Study with the Department of Engineering

At La Trobe University, we have a longstanding commitment to diversity, inclusion and social justice; our students are amongst the most diverse of all Australian universities, and we are committed to providing a learning environment and workplace where all students and staff feel valued, respected and supported to achieve their full potential.

We care about building a connected community that actively champions diversity and inclusion to help people thrive. We achieve this by supporting our people, valuing diverse thinking as a key driver of innovation, and holding ourselves to account in delivering a culture where equity is a way of life.

La Trobe is committed to promoting equal opportunities and support for all students and staff, with a focus on six key pillars: cultural, disability, gender equality, Indigenous, LGBTIQA and life stages.

Find out more about our services and events.

We support our students to have an excellent experience, stay motivated and inspired, and get the necessary industry experience critical to their future careers in engineering.

We listen to our students to ensure their experience meets their needs, and prepares them for life and a good career. We have an anonymous student feedback system and student representatives who are active members of the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences’ Executive Board.

Our course offerings, together with our strong Work Integrated Learning program, positions our students to get the experience they need to join the engineering workforce following graduation.

Student associations and extensive support services also optimise success and the overall student experience. Find out more.

Our Work Integrated Learning program is sector-leading and embedded in our engineering degrees. Students undertake a six-month placement with a company, learning on the job while simultaneously completing a capstone project.

We partner closely with industry, training a future engineering workforce in a range of areas including manufacturing, defence, food, agriculture and water, and on iconic projects such as Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel.

Our program provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and gain experience by working in a genuine industry setting, among professional peers and under the guidance of current industry leaders.

Placement within the industry allows students to extend their skills with real work and apply their theory and knowledge to benefit the community. They also experience the realities of professional engineering work including ethics, requirements, imperatives and the business context.

The Department of Engineering offers students opportunities to become globally connected, growing engineering science and scholarship through academic exchanges.

We have several international academic and industry partnerships through course articulations, student exchange and research projects that offer our students deeper engagement with and understanding of global issues.

We offer an international Work Integrated Learning program and study tour to destinations all over the world. Some of these trips are sponsored by New Colombo Plan grants or partially sponsored by the international host institute.

The Department of Engineering is committed to encouraging and supporting women at all levels, from primary school to university.

Better representation of women is one of our key objectives. La Trobe University signed up to the Athena SWAN Charter and received a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Institutional Award in 2019. We are committed to removing barriers to the career progression of women, transgender and gender non-binary staff, and increasing gender diversity in senior roles.

We work closely with industry partners to support staff and students in engineering. We also have a range of scholarships available for women.

Find out more about the University's programs and scholarships.