UNSW USyd

Cutoff 2010
91 96.05 (83.7 for non-Adv)
Comment: Cut-off for USyd BSCT (Adv) is higher, so calibre of students may possibly be higher. However, the separation into two degrees, one advanced, one not, seems
a little suss – could be just a dodgy marketing technique. The average cut-off for these two USyd course is 89.875.

Flexibility of degree
Required core Yr 1 Required core Yr 1
30 (+ 18 electives) 24
Required core Yr 2 Required core Yr 2
18 (+ 24 electives, 6 gen ed) 24
Required core Yr 3 Required core Yr 3
12 (+ 24 CS electives, 6 gen ed, 6 electives) 30

Course outline
Year 1 First Year Core units (24 credit points)
• COMP1917 Computing 1 (6 UOC) • ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems
• COMP1927 Computing 2 (6 UOC) • ENGG1805 Professional Engineering and IT
• MATH1081 Discrete Mathematics (6 UOC) • INFO1103 Introduction to Programming or INFO1903 Informatics
• And ONE of: (Advanced)
o MATH1131 Mathematics 1A (6 UOC) • INFO1105/1905 Data Structures/(Advanced)
o MATH1141 Higher Mathematics 1A (6 UOC) Second Year Core units (24 credit points)
• And ONE of: • COMP2129 Operating Systems and Machine Principles
o MATH1231 Mathematics 1B (6 UOC) • COMP2907 Algorithms and Complexity (Advanced)
o MATH1241 Higher Mathematics 1B (6 UOC) • INFO2110 Systems Analysis and Modelling
Year 2 • INFO2820 Database Systems 1 (Advanced)
• COMP2041 Software Construction (6 UOC) Third Year Core units (18 credit points)
• COMP2121 Microprocessors & Interfacing (6 UOC) • INFO3402 Management of IT Projects and Systems
• COMP2911 Eng. Design in Computing (6 UOC) • INFO3600 Major Development Project (Advanced)
Year 3 Third Year Selected Core units of study (at least 12 credit points)
• COMP3711 Software Project Management (6 UOC) • COMP3109 Programming Languages and Paradigms
• SENG4921 Professional Issues and Ethics (6 UOC) • COMP3308/3608 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence/(Adv)
Level 3 Computing Electives • COMP3419 Graphics and Multimedia
• COMP3121 Algorithms & Programming Tech (6 UOC) • COMP3546 Computational Methods for Life Sciences
 • COMP3131 Programming Languages & Compil (6 UOC) • COMP3520 Operating Systems Internals
• COMP3141 Software Sys Des&Implementat'n (6 UOC) • ELEC3506 Data Communications and the Internet
• COMP3151 Foundations of Concurrency (6 UOC) • ELEC3609 Internet Software Platforms
• COMP3152 Comparative Concurrency Semant (6 UOC) • INFO3220 Object Oriented Design
• COMP3153 Algorithmic Verification (6 UOC) • INFO3315 Human-Computer Interaction
• COMP3161 Concepts of Programming Lang. (6 UOC) • INFO3404/3504 Database Systems 2/(Adv)
• COMP3171 Object-Oriented Programming (6 UOC)
• COMP3211 Computer Architecture (6 UOC)
• COMP3222 Digital Circuits and Systems (6 UOC)
• COMP3231 Operating Systems (6 UOC)
• COMP3311 Database Systems (6 UOC)
• COMP3331 Computer Networks&Applications (6 UOC)
• COMP3411 Artificial Intelligence (6 UOC)
• COMP3421 Computer Graphics (6 UOC)
• COMP3431 Intro. Intelligent Agents (6 UOC)
• COMP3441 Cryptography and Security (6 UOC)
• COMP3511 Human Computer Interaction (6 UOC)
• COMP3821 Ext Algorithms&Prog Techniques (6 UOC)
• COMP3891 Ext Operating Systems (6 UOC)
• COMP3931 Ext Computer Networks & App (6 UOC)
Level 4 Computing Electives
• COMP4001 Object-Oriented Software Dev (6 UOC)
• COMP9314 Next Generation Database Systs (6 UOC)
• COMP9318 Data Warehousing & Data Mining (6 UOC)
• COMP9333 Advanced Computer Networks (6 UOC)
• COMP9417 Machine Learning (6 UOC)
• COMP9444 Neural Networks (6 UOC)
Comment: More electives, more freedom at UNSW. Seems much more flexible.
Ziggyboy on Whirlpool thinks their program is more aligned with IEEE-ACM curricula (http://www.acm.org/education/curricula-recommendations) recommendations.

Good Universities Guide

Who studies Computing and information technology at UNSW Who studies Computing and information technology at SYDNEY
All undergraduates 769 All undergraduates 378
Domestic full-fee students 7 Domestic full-fee students 16
Non-English speaking students 68% Non-English speaking students 60%
International students 167 International students 62
Part time students 26% Part time students 25%
External or mixed mode students N/A External or mixed mode students 2%
 Coming direct from school 53% Coming direct from school 80%
Given credit for previous TAFE study 7% Given credit for previous TAFE study 2%
Mature-aged students 10% Mature-aged students 9%

What happens to graduates after graduation What happens to graduates after graduation
Starting salary $56,950 Starting salary $49,860
Go on to further study 21% Go on to further study 20%
Seeking work 12% Seeking work 8%
Working in the public sector 27% Working in the public sector 11%
Working abroad 7% Working abroad 4%
Working in private industry 61% Working in private industry 75%
Working in private practice 4% Working in private practice 9%

What graduates say about their educational experience What graduates say about their educational experience
Teaching quality Better Teaching quality Worse
Generic skills Better Generic skills Average
Overall satisfaction Better Overall satisfaction Worse

Number of students on campus 25150 students Number of students on campus 43699 students
How many undergraduates? 18682 students How many undergraduates? 30475 students

Comments: Clearly wherever Good Universities Guide gets their data from seems to like UNSW. A slightly larger proportion of UNSW students are undergraduates.
Definitely more international students at UNSW (confirmed with people on forums, etc). Slightly more people at UNSW given credit for TAFE? Strange. UNSW has a higher
starting salary. A strangely large percentage of UNSW students work in the public sector, that’s very odd.
 QS Rankings

Average Rankings Overall Rankings

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
0
5
UNSW 10 UNSW
15
0 Usyd USyd
20
10 Umelb UMelb
25
20
ANU 30 ANU
30 35
40 40
50 45
60 50

Arts & Humanities Natural Sciences

2007 2008 2009 2010 2007 2008 2009 2010
0 0
10 10
20 UNSW UNSW
20
30 USyd USyd
40 30
UMelb UMelb
50 40
ANU ANU
60
50
70
80 60

90 70
 Social Sciences Life Sciences
2007 2008 2009 2010 2007 2008 2009 2010
0 0
5
10
10 UNSW UNSW
USyd 20 USyd
15
20 UMelb 30 UMelb
25 ANU ANU
40
30
50
35
40 60

Engineering & IT
2007 2008 2009 2010
0
5
10 UNSW
15
USyd
20
25 UMelb
30 ANU
35
40
45
50
 Academic Reputation Citations per Faculty
2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
0 0
5
10 UNSW 50 UNSW
15 USyd USyd
100
20
UMelb UMelb
25
ANU 150 ANU
30
35 200
40
45 250

Employer Review Student Faculty Ratio

2007 2008 2009 2010 2009 2010
0 0

10 50
UNSW 100 UNSW
20
USyd 150 USyd
30 200
UMelb UMelb
40 250
ANU ANU
300
50
350
60 400
70 450
 International Faculty International Students
2008 2009 2010 2009 2010
0 0

50 10
UNSW UNSW
USyd 20 USyd
100
UMelb 30 UMelb
150 ANU ANU
40
200 50

250 60

Other rankings

http://www.australian-universities.com/rankings/

2008 SHJT Academic Ranking of World universities – Australian universities ranking

6 (152-200) 3 (97)

2006 Australian University Rankings

88 93

2005 Melbourne Institute International Standing of Australian Universities

84 93

Teaching Performance Rankings August 2005

13.56 (Rank 33) 23.93 (Rank 10)
 2004 Melbourne Institute International Standing of Australian Universities
85 95

Asiaweek’s ranking of Australian universities

10 13

Australian Engineering School Rankings

2 3

http://www.arwu.org/SubjectCS2010.jsp
76-100 (only Australian Uni on this list) N/A
Comments: UNSW is definitely better, according to the rankings, in the Engineering & IT (or CS) departments. However, overall, it is worse. I’m also interested in Natural
Sciences and perhaps Arts. Lately they seem to be getting closer, according to QS in rankings for Engineering & IT anyway. USyd clearly has a better “academic reputation”
but UNSW has more citations per faculty (also, “UNSW was the most cited Australian university in Computer Science, Engineering, Maths, and Psychology from 2002 to
2009 according to the Thomson Reuters-Indexed Journals”). UNSW had a more favourable “employer review” but this year it has switched around. Apparently the
“international” side of USyd is better – but I cannot seem to find what QS uses precisely to determine this.

Opinions

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1269383 (2009)
Neutral:
• Logic and Reason: USyd more pure, UNSW heavier Engineering focus
• ziggyboy: ^ argues UNSW is more pure, USyd leans more towards IT. Votes UNSW
but believes USyd is very very close 2nd.
• CarbonLake: +1 ziggyboy
For UNSW
• m00p (hears UNSW has technical and ‘harder’ courses particularly at post-grad
level but is sure USyd is good as well)
• Kalamity Jess (engineering by far, environment, Robocup, says USyd is “arts etc”
• J^K.K. (SEng >CompSci)
o Matteo1 (+1, also says consider social aspect)
• Spik3balloon (QS engineering rank, Richard Buckland, RoboCup)
• chris_c28 (if you’re after specific specialisation like SE. Says USyd SENG is more EE
focused)
For USyd:
• Spik3ballon (shiny building, beat UNSW in ACM Programming
Competition 2009 and had best performing 1st year team, James
Curran, home of Australian Centre of Field Robotics and NCSS)
• Electrocuted (employability for engineering: knows 2 huge global giants
with ratio 4:1 USyd:UNSW for electrical eng and huge govt organisation
with 3:1) (also attended UNSW 1yr SENG and USyd for 2 other degrees,
indicates quality of teaching and practical applications of theory way
better at USyd)
• Myztikal_ (2yrs ago faculty separated from Science & Maths dept. –
 • rjz9 (much better faculty and course options) think of ‘pure’ side, completely revamped course, loves current course)
• Symonds (education better, recognition in workforce equal)

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/556027 (2006)
Neutral:
• Chickinja: UNSW touted as best – teaching looks good, lacks
groupwork/communication that USyd focuses on, international recognition of
USyd, Asia recognition of UNSW)
• General Smirnov: USyd less technical but better rounded
o TashiGirl refutes ^ - Gen Ed
For UNSW For USyd:
• Zedeyeenn (engineering course demanding, difficult) • Void null (did Science degree, very flexible, USyd was best for him)
• Sharpy (did comp eng, says challenging course material)
• Imposta. (USyd IT student, would’ve preferred UTS or UNSW)
• Fire Dog (‘heard good things’)
• Ziggyboy (thinks their program is more aligned with IEEE-ACM currcula
recommendations – more standardised worldwide and subjects tougher for
having more maths and digital electronics subjects)
• theguy126 (no reason)
• TashiGirl (has studied at UNSW, Monash, Sydney, Melbourne  rank for IT)
Against:
• Joller & aprilia_man (UNSW are nothing worldwide – low standards)

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1515286 (2010)
For UNSW: Against USyd:
• Kenobiajay (ARWU.org ranking) • Fenrisulvur (you’d meet a lot of intelligent people and good lecturers,
• XeaL (Richard Buckland) but undergrad program riddled with problems and consistencies)
• = screen name = (does not understand diff between five major
disciplines proposed by IEEE: CS, IT, SENG, COMPENG, SYSENG. Worked
there a few years ago.)
o (but Fenrisulvur refutes)
Comment: Lots of debate on Whirlpool but after breaking it down it seems that most people think UNSW is better.

What you hate about UNSW/USyd on BoS

http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=167904 http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=181857
• International students can apparently be a problem during group assignments • People don’t like Redfern
• Many complaints about overcrowded lectures
 •Campus and probably student life better at UNSW
Comments: BoS doesn’t like UNSW that much.

Other things
Campus: Nice. Smaller. But has STAIRS! 7km from CBD. Campus: Pretty! Expansive. 2km from CBD.

Student Societies
http://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/Club-List-55.aspx http://sydney.edu.au/arms/archives/clusoc.shtml
http://www.usu.usyd.edu.au/Clubs__Socs/Default.aspx

Scholarships
http://www.scholarships.unsw.edu.au/ http://sydney.edu.au/scholarships/