5 facts about studying civil engineering so that you can make a significant contribution to shaping living space as a civil engineer - experience report from an educational advisor

Read here5 facts about studying civil engineeringand see why it could be worthwhile for you. As a civil engineer, you canDesigning and implementing buildings- from structural and civil engineering to hydraulic and traffic engineering. Questions of technical environmental protection must be taken into account. Before studying civil engineering, you must choose a school (ETH or university of applied sciences) and specialization. With the Civil Engineering degree program you canenter an interesting specialist areaand develop further. You areare employed or run their own engineering offices.To study civil engineering you needa strong sense of responsibility and organizational and planning skills.

Fact 1: Conception, planning, design, construction, calculation, manufacture and operation of building, transportation, civil engineering and hydraulic engineering structures

Civil engineering is an engineering science that deals with building, civil engineering, transportation and hydraulic engineering structures. It includes the conception, planning, design, construction, calculation, manufacture and operation of structures. It also takes into account issues of technical environmental protection such as noise protection, water and soil protection and associated pollutant investigations. Civil engineers therefore make a significant contribution to the design of the living environment. In civil engineering, they are involved on a daily basis in the construction and maintenance of buildings and facilities. In structural engineering, civil engineers FH develop solutions for:

  • Structural systems in building construction (residential, office, industrial buildings, sports facilities, shopping centers, hospitals, etc.)
  • Bridges
  • Supporting structures (machines and production facilities)
  • Masts, towers, chimneys, antennas

Alternatives are the fields of water and environmental engineering, civil engineering or transportation.

Fact 2: Civil engineering studies at a Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) or university of applied sciences

Civil engineering can be studied academically at both Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) without specific prior knowledge or practically at a university of applied sciences with construction-specific prior knowledge in the form of a one-year internship. The civil engineering course includes basic scientific knowledge in mathematics, physics and geology. Subjects such as hydraulics, hydrology, structural analysis, materials, construction, geotechnics, construction process engineering, construction law and hydraulic engineering are also included. Depending on the university, different specialization options are possible. Knowledge in this field is usually acquired in lectures, exercises and practical projects. Studying civil engineering requires an interest in mathematical and scientific contexts. Mathematics and technical mechanics form the cornerstones of knowledge specific to civil engineering. Equally important in civil engineering is an open-minded approach to environmental, economic and social issues.

Fact 3: Five advantages of studying civil engineering at an ETH or UAS

These are thefive most important advantages,that speak in favor of studying civil engineering:

  • Living space design:You can make a significant contribution to this
  • Choice of study direction:application-oriented with applied research at a university of applied sciences or theoretical with basic research at an ETH
  • Interesting career opportunities:Civil engineers mostly work in architecture, planning or engineering firms, or they may also be self-employed
  • Diverse specialist area:Civil engineering ranges from the construction of load-bearing structures to foundation engineering and hydraulic engineering to traffic route construction as well as research into new construction and materials and construction methods
  • Bachelor's degree in civil engineering ETH or civil engineer FH:after studying civil engineering, a Master's degree or CAS and MAS courses must be completed

Facts 4: Organizational and planning skills as well as a sense of responsibility are important skills that a civil engineer ETH and FH must have

Important skills that you should have as a civil engineer, regardless of whether you are studying civil engineering at a university of applied sciences (FH) or a federal institute of technology (ETH):

  • Organizational and planning skills
  • strong sense of responsibility
  • Leadership and social skills
  • Ability to develop, implement and review projects

  • For FH there are also:
    • knowledge of structural engineering
    • networked thinking and acting
  • You still need civil engineering for ETH:
    • analytical-conceptual skills
    • Systematic way of working

This will show you whether you are more suited to one path or the other. You can also study at a university of applied sciences with a vocational baccalaureate or a technical baccalaureate. However, you can only go to ETH with a baccalaureate from a grammar school.

Facts 5: Employment in a company in the construction industry or management of your own engineering office

Civil engineers FH and ETH are employed by companies in the construction industry or run their own engineering firm. With both civil engineering degrees, you are usually employed in management positions and bear a great deal of responsibility. Both are also in demand in other areas, for example with authorities, banks, insurance companies or transportation companies. The renovation of existing buildings (e.g. the building envelope) and the construction of new ecological buildings are very central to the federal government's energy and climate strategy, so specialists in this field will continue to be in high demand in the future. In addition, civil engineers are well qualified to work abroad (for example in development cooperation). Civil engineers FH and civil engineers ETH plan, construct and realize buildings from project preparation (possible solutions, cost estimates, technical plans, dossiers, building permits, invitations to tender, offers, awarding of contracts) to project realization (detailed planning, coordination, supervision, quality controls, final accounts). The only difference with ETH civil engineers is that, depending on their specialization, they can also be involved in research.

To the providers of civil engineering studies