How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Queensland: The Four-Year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with Six Core Specialisations and a Flexible First Year, with Entry and Prerequisite Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, undergraduate engineering sits in the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT). The main degree is the four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), taught at the St Lucia campus. The Bachelor of Computer Science is in the same faculty and has its own guide on this site, so it is not covered here. Based on UQ’s official information, this guide covers 2027 entry for domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants.

1. The degree, specialisations and accreditation

• Key facts: four years (part-time equivalent available), program code 2455, QTAC code 717001, CRICOS 080734K, AQF level 8. Semester 1 2027 starts on 22 February and Semester 2 on 26 July; UQ says 2028 dates are yet to be confirmed.
• Six core specialisations: Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Robotic and Mechatronic, and Software Engineering.
• Majors and minors: UQ says “6 core specialisations, 12 majors and 3 minors”. The specialisation pages list these majors: Biomedical, Bioprocess, Environmental and Metallurgical (Chemical); Environmental, Geotechnical, Mining, Structural, Transport, and Water and Marine (Civil); Biomedical and Computer (Electrical); Aerospace, Biomedical, Materials and Mining (Mechanical); Computer and Mining (Robotic and Mechatronic); Computer (Software). Four minors are listed (Artificial Intelligence, Computing, Data Science, Design), which does not match the “3 minors” on the page, so check the specialisation pages.
• Dual programs: with Information Technology, Business Management, Diploma in Languages, Computer Science, Arts, Mathematics, Design, Biotechnology, Commerce, Economics or Science; there is also a five-year full-time Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Master of Engineering.
• Accreditation: UQ says the degree is accredited by Engineers Australia, and graduates may be eligible for membership of the Australian Computer Society, the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Engineers Australia and the Institution of Chemical Engineers; contact each body for details.
• Sample courses: Professional Engineering, Programming for Engineers, Statics and Materials, and Engineering Thermodynamics. The full structure is on UQ’s Programs and Courses site, which we could not read.

2. How you are admitted to a specialisation

• You do not pick one specialisation at application: UQ describes a new flexible first year in which you try introductory courses from the six core specialisations, or you can enrol directly in your chosen area from day one; you “choose your program path in your first or second year”.
• Conditions for moving into a specialisation: the program page gives no grade threshold, no required course grades and no statement on whether places in each specialisation are capped or guaranteed. Ask UQ admissions.
• Moving into engineering from inside UQ: the pages we read do not give engineering-specific rules; general internal transfer rules are in section 8.

3. Prerequisites

• Prerequisite subjects (Queensland Year 12 subjects, grade C or higher in Units 3 and 4): General English, Mathematical Methods, and one of Chemistry or Physics. UQ recommends Specialist Mathematics and both Chemistry and Physics for more flexibility. Equivalent subjects from other states and countries are on UQ’s equivalent-subjects page.
• Subject requirements for international curricula: A-Level needs A/AS Level Chemistry (or AS Physical Science), A/AS Level Mathematics (or GCSE/O Level Maths plus Additional Maths), A/AS Level Physics (or AS Physical Science) and an English subject, at grade D or above at A-Level; the IB needs the matching Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and English subjects in a completed Diploma, with a 3 in Higher Level and a 4 in Standard Level subjects; AP needs Chemistry, Physics and English APs at 3 or above. For the Gaokao the program’s requirements data lists no subject prerequisites (the field is empty), so ask UQ how Gaokao subjects map to the Queensland prerequisites. The same data for UQ’s Bachelor of Computer Science lists Mathematics at 60% for the Gaokao, while the Engineering (Honours) data lists nothing, so the two degrees are not written consistently.
• Bridging: UQ College runs intensive face-to-face bridging courses (Mathematical Methods, Biology, Chemistry, Physics; four weeks each November/December) and online ones, plus a 30-week Tertiary Preparation Program that can meet prerequisites and give a selection rank of up to 93.
• Maths placement test: not mentioned on the pages we read; not published.
• Inherent requirements: engineering programs have their own inherent-requirements statement, which UQ asks you to read before applying.

4. Domestic applicants

• How to apply: domestic applicants apply through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC), code 717001; closing dates are on QTAC’s site.
• Reference scores: the lowest adjusted score offered a place in Semester 1 2026 was an ATAR/selection rank of 84 and IB 32. For recent secondary students in Semester 1 2026 the ATAR range was highest 99.95, median 92.1 (94.1 with adjustments) and lowest 79.45 (84 with adjustments). UQ cautions that meeting the threshold does not guarantee admission.
• Guaranteed ATAR: for Semester 1 2027 the guaranteed entry score is 85 for Engineering (Honours) and 97 for Engineering (Honours) and Master of Engineering; dual programs with Arts, Biotechnology, Business Management, Commerce, Computer Science, Design, Diploma in Languages, Economics, Information Technology and Science are also 85, and with Mathematics 92. The thresholds include adjustments, apply to offers up to the January 2027 main round, and do not apply to international students studying high school in Australia.
• Adjustments: admission schemes add up to 5 points, for example attending a specific high school (up to 4), rural or remote location (2), Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (5), financial or personal hardship (up to 5) and specific subjects (up to 3). International students are not eligible for most schemes, but those studying senior schooling in Australia may receive the Subject Incentive Scheme.
• Fees: domestic places are Commonwealth supported; the indicative yearly tuition (16 units) is about AUD 8,255 for 2026, and UQ says 2027 fee information is not yet available. Listed extra costs: safety boots (up to AUD 140), hard hat (AUD 15) and safety induction (AUD 40 in a group, AUD 80 individually); students pay their own travel and living costs for vacation work, fieldwork or work experience.

5. International applicants

• How to apply: if your senior schooling is outside Australia, apply to UQ directly (program code 2455) or through an approved UQ agent; if you are studying Australian Year 12 or the IB in Australia, apply through QTAC.
• Semester 1 2027 entry scores (from the program page’s requirements data): Gaokao 75%; A-Level 10.5 (best three or two subjects, A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1, AS counting half); IB 32.75; US ACT 27; SAT (since March 2016) 1190; AP 14 (two to four APs, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1); Australian international ATAR 85; British Columbia 74.44 and Ontario OSSD 74.44.
• How BC and Ontario are calculated: BC uses Language Arts 12 plus the best three Grade 12 subjects with 4 credits; Ontario uses the best six University (U, 4U) and/or University/College (U/C, 4M) courses, and the OSSD must come from a school UQ recognises, a list that can change without notice.
• English: IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each band (One Skill Retake accepted, IELTS Online not); TOEFL iBT 87 overall with at least 19 in listening, reading and speaking and 21 in writing (Home Edition, 1-to-6 section scores and ITP not accepted); PTE Academic 64 overall with at least 60 in each band (PTE Online not accepted); Cambridge (CES) 176 overall and 169 in each; UQ College Bridging English overall 4 with at least C in each skill; OET not accepted. Results must be within two years of starting. Other ways to meet the English requirement exist, including senior schooling in a designated country (list in a PDF we did not read).
• Package offers: if you meet the academic requirements but not the English one, you can ask for a package offer (UQ College English course plus a conditional offer) when you apply; do not apply to UQ College directly.
• International tuition: about AUD 60,952 a year for 2027 (16 units); the actual amount depends on your courses and load and is reviewed each year. The page lists no engineering differential fee or faculty levy, only the safety-equipment costs above.
• International scholarships: the UQ International Excellence Scholarship is a 25% tuition fee reduction each semester for the duration of the program. You do not apply; you are assessed automatically. Conditions include commencing full time in 2027 in an eligible program (see the terms PDF, which we did not read), meeting the entry rank and English requirements, a competitive score among the offer holders for your semester, no other UQ scholarship or fee reduction, and no full scholarship or sponsorship from another body; the number awarded varies. The program page says you may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships; engineering-specific international scholarships were not on the pages we read.
• Other materials: an application fee, a faculty essay and reference letters are not stated on the pages we read; not published. UQ advises that visa processing times vary, so apply and accept your offer early, and international students must meet the Genuine Student requirement.
• Intake profile: Semester 1 2026 had 783 commencing students, including 174 international students (22.2%), 78 with higher education study (10.0%) and 512 recent secondary students admitted solely on ATAR (65.4%).

6. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: your total as a percentage of the provincial maximum; 75% for Semester 1 2027.
• Subject prerequisites: as above, the requirements data lists none for the Gaokao, so ask UQ how Gaokao subjects map to the Queensland prerequisites.
• Transcripts, huikao records, China-specific country page, interviews, verification bodies: not described on the pages we read; not published. UQ’s English page asks you to include certified copies of transcripts and award certificates to demonstrate English proficiency; check UQ’s international application page or contact admissions for the rest.
• Foundation and pathway programs: UQ lists the UQ College Foundation Program and other Australian foundation programs with score requirements (for example the University of Sydney Foundation Program 7.3, the UNSW Foundation Studies 7.5, Monash University Foundation Year 75% and the UQ College Foundation Program 5); ask UQ which apply to students from China.
• English: an IELTS, TOEFL or PTE result is generally submitted; see the scores above.

7. Work experience

• UQ lists “work placements” among the ways you will learn, and the Chemical Engineering page mentions internships and placements with leading engineering companies. A mandatory placement length (weeks or days) is not stated on the pages we read; not published. Check the program structure on UQ’s Programs and Courses site.

8. Transfer and credit

• Prior higher education: UQ assigns a selection rank from the level and length of study and your grade point average (GPA), using whichever is higher of your earlier rank and your GPA; after more than two full-time years of study the entry score is based on GPA only. When you transfer to a different program within two years of full-time university study, the same higher-of rule applies.
• Credit and exemptions: you can ask for credit or exemptions when you apply, or after accepting an offer. Courses from other universities can be checked in UQ’s credit precedent database, and UQ has separate advice for moving credit between UQ programs.
• IB credit: up to one semester (8 units) of credit depending on subjects, grades and program structure. Examples from UQ’s table: Physics (SL or HL) grade 6, exemption from PHYS1001; Chemistry (HL) grade 6, specified credit for CHEM1100 and grade 5, exemption from CHEM1004; Mathematics Analysis and Approaches (HL) grade 4, exemption from MATH1040 and MATH1050; Mathematics Analysis and Approaches (SL) or Applications and Interpretations (SL or HL) grade 4, exemption from MATH1040. Whether these courses count in the engineering program depends on its structure, which UQ does not state on these pages.
• TAFE and diplomas: the TAFE credit tables UQ lists cover nursing, midwifery and social work only, not engineering; other TAFE study may be assessed case by case.
• Other routes: the Tertiary Preparation Program, bridging courses and the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) are described on the pathway-options page.

9. Timeline (2027 entry)

• International applicants applying directly to UQ: Semester 1 (February) closes on 30 November of the previous year, which is 30 November 2026; Semester 2 (July) closes on 31 May of the year of commencement.
• Applicants applying through QTAC follow QTAC’s dates; the guaranteed entry scores apply to offers up to the January 2027 main round.
• Semester 1 2027 starts on 22 February and Semester 2 on 26 July.

Checklist

Domestic applicants:

• Apply through QTAC; guaranteed entry score 85 for Semester 1 2027
• Queensland Year 12 English, Mathematical Methods and Chemistry or Physics (Units 3 and 4, grade C)

International applicants (including China):

• Gaokao 75%, or A-Level 10.5 / IB 32.75 / SAT 1190 / BC 74.44
• Meet the English, Mathematical Methods and Chemistry or Physics prerequisites (equivalents are on UQ’s site)
• IELTS 6.5 (6.0 each), TOEFL 87 or PTE 64
• Semester 1 closes 30 November 2026; Semester 2 closes 31 May 2027
• Assessed automatically for the UQ International Excellence Scholarship (25% fee reduction)

Transfer applicants:

• Submit university results for a GPA-based selection rank; ask for credit or exemptions when you apply or after accepting an offer

Sources: The University of Queensland, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours); Undergraduate entry requirements; Guaranteed ATAR; Admission schemes; English language requirements; Pathway options; Credit eligibility; UQ International Excellence Scholarship. Information is for 2027 entry; country equivalents are the Semester 1 2027 requirements shown on the program page, entry scores are from the Semester 1 2026 intake, domestic fees are 2026 figures and the international fee is for 2027. Check UQ for the latest details.