First year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

Before we get to the details, it is important to know some of the UQ terminology:

Your 'program' is the degree you are enrolled in. For example, the BE(Hons) is a program; and the BE(Hons)/BSc is a dual degree program.

A 'course' is one subject (for example, ENGG1100). Most courses at UQ are worth two units (#2). A normal full-time study load is four courses (8units or #8) per semester.

Before choosing your courses it is important to understand the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) program structure.

The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) is comprised of #64. This is made up of four parts:

1. #8 of Core Courses that are compulsory for all BE(Hons) students
2. #36 for your specialisation (Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronic or Software Engineering)
3. #16 that can be used in three ways:
   • To complete an engineering major that is available with your specialisation
   • To complete an engineering minor plus #8 of specified electives for your specialisation
   • To complete #16 of electives, of which, #8 are specified electives for your specilisation
4. #4 of general electives that can come from across engineering and UQ. These are particularly helpful for exploring different subjects in first year when you are not sure what specialisation you want to do.

The Program Structure Diagram (PDF, 55.8 KB) offers a simple overview of the program structure. The table below shows the specialisation and major/ minor combinations that are available. 

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

This section provides details about the courses you will do in the first year of the engineering program, and will help you to make decisions about which courses you need to enrol in where you have a choice.

The UQ courses and programs website specifies the courses you need to complete to meet the requirements of the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), and the different specialisations, majors and minors. This provides a lot of detail about the whole program, which can be overwhelming when you first start at UQ. As such, we provide recommended enrolment plans and specific year course information below to help you select your first year enrolment.

Not sure which specialisation you want to do?

No worries! You can do the 'Flexible First Year' option that allows you to do courses related to each specialisation, and then choose your specialisation at the end of first year. You don't need to decide whether you want to do a major or minor until the end of the second year of your program.

Already know which specialisation you want to do?

If you know which specialisation you want to do, you can focus your courses from first year. Some specialisations even have some second year courses you can complete in first year to allow you to immerse yourself in your chosen discipline; and some majors have courses you can complete in first year.

Recommended enrolment plans for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) are available to help you choose your first year courses and complete them in the correct order.

These plans outline which courses you should enrol in depending on the semester you commenced your studies, the specialisation you intend on taking (or whether you choose Flexible First Year), and the high school courses that you have completed.

Download Enrolment Plan for Commencement in Semester 1, 2023 

Download Enrolment Plan for Commencement in Semester 2, 2023

Your specific course requirements can change depending on a few factors, such as which mathematics courses you need to do, and whether you need to catch up on high school chemistry or physics. You may also have space in your program to choose electives.

First year course electives you'll find detailed information to help you understand which courses you should complete in the first year of the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours).

All Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) students must complete 450 hours of Engineering Professional Practice (EPP) and complete and submit five (5) EPP reflections documenting this experience. This is a compulsory milestone and must be fulfilled before graduation.

At the commencement of first year, you really just need to be aware of these requirements. However, during the course of the year, it is encouraged that you start planning and looking for opportunities to meet these requirements.