In 2020, the then Research School of Electrical, Energy, and Materials Engineering (RSEEME) at The Australian National University (ANU), proposed changes to our education offerings. The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) have been developed for our current engineering students.

 

I am studying one of the engineering majors or postgraduate augmentations proposed to change from 2021. What are my study options?

If you are currently studying:

• the Biomedical Systems or Mechanical & Material Systems undergraduate Majors, or
• the Biomedical Systems or Mechanical & Material Systems undergraduate Minors, or
• the Digital Systems & Telecommunications Engineering Augmentation of the Masters of Engineering,

then you have a few options. You can choose to:

• Continue your current program. All current students will be able to complete and graduate with their existing Major, Augmentation, and program. Courses that you have completed successfully will be counted as normal. Any outstanding courses that are no longer being offered, will be substituted with approved alternate courses. We will support students with detailed study plans that clearly articulate your course options as soon as these are available.
• Change your current Major/Minor/Augmentation, or your program of study. If you choose, you can opt to change to one of the remaining engineering Majors, Minors, or postgraduate Augmentations. CECC Student Services will work with you and the Research School to find the best fit for the courses you have completed to date and to identify which courses you have remaining to complete under your new program rules.

 

General information

Have the proposed changes been officially approved by the University? Is it certain that they will go ahead?

Yes. The changes were approve by the University in December 2020. This was communicated to our community through a series of emails.

 

Will other engineering programs or courses at ANU be affected?

The approved changes to undergraduate and postgraduate engineering degrees are restricted to the specified Majors/Minors/Augmentations and by extension, the courses that fall within those.

We do not anticipate any significant changes to core engineering courses or other engineering Majors/Minors/Augmentations.

 

I am part way through completing the requirements for one of the Majors/Minors/Augmentations that will be disestablished. Will I be able to complete it or will I need to transfer to a different one?

Yes you will be able to complete. Any student who has commenced an engineering program at ANU prior to 2021 will be able to continue with their chosen undergraduate Major/Minor or postgraduate Augmentation.

Detailed study plans and guidance on how you can select equivalent or similar courses to complete your current program of study (known as a 'teach-out' plan) is available on our website. See: Engineering course substitutions

 

Will the substitute courses in the teach-out plans be different to those currently on offer?

The specific courses that need to be completed to satisfy the requirements of those Majors/Minors/Augmentations may differ from those currently published on Programs and Courses.

As part of the disestablishment process, we have worked with students and staff to identify courses that provide functionally equivalent learning outcomes. Students will be able to complete these in place of any courses that are no longer offered. We’re committed to preserving the Learning Outcomes of the Major/Minor/Augmentation and all our current students will be able to graduate with equivalent skills and expertise.

 

Why were these changes announced after Census Date?

All current ANU engineering students will be able to complete their chosen Major/Minor/Augmentation, so rest assured that any courses that you have committed to study to date will still be counted towards the requirements of your program even if it has been approved for disestablishment.

If you opt to transfer to a completely different program, courses that you have successfully completed prior to the implementation of the approved changes will be accommodated into your new degree or augmentation as much as possible, by way of formally approved and recorded substitutions. Any courses that have been successfully completed recently but that are not able to fit within the new program will be discussed with each student on a case-by-case basis.

 

Will this impact on research opportunities, including Honours or PhD projects, in the areas of Biomedical Systems, Mechanical and Material Systems, Digital Systems and Telecommunications?

We will continue to research in our areas of existing expertise. Research topics in these disciplines will continue to be available to prospective students. As is currently the case, your Honours or PhD application depends on the availability of the academic supervisors within these disciplines.

 

Selecting an undergraduate Major

Is there a place on ANU ISIS where we can self-select our intended undergraduate Major/Minor?

You can update your academic record to reflect your intended Major or Minor via ISIS. Instructions on how to do this can be found on the ANU Current Students website.

More information: Changing majors, minors & specialisations

 

Do I need to have nominated my major to continue with this study plan after 2021? Can current students nominate before any of the proposed majors are disestablished?

You do not need to have formally nominated your Major/Minor to be permitted to continue in your chosen Major/Minor from 2021. All engineering students currently enrolled at ANU prior to the changes will still be able to complete the existing Major/Minor/Augmentations that were available in 2020.

However, if you would like to receive updates – including a detailed study plan from CECC Student Services outlining approved alternate courses – we ask that you update your academic record via ISIS as soon as possible. Instructions on how to self-select your Major/Minor can be found on the ANU Current Students website.

More information: Changing majors, minors & specialisations

 

I have just started my engineering degree so have not yet taken any courses in the undergraduate Major I am interested in. Will I still be able to complete my chosen Major?

Yes. Any student who has commenced their engineering program at ANU prior to 2021 will be able to continue with their chosen undergraduate Major/Minor. This applies regardless of whether you have completed any of the courses listed in the Major/Minor.

 

I will be in my second/third year of my engineering degree in 2021? Am I able to switch to a new Major?

If you opt to change your Major (for instance, from Biomedical Systems to Mechatronic Systems), any courses that you have successfully completed prior to the implementation of the proposed changes will be accommodated in your new degree or augmentation as much as possible, by way of formally approved and recorded substitutions.

Any courses recently successfully completed that are unable to fit within the new Major (or as electives within your new program more broadly) will be discussed with each student on a case-by-case basis.

 

I am trying to achieve a double Major within the four-year period. Will these changes affect course availability and my ability to achieve the double Major?

It's unlikley that your ability to complete a double Major will be negatively impacted by the changes.

Now that the engineering course substitutions have been published, we encourage you to map your remaining studies in the first instance. You can submit a study plan, along with any specific questions or concerns you may have about your ability to achieve a double Major to CECC Student Services (at studentadmin.cecc@anu.edu.au) for review and comment. 

 

When will the course requirements for Environmental Systems be released, as I’d like to change to that Major?

We plan to introduce a new Environmental Systems undergraduate Major from Semester 1 2022 (subject to formal approval). The new Environmental Systems Major is currently proceeding through ANU approval processes. Courses in the new major are likely to commence in 2022 (3000 level) and 2023 (4000 level). Current students may be able to elect to do the new Major if they plan to graduate at the end of 2023. The detailed course content will be developed during 2021.

 

Will the corresponding Minors be affected similarly to the cancelled Majors?

Yes. The approved changes apply to the undergraduate Biomedical Systems and Mechanical & Material Systems Minors as well as the Biomedical Systems and Mechanical & Material Systems Majors.

 

As a partner university student will the decision to disestablish particular undergraduate Majors affect me?

As with all of our current ANU Engineering students, our Partnership University students will have the opportunity to complete their original Major. However, specific courses listed within the Majors may vary from what is currently published. Discussions are currently underway with our University partners to keep them informed of our proposed changes and to ensure that courses identified as approved alternates will be suitable for the partner university degree.

 

Accreditation

Which undergraduate Majors and postgraduate Augmentations hold professional accreditation?

Many ANU programs and courses are recognised in Australia and internationally through accreditation by professional organisations. The following list outlines which of our undergraduate engineering Majors and postgraduate Augmentations have been awarded full or provisional accreditation with Australia’s peak body Engineers Australia.

 

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), and Bachelor of Engineering (Research and Development)(Honours) Majors

• Biomedical Systems (discontinued from 2021): provisionally accredited by Engineers Australia
• Electronic and Communication Systems: accredited by Engineers Australia
• Mechanical and Material Systems (discontinued from 2021): accredited by Engineers Australia
• Mechatronic Systems: accredited by Engineers Australia
• Renewable Energy Systems: accredited by Engineers Australia
• Environmental Systems (new Major planned from 2022, pending formal approval): pending provisional Engineers Australia accreditation

Master of Engineering Augmentations

• Digital Systems and Telecommunications (discontinued from 2021): provisionally accredited by Engineers Australia
• Mechatronics: provisionally accredited by Engineers Australia
• Photonics: not accredited
• Renewable Energy: provisionally accredited by Engineers Australia
• Electrical Engineering: not accredited

Master of Machine Learning and Computer Vision: not accredited

 

Finding alternate courses

When will teach-out plans and the list of approved substitute courses be available?

The approved course substitutions are now available on our website. See: Engineering course substitutions

We encourage all engineering students to familiarise themselves with the approved replacements and build your study plan accordingly.

If you require specific feedback on your study plan, you are welcome to submit a study plan to CECC Student Services (at studentadmin.cecc@anu.edu.au) for review and comment. We will provide guidance to ensure you have the opportunity to complete your degree and chosen Major/Minor/Augmentation on time and to help make this a smooth transition.

 

Which courses will be removed and when will this occur?

The approved course substitutions are now available on our website. See: Engineering course substitutions

We encourage all engineering students to familiarise themselves with the approved replacements and build your study plan accordingly.

The approved changes came into effect on 1 January 2021.

 

Will the selection of the alternate courses be at our own discretion or is this something that you will decide and provide for us?

The approved alternate courses have been specified by the Research School. You will not need to try to identify replacement courses on your own.

See: Engineering course substitutions

 

Will it be possible to study courses with another university to complete my Major/Minor/Augmentation?

Specific external courses offered by other top Australian universities may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students will need to make a strong case as to why they are unable to complete the approved ANU course substitute.

Please first review the approved course substitutions on our website (see: Engineering course substitutions). If you believe you may be unnecessarily disadvantaged by completing the approved replacement ANU course, and wish to submit an alternate, external course for consideration, then you will need to submit this request. 

You must provide a personal statement detailing your circumstances and the published course outline for the course that you’ve identified to CECC Student Services (at studentadmin.cecc@anu.edu.au). This request will then be considered by the relevant Delegated Authority and a formal decision will be communicated to you (and recorded on your internal record).  

 

If the courses I have completed to date can’t count towards my new program or Major, will I be permitted to Late Withdraw from these courses and receive a tuition fee refund?

CECC Student Services will work with you and the Research School to find the best fit for the courses you have successfully completed to date in your program. We will record approved substitutions to ensure there is no confusion at the time of graduation. We will also identify which courses you have remaining to complete under your new program rules, so that you can make an informed decision about your study plans. Where courses that have been successfully completed within the last 12 months are identified as surplus to your new program requirements, and are therefore not able to fit within the new program, Student Services will discuss the options available to you that align with your individual circumstances.

 

Program transfers

I'd like to transfer to a completely different degree program, as my current Major/Augmentation is being disestablished. How do I do this?

If you decide that you would like to transfer to an entirely different program as a result of the approved changes (for example, to move from the Master of Engineering to the Master of Machine Learning and Computer Vision), you will need to submit an application for Program Transfer. For transfers to be effective from Semester 1 2021, you must submit a completed application by no later than 31 October 2020.

More information: Transferring between degrees

 

If I choose to transfer to another postgraduate Augmentation or program, will the courses I have successfully completed under my original program be credited to my new degree?

If you choose to change your postgraduate Augmentation or program to a completely different engineering discipline, you may find that this extends your overall program duration. It will depend on how far through your current degree you are. If this is the case, this will be explicitly identified as part of your study plan discussion with CECC Student Services, so that you can make an informed decision about your options.

 

Will current ANU students who transfer into an engineering program from 2021 be able to complete one of the disestablished Majors/Minors/Augmentations? Or are they treated as a new commencing student?

Students who transfer into an ANU engineering degree from 2021 will typically be expected to complete their studies under the year rules that they commence their engineering program. For example, if you transfer from a Bachelor of Science to a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in 2021, you will be expected to follow the new 2021 program rules.

This may mean that the Majors/Minors/Augmentations approved for disestablishment are not available if you commence your engineering studies at ANU from Semester 1 2021. However, the College is happy to discuss transfer students' individual circumstances and Major/Minor. Augmentation options can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

 

Contact information and get involved

Should I contact CECS Student Service for a study plan now?

The approved course substitutions are now available on our website. See: Engineering course substitutions

We encourage all engineering students to familiarise themselves with the approved replacements and build your study plan accordingly.

If you require specific feedback on your study plan, you are welcome to submit a study plan to CECC Student Services (at studentadmin.cecc@anu.edu.au) for review and comment.

 

Do I need to do/action something?

If you are an undergraduate engineering student who has not yet identified a Major/Minor, please do so as soon as possible on ISIS so that we know of your intention. This will assist with our planning. You can update your academic record to reflect your intended Major or Minor via ISIS. Instructions on how to do this can be found on the ANU Current Students website.

More information: Changing majors, minors & specialisations

No further action is required from current students at this stage.

 

I have a question that’s not answered here. Who do I contact?

If you have another question about the changes to the engineering programs, you can submit this directly to CECC Student Services (at studentadmin.cecc@anu.edu.au. Please ensure to include your ANUID and a detailed explanation of your query in your email, so that we are able to provide you with information relevant to your personal circumstances.