Studying science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM) at QUT opens a world of opportunities to achieve your full potential and forge a rewarding career.
Why study STEM at QUT?
Discovering how to improve lives by solving a range of real-world problems will be crucial in the
future. Many of the jobs of today were unheard of a decade ago: app developers, big data
analysts and sustainability engineers.
STEM careers provide the greatest opportunities to
succeed in the future.
No university is better placed to help you launch your STEM career
than Queensland’s only university of technology.
Why study STEM at QUT?
The fundamental underpinning of the skills you need for jobs of the future is STEM.
But did you know that there’s a secret formula to getting that great-paying, in-demand and stellar career that you’ll love? We call it STEM+X - where X is your passion, another field or a world-changing goal.
To help get you started on finding your perfect STEM+X combo, we’ve created a 60-page STEM+X guide in partnership with Careers with STEM.
Think about the future. What issues do we need to address, as a society, to ensure longevity? Climate change. Water scarcity. Food shortages. Species extinction. Affordable housing. With a predicted 75 per cent of future occupations needing STEM literacy, it means that a skilled STEM workforce is central to addressing these complex issues now and into the future.
Science and Advanced Science
Understand and tackle the greatest challenges facing our world and its future.
Lauren Blackwell, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Science student
Double your career opportunities
A double degree can help you develop a portfolio of skills and capabilities so you will be flexible, prepared for change and able to maximise your career opportunities. Create your own specialist career niche by combining your STEM degree with a complementary study area that interests you.
The Careers with STEM Job Kits are free 8-page e-mags you can download, offering a complete introduction to individual STEM careers.
Discover what a job in STEM is all about, meet real people working in the field, and find out what you can do right now to set your career on the right path.
Tune in to hear from a great line-up of guest alumni from around the world, sharing their stories about the paths they’ve taken to get where they are in their STEM careers. Hosted by QUT STEM graduate, Mackenzi Oliver, these episodes will help you find your inspiration for a STEM career.
QUT alumnus Dr Abigail Allwood is at the cutting-edge of space exploration
Women in STEM
With only one in four STEM workers being women, we recognise the importance of supporting and celebrating women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.
We're tackling this gender divide through a number of programs and initiatives, including #STEMtheTide.
Libby Hogarth is a passionate urban planner with a focus on inclusive and meaningful spaces. Libby uncovers the varied range of projects which use the expertise of urban planners to become the best possible developments for all users.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, QUT's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Margaret Sheil sat down for an interview with Minister Karen Andrews, Australia’s Minister for Industry, Science and Technology.
Donald Piggott-McKellar is an Associate Director at Forge Advisory, and one of the minds behind the evolving infrastructure of Brisbane for over 10 years.
Dr Naomi Paxton explains what biofabrication is, the importance of being in a supportive and diverse team and how she made the leap from physics to biomanufacturing.
You’ve got ideas that can help shape the world? Our courses will give you the tools, equipment and technology to bring your concepts to life.
We're Queensland’s only university of technology - future-focused and always exploring emerging disciplines and equipment. We'll help you push the boundaries of scientific development using cutting-edge facilities housed in our specialist precincts, labs and workspaces.
Our researchers work in key STEM areas, aiming to solve some of the major challenges facing society and the planet, including:
sustainable development and climate change
energy and food security
an ageing population and chronic disease
information dissemination and security.
Many of these leading researchers will be your lecturers. Their experience, passion and knowledge will be shared with you as part of your studies. They will inspire you to reach your potential and exceed your goals.
Naomi Paxton
"Combining polymer science and engineering innovations in biofabrication research has the potential to revolutionise how we treat tissue loss and improve the quality of care for patients."
Mardi McNeil
QUT PhD student Mardi McNeil was part of a team carrying out the first ever assessment of how a particular type of green macroalgae, Halimeda, affects the marine ecosystem in the Great Barrier Reef.
Evangeline Corcoran
"A highlight of my PhD studies so far is publishing my first lead author paper and receiving international honours as a ‘Woman to Watch’ in the drone industry for my role in researching the use of drones, thermal imaging and machine learning to monitor threatened wildlife."
Scholarships
We recognise the achievements and potential of our students, and encourage you to apply for our scholarships, bursaries and development programs. Scholarships offer both financial support and a wealth of invaluable experience. They can help shape and support your time at university. All you need to do is apply.
Vanessa and Riva are both recipients of the prestigious Westpac Young Technologists Scholarship. Only five universities across Australia offer this $15,000 scholarship. The scholarship includes a personalised enrichment program, giving you access to paid internships, inspiring mentors and an international leadership development experience, and membership of the Westpac 100 Scholars Network.
Brody Foy, a QUT mathematics graduate and past Dean’s Scholar and Rhodes Scholar, is using his PhD to apply his maths skills to computational biology. Specifically, lung function testing. Brody has also co-founded a non-profit consultancy that uses data analytics and machine learning to solve problems in healthcare, energy and social services.
Saskia Mathers
Saskia Mathers, a current Deans Scholar and computer software systems engineering student, is a Women in Engineering scholarship recipient and past president of Women in Technology (WiT) at QUT. Saskia has used her experiences in the program to build networks with sponsors and combine her leadership experiences and passion for STEM.
Are you an international student?
Discover more about studying with us as an international student. Find out how to apply, information about scholarships and pathway programs, and what student life is like at QUT.
A common misconception about university is that you have to do it ‘on your own’. You’ll be relieved to know that QUT offers many opportunities to get involved, make new friends, and receive proactive and timely support services to help you succeed.
Join a range of student-led projects and clubs: QUT Aerospace, QUT Construct, Girls in Engineering Making Statements, QUT Maths Society, QUT Motorsport, QUT Planning Student Association, Women in Science, and QUT Women in Technology are just some.
Why wait until you graduate to create your business, social enterprise or side hustle? QUT Entrepreneurship is the perfect place to collaborate, network and share ideas with fellow budding entrepreneurs and like-minded students from across the university.
The Oodgeroo Unit is QUT's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success unit, providing admission pathways, dedicated study spaces, tutors, cultural support and scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
News
20th August 2021
QUT has been awarded four Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) grants totalling $1,697,823 for research on large infrastructure assessment, energy storage, and combatting disinformation online, and additive biomanufacturing.
Dr Khac Duy Nguyen from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering was awarded $350,000 to develop an innovative method for assessing the health condition of bridges and other large infrastructure, helping to prevent potential catastrophic failures.
Dr Jiaye Ye from the School of Chemistry and Physics was awarded $448,169 to develop a membrane that will improve vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) performance and help place Australia at the forefront of clean energy storage technologies.
Dr Timothy Graham from the School of Communication was awarded $452,000 to develop a world-class computational workflow and recommendations to advance the global fight against coordinated disinformation online.
Dr Mark Allenby from the School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineeringwas awarded $447,654to develop a new way of manufacturing bespoke and complex 3D tissues for future agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical products.
“I will specifically target the coordinated and temporal aspects of disinformation and make it more difficult for disinformation campaigners to weaponise social media.
“Social media users, platforms and lawmakers should be better able to differentiate organic activity from inauthentic activity,” he said.
Dr Khac Duy Nguyen’s research aims to improve the safety of bridges and other large infrastructure by developing new health condition assessments.
“The scale of large infrastructure combined with incomplete or uncertain condition data has made potential failures difficult to predict,” Dr Nguyen said.
“Improved condition-based maintenance will replace ineffective routine maintenance schemes and extend asset life cycles, preventing potential catastrophes.”
Dr Jiaye Ye aims to develop high-performance ion exchange membranes to improve the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries, an emerging technology for large scale renewable energy storage.
“These low-cost membranes could greatly reduce the overall cost of the battery and contribute to its further development,” Dr Ye said.
Dr Mark Allenby’s project aims to control cell behaviour in 3D-printed structures through a combination of additive micromanufacturing, tissue engineering, and computational modelling.
The research is expected to lead to more robust, customisable, scalable, and economical cell culture platforms for future agricultural, pharmaceutical, or medical products.
The three-year projects will start in January 2022.
Minister for Education and Youth, Hon Alan Tudge MP, approved the ARC DECRA grants that help advance researcher career pathways.
QUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President (Research), ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik said QUT placed high emphasis on providing career pathways for junior academics and the ARC DECRA scheme was a critical element in its strategy across all faculties and interdisciplinary research centres.