Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (Civil Engineering Technology)
This Engineering Technology programme is part of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. The Civil Engineering Technology programme focuses on the construction of functional and sustainable buildings and road infrastructure.
What
The impact of science and technology on today’s society is greater than ever before. Sophisticated machines take over difficult or dangerous tasks, medicine evolves at high speed, new techniques reduce our mountain of waste, ... In all of the above, engineers have a crucial role to play. They come up with solutions to existing problems and develop new products and technologies. In short, engineers contribute to a better and more sustainable future for everyone. The Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Engineering Technology (in Dutch: industrieel ingenieur) offer an application-oriented knowledge by means of basic course units. You then use that knowledge to improve existing designs and systems and to apply new concepts in the professional field. Characteristic of the programme are the many exercises and practicals in labs and the regular contacts with the professional field during project work and work placements. The Civil Engineering Technology Bachelor’s curriculum contains course units on civil engineering as well on as land surveying. In the Master’s curriculum, this allows for a choice of Civil Engineering Technology or Land Survey Engineering Technology. In the Civil Engineering Technology programme, the focus is on the construction of functional and sustainable buildings and road infrastructure, while also paying attention to aspects of safety, stability and the environment. These constructions have quite a set of criteria to live up to: they must conform to architectural aesthetics, their long-time stability must be guaranteed, the materials and construction techniques must stand the test of time, and their interiors must be comfortable. The Land Survey Engineering Technology curriculum contains civil engineering course units as well as land survey course units like geographical positioning, hydrography, geodesion and GIS. You will learn how to collect and process data in order to make precise maps and plans using specific software. Additionally, the curriculum also contains legal aspects, expertise and estimates.
For whom
Needless to say, an outspoken interest in mathematics, sciences and technology is indispensable for all those wishing to start any engineering programme. Other important assets are motivation, perseverance and creativity. Prospective students with a secondary school education in engineering technology (in Dutch: industriële wetenschappen) or a science education come to the programme well-prepared. Our prospective students can test their prior knowledge by means of a self-assessment and the benchmark test. During the first three terms of the curriculum we cover the mathematical topics from the secondary school curriculum in a more in-depth manner, as well as introduce new topics. A solid basic knowledge of mathematics is a prerequisite for most of the other course units, too. Prior knowledge of course units such as mechanics, electricity and chemistry is good to have but not a prerequisite.
Structure
The Engineering Technology programme is staggered across four academic years: three Bachelor’s and one Master’s year. Programme content (of the Bachelor’s as well as the Master’s programme) is built on five learning pathways: Mathematics and Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Project and Research, Communication, and Business Management. Mathematics and the sciences are covered in the first two years. They are the bedrock of what follows in later years. The other learning pathways are integrated into all each year’s curriculum, with progressive depth and complexity. Our choice of electives allows you to tailor the curriculum to your interests.
The first year offers a common curriculum for all study programmes (Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology). We introduce you to the different engineering disciplines. This will allow you to communicate with colleagues across disciplines later on in your career. It is also what distinguishes an engineer from a professional Bachelor or a ‘pure’ (theoretical) scientist. The second-year curriculum offers a choice of Civil Engineering, Electromechanics, Electronics-ICT or Informatics. Your choice of discipline becomes your field of specialization. We illustrate theory by means of exercises and in labs, which allows you to put the acquired knowledge into practice. After all, Engineering Technology graduates (in Dutch: industrieel ingenieurs) do not stop at theories and concepts. They are satisfied only when their application actually works. In addition, the curriculum also contains projects and/or work placements (either at home or abroad). This is a way for you to familiarize yourself with the profession during your studies. Obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering Technology grants immediate access to two subsequent Master’s programmes: the Master of Science in Civil Engineering Technology and the Master of Science in Land Survey Engineering Technology.
Labour Market
Civil Engineering Technology
Graduates of Civil Engineering Technology most obviously find their way onto the countless building sites in Flanders. The Civil Engineering Technology graduate (in Dutch: industrieel ingenieur bouwkunde) has a pivotal role and acts as single point of contact. Regardless of the nature of the construction site - be it a bridge, road or building - our graduates act as site supervisor and co-ordinate, organize and monitor all the activities. Some project managers may have broader and more general responsibilities. In your role of (creative) designer (CAD system) you are involved in the preparation and start-up phase of projects, or you make detailed calculations at a design office. If you are more technically or commercially inclined, you can find your way into buying or selling building materials. Other possibilities include project manager, technical manager of buildings, expert at a survey bureau or consultant in advisory bodies for the construction industry. An international job with a contractor in one of the many large-scale construction projects is another possibility.
Land Survey Engineering Technology
As a Land Survey Engineering Technology graduate you find employment as site manager or surveyor with contractors of road works and large construction projects, at the Land Registry Office (either in internal or external services), at semi-public services (such as the Vlaamse Landmaatschappij/VLM, the Agentschap voor Geografische Informatie Vlaanderen/AGIV, the National Geographic Institute/NGI, ...) and government agencies, survey bureaus, utility companies, banks, ... . Another option is to become a self-employed surveyor expert to perform boundary surveys and estimates of real estate, to draw up expropriation and allotment dossiers, to function as an expert commissioned by courts, banks, real estate offices, ... . If you are an adventurer, you might even consider taking a job at a dredging company or sign up for excavation works at an archaeological site abroad.
Be sure to check out these interesting testimonials at ikbenindustrieelingenieur.be (in Dutch).
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Integration of theory and practice: our curriculum contains many hours of tutorials and practicals, during which we use our well-equipped infrastructure to apply the theoretical knowledge covered in the lectures. We hone our students’ critical thought and problem-solving skills and bring them the newest technological developments in the discipline. The programme additionally offers a work placement of at least four weeks scheduled between the Bachelor’s and the Master’s cycle.
- Among other things, this four-week work placement stands for our strong embedding in the professional field, and is one of our most important assets. It gives our students the opportunity to immerse themselves in professional practice, where they will learn to work independently and in a team. In addition, various course units contain company and site visits. We also offer Master's dissertation topics in co-operation with the industry.
- Knowledge creation: we value gradual knowledge-building strongly. We never cease to encourage our students to think self-critically. We deliver versatile yet sufficiently specialised and highly employable alumni.
- An academic and professional focus: our students become academically trained professionals. We confront them with the most topical and state-of-the-art developments in the discipline, and teach them how to keep abreast of those developments and put them into practice. Our graduates know how to explain processes of civil engineering and land surveying in society, and they are able to convert these processes into more sustainable, and resilient developments.
- Multiperspectivism: we train our students to become critical professionals who are able to work in a team, and we teach them the necessary skills to work in a creative and problem-solving manner. In addition, we generate interaction between a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives. In so doing, we look beyond disciplinary boundaries and we tie in with related disciplines such as architecture, sustainable energy, and spatial planning.
Strengths
- Generally speaking, student satisfaction is high. Our students appreciate, among other things, the composition and the quality of the curriculum, and praise our innovative teaching practice, the discussion fora and the supervision of the Bachelor’s and Master's dissertation.
- Our graduates are sought after at home and abroad, and usually have excellent job opportunities.
- Our programme boasts a group of excellent, motivated and approachable lecturers with a strong commitment to the programme. We invest heavily in personal contact between our lecturers and our students. Our lecturers are available during and after class, and reachable by (online) appointment, and by email.
- The Programme Committee meets regularly, works efficiently and has student representatives among its members. It monitors programme content and quality assurance on a continuous basis. Identified weaknesses are handled and followed up in a constructive and efficient manner.
- The curriculum is relevant, topical and in alignment with the needs of the professional field. Generic competencies like collaboration, communication and interdisciplinarity are embedded in various course units.
Challenges
- Students indicate that there are course units and/or terms in which the workload is to high. This is a concern we continue to monitor together with the students. In addition, we invest in straightforward communication on mutual expectations by means of (among other things) an indicative calendar. We continue to commit to an optimal study success rate so that all students have the opportunity to graduate within the stipulated four years (Bachelor’s + Master’s).
- In terms of internationalisation, we continue to promote international student mobility and we set up new Internationalisation@Home initiatives. Spending a term abroad is currently only possible in the Master year.
- We strive for a higher student involvement in the management of our programme and set up initiatives to rouse the students’ interest in taking up more active roles.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here and here.
This information was last updated on 23/03/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.