Our rankings
Ranked 65th globally for engineering and technology by the 2021 QS University Rankings by Subject.
Our graduates are ranked 1st in Australia and 4th globally for employability by the 2022 QS Graduate Employability Rankings.
In response to COVID-19, the University of Sydney has reviewed the availability of courses to be delivered remotely.
This course will be available for students to study remotely during 2022 if they are unable to undertake face-to-face study. Please note that some units of study that are not essential to completing the degree may not be available to be studied remotely. For the latest updates on course availability, visit the COVID-19 information page.
About this course
Our Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Software) you provide you with first hand knowledge on how to design and develop computer games, business applications, operating systems and network control systems. Combining technical knowledge with industry experience, you will be ready to transform the digital world.
As a software engineering student, you will learn all aspects of software production, from strategy and design to coding, quality and management. You will develop knowledge in computer systems, data structures and programming, the foundation for further studies in software design, development, security and management.
During your degree you will be taught by experts in the software engineering discipline and learn about programming and computer languages, data structures, algorithms and databases, data-centric computing, operating systems and software project management.
In your fourth year you will complete an embedded honours thesis, which enables you to design an independent research project and specialise in an area that interests you.
All students in the Bachelor of Engineering Honours undertake enhanced foundation studies in data and computation, and a sequence of real-world project units throughout their degree, enabling you to apply technical knowledge in practice.
As part of your degree you will undertake the award-winning Professional Engagement Program enabling you to change your approach to learning through self-reflection and extra-curricular activities throughout your degree.
The specialisations available in this degree are:
All specialisations are optional. The specialisations available for this degree are shown below.
Depends on your qualification, citizenship status
Prospective domestic students apply through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) for a Commonwealth supported place . Refer to the UAC website for key dates. Separate scholarship deadlines apply, visit the scholarships website for details.
For other useful information, visit our How to apply page.
Current University of Sydney students applying to transfer from one bachelor's degree to another apply directly to the University. The exact process will depend on the course you are currently in and the course to which you wish to transfer. For more information visit the Change your course page.
Current students applying to transfer from a diploma to a bachelor's degree must apply through UAC.
Refer to the UAC website . Separate Scholarship deadlines apply - visit the scholarships webpage for details.
Semester 1 (February) and Semester 2 (August)
Visit the How to apply page for detailed information on if you need to apply directly to the University or through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). If you are a direct applicant, when you are ready to apply select the `Apply’ button on this course page.
Current University of Sydney students applying to transfer from one bachelor's degree to another apply directly to the University. The exact process will depend on the course you are currently in and the course to which you wish to transfer. For more information visit the Change your course page.
Closing dates
Direct applicants:
Semester 1 - 15 January of the commencing year.
Semester 2 - 25 June of the commencing year.
We strongly encourage international applicants to apply as early as possible to allow time for visa and travel arrangements. Separate scholarship deadlines apply - visit the scholarships webpage for details.
UAC Applicants: Refer to the UAC website
Semester 1 (February) and Semester 2 (August)
Detailed course structure: Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Software)
To complete the Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Software Engineering) you must undertake 192 credit points (cp) worth of units (ie, subjects), which will take 4 years of full-time study.
A typical unit of study has a value of 6cp. Full-time students normally enrol in 48 cp worth of units each year.
During the degree you will study:
This course includes mandatory completion of the Professional Engagement Program (PEP) - see Work Component section.
Mandatory work component = 200 hours.
The work component must be completed as part of the award requirements and is undertaken as part of the Professional Engagement Program (PEP).
Professional Engagement Program (PEP)
The program requires completion of 600 hours of professional engagement experiences integrated continuously throughout the degree. It is designed to allow students to contextualise their learning, enhance their own professional development, and build the foundations of a strong professional engineering career. The professional engagement activities are spread over 3 flexible stages. This involves
| Year | Sem | Unit of study | |||
| The Professional Engagement Program (PEP) is embedded throughout each semester of the degree. | |||||
| 1 | 1 | Mathematics | Project 1 | Computing | Free elective |
| 2 | Mathematics | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit | |
| 2 | 1 | Project 2 | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit |
| 2 | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit | |
| 3 | 1 | Project 3 | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit |
| 2 | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit | |
| 4 | 1 | Thesis | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit |
| 2 | Thesis | Stream unit | Stream unit | Stream unit | |
HSC Mathematics Extension 1 and Physics. If you attempt engineering without this prior level of knowledge of Mathematics you may experience difficulty, so you are strongly advised to undertake an appropriate bridging course
This course has an integrated Honours program, with all students undertaking a research thesis in the final year.
Admission this course is on the basis of the following criteria:
Admission pathways are open to domestic applicants on the basis of equity or other adjustment factors, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. For details, visit admission pathways.
This course has a mathematics course prerequisite. For details on the prerequisite, and how it applies to you, visit: Mathematics course prerequisites.
For more information about the University’s credit policy, please see the Credit for Previous Studies page.
The Faculty of Engineering offers one-year exchange programs with partner universities in Europe, Asia and North America.
In addition to your Professional Engagement Program (PEP) commitments, there are opportunities to join a diverse range of engineering student societies and engage in outreach activities, industry placements and competitions throughout your degree.
Gain two qualifications in just five years.
This course is accredited by the Australian Computing Society, Engineers Australia and by other major professional engineering institutions. Our graduates are also recognised internationally through the Washington Accord of the International Engineering Alliance.
