Engineering/Commerce (1 Viewer)

[counterman]

I'm waiting for to receive my uai and hsc results later this month and i'm planning to do a course in civil engineering combined with commerce. i was wondering if i have to specialise in the civil engineering degree and ,if i do, what specialisations are available. Also, what can i major in as part of the commerce degree?

So far, i'm thinking of majoring in finance but i do not know the job prospects and the actual benefits of this combined degree. If there are any graduates who have taken engineering/commerce, what are the benefits of taking a combined degree? was it worth it ?

What are the job prospects and what jobs are available with the civil engineering degree? What jobs are available with finance? I know a lot of people who want to take this course but, when i ask, they don't know what it is about.

 

[doink]

You don't have to specialise in civil and in fact if you want to then you either have to overload subjects or come back for another semester.

For commerce you can major in any ONE of the commerce majors that are available (can be found in the brochure), the brochure covers all the aspects of the major and what jobs they may entail.

Finance for instance is for people who want to be bankers/stock brockers anything to do with making large sums of money basically.

The benefits? Fairly limited because you only get one major in the commerce degree making you one dimensional compared to the other graduates however the engineering part is very appealing.

People take this degree because they have aspirations of being CEO of engineering firms or climbing the corporate chain in some company.

Civil Engineering degree --> Civil engineer, type it in at seek and you will see all of the possibilities that you can become.

I used to do this degree but i found studying an extra year and missing out on electives wouldn't be worth it in the long run especially since i found engineering much more interesting and you can do everything someone with the double degree has anyway.

 

[fush]

im about to start my final year in this and yea, you don't actually get to do a specialised civil stream (structural, geotechnical....) but the core civil engineering degree does cover all the basics you need.
but if you want to you can overload during the degree and pick up 3-4 extra units for the specialisation.

The commerce degree just gives you a little extra depth and business skills, which are often very appealing to employers. Engineering and construction companies are there to make money so having a commercial background will help you progress up the ladders...

Im doing a finance major but accounting is also very helpful (and boring!!). A commercial law major i think is something very good to have as well...

 

[counterman]

Thanks for your replies. At this stage, i guess i am unsure about what to do and my approach is why not take both if i can ? All my friends say they want to do both engineering and commerce because of the versatility it offers in jobs i.e. a commerce or engineering occupation. should this be a reason for taking it ? I don't want to spend another year doing a course i wouldn't need.

How long does this course run for at usyd and unsw ? which university is preferable for this course?

 

[doink]

5 years, both are fine.

 

[dont-ban-me-plz]

just do straight civil

 

[counterman]

cool, so it's 4 years for just a civil engineering course and 5 years with commerce. How come i should just do straight civil ?

 

[engineering]

The combined degree cuts out the engineering electives, in order to put 4 years of engineering and 3 years of commerce into a 5 year degree. Essentially your "electives" are commerce.

Some students in the combined degree choose to do the extra units required for specialisation, but this is extra work (either overload, or take longer).

In my view this is not needed - if you get in combined degree you are smart, if you miss something in an elective you didnt do, you should be smart enough to pick it up quickly enough.

Most of our combined commerce/engineering students from civil do start off in a civil engineering job, but with the financial background they have, they tend to diverge into other areas a little more quickly.

 

[counterman]

cool, this is making sense to me . thanks for your replies. any recommendations & opinions on what i should do ?

 

[-Anfernee-]

You should definitely go with Engineering/ Commerce if you get the chance. One extra year at university will not be such a bad thing, it'll give you more time to get invloved in extra curricular activities, internships and clubs and mature a little.

But the biggest advantage is the versatility and oppurtunites available to you when you graduate. With a combined degree you will be pretty much set, and Engineering is often seen as a safe, secure job even in volatile job markets.

Besides, if you decide you don't like one degree you can always transfer into a straight program.

 

[dumarab]

3 questions

are the electives essensial.

and

I got a 88.30 NSW UAI. Is there a chance i will get in to this combined degree?

And

If i don't get into the combined degree, can i switch to the combined degree after first year as normal engo?

 

[spence]

3 questions

are the electives essensial.

and

I got a 88.30 NSW UAI. Is there a chance i will get in to this combined degree?

And

If i don't get into the combined degree, can i switch to the combined degree after first year as normal engo?

Yes to the third question provided your results are good

 

[big8oyjames]

3 questions

are the electives essensial.

and

I got a 88.30 NSW UAI. Is there a chance i will get in to this combined degree?

And

If i don't get into the combined degree, can i switch to the combined degree after first year as normal engo?

you should get in dude.

 

[born to fly]

you should get in dude.

dont think so..... the rest of us needed around 95 to get in a year ago.

 

[doink]

3 questions

are the electives essensial.

and

I got a 88.30 NSW UAI. Is there a chance i will get in to this combined degree?

And

If i don't get into the combined degree, can i switch to the combined degree after first year as normal engo?

1. No
2. No
3. Yes

 

[counterman]

i read that you can major in two areas of commerce as part of the combined degree in usyd. .can someone clarify that ? what do you recommend as majors that may go with a civil engineering degree ?

what essentially does a civil engineer do ?

 

[kooltrainer]

i wana no if u can change ur (say) engineering degree into a science degree coz u found out tht u dun like engineering...
it'll become a commerce/science one ?...

 

[fush]

A civil engineer can work on a variety of different projects (from road infrastructures, structures, buildings, power projects, dams....).
You can work for a consultancy where you would typically provide design/project management or other specialist services or with a construction company where you might start as a site engineer supervising works and construction management.

For Commerce, you can have 2 majors. I was originally doing accounting and finance but i switched to just finance because accounting is not my thing...

For engineering I would recommend:
- Finance as it gives you good skills in valuations which is useful in project valuations/feasbility studies....
- Accounting (esp management accounting) is good complement for project management
- Commercial Law is also helpful i think for engineers

I don't really know bout the other commerce majrs

i read that you can major in two areas of commerce as part of the combined degree in usyd. .can someone clarify that ? what do you recommend as majors that may go with a civil engineering degree ?

what essentially does a civil engineer do ?

 

[counterman]

can a civil engineer also work for a bank ? esp. with the majors in commerce such as finance and accounting ?

At Usyd : 1) how difficult is this course ? i.e. topics, exams
2) what is the study environment like i.e. lectures, tutorials, etc ? how are the facilities ?
3) what is the timetable like with 2 majors? with 1 major in commerce ?
4) what are its pros and cons in terms of the engineering/commerce course compared to unsw ?
5) is physics studied widely in the civil engineering course ? (i love physics)

it's between usyd and unsw but i'm leaning more towards usyd, though i don't know why =S

 

[counterman]

bump