Choosing your Engineering specialisation

Towards the end of each year, Part I students are invited to nominate their preferred engineering specialisation for Part II. Placement is subject to the student meeting minimum requirements, their academic record and the number of spaces available.

Choosing your specialisation for 2024

You will indicate your preferred specialisations for 2025 on the selection form, which will be available towards the end of Semester Two. You must have completed ENGGEN 199 English Language Competency to access the form. If you believe you have met this requirement and are still unable to access this form, please email studentinfo@auckland.ac.nz.

What are the requirements for starting Part II?

  • Minimum of 90 points passed at Part I including ENGSCI 111. Note: 90 points in Part I may include your General Education course, however, this will not count towards your GPA.
  • Must have completed ENGGEN 199. You will be unable to access the Part II online form if this requirement is not met. If you believe you have completed this requirement but ENGGEN 199 does not show on your transcript, please contact the Student Hubs.
  • Must have completed ACADINT A01. If you have not yet completed the compulsory Academic Integrity course, you may find your place in a Part II specialisation remains unconfirmed until this requirement has been met.

If you do not meet these criteria, please contact the Student Hubs.

Additional information

  • You are not guaranteed your nominated first choice of specialisation.
  • Part I students who started their degree in Semester Two this year (except Alternative Pathway students) and did not receive Part I credits will need to enrol in two Part I courses (30 points) at Summer School 2023 to be considered eligible for entry. These courses should be ENGSCI 111 and ENGGEN 121. If you would like to take a different course please consult studentinfo@auckland.ac.nz.
  • Students admitted via the BSc Alternative Pathway who were given credits for all Part I Semester One courses (total of 60 points) need not enrol in Summer School. However, students who received credits of 45 points or less towards Part I will be required to complete the missing course/s in Summer School 2024 in order to meet the 90 point requirement. You can check how many credit(s) have been awarded by visiting My Programme Requirements via Student Services Online.
  • You cannot start Part II in Semester Two. If you have failed the entry criteria, you will need to complete Part I in 2024 and start Part II in 2025.
  • Students will also be required to have passed or been given credit for a specific Part I course regarded as the prerequisite for their requested Part II specialisation:   
    • For Chemical and Materials: CHEMMAT 121
    • For Electrical and Computer Systems: ELECTENG 101
    • For Civil, Mechanical and Mechatronics, Structural: ENGGEN 121
    • For Biomedical, Engineering Science and Software: ENGGEN 131
    • Students must have completed all remaining Part I courses before they are permitted to enrol in Part III courses

NOTE: If you have been allocated a Part II specialisation and have not completed or been credited for all of your Part I courses, there may be some Part II courses you cannot enrol in as you may be missing prerequisites from your Part I course(s).

What are the specialisations?

You can choose from ten engineering specialisations.

Specialisation & Adviser Expected spaces available 2023 Min. GPA required 2020
Min. GPA required 2021
Min. GPA required 2022 Min. GPA required 2023
Biomedical
Dr Vinod Suresh
35 4.6 - 4.8 4.4 - 4.6 4.7 - 4.9 3.6 - 3.8
Chemical & Materials*** 
Assoc. Prof. Wai Woo
85 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Civil** & Environmental | Prof. Rolando Orense 185 2.5-2.7 3.6-3.8 2.8-2.9 1.9 - 2.1 
Computer Systems
Assoc. Prof. Kevin Wang
100 2.2-2.4 1.1-1.3 4.0-4.2 4.9 - 5.1 
Electrical & Electronic***
Dr Andrew Austin
100 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Engineering Science
Mr Kevin Jia 
80 5.4-5.6 6.7-6.9 6.0-6.2 6.2 - 6.4 
Mechanical
Dr Jaspreet Dhupia
125 2.7-2.9 1.1-1.3 2.7-2.9 1.8 - 2.0 
Mechatronics 
Assoc. Prof. Yusuke Hioka
105 6.1-6.3 6.9-7.1 6.2-6.4 6.2 - 6.4 
Software
Dr Nasser Giacaman
120 6.4-6.6 7.9-7.8 7.2-7.4 7.0 - 7.2 
Structural***
Dr Quincy Ma
105 - 1.9-2.1 1.5-1.7 N/A

*Structural Engineering was introduced for the first time in 2021. 

**Civil and Structural have a combined entry limit of 290 and may adjust sizes within their overall capacity to meet demand. The courses in Civil and Structural are the same at Part II.

*** Electrical & Electronics, Chemical & Materials, and Structural Engineering still had places remaining and therefore there was no minimum GPA required.

Note: The lectures are from the 2019 Open Day and updated information will be provided in Semester Two 2023.

How are places allocated?

There are a limited number of places available for each specialisation.

  • Where demand exceeds availability, selection will be based upon your grades in Part I Engineering courses. A Selection GPA is calculated from all completed Part I Engineering courses (excluding General Education and/or any conjoint course, or Part II courses).If unsuccessful in gaining a place in your nominated first choice, you are not permitted to defer entry for a year. Instead, you are expected to complete the degree in a different specialisation.
  • Every effort will be made to ensure you are allocated a place in either your first or second choice nominations. Historically, a GPA of 6.5 is normally sufficient to ensure placement in your first choice — however, this is not guaranteed. Grade changes due to COVID-19 may also have an impact on this.

What if I don't meet the requirements?

Students who are given entry to Part II who fail (or have failed) no more than two of their Part I courses will be required to complete their remaining courses in Summer School 2024. These students will not be permitted to enrol in their remaining Part I courses alongside the Part II enrolments.

Students admitted via the BSc Alternative Pathway who were given credits for all Part I Semester One courses (total of 60 points) need not enrol in Summer School. However, students who received credits of 45 points or less towards Part I will be required to complete the missing course/s in Summer School. You can check how many credit(s) have been awarded by visiting My Programme Requirements via Student Services Online.

Students who haven't passed 90 points towards Part I by the end of Summer School 2024 will need to repeat or complete all remaining Part I courses in 2024 before being considered for entry to Part II in 2025.

Note: Each specialisation leaves a number of places unallocated until after Summer School results are known so that no student is disadvantaged by having to complete courses in Summer School.

Important dates

Submission of Choices Opens
Friday 13 October 2023 
Submission of Choices Closes Friday 1 December 2023 
First Round: Places Allocated
First round of allocation post Semester 2 results for highest GPA’s only.
Tuesday 12 December 2023 
Second Round: Places Allocated
Final round of allocations made post Summer School results
Friday 23 February 2024 

When will I find out which specialisation I have been allocated?

A first round of selections will be completed by early December. You will receive an email either confirming your allocated specialisation or advising you that you have been placed on a pending list for your first choice specialisation until all Summer School results are known.

Students who need to pass additional courses at Summer School to complete the minimum requirements at Part I will be notified of their specialisation in the final round of allocation after the release of Summer School results.

A final round of selections will be sent out the last week of February. We will endeavour to complete the final round of allocations as early as possible once results are released.

Students will be advised by email on their ‘@aucklanduni.ac.nz’ address.

How can I find out about the specialisations?

When making your choice, consider what your strengths and interests are - you will do better if you are enthusiastic about your choice of study. Each year the Faculty hosts a number of events for all current Part I students, to help inform you about the choices for your preferred specialisation in the following years.

These events may include:

Industry Specialisation Evening
Learn from industry experts about the types of careers each specialisation can lead to. A great opportunity to speak directly with industry engineers and to start building your network of contacts.

Part II Information Drop-in Sessions
Academic staff and students from the Engineering departments are available to speak to you about what you can expect to explore and learn in their specialisation, as well as the careers and areas of research it can lead into.

These sessions can help you confirm your preferred option, providing an opportunity to put your questions to current Part II and III students to find out what their specialisation is like from a student’s perspective.

Other students/support groups
If you do not already know students in Part II-IV, then we would encourage you to speak with the students employed as Part I mentors for the Part I Assistance Centre in the Leech Study Area or seek out representatives from student societies such as AUES, WEN, HKESA and SPIES.

Faculty staff
You can speak to our Employment Liaison Manager, Courtney King, who may be able to assist you in your choice by providing advice on future career options.

Contact Courtney King

Online
The Faculty of Engineering and the Engineering department websites have information on the specialisations available to you, and the opportunities each has to offer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If I've already passed a Part I course but got a low grade, can I enrol in this course again to pull up my GPA and get into my first choice?

No, you are not permitted to re-take a course you have already passed. As a general rule, a student may not enrol for any course the content of which is the same as, or substantially similar to, any course for which credit has been received. If you don’t get into your first choice, you are expected to take up a place in one of your alternate choices.

If I end up with one of my 2nd to 5th choices, is there a chance for me to change my specialisation?

If you are unhappy with your final specialisation allocation, you can contact the Student Hubs after one or two semesters of study and we will be able to advise you on applying for change of specialisation. Please note that changes are subject to GPA and spaces available in the specialisations - there are very few places available for transfers and there is usually a waiting list.

Please note that for students allocated in the first round, you may still be able to end up with your 1st choice, or at least a higher choice, as the GPA boundaries may change after Summer School. Students are kept on a waitlist for all of their choices, in the order they submitted. We keep an eye on all GPA changes throughout summer, however, and will re-allocate where possible, so effectively students are always on waitlists for all of their choices. 

Can I switch specialisations if I find another student willing to swap?

No. Any changes of specialisation requests are dealt with the same way as all student requests to change: in order of the waiting list, subject to GPA, spaces available and approval firstly from departments and then the Associate Dean (Academic).

If I change to Mechanical Engineering will it give me more of a chance to get into Mechatronics?

Although most of their Part II courses are the same, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your request to change specialisations is more likely to be approved. Any and all requests to change are still subject to spaces available and GPA – whether it be into Part II semester two, or Part III semester one. Though it would make for a ‘smoother’ change, your application would still be considered against all students requesting to swap to Mechatronics at that time. It is also important to note that your change to Mechanical Engineering is also not guaranteed, if the allocation process has already begun.

When calculating the Selection Grade Point Average (GPA) for entry into Part II, do you still count the failed grade even if it’s been re-enrolled and passed in Summer School?

All grades for every attempt at a Part I (Engineering) course - pass or fail - are included in the calculation.

How do I calculate my Selection GPA to get into Part II?

We calculate your Part II Selection GPA using only the seven core Part I Engineering courses i.e. all Part I Engineering courses, EXCEPT General Education. 

For conjoint or transferring students, grades from non-Part I Engineering courses will not be incorporated in calculating your Part II Selection GPA. Part II or higher level Engineering courses are not included in the Part II Selection GPA.

Can I do two specialisations?

No. Engineering students are only allowed to do one specialisation.

If I have failed three Engineering courses, re-enrolled in and passed two in Summer School 2023 and subsequently met entry criteria of 90 points at Part I, when can I take the remaining Part I course?

You will need to repeat the remaining course in Summer School 2024. If you don't take or pass your repeated course(s) at Summer School you will not be allowed to enrol into your Part III courses in 2023.

I started the BE (Hons) in Semester Two via the Alternative Pathway, which semester do I indicate on my Part II selection application?

Please indicate Semester Two start.

If I wish to change the order of my preferred specialisations after the online applications close on 4 December, what do I need to do?

You need to send an email to foe-enquiries@auckland.ac.nz with your student ID in both the subject line and the body of the email. If allocations have already been made - even if you haven’t been notified yet - it may be too late to change. Changes to specialisations won’t be made after the first week of Semester.

What do I do if I wish to change my conjoint programme to single BE (Hons)?

To change from a conjoint programme to BE (Hons) you need to submit an online application at applytostudy.auckland.ac.nz. If you are doing a conjoint and your GPA falls below 4.0, your programme will be automatically bumped down to BE (Hons).

If I wish to change my single BE (Hons) to a conjoint programme, what should I do?

To change from standalone BE (Hons) to a conjoint, you need to have achieved a GPA of at least 5.5 in the last year of full-time study. You must also maintain a GPA of at least a B- (4.0) over all courses to continue in the programme. You can only start a conjoint in Semester One. Please note the conjoint restrictions at the bottom of this page as some are not permitted, and others may require special approval.

What does it mean if my grade says CP (Conceded Pass)?

Conceded Pass means you have been awarded a pass in the course and cannot repeat the course. Only ONE course can be awarded a CP towards a Part of the degree.

Find out more about conceded passes for the BE(Hons) degree

If offered a place in my first choice specialisation, am I automatically placed in that specialisation or can I still turn it down and choose one of my other choices?

We only look at second and lower choices once we are certain that you will not be selected for your first choice. If you are offered your first choice, you can request a different choice if you change your mind, though this is still subject to places being available and meeting the requirements for your alternative choice.

I was admitted into BE (Hons) via BSc Alternative Pathway and have been given credits for Semester One courses. I have completed PHYSICS 120 in Semester One. Will I still be considered into Civil, Mechanical or Mechatronics given that ENGGEN 121 is a prerequisite for this specialisation?

Completing PHYSICS 120 in Semester One (only, with a B grade or better), means you will have received credit for this course to substitute for ENGGEN 121. Receiving credits for ENGGEN 121, while not formally enrolling into this course, will not affect your chances of entry to that specialisation. Acceptance will depend entirely on how your GPA compares to other students who have selected your preferred specialisation.

I received an allocation for a specialisation that wasn’t my first choice, is this a mistake?

No. This means that unfortunately you did not make the cut for your first choice of specialisation. Although each specialisation keeps some spaces remaining, the faculty calculates whether you would have a chance to make that specialisation post-summer school. If you have received an allocation for your second or subsequent choice, it means we are sure that you will not be above the GPA cut off during the final round. We attempt to let as many students know their allocation as soon as possible so that they can move ahead with enrolments.

How many spaces are saved in each specialisation for after Summer School?

There is no standard amount of spaces that are kept available, as it is subject to the demand for each specialisation and the grades of the students applying. This means that each specialisation will have a different number of spaces saved each year.

I have already been allocated to a specialisation that was not my first choice, but I lodged an aegrotat request, meaning my GPA might change. Will my allocation be reassessed?

We are aware that we may not have received all aegrotat decisions, and we will reassess all allocations as grade changes come through. Every specialisation keeps spaces remaining until the final round, and so if your change of grade moves you into the bracket for your first choice we will change your allocation.

I was admitted into Part I in Semester Two via the Alternative Pathway. Do I need to enrol in Summer School?

Students admitted via the BSc alternative pathway who were given credits for all Part I Semester One courses (total of 60 points) and passed all Semester Two courses do not need to enrol in Summer School. However, students who received credits of 45 points or less towards Part I will be required to complete the missing course(s) in Summer School. If you are unsure if you are required to study during Summer School, check with the Student Hubs.

To find out how many credits you have been awarded, please log on to Student Services Online and view My Programme Requirements.

As a student admitted into BE (Hons) via the Alternative Pathway, will my grades from my BSc count towards entry into Part II?

No, your entry into Part II will be based on your Semester Two grades (counting only Part I Engineering courses). Credits are considered neutral, and therefore will not affect your Selection GPA.

Are there any restrictions regarding conjoint major/specialisation combination?

As per the regulations of the University of Auckland, students cannot enrol for courses that have substantially similar content, thus, certain BE (Hons) conjoint programmes must have formal prior approval from the Faculty of Engineering and may even be declined. For example, there is a large overlap in material studied by students in Software Engineering and Computer Science, so this conjoint is not possible.

Find out more about Engineering conjoint programmes

For any further enquiries, please contact foe-enquiries@auckland.ac.nz