleus instead.

  • Students who meet the minimum requirements listed above may apply to IPT in all 3 terms, but some programs are not able to accept internal program transfers in every term. See Program availability for more information.

    Application periods may be found here. Applications submitted after these dates are not considered.