Computer Engineering

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The field of Computer Engineering encompasses a wide variety of areas including:

• Computer Systems - hardware, software embedded, design, management
• Networks and Communications - local, global, wireless, concurrency, Internet
• Intelligent Information Systems - robotics, automation, manufacturing, vision, neural networks
• Signal Processing - adaptive systems, real-time, fuzzy logic
• Automotive Systems - motor management, brake systems, drive information, navigation.

The Bachelor of Engineering (Computer) covers:

Computer Engineering: focuses in the areas of the design and development of hardware and sofware systems.

Communication and Network Engineering: concentrates on different service needs, and developing and applying hardware and software to meet them.

Software Engineering: focuses on the design and development of software.

Intelligent Systems:  concentrates on the development of expert systems or neural network components or devices.

Course Outline

Level 1
All engineering students follow a common course in level 1, allowing you the flexibility of selecting any engineering stream at the end of the level. The subjects include mathematics, engineering fundamentals and physics, plus electives from a variety of engineering streams.

Upper levels
The broad-based engineering education continues in level 2 and professional specialisation takes place in the third and final levels.

There are two main areas the course covers:

• Computer Systems Engineering
• Communication and Network Systems Engineering

Each of these areas is progressively developed through the course and, in the final year, they consolidate with units in digial communications, layered information networks, real-time distributed computer systems, intelligent robotics plus electives in software engineering.

During the Bachelor of Engineering, you will also complete at least 12 weeks full time (or equivalent part time) of professional work experience.

Duration

Bachelor of Engineering:  4 years full-time or part-time equivalent.

Combined courses
Combined courses involve studying two degrees simultaneously. When combining a Bachelor of Engineering with other degrees you typically study units from both degrees for the first three levels. You then will study the final two levels of Engineering before graduating with the two degrees. Combined courses with Engineering typically take 5.5 years however they may be completed within 5 years if you study an overload (ie. more units than you would ordinarily study in one semester or year).

Career Opportunities

The rapid proliferation of new discoveries, products and markets in the information and communications technology area has provided a broad range of fields for graduates.  After weathering the bursting of the IT 'bubble' in 2000, the area has recovered to be one in high demand for new graduates.

Some areas of employment are:

• IT project consultants
• Communication carriers
• Defence contractors
• Embedded hardware and interface developers
• Mobile device & wireless system integrators
• Home automations

Our graduates are in high demand here in Australia and overseas, and if Australia is successful in its attempts to capitalise on its know-how in today's technology, the demand will grow.