Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (Civil Engineering Technology)

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.

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.

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).