The various coursework masters programs offered by the faculty are aimed at either increasing the depth of understanding of specialisation of a graduate engineer in areas which have previously been studied at undergraduate level, or broadening the education of a graduate engineer into areas which may not have been previously studied during the undergraduate training.
For the Master of Engineering Science (Coursework and Minor Thesis) and the
Master of Engineering Science in Process Integration (Coursework and Minor
Thesis) a candidate must gain 72 credit points before becoming eligible for the
award of the degree. The coursework component for the Master of Engineering
Science (Coursework and Minor Thesis) is normally 54 credit points (48 credit
points for the MEngSc in Process Integration). The remaining credit points (18
or 24) are to be earned by a minor thesis. Enrolment in the minor thesis
involves taking research units each semester, and candidates must enrol in at
least one-third of the value of the thesis in any semester in which the thesis
is undertaken.
It is the faculty's policy to encourage candidate's to complete their courses
in minimum time. It should be noted that although regulations allow for these
courses to be completed in less than 18 months, any candidate attempting to do
so is required to complete the equivalent of 18 months of full-time study (ie
72 credit points) during this period. International students should
particularly note that completion of the courses in minimum time would still
attract a financial liability for 18 months of study.
Each candidate will have a member of the faculty's academic staff as a
supervisor. The supervisor will advise the candidate in the selection of
coursework units and their sequence, help in the selection and specification of
a candidate's project, and supervise the project.
For the masters programs in Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer
Systems Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering and Management, Materials
Engineering and Telecommunication Engineering, a candidate must gain 48 credit
points before becoming eligible for the award of the degree. Candidates for the
Master of Telecommunication Engineering, Electrical and Computer Systems
Engineering or Biomedical Engineering must complete a coursework component plus
either a project to the value of 12 credit points or a 24 credit point minor
thesis. Candidates for the Master of Transport and Traffic must successfully
complete approved graduate units to the value of 72 credit points. There is no
minor thesis component.
For admission to candidature for the Master of Engineering Science (Coursework
and Minor Thesis), Master of Engineering Science in Process Integration
(Coursework and Minor Thesis), Master of Maintenance and Reliability
Engineering and Master of Transport and Traffic degrees, there must be clear
and irrefutable evidence that a candidate has (a) a four-year university
honours degree in engineering, or (b) a four-year university pass degree in
engineering or similar degree plus honours-equivalent experience appropriate to
the field of study, or (c) articulation from an appropriate postgraduate
diploma program. For admission to the masters degrees in Biomedical
Engineering, Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Infrastructure
Engineering and Management, Materials Engineering and Telecommunication
Engineering, a four-year degree or postgraduate diploma-level qualification in
a discipline that provides a suitable basis for the course is required.
Candidates with a four year (honours) science or applied science degree may
also be admitted to the Master of Materials Engineering.
The following masters degrees by coursework or coursework and minor thesis are offered by the faculty:
The Faculty of Engineering operates a two-semester system for its graduate coursework programs. Apart from some Gippsland programs, each semester is of 13 effective teaching weeks. The first semester commences in the first week of March and the second semester commences in the third week of July.
Each coursework unit is self-contained, including examination. There are no
supplementary examinations for candidates who fail a unit.
Graduate units are postgraduate in nature and are clearly advanced relative to
normal undergraduate units and to refresher-type extension courses. Units
normally require 39 contact hours (six credit points). A contact hour requires
attendance of students and instructor. A 39-contact- hour unit normally
contains no more than 26 hours of formal lectures, the remaining time being
spent in tutoring, laboratory, etc. A similar ratio applies to smaller
units.
Unit offerings may not be repeated every year and, whenever possible, long-term
notification will be given of unit offerings. Sufficient units will be offered
so that candidates may pursue reasonable specialisation. The yearly course
prescription of each candidate must be approved by the head of the department
or school in which the candidate is enrolled.
Any candidate who requests an intermission of candidature which during the
whole period of candidature leads to the total length of all such intermissions
exceeding 12 months will be advised to seek `withdrawal in good standing'.
Departments or schools offering coursework units at the Clayton campus reserve
the right to withdraw an offered unit if an insufficient number of students
choose it. If this occurs, there will be, generally, ample alternative units
available. The units offered need not be the same each year, although
repetitions of the more sought-after units can be expected. It is intended that
a candidate can look ahead at least to the following year when selecting
units.
Coursework candidates with interdisciplinary interests may include a selection
of postgraduate units from other faculties within the university, for example
Business and Economics. Credit for such units is normally limited to 25 per
cent of the course. Initial inquiries should be directed to the faculty
offering the unit(s) concerned, followed by consultation with the engineering
department or school in which the student registers as a masters candidate.
Each unit in a particular semester is completed and its candidates assessed or examined before the next semester starts. Final examinations can, if required by a department or school, be held after the completion of the semester but before the start of the next semester. In the case of second semester, the final examination must be held within three weeks of completion of the 13-week semester.
Candidature may be terminated if progress is regarded as unsatisfactory. Performances will be reviewed at the end of each academic year and if they do not reach the required standard, students will not be permitted to continue with the course. Students will be given their results by marks and grading of high distinction (HD), distinction (D), credit (C), pass (P) or fail (N) in each unit.
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