Programme Description

Civil engineers play a major role in developing infrastructures and supporting human development, while contributing to the sustainable development of society. Contamination of soil and water, lack of access to drinking water, and unsustainable use of land and water resources remain major obstacles, while new challenges include threats from climate change and rapid urbanisation.

The Master's programme Geo and Water Engineering covers areas in civil and environmental engineering including development of roads, traffic planning, waves and coastal structures, remediation of contaminated sites, protection of soil and water resources, design of drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and distribution systems. This programme aims at educating our future design and construction engineers, as well as urban engineers. An important task is to be responsible for the interface between urban development and the environment.

This Master's programme aims at: * meeting society's need for qualified expertise in planning, construction and maintenance of infrastructure systems in soil and water, which will conribute to long-term sustainable community development; and
* educating people to work professionally, both independently and in co-operation with others, giving them a thorough understanding of the theory and conditions needed for a technically effective and environmentally sound use of soil and water.

The programme comprises a compulsory part, Overview and Basics, and a set of elective courses, Tools, Depth and Synthesis, followed by a Master's thesis which provides concluding specialisation and research experience. The compulsory first term (30 ECTS credit units) provides a foundation in the form of model thinking and design, management of environmental questions related to construction in ground and water as well as a background in urban development, such as drinking water production and distribution and engineering geology. A fundamental part of the background is working with models.

In the Tools, Depth and Synthesis module, the students, following their own choices, can form a good basis for working in the field by specialising in road and traffic, water systems, or environment and sustainability (60 ECTS credit units). It is also possible to acquire a broad mix in the field. The Master's thesis includes advanced work in one part of the field covered by the programme.

Career opportunities

Graduates are qualified to work with design, construction and research in some of the major specialisations of civil engineering, such as engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, water resource engineering, environmental engineering and traffic and road engineering. Others may move into supervisory or administrative positions.