Professional Practice in Engineering
Overview
This unit of study aims to provide you with practical engineering experience in an environment outside the University and improve your awareness of the issues associated with professional practice. In so doing, it will ensure your perceptions of engineering during your studies develop alongside the realities of practice.
Requisites
16-February-2025
01-June-2025
03-August-2025
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply degree studies in engineering practice as demonstrated by the evidential portfolio (K5, K6, A1, A2, A5, A6, A7)
- Appreciate the broader issues associated with professional practice as reported in the reflective journal (K5, A1, A2, A5)
- Identify insights gained from your practical experiences and demonstrate how each observation or case study improved your understanding of any engineering issues associated with professional practice (K5, K6, A1, A2, A5, A6, A7)
- Identify how the activities and experiences improved your development of Swinburne Engineering Competencies (K5, K6, A1, A2, A5, A6, A7)
- Compare and contrast your perceptions of engineering while at University with the realities of practice (K5, K6, A1, A2, A5, A6, A7)
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Placement Placement | 40.00 | 6 weeks | 240 |
| TOTAL | 240 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective Journal | Individual | 100% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Hurdle
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all Unit Learning Outcomes to a minimum standard, a student must achieve:A Pass grade.
Content
Students undertake a minimum of the equivalent of six weeks of approved relevant engineering-practice experience, which may include one or more of:
- Practical experience (paid or unpaid) in an engineering environment outside the teaching establishment
- Classes and activities on professional ethics and conduct
- Participation in classes conducted by guest presenters with industry experience
- Industry visits and inspections
- Industry based projects (including but not only final year projects)
- Industry research for feasibility studies
- Study of industry policies, processes, practices and benchmarks
- Interviewing engineering professionals
- Industry based investigatory assignments
- Direct industry input of data and advice to problem solving, projects and evaluation tasks
- Electronic links with practising professionals (e.g. guest presenters in online discussion forums)
- Case studies
- or other activities approved by the Unit Convenor
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.