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

Required core Yr 1
24
Required core Yr 2
24
Required core Yr 3
30

Course outline
Year 1

COMP1917 Computing 1 (6 UOC)

COMP1927 Computing 2 (6 UOC)
MATH1081 Discrete Mathematics (6 UOC)
And ONE of:
o MATH1131 Mathematics 1A (6 UOC)
o MATH1141 Higher Mathematics 1A (6 UOC)
And ONE of:
o MATH1231 Mathematics 1B (6 UOC)
o MATH1241 Higher Mathematics 1B (6 UOC)
Year 2
COMP2041 Software Construction (6 UOC)
COMP2121 Microprocessors & Interfacing (6 UOC)
COMP2911 Eng. Design in Computing (6 UOC)
Year 3
COMP3711 Software Project Management (6 UOC)
SENG4921 Professional Issues and Ethics (6 UOC)
Level 3 Computing Electives

COMP3121 Algorithms & Programming Tech (6 UOC)

First Year Core units (24 credit points)

ELEC1601 Foundations of Computer Systems
ENGG1805 Professional Engineering and IT
INFO1103 Introduction to Programming or INFO1903 Informatics
(Advanced)
INFO1105/1905 Data Structures/(Advanced)
Second Year Core units (24 credit points)
COMP2129 Operating Systems and Machine Principles
COMP2907 Algorithms and Complexity (Advanced)
INFO2110 Systems Analysis and Modelling
INFO2820 Database Systems 1 (Advanced)
Third Year Core units (18 credit points)
INFO3402 Management of IT Projects and Systems
INFO3600 Major Development Project (Advanced)
Third Year Selected Core units of study (at least 12 credit points)
COMP3109 Programming Languages and Paradigms
COMP3308/3608 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence/(Adv)
COMP3419 Graphics and Multimedia
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
All undergraduates
769
Domestic full-fee students
7
Non-English speaking students
68%
International students
167
Part time students
26%
External or mixed mode students
N/A

Who studies Computing and information technology at SYDNEY

All undergraduates
378
Domestic full-fee students
16
Non-English speaking students
60%
International students
62
Part time students
25%
External or mixed mode students
2%

Coming direct from school

Given credit for previous TAFE study
Mature-aged students

53%
7%
10%

What happens to graduates after graduation

Starting salary
$56,950
Go on to further study
21%
Seeking work
12%
Working in the public sector
27%
Working abroad
7%
Working in private industry
61%
Working in private practice
4%

Coming direct from school

Given credit for previous TAFE study
Mature-aged students

80%
2%
9%

What happens to graduates after graduation

Starting salary
$49,860
Go on to further study
20%
Seeking work
8%
Working in the public sector
11%
Working abroad
4%
Working in private industry
75%
Working in private practice
9%

What graduates say about their educational experience

Teaching quality
Better
Generic skills
Better
Overall satisfaction
Better

What graduates say about their educational experience

Teaching quality
Worse
Generic skills
Average
Overall satisfaction
Worse

Number of students on campus

How many undergraduates?

Number of students on campus

How many undergraduates?

25150 students
18682 students

43699 students
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, thats very odd.

QS Rankings

Average Rankings

Overall Rankings
2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50

UNSW
0

Usyd

10

Umelb

20

ANU

30
40
50
60

Arts & Humanities

2007

2008

2009

UNSW
USyd
UMelb
ANU

Natural Sciences

2010

2007
0
UNSW

30

USyd

60
70

2010
10

20

50

2009

10

40

2008

UMelb
ANU

20
30
40
50

80

60

90

70

UNSW
USyd
UMelb
ANU

Social Sciences
2007

2008

2009

Life Sciences

2010

2007

2008

2009

10

10

UNSW

15

USyd

20

USyd

20

UMelb

30

UMelb

25

ANU

40

30

50

35
40

60

Engineering & IT
2007

2010

2008

2009

2010
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50

UNSW
USyd
UMelb
ANU

UNSW

ANU

Academic Reputation
2008

2009

Citations per Faculty

2010

2008

2009

2010

5
10

UNSW

15

USyd

20
25
30

50
100

UMelb

150

ANU

35

Employer Review
2009

UMelb
ANU

250

45

2008

USyd

200

40

2007

UNSW

Student Faculty Ratio

2010

2009

2010

10

50

20
30
40
50
60
70

UNSW

100

UNSW

USyd

150

USyd

UMelb
ANU

200
250
300
350
400
450

UMelb
ANU

International Faculty
2008

2009

International Students

2010

2009

2010

0
50
100
150

0
10

UNSW

UNSW

USyd

20

USyd

UMelb

30

UMelb

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)

ANU

2004 Melbourne Institute International Standing of Australian Universities

85 95

Asiaweeks 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. Im 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
For USyd:
m00p (hears UNSW has technical and harder courses particularly at post-grad
Spik3ballon (shiny building, beat UNSW in ACM Programming
level but is sure USyd is good as well)
Competition 2009 and had best performing 1st year team, James
Curran, home of Australian Centre of Field Robotics and NCSS)
Kalamity Jess (engineering by far, environment, Robocup, says USyd is arts etc
Electrocuted (employability for engineering: knows 2 huge global giants
J^K.K. (SEng >CompSci)
with ratio 4:1 USyd:UNSW for electrical eng and huge govt organisation
o Matteo1 (+1, also says consider social aspect)
with 3:1) (also attended UNSW 1yr SENG and USyd for 2 other degrees,
Spik3balloon (QS engineering rank, Richard Buckland, RoboCup)
indicates quality of teaching and practical applications of theory way
chris_c28 (if youre after specific specialisation like SE. Says USyd SENG is more EE
better at USyd)
focused)
Myztikal_ (2yrs ago faculty separated from Science & Maths dept.

rjz9 (much better faculty and course options)

Symonds (education better, recognition in workforce equal)

think of pure side, completely revamped course, loves current course)

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
Zedeyeenn (engineering course demanding, difficult)
Sharpy (did comp eng, says challenging course material)
Imposta. (USyd IT student, wouldve 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)

For USyd:
Void null (did Science degree, very flexible, USyd was best for him)

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1515286 (2010)
For UNSW:
Kenobiajay (ARWU.org ranking)
XeaL (Richard Buckland)

Against USyd:
Fenrisulvur (youd meet a lot of intelligent people and good lecturers,
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
International students can apparently be a problem during group assignments
Many complaints about overcrowded lectures

http://community.boredofstudies.org/showthread.php?t=181857
People dont like Redfern

Campus and probably student life better at UNSW

Comments: BoS doesnt 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/