Bachelor of Engineering with Honours (BE(Hons)) degree

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Engineer your career

The Bachelor of Engineering with Honours will give you a solid grounding in engineering and science through the design and implementation of real-world systems. Gain the knowledge and skills to design and build exciting technology like autonomous robots, renewable energy systems, smartphone applications, computer games, or secure systems.

Get the chance to put your skills into practice through research and development projects, and have opportunities to work with industry throughout your time at university. You’ll also get training in project management and entrepreneurship and consider ethics and sustainability in your work.

When you graduate with your BE(Hons), you’ll have a degree that is recognised all over the world and has full accreditation from Engineering New Zealand.

I have always felt drawn to both practical and abstract challenges. Electrical and Electronic Engineering seemed to be the best path for me to nurture this lifelong fascination and to build a career for myself in a future-focused, exciting, and high-demand industry.

Zoe Jaeger-Letts

BE(Hons) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering student

Build your degree

You can major in one of four subjects for the BE(Hons):

Cybersecurity Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Mechatronics
Software Engineering.

If you don't know which major you want to do yet, talk to your Student Success Adviser about choosing courses that will keep your options open. You can find their details in Pūaha, the University’s student portal.

If you want to study Mechatronics, we will be introducing a new major in Mechatronics in 2026 (subject to regulatory approval). Students who complete the first year of the BE(Hons) majoring in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 2025 will have the option of transferring into the new major in 2026.

Bachelor of Engineering—meet Janel

First year

In your first year of the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours, you’ll learn about:

computer program design
data structures and algorithms
engineering mathematics and modelling
cybersecurity
computer games
artificial intelligence
engineering technology.

You’ll get a general introduction to engineering practice—covering the basics of software, hardware, and network systems. And you’ll apply this knowledge to complete a project—the Autonomous Vehicle Challenge, where you’ll work as part of a team to build a vehicle that has a processing board, a motor driver, and a network link to communicate its progress back to a central computer.

Second, third, and fourth year

In your second, third and fourth years of the degree, you’ll study 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses covering subjects specific to your major. You’ll also learn about professional practice and do 800 hours of approved work experience.

To add breadth to your BE(Hons) degree, you’ll be able to take some elective courses.

In your third and fourth years of study, you’ll work on industry projects and complete specialist and core courses. You’ll graduate ready to start your career.

If your grades are consistently good—particularly in your third and fourth years—you may be awarded the degree with First Class Honours, Second Class Honours (first division), or Second Class Honours (second division).

Future careers with your degree

As a BE(Hons) graduate, you’ll have the technical knowledge and practical experience to forge a career in a range of high-growth fields.

With international accreditation, you can be confident knowing your degree will be recognised both in New Zealand and overseas.

Future jobs

Your study may lead to a career as a:

software engineer
electrical power engineer
robotics engineer
space engineer
product engineer
data analyst
information security analyst
business analyst
systems architect.

Potential employers

Recent BE(Hons) graduates work for employers such as:

tech companies—Trade Me, Datacom, Atlassian, Catalyst IT, Xero, Google, IBM, Wētā FX, Apple, Microsoft, Eagle Technology, DXC Technology, Palantir
engineering firms and electricity companies—Beca, Transpower, Wellington Electricity, Infratec, Aurora Energy, Powerco
consulting firms such as PwC, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte
government and public sector organisations.

Find out what you can do with your degree

Scholarships

You may be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

We have first year and school leaver scholarships available, scholarships for returning students in their second or third year of study, and specialised scholarships for different groups and subject areas.

Available scholarships

First year and school leaver scholarships
Search scholarships
DataCom Systems Scholarship in Computer Science
Entain NZ Scholarsip for Women in Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology
T.J.A. Ballinger Scholarships
InPhySec Cyber Security Scholarships
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Māori Undergraduate Scholarship
Trimble Karahipi Hangarau / Technology Scholarship
The Graham Kelly Engineering and Computer Science Scholarships for Pasifika Students.

You can also apply for a TeachNZ Scholarship. These scholarships are awarded based on specific areas where teachers are needed, including science, technology and mathematics.

TeachNZ Scholarships

Working as a tutor

You can apply to tutor undergraduate courses in the School of Engineering and Computer Science. To become a tutor, you need to be in your second year or above and have good results in your courses.

Find out more about becoming a tutor

️Postgraduate study

Engineering and Computer Science are complex and fast-moving disciplines. We’re committed to excellence in both teaching and research.

Our postgraduate programmes support new graduates, professional engineers and those who are looking for a change of career to explore any aspect of these disciplines.

Find out more about postgraduate study

Requirements

Explore all undergraduate degrees