Study Civil Engineering Abroad

Study Civil Engineering Abroad

Europe North America

Skyscrapers, bridges and tunnels; Factories, stadiums, opera houses and train stations. If you dream of creating structures that may still be standing in a hundred or two hundred years, the civil engineering course is right for you.

Civil engineers ensure that the buildings planned by architects are technically feasible , defy gravity, wind and weather and at the same time remain affordable. When planning and erecting buildings of all kinds, they also deal with current questions: How can buildings be renovated in order to make them more energy-efficient? Where should dykes and dams be built to protect people from increasing floods and storm surges?

Bachelor civil engineering

As the name suggests, the civil engineering course is one of the engineering courses. Thus, in the first two semesters, engineering and natural sciences are the main subjects on the schedule . This includes, for example, technical mechanics or physics . In addition, there are areas relevant to the subject such as building construction, building materials science or IT . In addition, the students learn something about topics such as ecology or building law.

In most courses, students specialize in certain areas of work in the higher semesters. Those who want to build dikes later, for example, focus on water management and waste management . Other classic directions are transport , construction or structural engineering .

Master’s degree in civil engineering

A bachelor’s degree is often not enough to start your career. In the field of civil engineering, many undergraduate courses are not professional qualifications , but merely serve as preparation for the advanced master’s degree.

According to Searchforpublicschools, a master’s degree is a prerequisite for management positions and positions in the higher public service. In addition to general study programs, there are also specialized master’s programs . Here the students have the opportunity to focus on a specific area of ​​work, such as “Energy-efficient construction” or “Civil engineering and transport engineering”.

University or college?

More than fifty universities and technical colleges currently offer the civil engineering course. As a rule, studies at universities of applied sciences are more practice-oriented than at universities .

The content of the courses is sometimes very different. Interested parties should think carefully about the area in which they want to work later and choose the university accordingly. Focal points beyond the classic directions are, for example, numerical models and applied IT or port construction and coastal protection.

Requirements

As in all technical courses, students should definitely be interested in mathematics and natural sciences . They can no longer avoid IT in civil engineering either. In addition, a good spatial sense and the ability to think analytically are essential.

Since civil engineers often work in large teams in their later professional life, it is an advantage to have a certain level of organizational talent and communication skills.

Occupational fields

Civil engineers have excellent career prospects as there are currently more vacancies than graduates. The chances of getting a job right after university are therefore very good. The range of activities that civil engineers perform is extremely diverse. Some of them are employed directly on site: As site managers , for example, they plan and coordinate the work processes on large construction sites.

Civil engineers are far more likely to spend much of their time in front of the computer. For example, you design buildings or traffic routes for authorities, construction companies, engineering and planning offices. Or they work in the background to ensure that construction projects come about and run smoothly .

Working as an expert or pursuing an academic career is also possible. Civil engineers are also in demand abroad. For example, you work in development work or take part in one of the numerous projects by German construction companies abroad.

Advantages of international experience for civil engineers

Spending one or more semesters in another country while studying in Germany is worthwhile for all future civil engineers. And not just for those who want to prepare for a career abroad. A semester abroad is an unforgettable adventure and offers you the opportunity to experience a different culture and make international contacts .

You acquire or improve your knowledge of a foreign language “on the side” and acquire the soft skills that are in demand for your later professional life : You learn to work in international teams, you train your communication skills and your organizational skills. With your experience abroad, you also signal a high degree of independence to your future employer.

Study Civil Engineering Abroad