How good is UTS Software Engineering? (1 Viewer)

[magicgate3]

Hey All,

I was asserting my options for next year, and was looking at doing a possible degree in Software Engineering. In comparison, to UNSW and USYD they cut-off is much lower and achievable to most people. The cut-off at UTS is 85 and the LSR was 82.55, in correlation to UNSW and USYD where the cut-off and LSR is 93 and 92 respectively. Can any rate UTS's Software Engineering course and whether it is worth it.

Cheers

 

[Velocifire]

UNSW and USYD would be really good provided you get the ATAR. If you get an ATAR of 93+ to apply for those Universities hands down. UTS isn't a close third, many people including my cousin are currently doing Software Engineering degrees and they love it, would 10/10 recommend though he wanted UNSW. UTS is a parachute to great courses if your first choice Universities fail to open.

But is it the same degree like fully, cause that's pretty decent if you can secure a great course with a lower ATAR than most other Uni would take for the same course?

 

[brent012]

There's a lot of threads on this both recently and over the last 10+ years if you search the forum. The general opinion/old stereotype with Engineering and Comp Sci is that UNSW has the strongest reputation for their faculty and academics, while UTS has a more practical focus and as such has the integrated internships program, flexible timetabling and plenty of students doing full time work (or extracurricular stuff) alongside their study.

Sydney Uni is a great university but they aren't really well known for their engineering or computer science courses, so I believe many students have a preference for the uni itself. Despite that, it seems to be a good course from what I have heard and, importantly, as Usyd + UNSW are part of Go8 it would be much less hassle to transfer between USyd <-> UNSW than UTS -> Usyd/UNSW.

Completely anecdotally, Sydney Uni don't seem to have as much industry engagement and co-op programs etc. as UNSW and UTS. The timetabling (both scheduling of classes, and inability to select your timetable as with UTS/UNSW) also complicates studying alongside work. Where I work, the software developer interns and recent graduates are almost completely split between UNSW and UTS graduates with a few students from interstate as a direct result of this.

But is it the same degree like fully, cause that's pretty decent if you can secure a great course with a lower ATAR than most other Uni would take for the same course?

ATAR cutoffs are completely a function of demand and can be heavily manipulated by bonus points programs and the like. When I started uni, UNSW had a 91 cutoff with a few bonus points on offer, UTS had a cutoff of 88 with generous bonus points schemes while Usyd (if I remember correctly) had cutoffs in the low 80s with no bonus points on offer. With the different bonus points schemes, the cutoffs were effectively not comparable.

Additionally, you'll find unis like Wollongong and ANU have much lower cutoffs than anything in Sydney which is no reflection on the quality of the course or university.

they love it, would 10/10 recommend though he wanted UNSW.

This might also come as a surprise to some people on here, but plenty of people studying engineering at UTS had the cutoffs for Usyd/UNSW. Some will be on scholarships, others have their own reasons.

 

[quickoats]

Just to add to brent012, ATAR cut-offs usually indicate the level of demand for a course BUT unis can sometimes inflate the cutoffs to stimulate demand (sounds weird, right?). By increasing cutoffs, unis can grab a different demographic of students. e.g. BSc(Adv) and BAdvSc are really quite popular with students from my school (selective) but those people would never do a BSc purely because it’s a 75-80 atar course, even if it’s pretty much the same degree.


So don’t shun a course just because the cutoff is lower - this does not mean the course is “bad” and doesn’t mean the courses are better elsewhere.

Also, iirc UTS adds a DipProfPrac or something similar to its BE (Hons) degrees. I think it might help you with the required internship to register as an engineer with Engineers Australia but I think with seng, you might not even need to become accredited by Eng Aus - I know someone who has a “Software Engineer” title who did a CS degree.

 

[Drdusk]

By increasing cutoffs, unis can grab a different demographic of students. e.g. BSc(Adv) and BAdvSc are really quite popular with students from my school (selective) but those people would never do a BSc purely because it’s a 75-80 atar course, even if it’s pretty much the same degree.

This is sooooooo true, it's literally me

 

[brent012]

Also, iirc UTS adds a DipProfPrac or something similar to its BE (Hons) degrees. I think it might help you with the required internship to register as an engineer with Engineers Australia but I think with seng, you might not even need to become accredited by Eng Aus - I know someone who has a “Software Engineer” title who did a CS degree.

Yes, that's all mostly true.

Basicaly to graduate from any engineering course in Australia, you need 60 days of industry experience and possibly some related documentation/coursework - UTS handles that with the professional practice program (diploma). You don't need to become an EngAus chartered engineer to graduate from SEng/work in the field, but you do need to meet this requirement to graduate (60 days, not chartered) from an accredited Engineering degree.

Currently in Australia or at least NSW, "Engineer" is not a protected term, so you can be an "engineer" by job title with no qualifications whatsoever - this is being changed/reconsidered in some states right now. This is why CS graduates can be in "Software Engineering" roles. If there is any change to the laws, I have no idea how it will impact software but I expect, at most, some titles will change.

On the topic of the UTS Professional Practice Program, the guy that was in charge of this program who was at UTS for over 20+ years has been at Sydney Uni for the last couple of years setting up a similar program (just without the 12 months of placements or separate diploma afaik), the Professional Engagement Program.