Master of Science in Civil Engineering Technology
The Civil Engineering Technology programme focuses on the construction of functional and sustainable buildings and road infrastructure, while also paying attention to aspects of safety, stability and the environment.
What
The Civil Engineering Technology programme focuses 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. Throughout the programme, you learn to draw up construction files (in the context of residential, apartment as well as industrial construction) and you will design road infrastructure and artwork (e.g. culverts, bridges, towers). In addition, we introduce you to topical projects and themes by means of company visits, international study trips, study days, ... . For the Master's dissertation you have the option of collaborating with the industry.
For whom
The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.
Structure
Our Master's programme in Civil Engineering Technology is a continuation of the academic Bachelor’s programme in Civil Engineering Technology. The curriculum covers all aspects of civil engineering. Civil engineering, stability, construction engineering, ... are covered extensively in the Master’s curriculum. In addition, we focus on construction law and administration, sustainability, project management, ... . We also have on offer a set of electives from which you can choose depending on your interests. Throughout the programme you embark on a month-long work placement twice. This takes place either at a contracting company, an design office, an architectural firm, a research centre, a government agency, ..., either at home or abroad. Your Master's dissertation is part of new or ongoing research in the context of a PhD or in collaboration with a company.
Labour Market
There is a great variety of job opportunities for Civil Engineering Technology graduates, in the public as well as the private sector. Our graduates 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 and BIM-modeller 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.
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.
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.