UTS BIT CO-OP vs. UNSW CO-OP SENG (1 Viewer)

[Loopy]

I am interested and have been accepted into each of these courses but am undecided about which to choose. I've heard complaints about UTS BIT being very weak on programming basics, but also have heard that it's graduates is highly sought after?

There are many good testimonials for UNSW SENG, but I guess my only worry is does it offer as good job prospects afterwards like BIT @ UTS?

They both do industry placement which is good, but UTS has A LOT more sponsors! is that good?

Also, is BIT @ UTS very heavily business orientated?? And is it fun/interesting!?

I like programming but I also like working with people and don't want to be solely coding. More designing and project management. Does one course give me an advantage over the other?

Any past/current students at either uni in the respective course could you please tell me your experiences? So confused...

 

[ismeta]

Congrats on getting offers for both

Before you read what I say, you should know I'm from UNSW and doing computer science (co op) - so I'll be biased. I'm also not favourably disposed towards UTS BIT, so keep that in mind. I have a couple of friends doing UTS BIT Coop, so I can speak a little bit for them, but not as much as someone who's actually doing it.

I've heard complaints about UTS BIT being very weak on programming basics, but also have heard that it's graduates is highly sought after?
UNSW's SENG course has more computer science in it than UTS BIT. Additionally since it's just an extension of the Computer Science degree, it also has plenty of computer science subjects that you can do. (e.g. concurrency, computer architecture, operating systems, advanced operating systems...etc). I don't think you can do these sorts of subjects at UTS BIT, but someone correct me if you can.

I'm not sure how well UTS's BIT graduates are sought after. They'd probably be well sought after in businesses who want to employ people with an understanding of business; however, if you're going to go for the software companies like Google and Microsoft, UNSW SENG comes out better - there're no compulsory business subjects, and because of this there can be an extensive focus on computer science.

There are many good testimonials for UNSW SENG, but I guess my only worry is does it offer as good job prospects afterwards like BIT @ UTS?
Definitely, but I reckon it'd depend on what sort of job you're after. If you're looking to become a software engineer/developer, I believe UNSW SENG is your best bet; UTS's BIT is more business oriented. So if you wanted to do business IT sort of stuff, I guess BIT would be the way to go.

They both do industry placement which is good, but UTS has A LOT more sponsors! is that good?
A scholarship having more sponsors doesn't necessarily reflect that the course/scholarship is better. Additionally, it's not guaranteed how 'good' (for lack of a better word) each of those sponsors is for working in the industry. However, it may be that UTS has plenty of good sponsors. I don't know who they are so I can't say. If the list up on here is anything to go by, the UTS BIT coop sponsors seem pretty neat. Again, not being a UTS BIT student I can't offer you more information than that, especially on what the placements are actually like & what you learn while there.

I don't know who the SENG sponsors are, but I'm pretty sure Atlassian is one of them - Atlassian is really good, I've heard.

Also, is BIT @ UTS very heavily business orientated?? And is it fun/interesting!?
As I mentioned earlier, yeah, it's quite business oriented. (UTS BIT student please add detail )

I like programming but I also like working with people and don't want to be solely coding. More designing and project management. Does one course give me an advantage over the other?
Well, I don't know about UTS BIT - but UNSW SENG has a number of software engineering workshops which you take over the years. In those, essentially, you design a system with a group and implement it. So you might like that, since there's designing and project management (I never liked that sort of thing, so seng wasn't for me). the workshops are SENG1031, SENG2011, SENG2021 and SENG3011.

If you wanted to look at the program plans for each, that might give you a good idea of what you might prefer - UTS BIT and UNSW SENG. (I'd suggest looking at course outlines and gauging how interesting they are to you.) Note that UNSW SENG Coop would be over five years, UTS BIT would be over three years.

Anyway I hope that helped a little, ask me more if you need to.

tl;dr UNSW SENG more technical. UTS BIT more businessy. $$$ is good.

 

[brent012]

but UNSW SENG has a number of software engineering workshops which you take over the years. In those, essentially, you design a system with a group and implement it. So you might like that, since there's designing and project management (I never liked that sort of thing, so seng wasn't for me).

The BITs have a few of them, Software Engineering Practice and Systems Development Project

I am a UTS student, neither a BIT or BscIT but know a bit about the two as I am doing a related engineering course. From what I have heard from friends a lot of people in the BIT course are business oriented and some even struggle in the second Java subject where the final is must pass and requires writing code on paper. Regardless of this there are many talented and enthusiastic programmers in the course, I work at a company which is one of the most prominent sponsors of the BIT program and there are many BITs (past and present) here in development roles - they love the BITs.

The thing to keep in mind is how fast tracked the course is - 3 years of which you will be working full time for a(tleast a) year. Ofcourse you won't have learnt anywhere near as much theory as you would have in a SENG course at UNSW. But learning stuff on the job, new technologies and self study is all part of the job for a good software developer though.

 

[Gigacube]

Congrats on both offers!

I can give you the UTS BIT coop side to help give you more information.

Yes, it's true that the course is pretty weak on the programming side. The first programming subject 'programming fundamentals' is a gentle introduction to programming as you'll find that the majority of the cohort has no programming experience. It introduces you to Java, OOP and you go up to arrays and basic searches and sorts. There's another programming subject in your second year which is a bit more difficult but nothing compared to what UNSW does. Also note that there's no compulsory maths subjects in the BIT course.

It's graduates are highly sought after because the course is created by UTS with input from the sponsoring companies so that they get students with the education and skills that they want. There's also 2 x 6 month industry placements which definitely gives you an edge over some other students and you'll be able to talk about real life experiences in the industry.

There's quite a few sponsors. The majority of them offer a more business IT role than technical such as a business analyst or project management role. However there are a small number of companies who do offer technical roles such as a developer.

Yes, it's true that the BIT course is more on the business side of IT. You'll have to study subjects about information systems and project management. These subjects provide you with a greater understanding of how IT is used in businesses and usually complement your industry placements. Different people find different subjects interesting so it's difficult to say. If you like the business side and dislike the technical stuff then you're more likely to enjoy the course and get the most out of it. If you're the opposite then you'll probably find the technical subjects a breeze and will find the business subjects fairly boring.

A lot of the IT roles at businesses require you to have some understanding or education in both IT and business which is an advantage of BIT. If you wanted to become a project manager or a business analyst then an understanding of the business side of things as well as some technical skills is a must. It sounds like you enjoy a little bit of the technical stuff but more of the business side. Some BIT students are also like this and find that it's useful to have some knowledge on how to program even though they aren't a developer. It just helps you understand your role in the industry and gives you some more background knowledge that's essential to have.

As ismeta said:

tl;dr UNSW SENG more technical. UTS BIT more businessy. $$$ is good.

Good luck with your decision and feel free to ask more questions if needed.

 

[Loopy]

Thanks for the quick replies!

Some BIT students are also like this and find that it's useful to have some knowledge on how to program even though they aren't a developer. It just helps you understand your role in the industry and gives you some more background knowledge that's essential to have.

Yeah okay, I would like a good understanding of programming (I do have some already with VB, Objective C and some Java), but I don't want to be coding endlessly day by day so that sounds good (although it is fun sometimes, I know UNSW compete in robocup which I quite enjoy, but as a career I want to be more of a design and developer and interact with both the programmers and the clients/other businesses. It's difficult really to decide between these two courses, let alone think about my other interest which is in science).

Questions for ismeta (if you would be so kind to answer them )
1. For SENG do they expect prior knowledge of how to program, etc?
2. As part of the Co-op you go out on 3 industry placements (correct me if I'm wrong), how do you feel and if you have any knowledge of those in SENG doing the Co-op how they feel about the relevance of the course structure/content to industry (like is what you're learning highly beneficial to career, compared to some of the stuff you learn in high school?)? sorry about my sentence structure, I assure you I did well in English, but I am just so confused that I get confused about what I am confused about originally!... if that makes sense..
3. As I mentioned I do have an interest in science, and I heard UNSW has a component called 'GenEd' (I think that's what it was called) in there courses, so I can do some science as well?


Questions for Gigacube/brent012:
1. Is there much flexibility in the course?
2. Does the degree teach you enough of the fundamentals to be a capable say systems/business analyst, and maybe a software engineer? (Oh and I like the job descriptions of a software architect, does BIT and/or SENG provide you with he basic skills to later become one, or is most of that industry learnt?) -sorry if that's a bit difficult to answer
3. Extra-curricular activities, I heard you can participate in programs such as 'French summer school', can BIT scholars participate in this as well?

Okay more of a general question for someone; UTS BIT is a 3 year course while UNSW SENG is 5 year (which seems like a lifetime...), would it be more beneficial/practical to do BIT as I not only get the industry placements as well and what seems to be through looking at the course structure (thanks for that too ismeta) a good mix of business, management and technical, would the 2 years difference between the length of the courses be better getting more industry experience and building up my references and expanding my network? And then also I guess a counter question to that is, "is BIT in depth enough to have a good grasp on the computer industry as well as business? (do the industry placements accelerate the process?)

Sorry for all the questions, just a tough decision between two enticing courses in an area that has been of increasing interest of mine.

Thanks!

 

[Gigacube]

Yeah okay, I would like a good understanding of programming (I do have some already with VB, Objective C and some Java), but I don't want to be coding endlessly day by day so that sounds good

It's fairly difficult to understand what you mean by a good but if you don't want a job that primarily involves coding there should be enough to get by. You can always take electives if you want to broaden your knowledge.

1. Is there much flexibility in the course?

For a 3 year degree with 2 industry placements, it's a bit difficult to be flexible but if you need to swap subjects around then you'll be allowed. The Handbook gives you the recommended study for each semester. A few students like to do 4 subjects instead of 3 during their industry placements and that's also allowed. You're not allowed to extent past the 3 year cut off. There's also the option to do exchange.

2. Does the degree teach you enough of the fundamentals to be a capable say systems/business analyst, and maybe a software engineer? (Oh and I like the job descriptions of a software architect, does BIT and/or SENG provide you with he basic skills to later become one, or is most of that industry learnt?) -sorry if that's a bit difficult to answer

You'll definitely be able to become a systems or business analyst. A BA is one of the more popular career choices. Probably not a software engineer as there's not enough programming or mathematical content in there.
I don't know anyone who has become a software architect but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to. BIT will be able to provide you with the basic skills but SENG will provide you with more of the technical skills which are required.

3. Extra-curricular activities, I heard you can participate in programs such as 'French summer school', can BIT scholars participate in this as well?

Yes, BIT scholars can participate in all of these programs. They're encouraged to get involved as much as possible.

Okay more of a general question for someone; UTS BIT is a 3 year course while UNSW SENG is 5 year (which seems like a lifetime...), would it be more beneficial/practical to do BIT as I not only get the industry placements as well and what seems to be through looking at the course structure (thanks for that too ismeta) a good mix of business, management and technical, would the 2 years difference between the length of the courses be better getting more industry experience and building up my references and expanding my network? And then also I guess a counter question to that is, "is BIT in depth enough to have a good grasp on the computer industry as well as business? (do the industry placements accelerate the process?)

I guess it depends on what career you're after. The advantage of BIT is that you get industry placements which help accelerate your learning if you're into the more business side of IT.


No need to apologise for the questions, it's good to see someone taking their choice seriously and investigating into it as much as possible.

 

[Loopy]

It's fairly difficult to understand what you mean by a good but if you don't want a job that primarily involves coding there should be enough to get by. You can always take electives if you want to broaden your knowledge.

Okay, thanks! You guessed fairly well of what I meant by good.

1. Is there much flexibility in the course?
For a 3 year degree with 2 industry placements, it's a bit difficult to be flexible but if you need to swap subjects around then you'll be allowed. The Handbook gives you the recommended study for each semester. A few students like to do 4 subjects instead of 3 during their industry placements and that's also allowed. You're not allowed to extent past the 3 year cut off. There's also the option to do exchange.

Okay thanks for explaining that, that sounds good

You'll definitely be able to become a systems or business analyst. A BA is one of the more popular career choices. Probably not a software engineer as there's not enough programming or mathematical content in there.
I don't know anyone who has become a software architect but I don't see why you wouldn't be able to. BIT will be able to provide you with the basic skills but SENG will provide you with more of the technical skills which are required.

Okay, I guess with either course I would learn one side primarily (technical or business) and then once I'm in the industry I could get a grasp on the other? Would it really matter which I focused on first? And if I do choose BIT I can always 'mingle' with others more devoted to the technical side

Yes, BIT scholars can participate in all of these programs. They're encouraged to get involved as much as possible.

Satisfied!

No need to apologise for the questions, it's good to see someone taking their choice seriously and investigating into it as much as possible.

Thanks, it's difficult when you're unsure which area you prefer more.


Okay another question, I know that SENG placements go over the holiday period (which doesn't bother me much), with BIT there is 2 placements one in 2nd semester of first year and one in the third year (not sure which semester). I guess my question is for both BIT and SENG is for the first placement do you feel 'equipped' enough to be working in the industry? And how are the industry sponsors in regards to enhancing the learning? (like learning new work relevant skills and where the industry is heading?)

Question for SENG student/s.
I know that BIT @ UTS places a fair amount of emphasis on the fact that their sponsors have a fair amount to do with designing/tailoring the course to suit the changing industry. I am curious as to whether or not the SENG course is relevant to the 'modern' industry of tomorrow. E.g. the programming languages are ones currently used in the industry, etc.

Thanks again to giving up some time to answer my questions.

 

[Gigacube]

Okay, I guess with either course I would learn one side primarily (technical or business) and then once I'm in the industry I could get a grasp on the other? Would it really matter which I focused on first? And if I do choose BIT I can always 'mingle' with others more devoted to the technical side

With the BIT course, you'll find that in each semester, you'll have 1-2 subjects on the more technical side and 1-2 subjects on the more business side. Towards the end of the degree it gets more into the business area with subjects that focus on project management. I don't think it matters too much about which one you focus on first. You definitely learn faster in the industry! That's true, there's a few people who have start ups or who work as a developer.

Okay another question, I know that SENG placements go over the holiday period (which doesn't bother me much), with BIT there is 2 placements one in 2nd semester of first year and one in the third year (not sure which semester). I guess my question is for both BIT and SENG is for the first placement do you feel 'equipped' enough to be working in the industry? And how are the industry sponsors in regards to enhancing the learning? (like learning new work relevant skills and where the industry is heading?)

The first placement for BIT is in the second semester of your first year. The second placement for BIT is in the first semester of your third (and final) year. I've only done one placement so far. It was quite a change from being at uni and it's difficult only having 1 semester of university education under your belt and going out and working full time. Your industry sponsor is briefed on what you've done so far and they usually accommodate for that and spend time training and mentoring you.

 

[ismeta]

Questions for ismeta (if you would be so kind to answer them )
1. For SENG do they expect prior knowledge of how to program, etc?
2. As part of the Co-op you go out on 3 industry placements (correct me if I'm wrong), how do you feel and if you have any knowledge of those in SENG doing the Co-op how they feel about the relevance of the course structure/content to industry (like is what you're learning highly beneficial to career, compared to some of the stuff you learn in high school?)?
3. As I mentioned I do have an interest in science, and I heard UNSW has a component called 'GenEd' (I think that's what it was called) in there courses, so I can do some science as well?

1. As with any UNSW CSE course no, you are not expected to be able to program before you start the course.

2. according to http://www.coop.unsw.edu.au/future_students/downloads/files/ITmodel.pdf, SENG has two holiday placements and two approximately half-year placements. With respect to the relevance of the course structure/content to industry, what you learn is certainly relevant; however you will probably take courses the content of which you'll not use in industry. You won't learn business stuff; it'll all be technical, albeit with some emphasis on project management, which could be fairly useful (I wouldn't know, being a CS student). After finishing you should be able to go out and apply for a position as a software engineer/developer somewhere, which is something that might be less likely as a UTS BIT student. (sorry I'm a bit iffy on this answer. I'm not really in the industry so I can't say)

3. You certainly can going back to the course outline for SENG http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/studying...am-options/software-engineering/single-award/, note that you can take two electives and two general education subjects. CSE isn't fussy about what you use for gened, so long as it isn't within CSE (and engineering I think? not sure) - so if you take four science subjects, you should be allowed to put them towards your degree.

also you asked whether the SENG degree is relevant to the industry of tomorrow - yes. Technology moves on and so must we, and SENG will teach you numerous languages and teach you about what we have today; but it should also give you the skills to learn and adapt to changes in industry. (with regard to the programming languages - yes, SENG should teach you a number of languages used currently. However it doesn't teach you everything, but this shouldn't be a problem - ideally you will be adept enough by the end of the degree to be able to learn a new language easily.)

 

[Loopy]

1. As with any UNSW CSE course no, you are not expected to be able to program before you start the course.

2. according to http://www.coop.unsw.edu.au/future_students/downloads/files/ITmodel.pdf, SENG has two holiday placements and two approximately half-year placements. With respect to the relevance of the course structure/content to industry, what you learn is certainly relevant; however you will probably take courses the content of which you'll not use in industry. You won't learn business stuff; it'll all be technical, albeit with some emphasis on project management, which could be fairly useful (I wouldn't know, being a CS student). After finishing you should be able to go out and apply for a position as a software engineer/developer somewhere, which is something that might be less likely as a UTS BIT student. (sorry I'm a bit iffy on this answer. I'm not really in the industry so I can't say)

3. You certainly can going back to the course outline for SENG http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/studying...am-options/software-engineering/single-award/, note that you can take two electives and two general education subjects. CSE isn't fussy about what you use for gened, so long as it isn't within CSE (and engineering I think? not sure) - so if you take four science subjects, you should be allowed to put them towards your degree.

also you asked whether the SENG degree is relevant to the industry of tomorrow - yes. Technology moves on and so must we, and SENG will teach you numerous languages and teach you about what we have today; but it should also give you the skills to learn and adapt to changes in industry. (with regard to the programming languages - yes, SENG should teach you a number of languages used currently. However it doesn't teach you everything, but this shouldn't be a problem - ideally you will be adept enough by the end of the degree to be able to learn a new language easily.)

THANKS!

At the moment from looking at the course outlines and speaking to a few family/friends, etc. in the industries I would like the technical course more as it would provide a good foundation to build from and where I want to go. I am still doing more research and asking questions though on each course which hopefully will clarify which course is for me.

For SENG would you know how the learning environment is? (e.g. is it all in a lecture theatre or some small classrooms/labs and groupwork?)

And a general question, do you recommend a laptop for either of these degrees and if so what is more suitable Mac OSX or Windows? (I assume for SENG it would be windows for coding?).

Thanks again for all the advice, it is difficult to make a decision between the two and past/current student experiences is great

 

[obliviousninja]

If this was infosystems at unsw. I would tell you to accept uts offer, cause I'm short listed at the moment

 

[ismeta]

No problem, I'm glad I can help ^_^

For SENG would you know how the learning environment is? (e.g. is it all in a lecture theatre or some small classrooms/labs and groupwork?)
I'm not sure if you mean the SENG courses or the degree overall. If you're referring to the SENG workshops, I'm not sure but I can ask a friend. If you're referring to the degree overall and the courses that you take during the degree, I can talk about that. Some COMP courses you take will have tutes and labs, in addition to lectures (see COMP1917, COMP1927, COMP2911, etc.) So there will be 3 - 4 hours of lectures usually, and depending on the course a one-hour tute and/or two-hour lab (or three? I haven't encountered a three hour lab yet, it may or may not exist). If the course has tutes, usually your tutor will also be pretty happy to answer questions that you email them too, which is nice if you get stuck with things. I'd wager this goes for UTS too though.

If you're really curious about the learning environment/labs/tutes/whatever, take a look at the UNSW Handbook (for example, the entry for COMP1917 would be http://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/2014/COMP1917.html). Then click on the "See Class Timetable" link - it'll show you the available classes and lectures for the course. In the aforementioned case, there's one lecture set and a number of tutorial-laboratory classes. The times for each of those can be figured out from the time/date column.

And a general question, do you recommend a laptop for either of these degrees and if so what is more suitable Mac OSX or Windows? (I assume for SENG it would be windows for coding?).
I'd definitely recommend a laptop for SENG. Probably for BIT as well. What's more suitable - Mac OSX or Windows? Well, you can write code pretty easily on a Mac OSX, so that's fine on its own. However, if you get a Windows machine, you're going to need some flavour of Linux. You can always get a VM/dualboot it with a Linux distro (the latter option I highly recommend over using a VM) - and that way you can have both Windows and Linux.

If you have trouble dualbooting it/are too scared to mess with the computer, I know CSESoc's Dev team usually runs installfests and you can dualboot your computer then In the end, pick whichever you are more familiar with. Either way it'll work out. Not sure about UTS BIT, as usual...Gigacube?

Thanks again for all the advice, it is difficult to make a decision between the two and past/current student experiences is great
again, glad to help

 

[brent012]

Oh and I like the job descriptions of a software architect, does BIT and/or SENG provide you with he basic skills to later become one, or is most of that industry learnt?) -sorry if that's a bit difficult to answer

Software Architect requires you to be pretty smart and have a lot of skills/knowledge which are self taught, I don't think any course would prepare you for something like that - it's more based on the person rather than the course. I'm not trying to take a dig at you, but just illustrating my reasoning - in my opinion if what you learn in an undergrad degree forms the majority of your knowledge on the field you are working in, you would not be suitable as a software architect given the fact they have to make a lot of technical decisions.

I'd be inclined to say the SENG course would probably provide a better base for a role like that though.

 

[Loopy]

I'm not sure if you mean the SENG courses or the degree overall. If you're referring to the SENG workshops, I'm not sure but I can ask a friend. If you're referring to the degree overall and the courses that you take during the degree, I can talk about that. Some COMP courses you take will have tutes and labs, in addition to lectures (see COMP1917, COMP1927, COMP2911, etc.) So there will be 3 - 4 hours of lectures usually, and depending on the course a one-hour tute and/or two-hour lab (or three? I haven't encountered a three hour lab yet, it may or may not exist). If the course has tutes, usually your tutor will also be pretty happy to answer questions that you email them too, which is nice if you get stuck with things. I'd wager this goes for UTS too though.

okay cool, I was asking in general for the SENG course, as I heard that at UTS there is less lecture style classes and more interactive classes and was curious as to what it is like at UNSW.

I'd definitely recommend a laptop for SENG. Probably for BIT as well. What's more suitable - Mac OSX or Windows? Well, you can write code pretty easily on a Mac OSX, so that's fine on its own. However, if you get a Windows machine, you're going to need some flavour of Linux. You can always get a VM/dualboot it with a Linux distro (the latter option I highly recommend over using a VM) - and that way you can have both Windows and Linux.

If you have trouble dualbooting it/are too scared to mess with the computer, I know CSESoc's Dev team usually runs installfests and you can dualboot your computer then In the end, pick whichever you are more familiar with. Either way it'll work out. Not sure about UTS BIT, as usual...Gigacube?

Okay, I'm good with doing dual boot but if a mac does the same just as well I guess I'll consider that as well (probably will just come down to personal preference)

Software Architect requires you to be pretty smart and have a lot of skills/knowledge which are self taught, I don't think any course would prepare you for something like that - it's more based on the person rather than the course. I'm not trying to take a dig at you, but just illustrating my reasoning - in my opinion if what you learn in an undergrad degree forms the majority of your knowledge on the field you are working in, you would not be suitable as a software architect given the fact they have to make a lot of technical decisions.

I'd be inclined to say the SENG course would probably provide a better base for a role like that though.

Thanks brent012, I assumed I needed a fair bit more experience and was asking what would provide the best foundations to move towards that sort of role

Oh, how are the lecturers/teachers at each uni? (I ask lots of questions.. )

 

[ismeta]

Oh, how are the lecturers/teachers at each uni? (I ask lots of questions.. )

Haha well, UNSW has plenty of good lecturers, but also has its fair share of not-so-great lecturers.

 

[Gigacube]

After finishing you should be able to go out and apply for a position as a software engineer/developer somewhere, which is something that might be less likely as a UTS BIT student. (sorry I'm a bit iffy on this answer. I'm not really in the industry so I can't say)

This is true for UTS BIT. The majority apply for BA roles at banks and for other business IT roles at companies such as the big 4. There are a few each year who do apply for a position as a software engineer or developer. These students are the ones who tend to excel in programming subjects and use their electives to strengthen their knowledge in the technical area.

And a general question, do you recommend a laptop for either of these degrees and if so what is more suitable Mac OSX or Windows? (I assume for SENG it would be windows for coding?).

Yes I would recommend that you do buy a laptop for uni. Either is fine. An advantage of Mac OSX is that you can practice your UNIX skills on it however having a Windows computer won't disadvantage you. As long as you can browse the net, view and edit files in word and powerpoint and install bluej, you'll be perfectly fine.

Oh, how are the lecturers/teachers at each uni?

As ismeta said, you've got your share of good and not so good lecturers. I've had some great tutors for my tutorials.

I hope this is helping you. Feel free to fire more questions

 

[freddiegibbs]

Oh and I like the job descriptions of a software architect, does BIT and/or SENG provide you with he basic skills to later become one, or is most of that industry learnt?

As far as I know, neither will adequately equip you with the requisite ability to become a "software architect". Honestly though, even "industry experience" isn't guaranteed to do that for you either. You'll have to rely on directed self-study and reflection to accrue the right skillset. The more technical UNSW degree will probably give you a better technical foundation, but it's debatable if the difference matters at all if being an "architect" is what you're going for.

 

[Loopy]

Thanks for the replies everyone!
After weeks of pulling my hair out and banging my head on the wall I have decided on UNSW as I would like to have a more technical base than business (I'm a bit of an introvert too).

I would really like to thank Gigacube and ismeta for answering all my questions and others who contributed as well. In the end it became a matter of which course I would enjoy more and what suits me the best, as each is terrific in producing quality graduates who are highly employable in numerous industries.

Anyways thanks again, and have a good year if I don't see you around!

 

[ismeta]

Glad I could help Hopefully I'll see you around next year! (PS. come to CSE first year camp!)

 

[DannyBoy33]

Nice thread, thx everybody.