Bachelor Civil Engineering

The fusion of hard technology – including subjects like mathematics and mechanics – with ‘soft skills’, such as management and communication, make our Bachelor’s programme unique, both in the Netherlands and internationally. It also fits in with the UT’s High Tech Human Touch philosophy. As a civil engineer from UT you will be perfectly equipped to come up with technically sound solutions. On top of that, you will have a keen understanding of vital organizational, societal and economic aspects. You will gain expertise in modelling and calculating, as well as in managing projects and risks, consulting with stakeholders, or balancing conflicting interests. This bachelor’s will enable you to build up an all-round profile.

In the Netherlands and around the world there is an enormous demand for civil engineers. In this country alone, there were around 125,000 job vacancies in 2018. With the construction of homes and infrastructure regaining momentum, many large and small companies badly need engineers. Even in a weaker economy, demand will remain high; just think of the enormous global gap in infrastructure maintenance. All of our graduates have a good job within three months of finishing the programme. There are many options available after your bachelor’s degree.

Our bachelor’s programme Civil Engineering has been acclaimed as the best programme in its category in the Netherlands for several years running by the Dutch Keuzegids Universiteiten. Add to this that Dutch engineers are known as the best in the world (‘Bring in the Dutch’), and you can understand why with this degree you can make a difference anywhere in the world. Here at UT we are global frontrunners in research areas within all three civil engineering domains: water, traffic & transport, and construction & infrastructure. Examples include our research into integral water management and the ‘Twentse’ water footprint, asphalting process management, ‘Mobility as a Service’, and resilience engineering. As a student, you will get a lot of exposure to this knowledge – and the top scientists behind it. What’s more, after this bachelor’s programme you can immediately continue on to our master’s programmes Civil Engineering & Management (CEM) or Construction Management & Engineering (CME), both of which combine technology and soft skills.

Given the demand worldwide for civil engineers from the Netherlands and from Twente, we are eager to prepare you for an international career. The teaching language is English, about a quarter of the students and a fifth of the staff are non-Dutch, and the study programme is set in an international context. Throughout the first year, for example, you will follow a module about water management, in which you have to design a dam for the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. It goes without saying that this project is not just about technical aspects, but also about optimally managing all kinds of human and ecological interests in the area.

One of UT’s distinguishing characteristics is its practical application and valorization of scientific knowledge. In every module, you work on a team project in which you directly apply the knowledge you have gained to a current issue. You research it and report on it. You make plans and designs. You work together in multi-disciplinary teams, sometimes with students from other programmes, which will strengthen your interdisciplinary skills. You will become an academically grounded, creative problem solver.

In addition to thorough professional knowledge and skills, you will develop a broad package of 21* century skills and personal competences in this programme. You develop a working attitude focused on self-reflection and lifelong learning. Our informal, personal approach is aimed at helping you flourish both professionally and personally. You become more entrepreneurial and learn to apply academic knowledge to social practice. We challenge you to look beyond disciplinary and cultural barriers and to work well together with other, like in our strong project-based education. Additionally you will have an unforgettable student experience thanks to our wonderful, green campus and the vibrant student city of Enschede, a city full of knowledge, innovation and fun!