BCom/BEn (1 Viewer)

[~ ReNcH ~]

Is there anybody here doing the new combined BCom/BEn degree at UNSW? If you choose the course, do you have to take up Software Engineering or can you take on another discipline instead? Is it necessary to have a knowledge of Physics for all engineering courses? If not, which are the disciplines that require a Physics background? Looking at the UNSW website, it seems that only Computer, Telecomm and Electrical Engineering have physics as assumed knowledge...but what about Mechatronic and Mechanical...wouldn't they also require physics?

 

[§eraphim]

Is there anybody here doing the new combined BCom/BEn degree at UNSW? If you choose the course, do you have to take up Software Engineering or can you take on another discipline instead? Is it necessary to have a knowledge of Physics for all engineering courses? If not, which are the disciplines that require a Physics background? Looking at the UNSW website, it seems that only Computer, Telecomm and Electrical Engineering have physics as assumed knowledge...but what about Mechatronic and Mechanical...wouldn't they also require physics?

They have just finished introducing all the Engineering specialisations for the BCom/BE (the last one was Materials Science & Eng, Ceramics, Metallurgy, etc which was approved at the last Science Board meeting). So the choice is wide and varied.

I'm not sure about the Physics prequisites but I'm pretty sure Physics 1A is mostly mechanics so Maths seems to be of greater importance. The best thing to do is ask about the subjects individually - Physics 1A and Physics 1B -, have a look at the lecture notes and topics (see the Physics website) and see how well you think you could learn them with your current level of knowledge. There are bridging courses in Physics over the Summer.

 

[gman03]

which are the disciplines that require a Physics background?

Frankly speaking, HSC Physics does you no good in uni (unless you did A-Level Physics which I have not done previously). Don't worry about not able to cope with the course even if you're not doing physics in high school. Like §eraphim said maths is the key in doing uni first year physics (let it be the General Firsts Physics or more specific physics such as statics and dynamics in civil engineering)

Physics are needed & taught in Mech, Civil, Mining, Elec, TeleCom, Photonics, PhotoVoltaic, Computer, Chemical, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering and Spatial & Surveying Info Sys.

 

[§eraphim]

Yeah A-level (Asian level hehe ) physics gives Singaporean students a big advantage. Ext 2 Mechanics would b helpful?

 

[gman03]

Ext 2 Mechanics would b helpful?

I recall last year by the time I start doing Physics 1A i had already forgoten what is complex number, let alone Ext 2 Mechanics... But yeah doing ext 2 will help a bit, esp the friction stuff (is that in ext 2?!?!?) meh learning physics in uni all over again is much more helpful I say.

 

[sig]

I do mechatronic/commerce

Physics is 'recommended' for my discipline. When you compare the difference in physics between a mechanical to an electrical the difference is pretty big. ie. they do higher physics which I hear is really difficult which is probably why physics would be assumed if you do electrical. While mechanical people only do one physics course for the whole plan and it significantly easier.

You can basically choose ANY engineering discipline with commerce but what makes software engineering/commerce unique is that it can be done in a shorter amount of time than any other discipline.

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Until now I hadn't really thought about doing Engineering as my focus was always on Commerce. But I enjoy Maths and Chemistry so I was considering ways in which I might further that interest....however, I don't do Physics and I never really liked Physics-related topics in Yr7-10 science which has deterred me from choosing any course that requires Physics, although I have to keep my options open.

 

[gman03]

Until now I hadn't really thought about doing Engineering as my focus was always on Commerce. But I enjoy Maths and Chemistry so I was considering ways in which I might further that interest....however, I don't do Physics and I never really liked Physics-related topics in Yr7-10 science which has deterred me from choosing any course that requires Physics, although I have to keep my options open.

Consider Commerce with Science? That you will have less workload from the engineering side.

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Consider Commerce with Science? That you will have less workload from the engineering side.

I thought about Science as well, although I thought that Engineering would have more practical use and open up more career paths.

I've heard that engineering is an intellectually demanding course, not just in terms of workload...would you say that's the case from what you've done so far in 1st and 2nd year? I would suppose that if it were the case for Electrical, then the same same could be said for the other disciplines.

Apparently my neighbour's grandson does Telecom. En @ UNSW and though I haven't spoken to him myself I heard that you can't graduate unless you've first found a job. Is this true, or this simply in regards to the compulsory 60 days of industrial training?

 

[gman03]

I thought about Science as well, although I thought that Engineering would have more practical use and open up more career paths.

I've heard that engineering is an intellectually demanding course, not just in terms of workload...would you say that's the case from what you've done so far in 1st and 2nd year? I would suppose that if it were the case for Electrical, then the same same could be said for the other disciplines.

Apparently my neighbour's grandson does Telecom. En @ UNSW and though I haven't spoken to him myself I heard that you can't graduate unless you've first found a job. Is this true, or this simply in regards to the compulsory 60 days of industrial training?

i think he refers to the 60 days of IT

 

[withoutaface]

The general differences you will find between engineering and science:
1. Engineering has a compulsory thesis included in its degree, science an honours year is optional.
2. Science has a lot more exam based assessment, while engineering tests you more on reports. (That's not to say there aren't exceptions to the rule).
3. Engineering has a compulsory 12 weeks in industry.
4. Engineering will, afaik, open up more management roles than science.

And aside from those I'm sure you know the obvious "science is learning the principles, engineering is applying them".

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Do you spend one entire year composing your thesis or do you have exams and other asessments in addition to this?

I also understand that engineering requires a fair amount of problem solving. So in regards to the statement that "science is learning the principles, engineering is applying them", is a vast majority of engineering concerned with finding the most effective and efficient means of performing certain tasks? Is there still just as much theory involved in engineering, or is it more practical and "hands-on"?

And with the IT...is it your own responsibility to seek appropriate employers or does the uni provide you with a list of sponsors who have taken on undergraduates before? Is the IT a full-time 12-week program or do you also attend uni throughout this time as well?

Btw. for anyone who's doing Com/En, how many hours do you generally spend at uni for lectures/tutorials etc?

 

[withoutaface]

The IT occurs during the summer holidays, and most students take it between their penultimate and final years, and yes it is full time. I think they do provide you with a list of employers, but it's completely up to you to contact them and organise your training.
Essentially with engineering you do learn a lot of underlying principles, but you apply the lower level principles, whereas in science you tend to take the theoretical principles throughout your degree, many of which mightn't actually have applications yet. There is a reasonable amount of hands on work, especially if you get involved in programs such as Formula SAE, or I'm sure UNSW has various other programs on top of that as well, although off hand I couldn't tell you what they are.
During the thesis year the thesis takes up about 1/4 of your credit points from memory, with your other units (at usyd at least) going towards engineering electives and a few compulsory final year engo subjects too.

 

[TheKey]

Btw. for anyone who's doing Com/En, how many hours do you generally spend at uni for lectures/tutorials etc?

You will do less hours if u do com/eng as opposed to eng/sci or even eng alone, since comm subjects which are 6 credit points tend to be 3h a week (2x lec + 1x tut), while eng subjects vary, usually 6 credit point subject is 5-6h a week...

i think in first year eng == eng/sci == 24h per week.

The shitty thing in eng is they try to pack too much into those 3 credit subjects, ie ELEC2031 is so damn dirty, im sooo failing that.

 

[withoutaface]

My friend in BE/BComm does about 18 hours a week, and I'm in BE/BSc and do about 23.

 

[sig]

although you can choose to do purely engineering for the first say 3 semesters and then commerce for the next 2 semesters as unsw recommends


after that you do all the fancy mixing

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

although you can choose to do purely engineering for the first say 3 semesters and then commerce for the next 2 semesters as unsw recommends


after that you do all the fancy mixing

Can you do it in reverse? i.e. first 2 semesters Com and then the next two semesters Eng?

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

My friend in BE/BComm does about 18 hours a week, and I'm in BE/BSc and do about 23.

Does that increase from year to year, or does it remain constant from 1st to 5th years?

 

[sig]

i guess so... i know someone who isn't following the preferred program structure who is already mixing commerce with engineering

i think unlike usyd, you can do commerce or engineering whenever you want. I hear in usyd your forced to do commerce WITH engineering at the same time (i could be wrong but this is what my friend at usyd said).

more info here

 

[~ ReNcH ~]

Another thing...I notice that if you do BCom/BEn (Software), you can choose to do one Commerce major and one minor. However with all the other Eng discliplines you can only do one Commerce major...why is that the case?