Foundation engineering professor Euan Lindsay said the course had evolved since it was first touted in 2013.

At that time the degree was to be a four-year bachelor program, very similar to courses available at other major universities in Australia.

The latest incarnation of the course, which will begin intake next year, will see a small cohort of only 50 students complete a five-and-a-half-year degree.

Students will graduate with a Bachelor of Technology and a Master of Engineering (Civil Systems) .

Professor Lindsay said the degree would be primarily industry based, with only 18-months of the degree completed on campus.

He said the university had decided to pour its funds into the Bathurst campus to ensure the course was delivered to a premium standard.

"With students only on campus for 18 months, we would be foolish to split it," Professor Lindsay said.

"We would be delivering a sub-standard product."

Professor Lindsay said it was necessary to develop a very small degree to ensure the university could live up to its promise of providing students with four years of paid work placements.

The selection process was to involve interviews and a questionnaire, moving away from the ATAR based model.

The development of the course stemmed from pressures companies faced finding engineers willing to work and live in regional NSW.

Professor Lindsay said the ATAR for the course had not yet been confirmed, but said it would be mid-range, with a series of other selection criteria also considered.

"There will be a questionnaire, and interview and an ATAR component," Professor Lindsay said.

"We will be focusing on developing entrepreneurial engineers," he said, adding that the focus on business meant the course was more inline with other course taught at Bathurst.

He hoped the course would attract a diverse range of students and that it would be expanded if successful.

Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, who applauded the planned introduction of engineering to CSU Wagga in 2013, expressed his disappointment but remained optimistic.

"They're developing a pilot program, they will be trialling (it in Bathurst) to see how successful it is," Mr McCormack.

"I would of course like to see an engineering course at Wagga."

Mr McCormack said he had been in discussion with CSU Vice-Chancellor Andrew Vann and was pleased a course was being developed and run in regional Australia.