USE THIS ONEUNSW Canberra is creating a new naval architecture degree to ensure Australia’s future naval shipbuilding needs are being met. UNSW Canberra Rector Michael Frater said that the new Bachelor of Engineering: Naval Architecture program will continue UNSW’s long history of educating naval architects, but in a refreshed context in Canberra that is responsive to the future needs of the country and particularly the Navy. UNSW has had a long and successful history in delivering Naval Architecture as an engineering discipline on the Kensington Campus (at UNSW Sydney) since 1962 and now it is coming to Canberra.

“This new program is planned to be offered from 2022 and will support the current Defence White Paper, the continuous naval shipbuilding policy and the requisite foundational skills development in the discipline,” Frater said. “UNSW Canberra has been educating members of the Australian Defence Force for over fifty years, and this program is the next step we are taking in developing capabilities in this important Defence sector.”

The Naval Architectural program at UNSW Canberra is planned to run in parallel with Mechanical Engineering for the first two years. “What this means is that students who satisfy the requirements of the first two years of the Mechanical Engineering four-year degree program, having studied at any Australasian tertiary institution, may be admitted into 3rd and 4th year of the proposed program leading to the award of a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Naval Architecture,” Frater said. “This is exciting as it means the very first students who will be admitted to the degree, and form the first graduating class, are already studying and have begun their career towards contributing to this ship design, production, maintenance and operation capability.”

Associate Professor Warren Smith will take the initial academic leadership and responsibility as the discipline coordinator for the program. Key academics from Sydney and Canberra will together develop the new curriculum and course offerings. Together, they will consciously be designing and tailoring the degree to meet the needs of tomorrow’s Navy and Defence’s shipbuilding program.

Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds. (PHOTO: Government Photo)

Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said naval shipbuilding is a key Defence priority for the government. “This program will enhance our university sector’s ability to support this important industry, by providing world-class education and training to future Navy, Australian Public Service (APS) and defence industry staff,” Reynolds said. “UNSW Canberra’s co-location with the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) makes it the ideal place to prepare young Australians for future work in our shipbuilding industry.”

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the program would play an important role in ensuring there is the workforce required for the government’s unprecedented investment in naval shipbuilding. “Our ambitious shipbuilding plan is creating new jobs and developing new skills, and this program will help ensure we have the right people for those jobs,” Price said. “At ADFA, our future Navy leaders can combine university education and ongoing military training as they begin their careers as officers in the Australian Defence Force and future careers in the maritime industry. For those who want to support naval shipbuilding by working in the APS or in defence industry, there will be opportunities to study alongside future Navy leaders at UNSW Canberra.”

Further information on enrolment at ADFA can be found here.

Further information on Defence-sponsored pathways to study at UNSW Canberra as a civilian can be found here.

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