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Section Title

Recommended Study Sequence

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Advanced Standing

Appropriately qualified TAFE applicants may be given up to 80 credit points worth of specified advanced Standing.

Admission

Assumed knowledge required: Normal UWS UAI score with HSC 2 unit Mathematics, Physics and English for entry into first year.

Applications from Australian and New Zealand citizens and holders of permanent resident visas must be made via the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).

International applicants must apply directly to the University of Western Sydney via UWS International.

Applicants who have undertaken studies overseas may have to provide proof of proficiency in English. Details of minimum English proficiency requirements and acceptable proof can be found on the Universities Admissions Centre website (UAC).

Overseas qualifications must be deemed by the Australian Education International - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) to be equivalent to Australian qualifications in order to be considered by UAC and UWS.

Qualification for this award requires the successful completion of 240 credit points which include the units listed in the recommended sequence below. Students should have no more than 100 credit points of Level 1 units and no fewer than 60 credit points of Level 3 Units. Electives within the sequence may be used towards obtaining an approved major or sub-major for this award.

In some instances due to resource and demand considerations, there may be a need to rearrange the pattern set down below.

Electives within the sequence may be used towards obtaining an approved major or sub-major for this award.

Recommended Sequence

Full-time

Year 1

Autumn session

Building 1

This unit provides students with an overview of regulations and construction techniques with an emphasis on low-rise residential buildings in the Australian context. It covers general process; building regulations; environmental issues; surveying techniques; structural elements (footings, framing and bracing); envelope; services; fit-out and finishes.

Graphic Communication and Design

This unit is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop graphic communication, basic CAD skills and elementary design skills suitable for application within the building industry. Content: This unit provides students with an introduction to elements of graphic communication skills necessary to comprehend various building types in plan, section, elevation, isometric and perspective views. The unit also introduces students to basic CAD (Computer Aided Design and Drafting) concepts and skills. Students will also be required to develop appropriate analytical and problem solving skills in dealing with a realistic building project.

Engineering, Design and Construction Practice

This unit encourages students to explore the professional responsibilities and challenges faced by Engineers, Designers and Building professionals. Students are introduced to emerging issues and approaches to sustainability and the complex nature of the design problems they will encounter in professional practice. Students engage in a semester-long research and problem solving task that addresses environmental and social sustainability imperatives and fosters fundamental research, design and communication skills. Special emphasis is placed on lifelong learning, academic literacy and professional skills including information literacy, project management, and teamwork which equip students for subsequent academic and professional contexts.

Design Science

An understanding of how the built environment works is essential to designers and construction professionals. This unit provides an introduction to physical units of measure, tolerance, statics, dynamics and optics. It also introduces students to electricity and magnetism as well as the concepts of momentum, energy, work, power and the operation of motors and machine. Students engage with these concepts through a hands-on learning experience including practical projects and live demonstrations.

Spring session

Introduction to Business Law

This is an introductory law unit designed to introduce the fundamentals of law in a commercial context. The unit introduces students to the basic principles of law and the legal system as well as examining some of the major areas of law that impact on commercial dealings. This unit examines the structure of the legal system, the way law is made and legal problem solving. The main areas of law covered include contracts, torts, consumer protection and agency

Accounting Information for Managers

This unit provides exposure to financial and management accounting information from a user of accounting information viewpoint. The unit aims to provide breadth of awareness and knowledge in relevant fields of accounting essential to decision making for managers.

Building 2

The aim of this unit is to provide students with an overview of the design, classification, applicable Australian Standards, structural systems, construction techniques, materials handling systems, building services, fit-out and finishes for larger scale buildings.

Year 2

Management Foundations

Management Foundations provides an opportunity for students to understand the linkage between organisational processes and managerial practices. The main aim of the unit is to identify the dynamic nature of managerial practice in changing social, economic, technological and global environments. This unit is for students in the School of Engineering only. Students in other degrees are not able to complete this unit.

Autumn session

Construction Technology 1 (Civil)

This unit develops students' knowledge and skills in appraising site requirements for construction purposes, both at the pre tendering and construction phase of a project. Content: Soil classification, site investigation, site safety, plant and equipment, trenches, detention/retention pits and basins, temporary structures, demolition, site dewatering, building surveying, and site environmental control.

Quantity Surveying 1

This unit is designed to develop the techniques required to measure, quantify and prepare bills of quantities for residential construction. It will help students to develop an understanding of the factors that affect the cost of building and introduces costing techniques for work on new and existing buildings.

Material Science in Construction

This unit deals with the behaviour of building materials and products in the construction context, including concrete, timber, metal, composites and polymers. An introduction will be given first on how material behaviour and properties are affected by micro-structure, composition and environment. Materials will be discussed in detail according to their physical properties and how they degrade in context. We will also discuss how the materials are manufactured and used and what their environmental impacts are.

Development Control

In this unit current issues related to development control will be critiqued. These include: planning law as it relates to the development application process; the assessment of applications for approval for development as an integrated process; the evaluation of the impact assessment process; appropriate consideration of urban design, streetscape, heritage and conservation issues; and the evaluation of the impact of parking, traffic, landscape and services in development proposals.

Spring session

Construction Technology 2 (Substructure)

This unit will aim to further develop students knowledge of substructures. Content: Retaining walls and footing structures; strip footings, piling, piers, raft slabs, waffle-pod structures, load bearing capacity, impact of structure on surface and sub-surface drainage, underpinning and temporary substructures, waterproofing techniques.

Estimating 1

To provide an understanding of factors that affect the cost of buildings; introduce costing techniques for new and existing buildings and provide students with the skills necessary to prepare builder's estimates.

Construction in Practice 1

This unit aims to allow student gain an understanding of the complexity of construction industry by integrating knowledge from earlier units. The unit includes planning and management, regulatory control and client liaison required in initiating and completing a residential construction project.

And Elective 1

Year 3

Autumn session

Decision Making for Construction Professionals

This unit will provide you with an understanding of decision-making and support the development of critical thinking skills. The skills that are learnt in this unit will be applied in the Construction-in–Practice strand, Major Project in Construction and Honours Thesis.

Project Management

This unit is to give students an understanding of appropriate methods of managing construction projects and to develop skills in using these methods on the type of projects the students expect to undertake in their professional careers. Content: Human Resources Management of time, management of cost, quality, resources and communications and contract administration.

Construction Planning

This unit is intended to provide students with the ability to organise the resources required for a major construction project; to plan the sequence and timing of construction operations; and to assess the risk inherent in achieving a construction schedule.

And Elective 2

Spring session

Building Regulations Studies

To develop an awareness of the regulatory construction and equipment techniques in the detection, prevention, behaviour and control of fire; an understanding of and an appreciation for buildings; to extend knowledge of the modern built environment for appraisal at Council level in planning and development procedures related to the inspection role, and the legal responsibilities in fire engineering and hazard assessment. Building regulations and fire safety; performance and prescription; fire literature and development; materials in fire, fire resisting construction; detection/alarm systems; egress and human behaviour; spread of fire; work cover; smoke movement and control; fire fighting equipment; essential services and heritage buildings.

Professional Practice

This unit explores the art of managing physical and human resources and the knowledge to plan, deliver and maintain the physical infrastructure for civilisation in an economically sustainable way.

Building Law

This unit is designed to provide students with an awareness of Industrial Relations and Dispute Resolution. Content: Employment Law, unfair dismissal, constitutional law, awards, enterprise agreement, course of disputes, method of dispute resolution, alternate dispute resolution, mock dispute resolution, future trends in dispute resolution.

And Elective 3

Please note:

Students may choose electives from any course at UWS including the following:

Elective 1:

Construction Information Systems

This unit is designed to provide skills and knowledge for information management technology and practice as it relates to the building industry. The unit gives and overview of information management, data collection and storage, information classification systems, communications, specialist computer applications and artificial intelligence.

or

Construction Technology 3 (Concrete Construction)

The aim of this unit is to introduce students to the concept of structures, loads and the effect of loads on structures in relation to concrete construction. Students will have an in-depth understanding of concrete as a construction material. It covers the construction technology aspects of concrete structural components and systems, including beams, columns, slabs and frames. Emphasis will be given to formwork design and construction. Students will be introduced to the relevant Australian Standards for concrete construction. The unit also aims at developing students' ability to deal professionally with other building professionals, including architects and structural engineers.

Elective 2:

Quality and Value Management

Introduces students to the concepts of quality systems value management techniques and their application to the built environment. Students will gain knowledge of quality assurance and value management theories, techniques and principles so that they can apply as they enter into their professional careers.

Elective 3:

Quantity Surveying 2

To enable students to measure complex building works and trades, civil engineering works, building services, demolition and site works for contract documentation, estimates, variation quotations and construction plans. Content: measurement of: multi storey structural trades, precast concrete, structural steel, metal work partitions, suspended ceilings, curtain walls, fitments, elemental quantities, repair and refurbishment, civil engineering works, services, demolition, site works and computer applications for measurement.

or

Construction Technology 4 (Steel Construction)

This unit deals with the construction of structural steelwork. Students will gain better understanding of mechanical properties of steel. It covers various components in structural steelwork, and their behaviour under loads. Students will also be introduced to various frame systems in multi-story and high-rise construction and relevant Australian Standards for steel construction. Emphasis will be given to safe erection and assembly of structural steelwork. Due consideration will be given to the requirements of Workcover in relation to site safety and material handling. An introduction will also be given for Steel-concrete composite construction.

Bachelor of Housing students wishing to continue on to gain Bachelor of Construction Management would be required to undertake the following electives: 200502 - Construction Technology 3 and 200470 - Construction Technology 4.

Bachelor of Housing

 

The UWS Bachelor of Housing degree is ideal for anyone interested in a practical, professional qualification within the building industry. This degree gives you specialised skills for working in the housing industry with a strong emphasis on the design, construction, maintenance and economics of dwellings for human habitation. A highly practical course, the Bachelor of Housing degree gives you the opportunity to use the University's state-of-the-art, purpose-built laboratory complex to conduct experiments across the range of building sciences including acoustics, heat flow through a building, corrosion of materials, concrete testing, and much more.

Course Details

UAC Code Campus ATAR
705825 Penrith 64.15

Duration

3 years full-time or equivalent part-time.

Note: 'part-time' refers to study load not to timetabling of evening classes.

A Career in Housing

The current shortage of building industry professionals means that graduates of the Housing program can choose from a wide variety of careers including:

  • property developer
  • housing project manager
  • site supervisor
  • building surveyor
  • estimator
  • facilities manager
  • property manager
  • valuer
  • building consultant
  • design and construction manager

Housing lecturers and tutors will actively encourage you to independently gain work experience during your studies in order to enhance practical skills and future employment prospects.

Assumed Knowledge

Mathematics and Physics and any two units of English.

Application Information

To lodge an application for the course of your choice check the Application Information.

Do you need more information?

Request a course and application information pack:
Course Enquiry Form
International Course Enquiry Form

For further assistance contact the UWS Course Information Centre.