Course details

Summary

The construction industry is crying out for more civil engineering technicians, with some local companies offering generous scholarships to encourage more people to study this highly regarded diploma.

If you’re detail orientated, love maths and physics, and like thinking outside the square to solve problems, this is the place for you. It’s more than a course – it’s your chance to change the framework of our nation!

You’ll develop a range of skills, techniques and personal qualities that will equip you to work in civil engineering and its related fields as a technician, with knowledge of engineering sciences, materials and processes as well as management skills.

Using specialised equipment in our teaching labs, you'll learn computer aided design techniques, conduct materials and failure testing, and demonstrate practical applications of engineering theories. Three topics in year one and one topic in year two are also common to the electrical and mechanical disciplines.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

• engineering technician in roading/bridges/design office
• civil project management
• technical support engineer
• supervising technician engineer

New Zealand needs more diploma level civil engineering technicians to create roads, bridges, buildings and infrastructure as part of the Christchurch rebuild. The Government is also investing heavily into other infrastructure projects around the country - in areas like rail, roads, bridges, irrigation and waste water management - which is further driving the need for more technicians.

Graduates can work in civil project management, as a technical support engineer, or as a supervising technician engineer.

Potential employers include:

• private engineering consultancies
• construction companies
• Government agencies e.g. NZTA
• infrastructure and utility companies e.g. railway and electricity companies
• regional councils

TOPICS YOU'LL COVER

During the course you'll cover a broad range of topics and select electives that will assist you 'in the real world' including; highway, traffic and geotechnical engineering, land surveying, technical literacy, structural drawings, hydraulics, and project management.

Classes include plenty of time in our high-spec engineering labs where you'll get the chance to put theory into practice, studying computer-aided design techniques and conducting materials and failure testing.

Year One topics include:

• Engineering Fundamentals
• Engineering Mathematics 1
• Technical Literacy
• Materials (Civil)
• Land Surveying 1
• Geotechnical Engineering 1
• Civil and Structural Drawing
• Structures 1

Year Two topics include:

• Engineering Project (Civil)
• Engineering Management
• Highway Engineering 1
• Hydraulics (Civil)

Plus FOUR of the following:

• Engineering Surveying
• Structures 2
• Geotechnical Engineering 2
• Highway Engineering 2
• Traffic Engineering
• Structures 3
• Water and Wastewater Systems
• Water and Waste Management
• Land Surveying 2

Entry criteria

To gain entry into this programme, you are required to have:

• NCEA Level 2 including a minimum of 10 literacy credits at level 1 or higher (for those who achieved NCEA Level 2 before 2013)
• A minimum total of 48 credits at level 2 in four subjects including at least 12 credits in mathematics (preferably achievement standards in algebra, calculus or trigonometry)
• or equivalent qualifications (e.g. International Baccalaureate or Cambridge)
• or equivalent credits from appropriate trades training and/or demonstrated skills and experience

English Language requirements:

IELTS Academic score of 6.0 with no band score lower than 5.5; TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT) score of 60 or higher (with a writing score of 20); TOEFL Paper-based test (pBT) score of 550 (with an essay score of 5.0 TWE); FCE, FCE for schools, CAE with a score of 169, no less than 162 in each skill; NZCEL of Level 4 with the Academic endorsement; PToE (Academic) score of 50.