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Last Updated: February 24, 2021

Studying Computer Engineering in Australia

Because of the country's high regard for education, Australia has become an avenue for students all over the world when it comes to a higher degree of education. Australia also opens its door to several courses widely taken by a lot of students especially in the fields of engineering.

Computer Engineering is one of the most popular programs taken by many today. And Australia is a home of great universities offering engineering courses. Finding a good school in Australia to get a computer engineering course can be tough. Not that there is a lack of quality institutions in the country, but rather you are given a lot of good options on where to start your academic journey. There are some good universities and colleges in Australia that will guide you as you go through your chosen field - Computer Engineering for that matter. In fact, Australia has 7 universities in the top 100 institutions according to the QS Ranking by Subject 2020 (Computer Science and Information Systems), with 3 in the top 50 including the University of Melbourne (Rank 32), The Australian National University (Rank 41) and the University of Sydney (Rank 42).

Some other universities in Australia offering Computer Engineering courses are Monash University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland, Curtin University, University of New Castle, and La Trobe University. These universities have qualifications at par with the standards of the finest college and university programs offered anywhere else in the world, and will give the student every chance to have a better career in the future. These schools boast Computer Engineering courses under the Information Technology Department, Faculty of Science, and School of Engineering. They are all dedicated to bringing the Computer Engineering program up to share with their students the value, theories, approaches, and applications of the program through research and teaching giving a distinct character to the course.

How can one apply for a Computer Engineering course in Australia?

Application in Australian schools depends on whether you are an Australian or an international applicant. Australian students are required to pass the university exams and submit requirements like Year 12 documents. A guaranteed Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) score is often quoted by institutions, which will typically be over 90 in the case of most elite universities. For international students, it varies whether they take Year 12 in Australia and what degree of tertiary education they are applying for (graduate, postgraduate, research). What is important is to always check the requirements for admission to the school you wish to apply to for a computer engineering course. Students are suggested to look for recognized boards and degrees on the websites of universities they are interested in.

Costs and Fees

The cost of Computer Engineering programs in Australia is reasonable as every university offering it has cutting-edge technology and great facilities to strengthen knowledge in the field. But if one finds the cost range of this program too much for them, they can apply for the existing scholarships provided by the government and the non-government institutes around Australia. The Australian government, for instance, provides good grants and student loans for every Australian to fund their study. There are also school-based scholarships that anyone can avail of. These scholarships are offered for undergraduate, graduate, and research engineering students. The University of Melbourne provides scholarships to competent student applicants that meet their standards and qualifications.

InstitutionEstimated Yearly Fee (Indicative only)
University of Sydney$50,000
University of Melbourne$40,000-45,000
Australian National University$47,000
Monash University$46,000
University of New South Wales$48,000


Why take computer engineering? How can Australian schools shape me towards my dream? These questions when answered will surely help you in deciding. The best universities and colleges in Australia are there to guide you in your chosen field. And they will always welcome you if you have the spirit and commitment to go through with your plans.

Computer Engineering Jobs in Australia--Basic Things to Know

Australia offers a large variety of brilliant jobs ranging from education to information technology, to system analytics and technology. One of the more fairly in-demand jobs in Australia involves information technology and software management. Capable computer engineers are in extremely high demand and are very essential to most companies’ success, meaning it has become one of those positions that they are always on the lookout for talented and qualified candidates, whom they typically pay handsomely as well.

Compensation and Wages

Computer engineers in Australia are well compensated. Usually experienced computer engineers and newly graduated ones can find a great number of job opportunities with good salary rates in Australia. These engineering jobs offer a good annual compensation ranging from $41,000 to $100,000 (with an average salary of $75,000) for well-versed computer engineers. Some jobs may even pay upwards of $150,000. That is a good price for a job combining both information technology and science applications. And since it is in demand, there are many posts to be filled, and the possibility of getting hired is high, provided you meet the employer's required qualifications.

What you need to know when it comes to computer engineering jobs in Australia?

The Australian industry needs people who can extract and analyze information from the massive datasets generated by technological and computing processes and devices. Fields like data science and deep learning are the new challenges and opportunities in engineering practice across industries from construction and manufacturing, to transport and the energy sector. One of the most in-demand computer engineering jobs in Australia is in the field of computer network and system engineers. The duties of the computer engineer is to plan, develop and optimize network and system services. The work requires specialization in computer system integration and computer network engineering. Other computer engineering jobs in Australia are control system engineers, game programmers, software developers, application developers, and telecommunications engineers.

Companies often look for computer engineers with proper qualifications, especially those who have majored in certain specific subjects and have certain specializations. They also specify if they want to hire someone with experience, of course, this is proportional to good salary rates too, simply because an engineer with prior experience in a work environment is much more valuable to an employer. Also, doing a one-year diploma course in a subject relevant to your line of work is a good way to ensure that you have the upper hand when it comes to jobs with requirements for specializations. Such diploma courses are also offered by most universities, including the ones mentioned earlier in this article.

So be very observant and shrewd in spotting a job matching your skills and level of experience. Having certain specializations may count as experience in some situations. Make sure to be on the lookout for such crucial details. The key to being qualified for a job opportunity is simple: meet the employer's requirements and specifications, and you can never go wrong.

How to begin your computer engineering career in Australia?

Start your computer engineering career in Australia by first, looking for good job opportunities around. You may want to look for a good recruitment agency to represent you for your employment. There are growing numbers of recruitment companies around. But again, always look for credible and reputable ones to help you in your career path. Credible recruitment agencies are those with good records when it comes to recruitment.

Job postings on the internet can also be a good way to find an employer for computer engineer jobs in Australia. So, browse the net for a credited job offering sites or Job search engines. There are a lot of them. There are also multiple employment forums that you can consult before applying for a job. Most of these websites provide you with hundreds of job prospects to fill in and apply for. It is always better if you can find a job on a reliable Australian website.

Another way of looking for jobs is by asking for referrals from the school or university in Australia that you graduated from. Give them your credentials, and they surely will have a list of good job opportunities for you. Ask your former professors too. They might have ideas on job hiring and big companies looking for a computer engineer. Also, creating a network of your peers from your educational institutions can go a long way in ensuring you are kept aware of any opportunities that may arise, especially if you are on good terms with said peers.

Skilled workers are hugely in demand in Australia. Skilled computer engineer employment is definitely not an exception. With a good variety of jobs for computer engineers in Australia, you surely can come on to find and spark a promising career. There is no dearth of opportunity, some application and enterprise shown by you can go a long way in ensuring that you have a great career ahead of you.


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