UNSW Careers Advisers Conference: The Updates - and the Bigger Career Picture
I spent Friday at the UNSW Careers Advisers Conference and… it was a big day of rapid-fire insights, faculty updates, admissions changes, scholarship insights, employability frameworks, and some very clear messages about where the world of work is heading.
UNSW is a top preference for many of our students… but the purpose of this update isn’t to “sell” one university. It’s to keep our community informed and confident.
Because what’s happening in when it comes to the world of careers….is huge.
It’s not just picking subjects and selecting a degree.
It’s building a strong set of skills, developing career readiness over time, and finding a direction (or cause) you want to contribute to.
Here are the most important takeaways, and what they mean for Caringbah students.
The Global Context: Why Universities Are Changing (World Economic Forum)
Before we even talk about UNSW, it’s worth zooming out.
The World Economic Forum points to five big forces reshaping work:
Technological change (AI & automation)
The green transition (net zero goals)
Demographic shifts (ageing population + skills shortages)
Geoeconomic fragmentation (supply chain and geopolitical shifts)
Economic uncertainty (inflation, cost pressures, productivity focus)
The key message is not “panic, jobs are disappearing.”
It’s this:
Work is transforming fast… and students who build adaptable, human-centred and digitally fluent skillsets will be best positioned.
This is exactly why we’re building Future Ready and strengthening the LEAVERS Passport approach: so students are not just “choosing a course”… they are building capability over time.
The UNSW “Road to Employability”: Discover - Launch - Grow
One of the most useful frameworks shared was UNSW’s employability model:
Discover: self-awareness (strengths, interests, values), exploring options
Launch: experiences that build confidence and credibility (internships, placements, exchange, industry exposure)
Grow: leadership development, mentoring, ongoing career support
A slide that summed up the whole day:
Career readiness is not… just a degree.
Career readiness is… a journey ….. It’s skill-building + experiences + reflection.
This mirrors what we are trying to embed at here at school: students developing a “career profile”, a “life resume”… not just a plan.
Big Structural Update: UNSW Moving Back to a Two-Semester Model
After years of trimesters, UNSW is transitioning back to:
Two 12-week semesters
Optional summer/winter intensive terms (6 weeks each)
Greater alignment with WIL, placements and wellbeing
The intent: more balance, deeper learning, and better structure for professional experience.
Faculty Highlights
Engineering: Demand, Shortages, and Future-Resilience
Engineering was positioned as strategically critical … not just “a good degree.”
Key messages:
Australia is facing serious engineering skills shortages long-term
Engineering intersects directly with the biggest global drivers: infrastructure, renewables, AI systems, defence capability, and advanced manufacturing
Industry experience is not optional - it’s embedded (Engineering Professional Practice - previously Industrial Training)
Takeaway for students:
Engineering is one of the most future-resilient pathways because it sits at the centre of the systems being rebuilt.
Also worth noting: UNSW highlighted targeted programs for Young Women in Engineering, including structured outreach and support. Free to join for Year 7 - 12. Learn more HERE
It is also worth noting that from 2027, UNSW Engineering will no longer be offering Portfolio Early Entry Conditional Offers, except for applicants applying via the Young Women in Engineering Pathway Program.
Business: AI Isn’t a Unit - It’s the New Operating System
The Business School presentation was fast, intense, and very clear:
AI is reshaping how value is created in every industry.
They emphasised the shift from:
Humans doing lots of routine tasks
toAI handling predictable work, while humans focus on judgement, strategy, creativity, and leadership
UNSW shared strong “market signal” style messages:
AI capability is being rewarded in hiring
Organisations are investing heavily in automation and transformation
Most companies don’t feel “AI mature” yet, so skill gaps are real
A major update:
A new AI in Business and Society major (reflecting the interdisciplinary reality of AI)
Takeaway for students:
You don’t need to become an AI engineer - but you do need to become AI-capable: data-aware, digitally confident, and able to think critically about ethics, privacy, and impact.
Law & Justice: Growth, Governance and Real Pathways In
Law was positioned as:
a strong professional pathway, and
increasingly connected to technology, regulation, compliance, and governance.
A useful practical slide was around adjustment factors and how they apply differently across programs (e.g. Law vs Criminology/Criminal Justice). Spoiler alert - there are less adjustment factors available for Law.
Takeaway for students:
Law isn’t becoming less relevant in a tech world - it’s becoming more important as regulation, privacy, cyber risk, and complex governance increase.
Faculty Updates
New Double Degree Combinations
New double degree options now allow students to combine Criminology & Criminal Justice with either Psychological Science (ATAR ~83) or Psychology (Honours) (ATAR ~97). This provides clearer pathways into forensic psychology, behavioural analysis and justice-related careers, while distinguishing between general psychology study and the honours pathway required for professional registration.
The LAT Update
Yes, the LAT requirement has been removed for the upcoming intake, and yes… entry into Law via ATAR will remain highly competitive.
However, it’s important for students to understand that there are structured alternative entry points.
UNSW’s Internal Program Transfer (IPT) pathway allows students who fall just short of the Law entry requirement to commence in an alternate degree and apply to transfer after one year of university study.
This year, 89 Internal Program Transfer offers were made into Law.
If successful, the transfer does not increase the overall length of a combined degree.
In practical terms, this means that a student’s Year 12 ATAR is not the only opportunity to enter Law. Strong first-year university performance can provide a second pathway.
Medicine – High Demand and a Major Program Redesign
Medicine remains one of the most sought-after degrees at UNSW and across NSW/ACT.
Demand continues to be extremely high, and entry remains highly competitive.
UNSW shared that a full redesign of the Medicine program is currently underway, with implementation beginning in 2028.
Students in the current 2026 cohort will commence under the existing structure for the first two years, before transitioning into the new program design.
Why the redesign?
The key drivers behind the changes include:
Aligning the first four years of the program with the broader university semester calendar
Providing longer breaks to better support student wellbeing
Introducing a dedicated learning coach initiative for additional academic and personal support
Refreshing general practice teaching components
Extending pre-internship placements
Increasing team-based learning
Embedding leadership and lifelong learning development
The intention is not to reduce academic rigour, but to modernise the structure in line with both student wellbeing and contemporary healthcare delivery.
Further details will be shared as they become available.
Arts, Design & Architecture: The ADA Skills Passport (Human Skills Made Visible)
This faculty shared something genuinely useful: a Skills Passport model - an explicit framework for developing and articulating career-ready skills.
Skills included:
critical thinking
communication
creativity
collaboration
problem solving
digital literacy
organisational skills
self-regulation
technical skills
Takeaway for students:
These are the “enduring human skills” that remain valuable even as technology changes - and being able to name them, evidence them, and reflect on them is career currency.
Key Faculty Updates
The Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA) continues to demonstrate strong breadth and growth.
80+ study areas across Arts, Design and Architecture
14 degree programs offering well over 1,000 individual courses
This faculty is far from narrow - it provides significant flexibility and specialisation across creative, analytical and design-led disciplines.
Growth Areas
UNSW highlighted expanding interest in:
Game Design
Game Art
These growth areas reflect broader industry demand across digital media, interactive design, animation and immersive technologies.
New Secondary Teaching Areas
There are also new teaching areas available within secondary education pathways, including:
Computing Technology
Design & Technology
Textiles and Design
This is particularly relevant for students interested in creative industries combined with education.
New Minors Introduced
Several new minors reflect interdisciplinary and future-focused thinking:
AI in Business and Society
Game Design
Gaming and Society
Digital Social Sciences
These additions show how traditional arts and design disciplines are increasingly intersecting with technology and digital systems.
Upcoming Events
The faculty is also hosting a range of engagement events, including:
Information Evenings
Future Creators Day
Portfolio Entry Information Evenings
These are excellent opportunities for students considering creative or design-based pathways to gain clarity and ask detailed questions.
Science & Psychology: Clear Pathways + Strong Outcomes
Science updates reinforced:
flexibility through majors/minors
work-integrated learning and employability
diverse career outcomes (not just “lab scientist”)
Psychology slides were particularly helpful because they clarified the difference between pathways - especially for students who say “I want to be a psychologist” without understanding the structure.
Key message:
Psychological Science and Psychology (Honours) are not the same pathway
Registration generally involves a staged process (undergrad → honours → postgraduate → registration)
Takeaway for students:
If psychology is on your radar, make sure you understand the full pathway early, so you can plan realistically and keep options open.
The Faculty of Science continues to offer one of the most diverse and industry-connected portfolios at UNSW.
8 schools
30 study areas
Over 400 industry and research partners
This breadth provides strong flexibility, research exposure and career-aligned pathways across traditional and emerging scientific fields.
Most Popular Undergraduate Programs: The three most sought-after science degrees are:
Bachelor of Medical Science
9 majors
Strong pathway for students interested in health, biomedical research and medicine-related careers
Bachelor of Science
28 majors and 40 minors
Highly flexible structure allowing students to tailor their degree to interests in areas such as data science, environmental science, physics, chemistry, mathematics and more
Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
4-year program
Clear pathway toward professional psychology registration (subject to postgraduate progression)
The flexibility within Science degrees remains one of the faculty’s greatest strengths.
New in 2025–2026
The faculty is expanding into emerging and high-demand areas:
Biophysics (Major and Minor - launching 2025)
Reflecting the intersection of physics and biological systems, particularly relevant for medical technology and advanced research.Drone Applications (Minor - launching 2026)
A future-focused addition with applications across environmental monitoring, engineering, agriculture, logistics and surveillance technologies.
These additions align closely with technological change and industry innovation trends.
Aviation Updates
There are also changes within Aviation programs:
Bachelor of Aviation
An aptitude test will replace the traditional interview process from 2027.
Bachelor of Aviation (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems)
Removal of the 40 hours of crewed flying experience requirement.
These updates modernise entry processes and better align with the evolving aviation and drone industries.
Scholarships & UNSW Co-op: Popular, Competitive, and Very Profile-Based
This was one of the biggest “high-achiever interest” sections of the day.
Two key points came through strongly:
1) Scholarships are layered
UNSW scholarships sit across categories like:
merit
equity
accommodation
faculty-specific awards
(and more)
2) Co-op is not “just a scholarship”
Co-op was framed as an industry-integrated pathway… supported by sponsors, structured placements, and high expectations.
They shared telling data (which is gold for students):
lots of students start applications but don’t submit
a smaller group progress to interview
an even smaller group receive scholarships
And the key “selection insight” message was consistent:
ATAR may open the door - but your application and your career-life profile gets you through it.
What they look for:
authenticity (not over-polished perfection)
multiple examples and contexts (not one “everything story”)
evidence of leadership, initiative, and balance
clear understanding of the program and why you want it
strong writing and proofreading
ethical and appropriate use of AI (support tool, not “voice replacement”)
Takeaway for students:
If you’re aiming for Co-op or major scholarships, start building your “life résumé” now - leadership, service, initiative projects, part-time work, competitions, volunteering, creative work… and keep track of it.
(Hello, LEAVERS Passport.)
What This Means for Caringbah Students (Simple and Calm)
If you only remember one message from the day, make it this:
Careers readiness is not a single decision… it’s a set of skills and experiences built over time.
So our focus stays steady:
build strong foundations (literacy, numeracy, study habits)
develop a profile (LEAVERS-style evidence of skills)
explore industries and options early
gain real experiences (work experience, insight events, mentoring)
stay digitally capable (AI awareness without fear)
stay open-minded (there’s rarely only one pathway)
We’ll keep sharing key updates as they matter… and supporting students to feel informed, calm, and ready. Next up… Macquarie University
Kate Poppett
Careers Adviser