UON's civil and structural engineering subjects in world top 100
Our pioneering scientific approaches to geotechnical engineering design underpins the development of energy and transport infrastructure.
I am a prospective
student, looking to study at
BCA Singapore
Duration4 years full-time or part-time equivalent up to 10 years maximum.4 years full-time.
Mode of deliveryFace to Face
Start dates{asset_metadata_UON.Degree.StartDate.Domestic_key^tag:singapore_start_dates^xslt:558562}Semester 2 (18 Jul 2022),
FeesFind information about indicative course and program fees.Further information is available through Newcastle Australia IHE.
Program Code40231
N/A
This was the minimum selection rank for recent school leaver offers in 2021. It may change in 2022.
Target cohort
Available to local and international students studying in Singapore.
Study a civil engineering degree
Civil engineering. A firm foundation for your career.
At the University of Newcastle, we educate our engineers to meet the global challenges of today and into the future. You’ll learn to engineer energy-efficient buildings using the latest nano-materials and design and develop sustainable and resilient infrastructure. Perhaps your study will lead you to be part of the team developing the Tuas mega port project in Singapore’s growing maritime sector. Maybe working on civil infrastructure required for the forthcoming Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail project appeals to your desire to help connect communities in your part of the world. Whatever your area of interest, your Civil Engineering degree will enable you to take an active role in helping solve local, national and global challenges.
Our Singapore program incorporates courses developed specifically for the local context, including Virtual Design and Construction and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly. You’ll be provided with numerous opportunities for industry collaborations and visits throughout your degree.
What is civil engineering? Civil engineers are responsible for the physical infrastructure that enables modern societies to function. As a civil engineering student you will study buildings, highways and railways, tunnels, airports, power generation facilities and harbour facilities. Your courses will focus on preparing you to design, build and manage these structures as a fully qualified civil engineer.
Why study with us?
- Highly employable graduates: your studies will cover the three main civil specialisations in structural, water and geotechnical engineering, giving you a competitive edge over graduates from similar degrees at other institutions.
- Hands-on practical experience: build vital professional networks and hands-on industry experience with 16 weeks of industrial experience at the end of your program.
- Real-world insights: connect with industry through projects, guest lecturers, and mentoring.
- Internationally-experienced engineering graduates: the University of Newcastle is one of only three Australian member institutions of the Global Engineering Education Exchange Program (Global e3).
- Fast-Track Masters: advance your career from our Callaghan Campus and gain a Master of Professional Engineering in just 1 year on top of your Bachelor of Engineering degree.
94%
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of Engineering undergraduates found employment within four months
Ranked 23 in the World
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for Mineral and Mining Engineering
ERA 5
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for civil engineering research
No.1 in NSW
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for educational experience and median salaries (Engineering)
World Top 100
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for Civil and Structural Engineering
What you will study
Build critical technical engineering skills by studying courses in:
- Structural engineering
- Water engineering
- Geomechanics
- Fluid dynamics
- Civil engineering materials
- Steel design
Connect with industry through guest lectures and interdisciplinary projects solving real world problems. Gain invaluable practical experience through your industry placement.
Become job-ready through our professional practice courses. You'll learn to tackle ‘wicked problems’ and develop essential workplace skills in finance, project management, sustainability, communication and entrepreneurism.
After you have been working as an engineer in industry for a few years, you will have met the longer-term Program Educational Objectives for the Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours). This means you will, at a minimum, be able to:
- Create, innovate, design and manage engineering systems in both the public and private sectors
- Communicate effectively in written and oral formats with both professional and broader communities, with appropriate respect for cultural, national and ethical norms
- Pursue life-long learning: appreciate new directions and knowledge in engineering, and understand developments within modern tools of analysis, synthesis and design
- Incorporate interdisciplinary concepts and perspectives into engineering solutions
- Practice engineering in an ethical and sustainable manner, respecting regulatory concerns and the broader impacts of engineering solutions in both a local and global context
Program plans
Download a program plan for further details on your degree's structure and what courses you will study.
These program plans are applicable to new students. Current students should refer to the program handbook to access the plan relevant to the year they commenced.
Career
Career opportunities
Civil engineers work for construction companies, consulting firms, project management companies, transport companies and governments. You could specialise in:
- structural engineering - design buildings, bridges, airports, railways, and towers, and the suitability of materials for infrastructure projects
- water engineering - design and manage water supply, control and treatment systems
- transport and traffic engineering – plan, investigate and optimise transport systems
- geotechnical engineering - design foundations, support structures, assess stability of slopes and tunnels.
Civil engineering is flexible and diverse. You might prefer to work onsite, in design and development, or a leadership role managing people and projects. Typical positions include:
- civil engineering designer
- structural engineer
- geotechnical engineer
- transport systems engineer
- stormwater engineer
- urban development engineer
Remarkably, engineering is the most commonly held degree among the highest performing Fortune 500 CEOs – the CEOs of companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Tesla Motors are all engineers.
Professional recognition
Professional recognition the Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) (Singapore) program is provisionally accredited by Engineers Australia. You can work in places such as:
- Canada
- Hong Kong
- India
- Ireland
- Japan
- Korea
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Russia
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- USA
Practical work experience
University of Newcastle engineering students in Singapore have the opportunity to complete 16 weeks of industrial experience as part of their degree. Through your work placement you will build important professional networks and put your learning into practice.
Experience
Art of Problem Solving Exhibition
Engineers use everyday problems as their canvas for creative inventions that will help change the world. The Art of Problem Solving showcases some of our most exciting engineering and computing innovations.
Student project - Probabilistic Modelling of Terminal Ballistics
Featured at our first ever engineering exhibition in the heart of Newcastle, Civil engineering student Brianna Dorrough, talks about her engineering project - which aims to improve the design of protective structures, such as government buildings, embassies, and military structures, in relation to ballistic impact.
Civil Engineering Graduate Peter supports developing communities with the Red Cross
Civil Engineering Graduate Peter supports developing communities with the Red Cross
Student work - Mystery of the Hornibrook Bridge
For his final-year project, Stuart Morgan set out to solve the mystery of why the piers on the Hornibrook Bridge didn’t corrode.
Study with us
Hear from our students
Listen to our students talk about their degree and life at the University of Newcastle.
How to apply
Applying for Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) (Singapore)
I am a prospective
student, looking to study at
BCA Singapore
Let's just check you are eligible
Pick your situation from the list below for more information.
If you are an international student, read the information below before completing an application.
As someone who recently completed secondary education, either at high school, TAFE or another VET provider, you will generally be considered for entry based on your Selection Rank (SR). Some degrees have additional entry requirements such as auditions or interviews and where required you will find these listed on the relevant degree page.
Try to choose what you are most interested in and then research some back up options with lower Selection Ranks (SR) to put as your later choices. A good tip is to look at degrees that may have similar first year subjects. This will help you reduce your overall study time if you want to apply to transfer to your degree of choice after the first year. We also recommend choosing one of our free pathway programs as a backup option as your fifth preference on your UAC application. Selection Ranks (SR) requirements for our degrees do change from year to year so only use the Selection Rank (SR) as a guide.
You should start planning your way into uni from Year 10 onwards. Think about:
- Using our study areas to narrow down study options based on what you are interested in
- Come and speak to us at events like Open Day, Schools Visit Day and campus tours
- Check the Assumed Knowledge and Recommended Studies of the degrees you are interested in
- If you are a high performer you can get a head start by completing some uni subjects while still at school
- Sign up to our mailing list for regular updates
- Have a look at adjustment points and other entry schemes that may give you an extra boost
- Decide on some back up options like Open Foundation and other entry pathways if you don't get the required marks
- See our Application FAQs .
- Have questions? Ask a student. We know you must have heaps of questions about university life – what’s needed to get into your degree, where to go for support, what on-campus accommodation is available and of course, where to find the best coffee. Jump on our website to chat to one of our Student Ambassadors.
Secondary results don’t have a use-by date, so even if you completed high school 20 years ago, these results may be used to apply to the University of Newcastle. You can use your ATAR or equivalent (UAI, TER etc) to apply irrespective of when you completed Year 12.
It can be complicated to calculate your Selection Rank (SR) based on high school results prior to the introduction of the ATAR in 2009. Contact us at 1300 275 866 and let us do the calculating for you.
If you don’t think you will meet the Selection Rank (SR) for admission there are other options to get in depending on your situation:
- Open Foundation
- Complete this program full-time (in a single semester) or part-time (up to 2 years) to get guaranteed entry to over 40+ degrees or to receive a new University Selection Rank.
- Yapug
- Complete this program full-time (in two semesters) or part-time (up to 2 years) to gain entry into an undergraduate degree at the University of Newcastle.
- Diplomas
- Complete a diploma either full-time or part-time to get entry into one of our related Bachelor degrees.
- Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Admission Scheme
- Get entry help by identifying you are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
- Elite Athlete Program
- Get adjustment points and support by applying as an elite athlete.
- Special Tertiary Admissions Test
- Complete this test for a mark for entry into some of our degrees.
For advice on these other options please contact us by calling 1300 275 866.
If you studied vocational education and training, the type of qualification, whether or not you completed it, and if it was graded or competency-based will all be taken into consideration to assess your eligibility for admission. TAFE and private providers, as well as some universities, typically offer Certificate III, IV and Diploma Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) awards. Some also offer Advanced Diploma and Associate Degrees.
For admission purposes, and to ensure fairness and transparency among applicants with different types of qualifications, all assessable qualifications are converted to a selection rank. Selection ranks from different individual qualifications are not combined or added together to form a rank. The highest of the two numbers will be the one used to assess your eligibility for admission. Different selection ranks are assigned to VET courses with graded assessment and competency based (ungraded) assessment. The tables below provide information on how to assess your selection rank based on your AQF qualification.
TAFE Guaranteed Entry
Many of our students come to us after completing TAFE studies. You can gain guaranteed entry into many of our 2021 undergraduate programs if you have previously completed an accredited Certificate IV, Diploma, or Advanced Diploma at TAFE or another registered training organisation (RTO).
Complete Graded AQF Diploma or AQF Advanced Diploma
| Grade Point Average | Rank - AQF Diploma | Rank - AQF Advanced Diploma |
|---|---|---|
| 6.5+ | 95 | 96.95 |
| 6.25-6.49 | 93 | 95.25 |
| 6.00-6.24 | 90 | 93 |
| 5.75-5.99 | 88 | 91 |
| 5.50-5.74 | 86 | 89 |
| 5.25-5.49 | 83 | 86 |
| 5.00-5.24 | 81 | 83 |
| 4.75-4.99 | 78 | 80 |
| 4.00-4.74 | 75 | 76 |
Complete and Incomplete Ungraded AQF Diploma or AQF Advanced Diploma
| Rank - AQF Advanced Diploma | Rank - AQF Diploma |
|---|---|
| 76 | 75 |
Complete Graded AQF Certificate III or AQF Certificate IV
Please note: Certificate III qualifications and below are not accepted for the Bachelor of Nursing program.
| Grade Point Average | Rank - AQF Certificate III | Rank - AQF Certificate IV |
|---|---|---|
| 6.5+ | 78 | 90 |
| 6.25-6.49 | 78 | 88 |
| 6.00-6.24 | 77 | 86 |
| 5.75-5.99 | 76 | 84 |
| 5.50-5.74 | 75 | 82 |
| 5.25-5.49 | 73 | 80 |
| 5.00-5.24 | 71 | 78 |
| 4.75-4.99 | 69 | 75 |
| 4.00-4.74 | 67 | 73 |
Complete Ungraded AQF Certificate III and AQF Certificate IV
| Rank - AQF Certificate III | Rank - AQF Certificate IV |
|---|---|
| 67 | 73 |
Note: Incomplete VET studies must be AQF Diploma level or above and more than 0.2 of a full time student (FTE) to be considered for admission.
It is probably best to contact our Enquiry Centre on 1300 275 866 to discuss your qualifications and grades. Our team are happy to advise you on your options.
Your previous qualifications may also make you eligible for credit to your degree. This will cut down on your study time. You can apply for credit before you start. See our credit page for more information.
If you don’t think you will meet the requirements for admission there are other options to get in depending on your situation:
- Open Foundation
Complete this program full-time (in a single semester) or part-time (up to 2 years) to get guaranteed entry to over 40+ degrees or to receive a new University Selection Rank. - Yapug Complete this program full-time (in a single year) or part-time (up to 2 years) to gain entry into an undergraduate degree at the University of Newcastle.
- Diplomas Complete a diploma either full-time or part-time to gain entry into a related Bachelor's degree
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Admission Scheme
Get entry help by identifying you are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. - Educational Access Scheme
Get up to four points if you have experienced educational or other disadvantage. - Elite Athlete Program
Get adjustment points and support by applying as an elite athlete. - Special Tertiary Admissions Test
Complete this test for a mark for entry into some of our degrees.
If you completed higher education or partial higher education studies your grade point average (GPA) (or Grade Average as a percentage for pathway programs like Open Foundation or Yapug) can be converted to a selection rank to be used for admission purposes. To ensure fairness and transparency among applicants with different types of qualifications, all assessable qualifications are converted to a selection rank. The selection rank from this qualification is not added to your ATAR. The highest of the two numbers will be the one used to assess your eligibility for admission.
If you have completed a degree and want to move onto postgraduate study please see our Postgraduate website.
Bachelor degree studies
| Min GPA (>0.5FTE*) | Selection Rank |
|---|---|
| 6.5+ | 97.30 |
| 6 | 93.40 |
| 5 | 86.30 |
| 4 | 77.65 |
| 3 | 67.25 |
*Your GPA can only be calculated if you have completed at least 20 units of study. A full-time study (FTE) load is usually 80 units per year.
Completed pathway (also known as enabling or tertiary preparation) programs
| Overall Grade Average | Selection Rank |
|---|---|
| >97 | 99.55 |
| 80 | 84 |
| 70 | 77 |
| 60 | 70 |
| 50 | 65 |
If you are currently studying a degree at the University of Newcastle and want to transfer across to another degree, please see our Internal Transfers page for current students for more information.
If you have completed or are soon to complete an Enabling Pathways program (Open Foundation or Yapug) you can apply with us directly for free for most degrees. Please visit the Your Next Move website for more information.
If you want to transfer or complete a tertiary preparation program at another university you will need to apply through UAC. Please contact our Enquiry Centre 1300 275 866 for information and advice.
If you think you may be eligible for credit please visit our credit section.
If you’re applying on the basis of overseas secondary qualifications, there are some that are considered as equivalent to an Australian Year 12 qualification. Note that equivalence of qualifications alone does not guarantee entry into programs. For admission purposes, and to ensure fairness and transparency among applicants with different types of qualifications, your overseas qualification will be converted to a selection rank so you can be compared to other applicants.
For advice on your options please contact us by calling 1300 275 866 or visit AskUON.
If you haven’t completed any formal secondary, VET or higher education studies we offer a range of options to get you on the pathway to your dream degree. Our recommended pathways are:
Pathway programs (Open Foundation and Yapug)
The University of Newcastle is the largest provider of pathway programs in Australia. If you haven’t studied for a while, or your high school results weren’t what you expected, you can start at university with one of our pathway programs. Our pathway programs offer guaranteed entry to over 40+ University of Newcastle degrees. When you complete this program your Grade Point Average as a percentage can be converted to a selection rank to be used for admission purposes. The programs on offer are:
- Open Foundation
Completing our Open Foundation pathway program will award you a new rank to apply to uni. Finish Open Foundation in just a single semester or take your time - up to 2 years. Flexible study supports you to learn at your own pace, including online, part-time or full-time options. - Yapug
If you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student you could complete our one year Yapug pathway program. - New Diplomas
Complete a diploma either full-time or part-time to get entry into one of our related Bachelor's degree.
Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)
The Special Tertiary Admissions Test or STAT is an aptitude test, organised through the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), that assesses a range of competencies considered important for successful tertiary study. If you are over 18 and not a current Year 12 student, results from the STAT multiple-choice test can be used for entry into some (but not all) of the degrees offered at the University of Newcastle. Make sure you look into which degrees accept STAT for entry.
If your qualification is not listed and you are unsure whether you can use it to gain entry please contact us on 1300 275 866 or AskUON.
If your qualification is not listed and you are unsure whether you can use it to gain entry please contact us on 1300 275 866 or AskUON.
Non-Award Admission
If you want to do one or two subjects at the University of Newcastle but not a full degree you can apply for non-award admission. You may want to do this for preliminary work for a higher degree, professional requirements or because of an interest in the area.
Find out more and apply by visiting Non-Award Admission.
Cross-Institutional Study
If you are currently at another university and want to do one or more subjects at the University of Newcastle for credit you can apply for Cross-Institutional Study.
Find out more and apply by visiting Cross-Institutional Study.
If you have more than one of the qualifications listed above they may all count towards your application. We are always happy to provide advice and discuss your circumstances so please contact us by calling 1300 275 866 or by submitting a question using AskUON. Otherwise check out our application FAQ.
Senior secondary school qualification
Admission to our undergraduate degree programs usually requires successful completion of a senior secondary school qualification similar to the Higher School Certificate (HSC), the highest educational award in New South Wales schools. To check if your qualification is recognised for direct entry into the University of Newcastle, please refer to the entry requirements below.
Applicants who do not speak English as a first language must demonstrate that they meet the University's English proficiency requirement. Further information regarding English language proficiency requirements can be found at the English Language Proficiency for Admission Policy.
The Australian Government operates a student visa program that enables people who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents to undertake study in Australia. A person who wants to undertake a course of study under the student visa programme must obtain a student visa before they can commence a course of study in Australia. A successful applicant must be both a genuine temporary entrant and a genuine student.
An applicant who is a genuine temporary entrant will have circumstances that support a genuine intention to temporarily enter and remain in Australia, notwithstanding the potential for this intention to change over time to an intention to utilise lawful means to remain in Australia for an extended period of time or permanently. All Australian education providers must have strategies and arrangements in place to ensure that all students and prospective students meet the requirements with Direction 69 as a condition of admission to the institution.
When your application for admission is received, the University of Newcastle will assess this against university entrance requirements including: minimum age, English and academic entry requirements. To comply with Australian law your application will also be assessed to check that you are genuinely seeking temporary entry to Australia to study. You may be asked to provide the University of Newcastle with evidence addressing Ministerial Direction 69 as part of finalising your admission. If the University forms the opinion that you are not a Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) it may refuse to assess your application, withdraw an offer of a place, or cancel your confirmation of enrolment.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection in Australia will also assess each application for a student visa (subclass 500) against the applicant’s intention to stay temporarily in Australia as a genuine student. The criteria for this assessment are outlined in Ministerial Direction 69. Applicants that don’t satisfy the criteria under Direction 69 will not be granted a student visa.
For more information, please refer to the following areas of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website:
Other things to consider
Make sure you double check the special entry requirements, assumed knowledge or recommended studies for the degree:
Admission to this program is available to Singaporean students, residents and international students. Admission information is available online here.
The program is designed to allow both GCE 'A' level and diploma graduates a pathway to pursue a rewarding career in civil engineering.
All Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the University’s English proficiency requirement. Further information regarding English language proficiency requirements can be found at the English Language Proficiency for Admission Policy here.
Requirements for qualification of this award, include completion of at least 16 weeks of industrial experience of a nature acceptable to the College Board. Students are placed by BCA-A into an appropriate organisation.
You can look at NUPrep for options to brush up on knowledge before you start.
You should also think about degree add-ons like combined options or a Diploma in Languages. If you would like to learn an additional language alongside your main bachelor degree, then this program is for you. Languages offered include: Australian Sign Language (Auslan), Chinese, French, German and Japanese.
Ok, great, let's go!
Apply to study this degree through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).
You can select up to five preferences in your UAC application, so have a look around and select some back-up options. Put the degree you are most interested in first.
Apply to study in Australia
Apply to study in Singapore
We are here to help, no matter what your question is.
Our position as one of the most highly ranked engineering faculties in Australia is recognised through our associate membership of the Group of Eight.
One of only three Australian member institutions of the Global Engineering Education Exchange Program.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.