Your journey to a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Everyone's pathway to becoming an engineer looks different. Regardless of where you’re from and how you found your way into Engineering, we're here to support you from application to enrolment.
Engineering is a diverse discipline full of people with varied stories about how they became engineers. Joining our faculty straight after Year 13 is a common path, but it’s not a journey that suits everyone and is far from the only way to become an engineer.
To ensure that everyone gets an opportunity, we provide events, tutorial programmes, and other support services for students who are still discovering what their place in engineering might look like — whether you're feeling less confident in a core high school subject or are thinking about changing your career aspirations later in life.
If you'd like to learn more about undergraduate study in Engineering, register your interest to stay up-to-date with all the latest information about our programme specialisations, scholarship opportunities, accommodation options, upcoming events and more.
If you're in high school
Keep in mind that Maths, Calculus and Physics make up most of the entry requirements necessary to get into Engineering. You can read more about these on the BE(Hons) page. Links to more information for parents, teachers, and school students are also available on our website.
Tutorials and catch-up sessions
We recognise that even students with a lot of potential can face challenges along the way at high school level. If you don’t feel confident in your abilities in particular subjects, our faculty has several programmes in place to help you brush up on them. These usually happen during term breaks and focus on the NCEA topics and assessments that are key to applying for the BE(Hons).
- Genesis (please contact Steve Roberts for more information)
- Apollo (please contact Steve Roberts for more information)
- Women in Engineering – Academic Subject Support
One day, a lady from the University of Auckland told our Year 13 class about the lack of women – especially from Māori and Pacific communities – in engineering, and I immediately saw these gaps in industry that I could fill.
Events
We believe that outreach matters, and some of our best students were unaware of the possibilities in engineering until they've made first contact — through a careers adviser at school, or at an open day. We host a number of events throughout the year to help you make informed choices before you apply. We do recommend checking them out as you’ll be able to speak to lecturers, students, advisers, and professional engineers directly to get the right insights. These include:
- Engineering Info Evenings
- Enginuity Day (for high school students who identify as women)
- Open Day
Enginuity day showcased all the ‘hidden’ aspects of engineering, and promoted understanding in a helpful way that I would recommend to any students considering working in the field [...] I learnt that the future is limitless; it is not bound by gender or stereotypes.
Scholarships
Scholarships provide financial asssistance that allows our students to focus more of their energy where it counts. These opportunities are another element of support for students on the path to becoming engineers, and are offered to a range of groups such as parents, people with learning difficulties, members of communities that are underrepresented in our student body, among others.
Scholarships for Māori and Pacific students:
- AUEA Māori Engineering Pathway Award - First year of full-time study fees for Māori Engineering students.
- AUEA Pacific Engineering Pathway Award - First year of full-time study fees for Pacific Engineering students.
- Kick Start Māori and Pacific Award - Up to $2,000 for setup costs for Māori and Pacific students.
- Michael Synnott Scholarship - Up to $5,000 for Māori or Pacific students entering any undergraduate degree.
- University of Auckland Vaka Moana Scholarship - First year of an undergraduate degree programme for Pacific students.
- University of Auckland Waka Moana Scholarship - Te Tai Tokerau/Te Tai Rāwhiti/Tāmaki Makaurau/Waiariki/Waikato - First year of an undergraduate degree programme and accommodation for Pacific students.
Scholarships for women
Find a full list of applicable scholarships here
Scholarships for people facing hardships
- Pong, Tams and Ko Scholarship - Up to $8,000 for students with sensory, physical, medical and/or learning difficulties/disabilities.
- University of Auckland Academic Potential Scholarship - Pathway Programme Students - Up to three years of study for students enrolled in an approved pathway programme.
Different entry pathways and your application
Tertiary study takes a lot of time and commitment. Because not everybody follows a conventional path and systemic barriers may exist for some, we’ve put pathways in place to maximise opportunities to assist and encourage enthusiastic students who will make great future engineers.
MAPTES
We actively encourage applications via the Māori and Pasifika Targeted Entry Scheme, which is based on your academic performance and potential to successfully complete an Engineering degree. Applying via MAPTES also comes with additional support when you’re studying with us, such as access to our Tuākana Engineering Programme. Find out more.
What Tuākana does is it organises your tutorials. You get a tutor and they teach you, [and you’re also] surrounded by like-minded people and also people of similar backgrounds, and I'll probably go a step further and say people with similar struggles as you as well. You can come together with them and share your experiences.
Alternative Pathway via Science
If you didn’t study Calculus and Physics at high school level, you can join us by studying towards a Bachelor of Science, then transfer to a BE(Hons). Find out how.
Prior academic study
We also have spaces available for motivated students who have completed relevant technical training and are wanting to transfer into our undergraduate programme, or want to build their tertiary study skills via a preparation programme before applying. Find out more.
Summer Start
Studying during the summer before Semester One is a good way to catch up on some courses outside the routine of a normal university semester, or to get a taste of what tertiary study can be like. Some of our summer courses are also now open to Year 13 students who want a head start on experiencing life at the University of Auckland, want to brush up on Maths or Physics, or need to fulfill entry requirements to study Engineering. Get more information.
Getting help
Our Student Hub is the first point of contact for current Engineering students, but they’re also able to help you with your enrolment, application, or other questions you may have about studying with us. Come by to see us in person during our office hours, or get in touch virtually. Find out more.