Earthquake Engineering

• Postgraduate Certificate in Civil Engineering
• Postgraduate Certificate in Engineering
• Master of Civil Engineering
• Master of Engineering
• Master of Engineering Studies
• Doctor of Philosophy

Earthquake Engineering encompasses a broad range of activities that seek to minimise the damage and disruption communities suffer when hit by an earthquake. The subject includes:

• assessing the tectonic and fault mechanisms that generate earthquakes to estimate when they will occur and how large they will be
• understanding how the earthquake energy transmits through the ground
• quantifying the likely ground surface responses at a specific site throughout the life of a structure
• assessing the liquefaction potential of soils at specific sites
• designing structures and lifeline services (electricity, gas, transport, water, and wastewater) to minimise the damage and disruption during and after an earthquake
• planning for emergency response and post-earthquake recovery
• preparing communities for earthquakes.

UC has a long history in earthquake engineering and has shown significant leadership over the years in this area on an international stage.

As part of the Earthquake Engineering endorsement, students are offered the opportunity to advance their knowledge of seismic risk, geotechnical and structural earthquake engineering, and seismic resilience. The programme draws on significant lessons learnt from the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes and the strong ties the Faculty has with the industry, preparing graduates who are knowledge and highly employable.