Civil Engineering
Pūhanga Metarahi
Scholarships
Ranking
Top 100 in the world for Engineering - Civil & Structural (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023)
Download Brochure
Scholarships
Ranking
Top 100 in the world for Engineering - Civil & Structural (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023)
Download Brochure
Qualifications
Overview
Civil Engineering is all about the infrastructure you see around you — buildings, roads, water supply, and transport, to name a few.
You will learn how to strengthen the design of structures to withstand 21st century challenges such as sustainability and climate change, as well as natural disasters like earthquakes and floods.
- Learn practical skills through projects, field work, lab courses, and collaborative competitions like bridge building.
- Use bespoke design software and engineering platforms.
- Work experience as well as a research project.
- Minor in either Structural Engineering or Water and Environmental Systems Engineering.
You may also choose to complete a minor alongside Civil Engineering in either Structural Engineering or Water and Environmental Systems Engineering.
First year
The first year of the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours is made up of six compulsory courses taken by all Engineering students, plus courses specific to Civil Engineering:
You also need to complete one other 100-level elective course. Check with a Student Advisor for suggested options.
More information:
- To see what this degree will look like, view the degree diagram on the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours page.
- For guidance on how to structure your first year, visit the Engineering First Year webpage.
2nd–4th years
Once you have completed the first year and successfully applied for entry into Civil Engineering, you will study that discipline within the next three years.
Laboratory, tutorial, design, office, and field classes complement the theory presented in lectures. As well as individual assignments, you will also regularly work in teams on projects. Written and oral presentations are also key components of many courses.
Second year
- Complete the following list of courses
An external field camp also forms part of the second year's programme.
Third year
- Complete the following list of courses
Plus one of:
Fourth year
- Complete the following list of courses
Plus four courses chosen from the electives list, or any approved 400-level Engineering courses.
Those with a GPA of 6 or more may take a 600-level course as one of their options, with approval.
You will learn skills in practical design, analysis, and presenting your solutions. Throughout your studies, you will work in teams, and learn to solve problems and manage projects.
There are a variety of roles in the civil engineering field that you can work in such as wood, fire, water, and geotechnical engineering.
Career pathways could include:
- consulting or contracting
- local, regional, and central government
- project management
- iwi development.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Contact us
Te Tari Pūhanga Metarahi, Rawa Taiao | Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering
Phone +64 3 369 3113
Email engdegreeadvice@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
Level 4, Civil-Mechanical Engineering building – see campus maps
Postal address
Te Kaupeka Pūhanga | Faculty of Engineering
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
Browse related subjects to Civil Engineering
Choose an area that you are interested in and learn how UC's extensive range of study options can let you study what you want to.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers design and develop everything that moves or has moving parts — from airplanes to wind turbines to dishwashers.
Forest Engineering
Forest Engineering takes the technical field of engineering to the outdoors, where you will help design, construct, and evaluate the operational systems that ...