Australia provides, with its multicultural makeup and strong democratic tradition, an excellent environment for students to study and mix in a diverse and tolerant community. Australia has a proud history of engineering achievement that has contributed to the richness of experience and skills offered by the tertiary sector. Taming this vast continent has meant innovative and practical solutions have been at the forefront of the mechanical engineering experience.
There are 37 engineering schools in Australia most of which offer courses in mechanical engineering. That might seem a large number for a country with a population of approximately 20 million, but it offers the international student a wide range of choices of location, size of school and educational approach. A student can study at a large metropolitan university in one of the state capitals or choose a university located in one of the major regional centres throughout Australia.
Whilst all the schools offer high quality education, many have a strong research focus, allowing students the chance to participate in leading edge research activities, whilst others interact more closely with industry, as students tackle real-world engineering.
Examples of industries where mechanical engineers work include manufacturing, mining, energy and water utilities, rail, building services, engineering and management consulting, automotive, aerospace and aeronautical, process industries, bio-engineering and computer software development. In fact, Australia's first astronaut was a graduate in mechanical engineering from Adelaide.
Australian educated engineers can be found working everywhere in today's global community. This is especially true of South and South-East Asia, where large numbers of engineers who have studied at Australian universities from the 1960s onwards will be found, many now in very senior positions in industry, or in government, with some running their own successful companies.
The number of enrolments for overseas students at Australian universities in engineering related degrees increased by over 300% from 1994 to 2004 to a total of 18,202. Overseas students now comprise nearly 40% of all engineering students. Overall Australia has 316 first degree graduates in engineering per million population. When compared internationally Australia has more engineering graduates per million than the USA, Germany, Sweden and India.
Accreditation of engineering education programs is an important element for the assurance of quality and the maintenance of standards against national and international benchmarks. The associated professional body representing a particular discipline frequently provides the accreditation function for academic programs offered in that discipline.
Graduates of an engineering education program accredited by Engineers Australia are assured graduate membership of the Institution at the relevant career grade and enjoy reciprocal recognition privileges offered by equivalent professional bodies overseas. International recognition is offered by countries such as the USA, United Kingdom, Hong Kong (SAR), New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and others that are cosignatories to international agreements on joint recognition. The Washington Accord and the Sydney Accord are agreements that recognise the substantial equivalence of accreditation systems and accredited programs across international boundaries at the Professional Engineer and Engineering Technologist levels respectively.
Many universities offer postgraduate studies in a variety of specialist areas of mechanical engineering. A quick search with Google on Australia choosing “post graduate studies in mechanical engineering in Australia” will reveal the variety of themes available.
In an increasingly connected global village Australia with its fast growing economy, political stability and tolerance, excellent climate and established university network offers overseas graduates interested in Mechanical Engineering a unique opportunity to learn new skills while experiencing the Australian approach to work and play.
