Engineering

UNSW Young Women in Engineering Pathway Program

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INSPIRE | ENGAGE | EMPOWER

Join the alternate pathway program to UNSW engineering for Year 11 and 12 women, non-binary and gender diverse students. This program will be running in February - March 2027. Click on the 'Register now' button to join the program. Spots are limited and are allocated on a first-come basis. 
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What is the UNSW Young Women in Engineering (WIE) Pathway Program?

The UNSW Young Women in Engineering Pathway Program is an alternate pathway program for high school students* in Year 11 and 12 who have an interest in Engineering and will be applying to study an eligible engineering degree at UNSW Sydney. The five-week program runs from February to March and has capacity for 120 motivated students to participate each year. 

If you're a student who wants to make a difference in the world, has an interest in helping others and would love to learn how engineering can make an impact, then this program is for you!

Gain valuable skills by participating in an engineering challenge set by one of the eight engineering schools in the UNSW Faculty of Engineering. Guided by a lead academic and UNSW Women in Engineering student ambassadors, you will work with like-minded students in small teams to tackle an engineering challenge associated with their ongoing research. 

This process connects you with experts in engineering and world-class research, providing insights into sustainable and innovative technologies. It also helps you develop essential skills in design thinking, problem-solving, communication and teamwork, which will benefit your journey in any engineering program. Plus, it's a great way to make friends before university begins!

At the conclusion of the engineering challenge, you can submit your engineering solution and a 500 – 1,000-word reflection for review towards an Early Conditional Offer (ECO). With an Early Conditional Offer, you will be eligible to gain entry to an eligible UNSW Engineering degree with an adjusted ATAR requirement usually within 10 ATAR points lower than the required selection rank. 

This transformational program can not only help you gain entry to UNSW Engineering through an Early Conditional Offer, but by completing activities and attaining badges under the three program pillars of INSPIRE, ENGAGE and EMPOWER you can automatically qualify to be interviewed for a paid UNSW Student Ambassador role upon starting an engineering degree at UNSW Sydney!

*Inclusive of young women, non-binary and gender diverse students.
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Who can apply?

Domestic high school students* in Year 11 and 12 completing their studies at an Australian or New Zealand school, who will be applying for an eligible engineering degree at UNSW Sydney.

When do registrations open?

The 2026 UNSW Young Women in Engineering Pathway Program is now closed for registrations.

The 2027 registrations will open during Term 4 of the NSW High School Calendar.

 

What is the cost?

Participants are required to pay a $10 non-refundable registration fee to secure their place in the program. 

There are a limited number of fee-waived spots for students who are eligible for the Gateway Admission Pathway. 

The UNSW Young WIE Pathway Program

  • The UNSW Young WIE Pathway Program has three main pillars that align with the values of UNSW Women in Engineering: INSPIRE, ENGAGE and EMPOWER. Students have a choice of activities to complete to be awarded the pillar badges, with all of Year 11 and 12 to complete their selected activities.

    To be eligible for an early conditional offer, students MUST be awarded the EMPOWER pillar badge by successfully participating in and completing an engineering challenge set by one of the eight UNSW Engineering schools and submit a reflection of their experience.

    Students have a choice of projects and work in small teams for the duration of the project, being mentored by experts in the field and UNSW Women in Engineering student ambassadors to help develop key skills in design thinking, problem-solving, communication and teamwork.

  • Click on the “Register Now” button to register for the UNSW Young WIE Pathway Program using a gmail account. You must be a member of the UNSW Young WIE Club to participate in the Young WIE Pathway Program, and pay your $10 non-refundable registration fee to secure your place. There are only 120 places available in the program each year which will be allocated to students on a first-come basis.

    Once you have registered and accepted the program agreement, you will be taken to the web portal where you can access the EMPOWER, ENGAGE and INSPIRE pillars and view the eight engineering challenges under the EMPOWER pillar. You are then required to choose your challenge, and you have until 30 January to lock in your choice.

    The EMPOWER pillar challenges will run from February to March, and to receive the EMPOWER pillar badge, you will be required to produce a 3-5-minute video in small teams of up to five students outlining your solution to your selected engineering challenge. To be considered for an Early Conditional Offer (ECO) with an adjusted ATAR, you will also need to submit an individual 500 - 1,000-word reflection piece about your experience in the program. Throughout the program you will have access UNSW mentors and resources, and opportunities to connect to other students.

    There will be in-person events at the start and end of the program.

    If you are a student in years 7 – 10, you can still register for the program via the UNSW Young Women in Engineering Pathway Program web portal, however you will not be able to commence the program until you are in Year 11. You will be alerted by email when you become eligible for the program.

UNSW Young WIE Pathway Program FAQ

  • The following degrees are included in this scheme, however please consult the most recent UNSW Handbook to confirm intake period.

    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace Engineering) (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Bioinformatics) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Product Engineering) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Civil (Honours)/Surveying  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Computer) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Geoenergy and Geostorage) (Honours)
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Robotics and Mechatronic) (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Nuclear) (Honours)
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Photovoltaics and Solar Energy) (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Quantum Engineering) (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Renewable Energy) (Honours)  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Software) (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Surveying) (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Telecommunications) (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Arts  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Fine Arts  
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Engineering Science 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Master of Biomedical Engineering 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Science 
    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/ Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) 
    • Bachelor of Food Science (Honours)
    • Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) 
    • Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)/Bachelor of Arts 
    • Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)/Bachelor of Fine Arts 
    • Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)

  • The EMPOWER Pillar program has a five-week timeline, with an in-person Welcome event on 27 February and a Closing event on 31 March 2026. It is anticipated that you spend a few hours each week with your team working on your project, and check-in with your WIE student ambassador mentor at least once a week.

  • We have deliberately scheduled the program to run from February to March, so that you will finish well in advance of the HSC.

  • No. To be eligible for an Early Conditional Offer, you MUST be awarded the EMPOWER pillar badge and successfully complete your engineering challenge and reflection piece. The ENGAGE and INSPIRE pillars are optional. We do, however, encourage you to attain all of the pillar badges, as you will then automatically qualify to be interviewed for a paid UNSW Student Ambassador role upon starting an engineering degree at UNSW Sydney.

UNSW Young Women in Engineering Club

The UNSW Young Women in Engineering Club is a fun, inspiring community for high school students* interested in STEM. We provide opportunities to explore the diverse fields of engineering where you can connect and share ideas with fellow high school students.

You’ll hear from inspiring role models such as UNSW Engineering students and women engineers who are already making their mark on the world.

*Inclusive of young women, non-binary and gender diverse students.
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