This postgraduate course focuses on the key communication skills expected of engineers, particularly those interested in employment in predominantly English-speaking operating environments such as Australia. Engineers work in a diverse range of contexts, most of which demand high-quality communication skills in order for individuals to function as effective problem-solvers, team members, project managers and active participants in local, national and international communities. The integration of a practical focus on these skills into the engineering curriculum reflects contemporary expectations of graduates held by professional organisations; enables students to become more confident, competent communicators; and enhances the employment opportunities of graduate engineers. This course emphasises proficiency in all of the macro-skill areas (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and enables students to identify and to remedy any English language deficits.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Successful completion of this course will enable students to apply their technical expertise in their engineering specialisation on the basis of greater confidence in their capacity to communicate effectively in spoken and written English. Students should be able to:
- Distinguish between the appropriate levels and styles of English required for effective oral and written interaction with technical and non-technical audiences
- Express themselves clearly and accurately, taking account of the views of others and of socio-cultural differences
- Use high-frequency, high-priority vocabulary applicable to engineers, particularly when required to describe, explain, illustrate, discuss, compare, interpret, reflect, analyse, synthesise and propose ideas and information
- Prepare high-quality presentations and documents using a range of textual, diagrammatic and graphic media.
Indicative Assessment
20% Continuous assessment (individual and group language tasks)
10% Report (short)
10% Oral presentation (mid-semester)
10% Report (long)
10% Oral presentation (end-of-semester)
20% Meeting simulation
20% Seminar attendance and participation
NOTE: All assessment items must be submitted and passed in order to complete this course. Some assessment tasks will be jointly assessed by technical and non-technical instructors.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
ENGN8150 is a semester course which consists of 12 one-hour lectures and 12 two-hour seminars. Students are required to attend one lecture and one seminar each week. Attendance at lectures and seminars is compulsory; any student who is absent on more than three occasions and does not provide relevant medical certificates will be deemed to have failed this component of the course. In addition to the weekly lectures and seminars, students are expected to dedicate a further seven non-contact hours to this subject, including:
- preparing for lectures and seminars by completing the weekly readings and set tasks
- undertaking the necessary research, drafting and proofreading necessary for the production of high-quality major assessment tasks
- collaborating with peers to complete group assessment tasks
- monitoring personal academic progress to ensure that any issues are discussed with the lecturer or course convenor and addressed in a timely manner.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Ibbotson, M. (2008) Cambridge English for Engineering, Cambridge University Press
ANU Research School of Engineering E-brick : Professional Communication I (ENGN8150) – Professional Reading
Assumed Knowledge
Students entering this course are assumed to be competent in English. International students must have achieved an IELTS Overall Band Score of at least 6.0 or the equivalent standard in another recognised qualification.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $2808 | |
| 2014 | $2952 | |
| 2013 | $2946 | |
| 2012 | $2808 | |
| 2011 | $2808 | |
| 2010 | $2808 | |
| 2009 | $2808 | |
| 2008 | $2808 | |
| 2007 | $2808 | |
| 2006 | $2808 | |
| 2005 | $2808 | |
| 2004 | $2808 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $3390 |
| 2014 | $3762 |
| 2013 | $3756 |
| 2012 | $3756 |
| 2011 | $3756 |
| 2010 | $3750 |
| 2009 | $3618 |
| 2008 | $3618 |
| 2007 | $3618 |
| 2006 | $3534 |
| 2005 | $3450 |
| 2004 | $3450 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4601 | 17 Feb 2014 | 07 Mar 2014 | 31 Mar 2014 | 30 May 2014 | In Person | N/A |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9272 | 21 Jul 2014 | 08 Aug 2014 | 31 Aug 2014 | 30 Oct 2014 | In Person | N/A |