Introduction to Engineering

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Engineers use their technical and social skills to benefit society. This unit introduces professional engineering practice and develops foundations for the learning and practise of engineering. The unit supports students to make the transition into first year and become student engineers who have the foundation skills for engineering studies and practice, and understand how they can use these skills to contribute to society. In the unit, students work on a semester-long engineering design project and smaller design challenges, selected to facilitate achievement and demonstration of the learning outcomes. After completing the unit, engineering students should understand the historical, current, and future importance of engineering in society, and which specific skills each engineering discipline has to offer. They should also have established important skills and expectations for learning and practice in engineering at university and professionally, particularly around communication skills, use of technical and non-technical information, inclusive teamwork, self-directed learning, and employing engineering design processes to address open-ended problems, all while adhering to values that earn the confidence of the community.