Master of Architectural Engineering

Critical Communication for Engineers (CCE) addresses the skills vital for professional success. Problem analysis skills and being able to present solutions effectively to your engineering peers, leaders and the broader community are a powerful combination. These are the focus of CCE.

They are challenging skills to learn—and you will likely work to improve them throughout your career. Effective communication is not merely about how to write a report or to give a formal presentation. Developing a strong argument—having something insightful to communicate—is essential for capturing the attention of an audience. This requires developing good interpersonal skills for gathering information and testing ideas.

The subject is divided into four ‘topics’ presented in sequence through the semester. Each topic is self-contained and dedicated to a different engineering issue. There is an assessment for each topic, meaning that you will be able to apply what you have learned from one topic to the following topics. This way, you will have a lot of opportunities to practise and develop your analytical and communication skills.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering focuses on sustainable design, and the creation of engineering solutions minimising impact on the environment while maximising societal benefit. A series of guest lectures from well-known domain experts, will highlight contemporary and future demands on infrastructure, exploring holistic engineering solutions.

In concert with these guest lectures, the foundations and methods of sustainability assessment will be established such as the engineering metrics functionality or longevity. Environmental, economic and social assessment methods will be introduced, widening the awareness of the overall impact and side effects of engineering projects. Selecting indicators and measuring them on carefully established scales, students will gain a holistic understanding of the complexities of – and potential trade-offs in – decision-making, including considerations of social equity, quality of life and wellbeing. Techniques like life-cycle analysis, material (flow) balance, and footprint analysis will be introduced together with transferable skills like technical report writing. In parallel, students will learn about the influential role that infrastructure plays in shaping communities, both short-term and long-term, in a staged design project.

This subject is essential for students in an infrastructure engineering discipline – civil engineering, digital infrastructure engineering, or environmental engineering. It is also relevant to students with an interest in an environmental, economic or social domain who seek to better understand the role of the engineered built environment in their discipline.

Please view this video for further information: Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

This subject covers topics required to understand systems involving fluids, both in motion and at rest, and their application in engineered systems. These include dams, pipes, open channels, pumps and both liquid and gaseous flow, with relevance to civil, mechanical, infrastructure and environmental engineering contexts. Students will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of how fluids behave and how this can be applied to solve engineering challenges. Topics covered include - Fluid statics, manometry, derivation of the continuity equation, mechanical energy balance, friction losses in a straight pipe, Newton’s law of viscosity, treatment of pipe roughness, valves and fittings; simple pipe network problems; principles of open channel flow; compressible flow, propagation of pressure wave, isothermal and adiabatic flow equations in a pipe, choked flow. Pumps – pump characteristics, centrifugal pumps, derivation of theoretical head, head losses leading to the actual pump head curve, calculating system head, determining the operating point of a pumping system, throttling for flow control, cavitation and NPSH, affinity laws and pump scale-up, introduction to positive displacement pumps; Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, Multi-dimensional fluid flow-momentum flux, development of multi-dimensional equations of continuity and for momentum transfer, Navier-Stokes equations, application to tube flow, Couette flow, Stokes flow.

Please view this video for further information: Fluid Mechanics

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject introduces important mathematical methods required in engineering such as manipulating vector differential operators, computing multiple integrals and using integral theorems. A range of ordinary and partial differential equations are solved by a variety of methods and their solution behaviour is interpreted. The subject also introduces series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.

Topics include: Vector calculus, including Gauss’ and Stokes’ Theorems; systems of homogeneous ordinary differential equations, including phase plane and linearisation for nonlinear systems; Laplace transforms; series, including Taylor series and power series; Fourier series and Fourier integrals; second order partial differential equations and separation of variables.

View detailed information in the Handbook

In this subject students will be introduced to physical earth processes and their engineering applications and implications. In particular, the subject concentrates on engineering aspects of climate, water, rocks and soils and their interactions. Simplified modelling and relevant analytical techniques are introduced throughout the subject. The students will learn about fundamental material required for later year subjects in civil, environmental and geotechnical engineering.

The subject covers topics such as climate and seasonality; carbon cycle, global water cycle and catchment water cycle; rainfall, infiltration, runoff and evapotranspiration; catchment processes and stochastic rainfall modelling; Earth structure and composition; mineral and rock properties; geological processes; soil identification and classification; soil compaction.

View detailed information in the Handbook

The subject aims to provide knowledge about engineered materials, their properties, manufacturing processes and key issues associated with their applications in engineering. The subject also introduces the relationships between the structure of a material and its properties.
This subject provides an introduction to modelling the stresses and deformations that occur when axial, torsional and flexural loads are applied to materials in static equilibrium.
This subject must be taken early in the progression of training to be an engineer as it is a prerequisite of structural design subjects, and contributes valuable insights into the role of materials in other disciplines of engineering such as geotechnical engineering.

Please view this video for further information: Engineering Materials and Mechanics

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

This subject introduces the basic methods of structural analysis and the design of simple structures which are built of reinforced concrete, steel, timber and masonry. A feature of this subject is the integration of the design and analytical skills in dealing with contemporary structures that have an effective blending of materials for achieving satisfactory performance and economy in construction.

This subject consolidates basic structural theory and design abilities that underpin further specialised studies in structural design in engineering masters programs. It also gives students some basic capabilities to seek work experience in the engineering profession.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include: stress analysis in beams, deflection calculations using direct integration and virtual work methods, structural analyses of beams and frames by the force method, structural design of reinforced concrete beams and columns, design of pad footing, structural design of steel beams, columns and ties, design of timber joists and masonry squat walls.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Geotechnical Modelling and Design is a capstone subject in geotechnical engineering, focusing on strengthening fundamental soil mechanics knowledge and further expanding practical geotechnical engineering knowledge and modelling skills. Students will grasp knowledge through lectures, laboratory practicals, tutorials and computer workshops, where emphasis is paid on self-learning and problem-solving skills.

In this capstone subject, students are required to finish a practical design project by applying their knowledge to solve a number of design problems while considering multiple and sometimes conflicting design criteria which aims to strengthen their problem-solving skills. This project provides a good opportunity for the student to apply technical knowledge (e.g. soil mechanics, water seepage and slope stability analysis) and strengthen engineering design skills (e.g. problem solving approach, trade-off analysis, data management, software modelling, communications, presentation). This is to prepare the students for employment in the industry, as well as future study or research.

This subject builds on knowledge gained in subjects such as Engineering Mathematics, Fluid Mechanics and Earth Processes for Engineering and assumes familiarity with concepts of civil and geotechnical engineering. This subject also delivers introductory material for engineering graduate coursework subjects including Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Hydraulics and Quantitative Environmental Modelling.

The subject will cover topics such as basic soil mechanics, stresses in soils, effective stress principle, Coulomb failure criteria, site investigation, permeability and seepage, flow nets, the effect of seepage on stability, slope stability principles, landslides, design and remediation, trade-off analysis in engineering design, and computer modelling to solve engineering design problems.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject is the culmination of each student's studies in the Master of Architectural Engineering. It will offer a range of opportunities for students to demonstrate an original approach to research and design synthesising, in architecture and engineering. The capstone thesis is co-taught between the faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning and the Melbourne School of Engineering, providing an interdisciplinary environment for students. The subject is designed to provide students with an enriching experience that immerses them in a dual architectural-engineering research and design environment, fit for the double accreditation of their degree.

Students will be expected to demonstrate their aptitude to conduct research and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in architectural and engineering theory and practice.

The specific outputs of the thesis in terms of design and research will be determined on a case by case basis, with course coordinator approval.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject provides an overview of a wide range of issues relating to infrastructure engineering, with a particular focus on the environmental, economic and social implications of engineering projects. Students will gain a holistic understanding of the complexities of – and potential trade-offs in – decision-making, including considerations of social equity, quality of life and wellbeing, and assessment of economic and environmental impacts. Students will learn about the influential role that infrastructure plays in shaping a society, and the effects both short-term and long-term. Students will also learn to apply various methods to evaluate infrastructure projects from a sustainability perspective. Lectures will be complemented by examples or case studies, assigned tasks and a group project in order to consolidate and apply learnings. Throughout the term, students will be supported to enhance their research skills as well as their oral and written communication skills.

This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects. Engineering Site Characterisation explores how to determine the character of a site for an infrastructure project. Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how a project relates to the broader social, economic, and environmental context. Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project.

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

Characterisation of sites is an important step in civil engineering study or design. In order to devise a design for an engineering project a range of contextual factors need to be determined. These include intrinsic aspects of natural and anthropogenic history, such as geological context and former industrial use as well as its environmental considerations. The engineering properties of ground needs to be assessed and understood for the purpose of development. Extrinsic impacts on the site such as the risk of fire, extreme wind loads and earthquake also need to be well understood.

This subject will examine typical technical tools for characterising a site for infrastructure development, covering a range of the above aspects that are relevant to the site and development. In doing so students will learn the skills and an approach to conduct site assessments, including the ability to select the appropriate geo-environmental tools for site investigations.

This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects; Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for a infrastructure project, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how the project relates to the broader social, political, economic and environmental context, while Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project. Together they form the basis of further professional infrastructure engineering subjects. Students who have completed this subject will have valuable skills to gain engineering work experience.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Basic principles of engineering geology, Site Investigation Techniques, Ground Models (different types of models from conceptual to observational and analytical), The Engineering Geology of Melbourne (and Victoria), GeoHazards (different types, typical geohazards, case studies, risk assessment and risk register), Rock Engineering, Geotechnical site investigations, natural disaster characterisation (fire, wind, earthquakes), introduction to surveying and levelling, in situ testing (soil), geophysical testing and fieldwork, groundwater investigation and exposure to laboratory testing (compaction, permeability and strength).

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

Soil and rock are among the most important civil engineering materials. They form the foundations of all structures, can be rearranged to provide a topography to suit particular needs like embankments for road and railways, can form a structure in its own right when used for levee banks or dam walls, or may need to be removed to allow access such as with tunnels and cuttings. Students completing this unit should understand how to make simplifications to complex soil conditions, how to establish strength/deformation characteristics of the soil and how to apply fundamental geomechanics knowledge learned in earlier units to solve various geotechnical engineering applications topics, including problems involving the stability of an earth mass for these various situations and introducing the design of shallow foundations. Graduates from this subject will be able to work under the guidance of a chartered engineer to design and supervise construction of a range of geotechnical structures such as shallow foundations, embankments, and retaining walls.

This subject builds directly on knowledge from a range of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects in the areas of mathematics, statistics, earth processes, and fluid mechanics. It also draws on knowledge of sustainability and management to provide context for problems.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include a review of pore-water pressures and effective stress, soil strength and compressibility (direct shear and triaxial testing, and others), consolidation, shallow foundations (bearing capacity and settlement), rigid and flexible earth retaining structures, reinforced soil walls, and introduction to geothermal energy.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Project management provides an organisation with powerful tools that improve its ability to plan, organise and manage resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. In undertaking this subject students will explore the principles and distinct technical skills of engineering management that are needed to implement a project. The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in engineering project management, but is also of relevance to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered.

Topics covered include key aspects of the management principles, project planning & scheduling, management systems & control and management practices to enable execution of the project in a timely and financially prudent manner.

Note: This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

Students that successfully completely this subject will have the skills to practice under a chartered engineer to analyse problems and propose designs in the field of civil and environmental hydraulic engineering. Analysis of water flow in natural and constructed channels is studied in the river hydraulics module. This gives students the fundamental tools to learn techniques such as flood prediction, the design of channels for water movement in irrigation, and the prediction of water levels in channels in environmental flow studies. The movement of water and sediment along coasts due to wave action and currents is the focus of the coastal hydraulics module. An understanding of wave processes in coastal and surf zones is an essential starting point for the design of coastal structures such as piers, groins and jetties. With impending sea level rise, this will be a significant area of civil engineering practice for the foreseeable future. In the third module, the focus will be on processes of sediment transport and geomorphological change in rivers and coastal waters. The ability to analyse these processes can lead to graduates working in the area of river engineering, where for example the erosion of sediment from bridge abutments must be controlled. It is also important in ecological modelling where the movement of sediments and entrainment in water can impact on the habitat of stream biota.

The subject will draw on students’ existing knowledge of fluid mechanics, systems modelling, statistics, engineering mathematics and geomorphology gained from undergraduate or other preparatory study.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

1. River Hydraulics: revision of basic concepts of steady-state open channel flow and extend this with applications in natural river channels, time dependent behaviour and flood hydraulics
2. Coastal Hydraulics: basic wave theory and processes including in the surf zone
3. Sediment Transport and Water Quality: mechanisms and models of particulate and solute transport in rivers and coastal environments.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject introduces advanced methods of structural analysis and design, and their applications to the engineering of reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete and structural steel in compliance with the standards. Students will be given the opportunity to integrate the use of different materials into the design of contemporary structures through design projects. This subject would typically be the final subject in the sequence of structural engineering subjects for civil engineering students who do not want to specialise in structural engineering.

Topics covered include structural analyses of beams and frames by the stiffness matrix method; finite element analyses; computer analysis using commercial software package; structural design of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete elements; structural design of steel elements; consideration of sustainability in structural design.

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

This subject involves students learning the integrated process between design and construction by developing a proposal for a design & build project. An objective of the project is to help students explore the close relationship between design, constructability and construction. Students will develop a simplified design for an infrastructure project that includes a range of civil works such as basements, pavement and earthworks, foundations, drainage, level crossing removal projects, bridge construction and cranage, and then propose solutions for construction that may require iteration of the design. The proposed solution would also address OH&S, environmental, and social sustainability issues inherent in areas such waste minimisation, noise and dust control in a project environmental management plan.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject provides students with authentic, team-based experience in integrated civil engineering design, reflecting real-world professional practice. Students will work collaboratively on project-based design tasks focused on a major civil engineering system (e.g. an apartment building). The project emphasises sustainable and multidisciplinary solutions primarily focused on structural, geotechnical, and energy design. Learning is supported through lectures and workshops that directly relate to the project context providing students with critical skills to integrate theory with practical design application.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject challenges students to consider how is architecture situated – environmentally, politically and socially and culturally – and in turn how a site can influence architectural design.

A variety of independent studios will be offered for preferencing by ballot prior to the start of semester (O-week). Programmes will vary and may include civic, urban, housing, institutional, community or commercial typologies. Common to all studios will be sites that have cultural, environmental, political and legal complexities which designs will need to address. Seminar series, workshops and/or online modules will introduce students to design theories, design techniques and digital tools related to the design challenge(s), as a creative and intellectual counterpoint to design-led exploration in-studio.

Through a process of careful socio-cultural and environmental analysis of a complex site, study of precedents, and application of contemporary design theories and techniques, students will be expected to develop architectural designs that respond to their site with sensitivity and care. Students will be expected to demonstrate the cultural and site-based competencies set out in the National Standards of Competency for Architects. Students will also be asked to develop a style of design communication that is culturally appropriate to their ‘client’/stakeholder.

Please note : This is an ‘early start subject’ (for SEM 1 and 2) a ballot for preferencing studios runs on Monday of O-week – the week BEFORE week 1 on the university calendar ( - and a compulsory all-day in-person symposium is on the Friday of O-week.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject challenges students to creatively compose and strategically organise space for a complex programme.

A variety of independent studios will be offered for preferencing by ballot prior to the start of semester. Programmes and sites will vary and may include civic, urban, housing, institutional, community or commercial typologies in urban, suburban, or regional settings. Common to all studios will be medium to large scale buildings with complex briefs.

Through a process of careful analysis of function, creative exploration of three-dimensional form and space, study of precedents, and application of contemporary design theories and techniques, students will be expected to develop architectural designs that demonstrate mastery over spatial organisation and experiential dynamics.

Architectural designs produced by students will be expected to integrate selected spatial requirements set out in the National Standards of Competency for Architects (NSCA) and in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and consider environmental and ethical impact.

Students will be expected to communicate a complex design vision in a clear and professional manner.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This cluster/subject challenges students to design small scale architecture to a high degree of material resolution. This includes consideration of the tectonics – poetics of construction – and the whole of life environmental implications of material choices.

A variety of independent studios will be offered for preferencing by ballot prior to the start of semester (O-week). Programs will vary and may include civic, urban, housing, institutional, community or commercial typologies. Common to all studios will be small scale architecture resolved to a high degree of detail. A Seminar series and/or workshops and/or online modules will introduce students to design theories, design techniques and digital tools related to the design challenge(s).

Through a process of careful investigation of materials, study of precedents, and application of contemporary design theories and techniques, students will be expected to develop architectural designs that use materials both poetically and resourcefully. Students will be expected to demonstrate the environmental and material competencies set out in the National Standards of Competency for Architects. Students will also be expected to communicate their design vision in a clear, detailed and professional manner, incorporating models and/or prototypes and/or material investigations as appropriate to their design.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject offers a broad introduction to contemporary theories and methods used in the production and critique of architecture in the context of current practice.

Architectural concepts such as program, diagram, transparency, tectonics, materiality, and ornament will be explored along with the contemporary manifestations of landscape urbanism, digital technologies, ecological sustainability, and biomimicry in design. The subject provides a perspective within which contemporary architectural polemics and strategies can be understood so that students can approach their own practice with the knowledge of existing contemporary theories of design.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject focuses on the architectural design development of complex building types (e.g. highly bespoke high-rise, large commercial or institutional buildings), which generally are not studied in detail at undergraduate level. Students explore and translate their own complex design propositions into an architectural proposal that considers:

• Economic feasibility;
• Programme-based technical requirements;
• Regulatory inputs to architectural design;
• Assembly of structural construction systems;
• Environmental design;
• Building enclosure and materiality;
• Current industry practice and innovation.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Architectural Practice examines the intersection of professional conduct and architectural practice with real-world project delivery. Students gain insight into the operational frameworks, ethical responsibilities and leadership roles typically held by architects in serving clients and the public interest.

The subject highlights how design cultures and professional practice align with legal and ethical frameworks, covering areas such as project management and leadership, procurement, contract administration, risk and business management, and professional ethics. While focusing on industry issues and practices in an Australian context, the subject also considers architectural practice as a global discipline, contributing to the international understanding of the architect’s role in society

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject provides a broad introduction and review of the key principles of sustainable design to be applied to architecture with an emphasis on building and indoor environment performance. The subject aims to provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge about evidence-based design strategies, including a range of user-centred strategies, technologies, performance evaluation tools and/or methods. The subject reviews quantitative and qualitative assessment methods and tools. An introduction to various rating and certification systems is also provided.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject provides an introduction to architectural design taught in a series of three vignettes, each encompassing a different methodology for operating as a designer and a problem solver. The vignettes are structurally independent from one another, but build their complexity, scale and the amount of architectural tools required to complete them providing not only a diversity of tools, but also a survey of pedagogies. The sequence will instil a strong understanding of the foundations of excellent design practice.

Incidental costs

Students will be required to purchase modelling and drawing materials for the course (not including personal computer and software); cost approx. $300 .

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject provides an introduction to architectural design resolution, that is, methods of integrating design concepts, spatial definition, program, context, and technology. Through precedent research and design projects, students will gain an understanding of established typologies, respond to existing contexts, and integrate their design concepts with complex spatial planning.

Incidental costs

Students will be required to purchase modelling and drawing materials to complete this subject, including costs to cover model making; the overall cost is estimated to be approx. $300 to $500 per person.

Prescribed software programs with a cost
McNeel Rhino
Prescribed software tools
Image editing software (e.g. Affinity Photo)
Vector editing software (e.g. Affinity Designer)
Layout software (e.g. Affinity Publisher)

Details of software availability and pricing are captured at: https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/current-students/student-experience/it-support

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject, running intensively in Week 5 of Semester 1 and delivered in Barmah (northern Victoria) , explores the idea of construction as a process linking specific principles, materials, elements, systems and techniques strategically. Using a set of individual construction types as case studies, Construction Methods A will review and explain the physical anatomy of given technological types, emphasising parameters concerned with connectedness, stability, assembly and performance. Students will learn techniques to represent these types with drawings and models.

The subject overview and health and safety work will happen during Week 5.

Approximate costs to students:

This subject has a residential component in week 5. Students will be required to cover travel costs and purchase safety equipment.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject articulates the idea of architectural design as a process where the global environmental agenda, design concepts, and tectonics are intertwined. Students associate technological implementation with architectural design intent by identifying and applying specific building materials, systems, and components to produce responsible and sustainable architecture, critically reflecting on how technological awareness can support and inform appropriate architectural solutions.

The assessment tasks encompass the iterative and environmentally responsive design processes through research, detailed assessment of options and the integration of technical solutions to maintain or enhance the design intent. The documentation set and final detailed design include selecting coherent material systems, components, and systems, also based on building codes and standards.

Prescribed software tools

Drafting software (e.g. McNeel Rhino, AutoCAD)

Image editing software (e.g. Affinity Photo)

Layout software (e.g. Affinity Publisher).

Details of software availability and pricing are captured at https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/current-students/student-experience/it-support#software.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject surveys the ways in which architecture as a discipline and a profession influenced, reciprocated and sometimes shaped the changing ideological, social and political environment of the 20th century and after.

It identifies key ideas and interventions at different scales ranging from domestic buildings to urban institutions and environments.

Who/what were the agents, organizations, projects and users – and what were their legacies?

Each lecture will link architectural movements and texts to built works and built environments focusing on specific examples and people that best illustrate key ideas. The theme of each lecture will be formulated around the critical analysis of the legacy of these various orientations and their positive or negative outcomes or reception.

Students will examine colonial and imperial cities, the European avant-garde, American modernism, CIAM 8 and social programs and utopian movements.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject surveys the ways in which architecture as a discipline and a profession influenced, reciprocated and sometimes shaped the changing ideological, social and political environment of the 20th century and after. It identifies key ideas and interventions at different scales ranging from domestic buildings to urban institutions and environments.

Who/what were the agents, organizations, projects and users – and what were their legacies?

Each lecture will link architectural movements and texts to built works and built environments focusing on specific examples and people that best illustrate key ideas.

The theme of each lecture will be formulated around the critical analysis of the legacy of these various orientations and their positive or negative outcomes or reception.

Students will examine modernist capital cities and capitol buildings in Asia and South America, postmodernism, regionalism, deconstruction and digital networks, sustainability and vulnerable environments and globalization.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject is the culmination of each student's studies in the Master of Architectural Engineering. It will offer a range of opportunities for students to demonstrate an original approach to research and design synthesising, in architecture and engineering. The capstone thesis is co-taught between the faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning and the Melbourne School of Engineering, providing an interdisciplinary environment for students. The subject is designed to provide students with an enriching experience that immerses them in a dual architectural-engineering research and design environment, fit for the double accreditation of their degree.

Students will be expected to demonstrate their aptitude to conduct research and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in architectural and engineering theory and practice.

The specific outputs of the thesis in terms of design and research will be determined on a case by case basis, with course coordinator approval.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject provides an overview of a wide range of issues relating to infrastructure engineering, with a particular focus on the environmental, economic and social implications of engineering projects. Students will gain a holistic understanding of the complexities of – and potential trade-offs in – decision-making, including considerations of social equity, quality of life and wellbeing, and assessment of economic and environmental impacts. Students will learn about the influential role that infrastructure plays in shaping a society, and the effects both short-term and long-term. Students will also learn to apply various methods to evaluate infrastructure projects from a sustainability perspective. Lectures will be complemented by examples or case studies, assigned tasks and a group project in order to consolidate and apply learnings. Throughout the term, students will be supported to enhance their research skills as well as their oral and written communication skills.

This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects. Engineering Site Characterisation explores how to determine the character of a site for an infrastructure project. Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how a project relates to the broader social, economic, and environmental context. Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project.

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

Characterisation of sites is an important step in civil engineering study or design. In order to devise a design for an engineering project a range of contextual factors need to be determined. These include intrinsic aspects of natural and anthropogenic history, such as geological context and former industrial use as well as its environmental considerations. The engineering properties of ground needs to be assessed and understood for the purpose of development. Extrinsic impacts on the site such as the risk of fire, extreme wind loads and earthquake also need to be well understood.

This subject will examine typical technical tools for characterising a site for infrastructure development, covering a range of the above aspects that are relevant to the site and development. In doing so students will learn the skills and an approach to conduct site assessments, including the ability to select the appropriate geo-environmental tools for site investigations.

This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects; Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for a infrastructure project, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how the project relates to the broader social, political, economic and environmental context, while Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project. Together they form the basis of further professional infrastructure engineering subjects. Students who have completed this subject will have valuable skills to gain engineering work experience.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Basic principles of engineering geology, Site Investigation Techniques, Ground Models (different types of models from conceptual to observational and analytical), The Engineering Geology of Melbourne (and Victoria), GeoHazards (different types, typical geohazards, case studies, risk assessment and risk register), Rock Engineering, Geotechnical site investigations, natural disaster characterisation (fire, wind, earthquakes), introduction to surveying and levelling, in situ testing (soil), geophysical testing and fieldwork, groundwater investigation and exposure to laboratory testing (compaction, permeability and strength).

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

Soil and rock are among the most important civil engineering materials. They form the foundations of all structures, can be rearranged to provide a topography to suit particular needs like embankments for road and railways, can form a structure in its own right when used for levee banks or dam walls, or may need to be removed to allow access such as with tunnels and cuttings. Students completing this unit should understand how to make simplifications to complex soil conditions, how to establish strength/deformation characteristics of the soil and how to apply fundamental geomechanics knowledge learned in earlier units to solve various geotechnical engineering applications topics, including problems involving the stability of an earth mass for these various situations and introducing the design of shallow foundations. Graduates from this subject will be able to work under the guidance of a chartered engineer to design and supervise construction of a range of geotechnical structures such as shallow foundations, embankments, and retaining walls.

This subject builds directly on knowledge from a range of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects in the areas of mathematics, statistics, earth processes, and fluid mechanics. It also draws on knowledge of sustainability and management to provide context for problems.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include a review of pore-water pressures and effective stress, soil strength and compressibility (direct shear and triaxial testing, and others), consolidation, shallow foundations (bearing capacity and settlement), rigid and flexible earth retaining structures, reinforced soil walls, and introduction to geothermal energy.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Project management provides an organisation with powerful tools that improve its ability to plan, organise and manage resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. In undertaking this subject students will explore the principles and distinct technical skills of engineering management that are needed to implement a project. The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in engineering project management, but is also of relevance to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered.

Topics covered include key aspects of the management principles, project planning & scheduling, management systems & control and management practices to enable execution of the project in a timely and financially prudent manner.

Note: This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).

View detailed information in the Handbook

AIMS

Students that successfully completely this subject will have the skills to practice under a chartered engineer to analyse problems and propose designs in the field of civil and environmental hydraulic engineering. Analysis of water flow in natural and constructed channels is studied in the river hydraulics module. This gives students the fundamental tools to learn techniques such as flood prediction, the design of channels for water movement in irrigation, and the prediction of water levels in channels in environmental flow studies. The movement of water and sediment along coasts due to wave action and currents is the focus of the coastal hydraulics module. An understanding of wave processes in coastal and surf zones is an essential starting point for the design of coastal structures such as piers, groins and jetties. With impending sea level rise, this will be a significant area of civil engineering practice for the foreseeable future. In the third module, the focus will be on processes of sediment transport and geomorphological change in rivers and coastal waters. The ability to analyse these processes can lead to graduates working in the area of river engineering, where for example the erosion of sediment from bridge abutments must be controlled. It is also important in ecological modelling where the movement of sediments and entrainment in water can impact on the habitat of stream biota.

The subject will draw on students’ existing knowledge of fluid mechanics, systems modelling, statistics, engineering mathematics and geomorphology gained from undergraduate or other preparatory study.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

1. River Hydraulics: revision of basic concepts of steady-state open channel flow and extend this with applications in natural river channels, time dependent behaviour and flood hydraulics
2. Coastal Hydraulics: basic wave theory and processes including in the surf zone
3. Sediment Transport and Water Quality: mechanisms and models of particulate and solute transport in rivers and coastal environments.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject introduces advanced methods of structural analysis and design, and their applications to the engineering of reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete and structural steel in compliance with the standards. Students will be given the opportunity to integrate the use of different materials into the design of contemporary structures through design projects. This subject would typically be the final subject in the sequence of structural engineering subjects for civil engineering students who do not want to specialise in structural engineering.

Topics covered include structural analyses of beams and frames by the stiffness matrix method; finite element analyses; computer analysis using commercial software package; structural design of reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete elements; structural design of steel elements; consideration of sustainability in structural design.

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AIMS

This subject involves students learning the integrated process between design and construction by developing a proposal for a design & build project. An objective of the project is to help students explore the close relationship between design, constructability and construction. Students will develop a simplified design for an infrastructure project that includes a range of civil works such as basements, pavement and earthworks, foundations, drainage, level crossing removal projects, bridge construction and cranage, and then propose solutions for construction that may require iteration of the design. The proposed solution would also address OH&S, environmental, and social sustainability issues inherent in areas such waste minimisation, noise and dust control in a project environmental management plan.

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This subject provides students with authentic, team-based experience in integrated civil engineering design, reflecting real-world professional practice. Students will work collaboratively on project-based design tasks focused on a major civil engineering system (e.g. an apartment building). The project emphasises sustainable and multidisciplinary solutions primarily focused on structural, geotechnical, and energy design. Learning is supported through lectures and workshops that directly relate to the project context providing students with critical skills to integrate theory with practical design application.

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This subject challenges students to consider how is architecture situated – environmentally, politically and socially and culturally – and in turn how a site can influence architectural design.

A variety of independent studios will be offered for preferencing by ballot prior to the start of semester (O-week). Programmes will vary and may include civic, urban, housing, institutional, community or commercial typologies. Common to all studios will be sites that have cultural, environmental, political and legal complexities which designs will need to address. Seminar series, workshops and/or online modules will introduce students to design theories, design techniques and digital tools related to the design challenge(s), as a creative and intellectual counterpoint to design-led exploration in-studio.

Through a process of careful socio-cultural and environmental analysis of a complex site, study of precedents, and application of contemporary design theories and techniques, students will be expected to develop architectural designs that respond to their site with sensitivity and care. Students will be expected to demonstrate the cultural and site-based competencies set out in the National Standards of Competency for Architects. Students will also be asked to develop a style of design communication that is culturally appropriate to their ‘client’/stakeholder.

Please note : This is an ‘early start subject’ (for SEM 1 and 2) a ballot for preferencing studios runs on Monday of O-week – the week BEFORE week 1 on the university calendar ( - and a compulsory all-day in-person symposium is on the Friday of O-week.

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This subject challenges students to creatively compose and strategically organise space for a complex programme.

A variety of independent studios will be offered for preferencing by ballot prior to the start of semester. Programmes and sites will vary and may include civic, urban, housing, institutional, community or commercial typologies in urban, suburban, or regional settings. Common to all studios will be medium to large scale buildings with complex briefs.

Through a process of careful analysis of function, creative exploration of three-dimensional form and space, study of precedents, and application of contemporary design theories and techniques, students will be expected to develop architectural designs that demonstrate mastery over spatial organisation and experiential dynamics.

Architectural designs produced by students will be expected to integrate selected spatial requirements set out in the National Standards of Competency for Architects (NSCA) and in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and consider environmental and ethical impact.

Students will be expected to communicate a complex design vision in a clear and professional manner.

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This cluster/subject challenges students to design small scale architecture to a high degree of material resolution. This includes consideration of the tectonics – poetics of construction – and the whole of life environmental implications of material choices.

A variety of independent studios will be offered for preferencing by ballot prior to the start of semester (O-week). Programs will vary and may include civic, urban, housing, institutional, community or commercial typologies. Common to all studios will be small scale architecture resolved to a high degree of detail. A Seminar series and/or workshops and/or online modules will introduce students to design theories, design techniques and digital tools related to the design challenge(s).

Through a process of careful investigation of materials, study of precedents, and application of contemporary design theories and techniques, students will be expected to develop architectural designs that use materials both poetically and resourcefully. Students will be expected to demonstrate the environmental and material competencies set out in the National Standards of Competency for Architects. Students will also be expected to communicate their design vision in a clear, detailed and professional manner, incorporating models and/or prototypes and/or material investigations as appropriate to their design.

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This subject offers a broad introduction to contemporary theories and methods used in the production and critique of architecture in the context of current practice.

Architectural concepts such as program, diagram, transparency, tectonics, materiality, and ornament will be explored along with the contemporary manifestations of landscape urbanism, digital technologies, ecological sustainability, and biomimicry in design. The subject provides a perspective within which contemporary architectural polemics and strategies can be understood so that students can approach their own practice with the knowledge of existing contemporary theories of design.

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This subject focuses on the architectural design development of complex building types (e.g. highly bespoke high-rise, large commercial or institutional buildings), which generally are not studied in detail at undergraduate level. Students explore and translate their own complex design propositions into an architectural proposal that considers:

• Economic feasibility;
• Programme-based technical requirements;
• Regulatory inputs to architectural design;
• Assembly of structural construction systems;
• Environmental design;
• Building enclosure and materiality;
• Current industry practice and innovation.

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Architectural Practice examines the intersection of professional conduct and architectural practice with real-world project delivery. Students gain insight into the operational frameworks, ethical responsibilities and leadership roles typically held by architects in serving clients and the public interest.

The subject highlights how design cultures and professional practice align with legal and ethical frameworks, covering areas such as project management and leadership, procurement, contract administration, risk and business management, and professional ethics. While focusing on industry issues and practices in an Australian context, the subject also considers architectural practice as a global discipline, contributing to the international understanding of the architect’s role in society

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This subject provides a broad introduction and review of the key principles of sustainable design to be applied to architecture with an emphasis on building and indoor environment performance. The subject aims to provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge about evidence-based design strategies, including a range of user-centred strategies, technologies, performance evaluation tools and/or methods. The subject reviews quantitative and qualitative assessment methods and tools. An introduction to various rating and certification systems is also provided.

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