Mechatronic Engineering 1

OVERVIEW
The interdisciplinary nature of Mechatronics Engineering will enable you to choose from a variety of career options
in areas including advanced manufacturing and automation, robotics, nanotechnology, aerospace, computing and
electronics hardware and sofware, bioengineering and mining engineering.
Mechatronic Engineering
Career Pathways
Specialisations
Mechatronics combines the knowledge
and skills of three engineering disciplines:
mechanical, sofware, and electrical/
electronic. As a mechatronics engineer,
you will have the opportunity to design,
build, operate and maintain machinery with
electronic and computer control systems
such as aircraf, robots, motor vehicles,
cameras, power generators and mining
and chemical plant machinery.
Career Planning
For university students, career planning
is about choosing a career path related
to your eld of study and preparing for
employment. While engineering can lead to
specic occupations it can also give you the
foundation for a variety of career paths.
Choosing an occupation, getting that rst
graduate job, and growing in your job will
require planning, self awareness, exibility
and a forward-looking attitude to help
manage the personal transitions, as well
as the technological and economic changes
of the future. With so many factors to
consider an eective employment plan will
include strategies for enhancing career
awareness & self awareness, and can be
done in a 4-Step process, starting with:
1. Doing some self-assessment to clarify
interests and strengths
2. Gathering information and exploring
careers that appeal to you and match
your interests, abilities and values using
myFuture (accessible to the public)
or Adult Directions (via Online Career
Tools for current University of Melbourne
students)
3. Learning about the job market by
investigating Work Experience
opportunities, browsing company/
industry websites and talking to lots of
people in your eld of interest using the
informational interviewing technique
4. Developing job search skills preparing
your job applications and preparing for
interviews using the Online Career Tools
or booking a Career Consultation through
Careers Online (both services available to
current University of Melbourne students).
Employment
Sectors and Industries
Aeronautics
Automotive
Biomechanics
Biomedical
Computer Industry
Construction
Consulting
Government Departments, Agencies
and Municipal Authorities
Industrial
Manufacturing
Minerals and Energy
Power Generation
Research and Development
Robotics
Tertiary Education
2 Mechatronic Engineering
Engineering Pathways (Mechatronic)
School leavers
Melbourne Model degrees (3 years)
Master of Engineering (2 years)
Specialisations:
Bachelor of
Biomedicine
Majors include:
Bioengineering
Systems
Biomedical
Biomolecular
Chemical
Any Bachelors
Degree
Must include
Linear Algebra
and Calculus 2
or equivalents,
along with science
relevant to intended
specialisation.
Note: Duration of
Master of Engineering
will vary from
2-3years depending
on amount of credit
obtained from prior
study
Bachelor of
Environments
Majors include:
Civil Systems
Geomatics
Physical systems
Bachelor of
Commerce
Sequences in the
following Engineering
areas:
Chemical Systems
Civil Systems
Computing and
Sofware Systems
Electrical Systems
Mechanical
Systems
Physical Systems
Bachelor of Science
Majors include:
Bioengineering
Systems
Chemical Systems
Civil Systems
Computing and
Sofware Systems
Electrical Systems
Geomatics
Mechanical
Systems
Exit to employment with professional accreditation
Exit to
employment
(without
professional
accreditation)
School leavers
Note: While the study stream highlighted above is considered the traditional pathway, alternative course plans can achieve the
same qualifcation outcome. Please speak to a University of Melbourne course advisor to discuss your options.
Civil
Electrical
Environmental
Geomatics
Mechanical
Mechatronics
Sofware
Structural
As a Manufacturing Engineer for Boeing
Aerostructures Australia (BAA), Pupul
Bhaumik conducts trials to test new
technologies for the 787 aircraf:
At BAA, we manufacture the moveable
trailing edges (inboard and outboard aps,
aileron and aperon) of the new 787 aircraf.
I am involved in projects relevant to both
assembly and fabrication aspects.
The best part of the job is the opportunity
to be involved in a wide variety of tasks
which require both hands-on activities and
also working closely with structural analysts
to solve any problems encountered in
production.
Before commencing at Boeing, Pupul
studied Mechatronics and Computer Science
at the Melbourne School of Engineering.
Graduating from Melbourne gave me
a sound knowledge of the theoretical
concepts in mechanical and manufacturing
engineering...[as well as] the chance
to develop essential sof skills, such as
communication skills, creative problem
solving, strategic planning and team work.
Pupul serves on the Mechanical Engineering
Industry Advisory Group at the Melbourne
School of Engineering and was also a
member of the University of Melbournes
Formula-SAE team*.
*Formula SAE is a student project undertaken
by engineering students, which involves the
development of a Formula-style race car. This
project is showcased, along with other engineering
projects, at Melbourne School of Engineerings
Endeavour Design Expo.
PUPUL BHAUMIK
Manufacturing Engineer,
Boeing Aerostructures
Australia
Study Area: Mechatronics
& Computer Science
Mechatronic Engineering 3
Employers
A sample of employers who actively recruit
our Mechatronics Engineering graduates
includes:
For a more extensive listing including current
employment opportunities, University of
Melbourne students can visit Careers
Online, our online jobs portal.
It is also important to attend events like
the Graduate Careers Fair in Semester 1
and student-run Industry Nights to become
familiar with who the key employers are and
the dates of their recruiting campaigns.
Resources
The Careers and Jobs Guide on the
Library website has been developed for
current University of Melbourne students in
conjunction with Careers & Employment.
This guide will help you nd quality library
resources to help with:
Career planning
Researching industries
Researching employers
Employability skills
Job hunting
Resumes and job applications
Interview preparation
Types of employment
Work Experience
There are many forms of work experience.
With the introduction of the Fair Work
Act 2009, all work experience must be
paid unless the placement forms part of a
university course. For engineering students,
work experience could take the form of an
industry-based nal year project or a paid
placement (such as those listed below).
Voluntary work for not-for prot agencies
is another way of gaining valuable work
experience but these placements must
adhere to the Vocational Placements
& Student Volunteering Policy.
VACATION PROGRAMS
Are degree-related, structured paid work
placements usually undertaken by students
at the end of their penultimate year of study.
These can ofen lead to a graduate position,
so competition for placements is intense.
Winter vacation programs are available
from time to time.
INTERNSHIPS
Internships are supervised, paid work
placements arranged between the employer
and student, sometimes brokered by the
university. Ranging from a few weeks
part-time to multiple semesters full-time,
internships occur in a eld relevant to the
students qualication. Application opening
and closing dates for internships are varied.
CO-OPERATIVE PROGRAMS
Enable students to alternate study terms
with paid work and oer hands-on experience
contributing to a real project, skills
development and a chance to network with
professionals in the eld. Application opening
and closing dates for co-operative programs
are varied.
CADETSHIPS
Employed positions oered to students
or graduates, designed to provide specic
training or mentoring. Cadetships can be
full- or part-time and vary from formalised,
structured schemes to informal arrangements
between an individual and an organisation.
Application opening and closing dates are
varied.
Graduate Employment Programs
Include substantial training, development
and support. Some programs include
rotations through various departments
within the organisation. Usually oered
by large organisations and government
departments, an increasing number of smaller
organisations are now oering graduate
employment programs. Many organisations
oer a number of programs some for
specic or technical roles, and others which
are broader based. Graduate programs vary in
length, from 1-3 years. Competition is strong
and nal year students must apply in March
or April for commencement in January or
February of the following year.
Opportunities to get exposure to
Industry through the Melbourne
School of Engineering:
Connect with industry through the
curriculum, via:
student projects that are partnered with
industry
guest lectures led by industry leaders
site visits hosted by key organisations
career mentoring programs
ABB Australia
ANCA
ANCA Motion
BAE Systems
BlueScope Steel
Australia
Boeing
Aerostructures
Australia
Bosch
CNC Design
CRC Mining
Department of
Defence
ExxonMobil
Fluor Australia
Ford
GM Holden
Honeywell
Invertech Australia
Leica
Microsystems
Memco
Resmed
Santos
Siemens Australia
Thales Australia
Visy
Worley Parsons
4 Mechatronic Engineering
JONATHAN MITCHELL
Systems Engineer,
Thales Australia
Study Area: Mechatronics
& Computer Science
Building and managing IT infrastructure
is one of Jonathan Mitchells key
responsibilities as a Systems Engineer for
Thales Australia, one of Australias largest
defence partners.
Jonathan works on projects that focus
on virtualised systems, including cloud-
based solutions, and has the opportunity
to participate in research and development
initiatives within the information systems,
communications and control systems
domain of the Australian Defence Force:
Thales has ofered me plenty of
opportunities to develop and participate
on a level I previously thought beyond a
graduate. I was part of a four-man team
that designed and built the Services
Integration and Test Environment (SITE),
which is a secure private cloud for Defence.
I was also given my own project to
design, develop and present a capability
based on service-orientated architecture
and cloud infrastructure at the Military
Communications and Information Systems
Conference.
During the course of his study, Jonathan
completed an internship as a manufacturing
engineer intern at GM Holden, an
experience that gave him an excellent
insight into industry operations:
Id recommend an internship to any
undergraduate, the experience is invaluable
and a great distinction point when applying
for graduate positions.
Graduate 3-5 years experience 10 years
Career Progression (trajectories) Mechatronics
Graduate Engineer
Electrical/Mechatronics
Graduate Engineer
(Mechanical)
Graduate Mechatronics
Engineer
Graduate Sofware and
Mechatronics Engineer
Junior Mechatronics
Engineer
Systems Engineer
Lead Mechatronics Engineer
Lead Mechatronics
Consultant
Lead Robotics Consultant
Principal Mechatronics
Engineer
Product Development
Engineering Manager
Senior Control Systems
Engineer
Senior Mechatronics
Engineer
Senior Process Control
Engineer
Senior Systems Design
Engineer
Automation Process
Engineer
Control Systems Engineer
Design Engineer Mining
Electrical and Control
Systems Maintenance
Engineer Power & Energy
Industry
Electrical Design Engineer
Electrical/Mechatronics
Engineer
Field Service Engineer
Industrial Engineer
Mechatronics Consultant
Mechatronics Project
Engineer
Process Control Engineer
Product Design Engineer
Mechanical, Mechatronics,
R&D or Systems Engineer
Product Development
Engineer
Reliability Engineer
Robotics Consultant
Systems Design Engineer
Systems Engineer
Embedded Systems
Technical Ofcer
Mechatronics
Mechatronic Engineering 5
Careers in Research
If you are passionate about a certain feld
and would like to advance your research
skills, enrolling in a research higher degree
(RHD) may be a great option for you. RHDs
enhance your ability to problem solve, think
autonomously and creatively, and analyse.
Careers in research are diverse and may
include: academic positions at universities;
policy-making or research positions at
public sector organisations; private sector
research and development projects; and
self-employed consulting positions on
technical or policy issues in your area
of expertise.
Alternative Careers
An engineering degree oers you excellent
technical and design expertise, but also
equips you with the foundations for a
diverse range of positions. Over a third of
our graduates choose to move into non-
traditional engineering roles, including:
Management consulting
Finance, economics and banking
Marketing and communications
Business analysis
Project management
Technical writing
Government, policy and intellectual
property management.
For current University of Melbourne students,
Careers Online advertises numerous
generalist graduate jobs during the peak
recruitment season (March-April of your
nal year). You will ofen nd that many
state and federal government departments
and defence agencies will actively recruit
for engineers as they value their high-end
problem-solving and analytical abilities.
Salary Information
The following information represents gross
mean base salary gures for mechatronics
engineers at various levels in their careers.*
Graduates: $55,000
3-5 Years: $80,000
Above 5 Years: $97,500
Above 10 Years: $150,000
Job Outlook
As one of the newest branches of Engineering,
and with its strong interdisciplinary approach
involving mechanical, electrical and computer
systems, Mechatronics Engineering is a
fast-growing profession. As a Mechatronics
graduate, you will be in high demand both
in Australia and overseas. This demand is
expected to increase as more industries
apply mechatronics-related developments
to improve their products, processes and
services.
Graduate Attributes
for Employment
As a graduate mechatronics engineer you
will have:
Opportunities to interact with industry
professionals through guest lectures,
eld and project work
A sound fundamental understanding
of the technical skills and principles of
Mechatronics Engineering and their
application to complex, open-ended
engineering tasks and problems
Generic skills, including management,
communication, problem-solving and
design and innovation in Mechatronics
Engineering
The educational and professional standards
of Engineers Australia and EUR-ACE
with which the course is accredited
Understanding of professional and ethical
responsibilities and commitment to them
General knowledge
Understanding of the business environment
Ability to communicate efectively, with
the engineering team and the community
at large
Ability to function efectively as an
individual and in multidisciplinary and
multicultural teams, as a team leader
or manager as well as an eective team
member
Ability to manage information and
documentation
Capacity for lifelong learning and
professional development.
Job Search Sites
Careers Online
Engineer Jobs
Engineering Career
Engineering Jobs Australia
Grad Connection
Just Engineers
Job Search Australia/Engineers
Mining Careers
MyCareer Engineering
Oil Careers
Seek Mechatronics Engineering
Recruiters
Recruitment and Consulting Services
Associations Member Index
Seek recruiter search
Professional Associations
Engineers Australia
APESMA
Institute for Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Consult Australia
Licensing and registration
There is no formal system of regulation for
engineers throughout Australia. Engineering
services are regulated under a variety
of Acts in ad hoc areas, many of which
relate to engineers in the building and
construction industry.
Engineers in Queensland are required by
legislation to be registered through the
Board of Professional Engineers in
Queensland (BPEQ).
In other states and territories engineers
operate under the self-regulatory system
operated by the National Engineering
Registration Board (NERB).
International Students/Graduates
Working in Victoria: An Engineers Guide
Overseas Qualications
Assessment Team (OSQA)
Engineers Australia
Useful Links
Mechatronic Engineering Pathways.
Authorised by the Industry Relations
Manager, Melbourne School of
Engineering. Published by The
Melbourne School of Engineering,
July 2012.
Copyright: Copyright University of
Melbourne 2012. Copyright in this
publication is owned by the University
and no part of it may be reproduced
without the permission of the
University.
CRICOS provider code 00116K.
Disclaimer: The University has used its
best endeavours to ensure that material
contained in this publication was correct
at the time of printing. The University
gives no warranty and accepts no
responsibility for the accuracy or
completeness of information and the
University reserves the right to make
changes without notice at any time at
its absolute discretion.