Civil engineering

Civil engineers are responsible for the technical and structural aspects of the construction and maintenance of buildings as well as the use of materials. They also have to consider economic, ecological, socio-structural and cultural aspects. Furthermore, they are involved in measures to preserve buildings and monuments.

The fields of civil engineering and architecture overlap to some extent in terms of the tasks involved: For example, civil engineers and architects take on organizational tasks in equal measure: They manage construction sites, check the execution of construction work and ensure that construction operations run efficiently.

Building physicists have a special position, as they also belong to the field of building technology, but take on more specialized tasks, such as the resistance of buildings to environmental influences, sound and moisture protection or thermal insulation.

Students are taught content from the fields of mathematics, descriptive geometry, physics, construction informatics, construction mechanics, design planning, structural analysis, technical mathematics, building materials science and surveying. Knowledge of construction operations and project management are also part of the curriculum. In order to gain practical experience, construction technology students regularly try their hand at simulation games and projects, often in direct cooperation with local companies and under real project conditions. 

Depending on the university and degree program, a pre-study internship may be required. You can often complete this during the lecture-free period. Otherwise, a good knowledge of mathematics, physics and computer science is helpful.

If you want to be involved in exciting international construction projects later on, you should be open for encounters with different cultures and have foreign language skills, as well as a willingness to live abroad at least some of the time.

The course is offered at both universities and universities of applied sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Dual study models are also increasingly shaping the picture in civil engineering. 

The range of courses in this field extends from traditional “Civil Engineering”, “Structural Engineering” and “Building Physics” to specialized courses such as “Civil Engineering - Facade Technology”, “Structural Engineering” and “Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences”.

Depending on the university, there are specialization options in areas such as construction management and economics, structural engineering (concrete, steel, wood), transport and infrastructure, geotechnics and hydraulic engineering, environmental engineering or foundation engineering.