Study Civil Engineering in Australia - Excel Education | Study in Australia, Malaysia, the UK & Canada

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Ever wonder how the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China or even the Stonehenge were ever built? Most of the 7 wonders of the world were built with ancient civil engineers’ help, yes there were engineers way back in time. It could be as simple as the Stonehenge or remarkable as the Taj Mahal, whose construction by pre-industrial societies remains mysterious.

Although the names of the engineers who designed these wonders are lost to antiquity; in this article, we’ll be diving into details on how to become a civil engineer in the 21st century.

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering is one of the oldest branches of engineering. It goes back to when people started living in permanent places without shifting constantly; therefore, they began shaping the environment according to their needs.

A civil engineer is a professional who oversees construction projects. They are the ones responsible for the complete construction, functionality, and safety of the project. They have to use their education and civil engineering principles to bring designs by architects to life creations. They often have to work with a team of professionals and manage a large number of construction workers. This is quite a responsible job.

Is Civil Engineering and Architecture Similar?

In the construction industry, development projects usually require the knowledge and understanding of a civil engineer and an architect. Both professions have critical functions essential in any construction job, and they rely on one another to accomplish the given task.

However, these two professions are generally similar, yet there are apparent differences between a civil engineer and an architect.

Architecture focuses more on the spatial functionality and aesthetics of the development work. It is more concerned with the look, feel and functionality of the design while civil engineering concentrates on the structural elements of the invention, ensuring that the structure can endure normal and extreme conditions.

To summarise, an architect’s primary concern is designing the development work while civil engineers are responsible for ensuring that the design can be implemented safely and reliably.

What are the key skills needed for a Civil Engineer?

Management Skills: As you progress through your career, you’ll likely be gaining more responsibility as you might eventually end up as a manager of a project or even an entire division. To be successful, you would need to manage different personalities and backgrounds on essential tasks.
Critical Thinking: Civil engineers are often confronted with challenging problems and must devise the most effective and reasonable approach when dealing with them. To do this, they must have the ability to think precisely and apply concepts and rules to a specific problem.
Creative Mind: Thinking outside the box and being creative is essential to develop and implement new projects.
Time Management: Complex constructions require effective time management if you want to hand over the building in time. Bear in mind that in the construction industry, time and budget works hand in hand. The more time it takes, the more money is needed to complete the project.
Problem Solving: Problem-solving is used daily in the construction industry; nothing is plain sailing. You would need to deal with unexpected problems like burst water pipes or delay in material deliveries.

Roles of Civil Engineers

Assess Construction Site: Civil engineers must assess and do a complete feasibility study of the construction site. They have to consider many factors, including the impact on nature, surrounding environment and plan accordingly.
Planning the Construction: Plans out the whole construction process beforehand. This has to be a systematic process to facilitate the smooth flow of work. Every step has to be meticulously planned.
Staying in the Budget: If the budget has already been set for the work, the civil engineer must ensure that all the construction work happens within the budget. If the fund has not been set, the engineers will work along with the planner and set the budget and deadlines accordingly.
Supervise the Construction: This is one of the most significant roles of a civil engineer, to oversee the construction. They have to see the building being done in phases set by them and check the quality during the construction.

Career with a Civil Engineering Degree

Building Control Surveyor: You’ll make sure that the building regulations are followed when houses, offices and buildings are designed and constructed or when it is altered or extended. If the buildings do not meet the requirement, you’ll be the one advising them and finding a solution.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Technician: Uses a CAD software to create technical drawings and plans for products and parts used in the engineering, construction and manufacturing industries. You’ll work with architects and designs engineers to understand their initial designs’ requirements and turn them into accurate and detailed technical drawings in 2D and 3D.
Site Engineer: As a site engineer, your input to construction projects will be technical, organisational and supervisory. You’ll set out and determine the location for infrastructural installations, both above and below ground, and will apply designs and plans to mark out the site.
Design Engineer: You’ll be involved in the initial concept, design, development and management of projects in various sectors such as construction and the built environment, software and many more.

General Entry Requirement for Civil Engineering Degree Australia

ATAR	A minimum of 80.00
A-Level	A minimum score of 7 or CDD
International Baccalaureate (IB)	A minimum score of 25
STPM	A minimum CGPA of 3.3 (including English, Mathematics and one of Chemistry, Physics or Biology)

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English Requirement for Civil Engineering Degree

IELTS	A minimum overall 6.5 and 6.0 in all sub-bands
TOEFL	A minimum overall 87; Listening:19, Reading:19, Writing: 21, Speaking:19
PTE	An overall score of 64 and 60 in all sub-bands

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Top Universities to Study Civil Engineering

University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Picture Credits: University of New South Wales

UNSW currently holds the first place among the top 5 universities for Civil and Structural Engineering in Australia and is at 8th place in the world according to world universities’ academic ranking. The QS World University Ranking by Subject UNSW holds the first place in Australia and 11th globally.

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering with Architecture (Honours)
Intakes	February & September
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $47, 760

The University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is consistently placed among the top 50 universities globally and is currently the second-best university in Australia. However, the University of Sydney holds the second place for civil engineering while being at number 14 for top universities for Civil Engineering based on the QS World University Ranking by Subject.

Picture Credits: University of Sydney

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Civil Engineering)
Intakes	January & June
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $50, 000

University of Melbourne

Picture Credits: University of Melbourne

Students who graduate from the University of Melbourne under the engineering faculty will be professionally accredited by EUR-ACE, which provides the graduates with recognition among the European countries and does not limit them from working in Australia. According to the QS World University Ranking by Subject, the University of Melbourne currently holds third place in both the top universities to study in Australia and study civil engineering while maintaining the 15th rank for the top university to study civil engineering worldwide.

Programme	Bachelor in Science Civil Systems
Intakes	February & September
Duration	3 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $44, 736

Monash University

Picture Credits: US News

Monash University is one of Australia’s largest universities, currently ranks at the 55th place among the top 100 universities globally while being a member of the prestigious group of eight. With four campuses worldwide, Monash is currently at the 4th place for top universities in Australia while is at the 21st place in the world to study civil and structural engineering based on the QS World University Ranking by Subject.

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Civil Engineering
Intakes	February & July
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $46, 000

The University of Queensland (UQ)

Picture Credits: University of Queensland

UQ consistently ranks in the world’s top universities, is one of only three Australian members of the global Universitas 21, and is a founding member of the prestigious Group of Eight. Currently, UQ is one of the top five universities to study civil and structural engineering in Australia while it is at 26th place worldwide.

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Civil Engineering)
Intakes	February & July
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $45, 120

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Picture Credits: Queensland University of Technology

By enrolling in QUT, you’ll be recognised for a professional engineering membership in Australia and worldwide, providing wider employment opportunities. This course provides students with broad knowledge and specialisations, and its graduates are ready to start work in professional practice. Civil engineering at QUT is highly regarded for its strength in teaching and research.

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil)
Intakes	February & July
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $39, 300

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

Picture Credits: RMIT

RMIT continues to excel in global ranks as the university was ranked 36th globally for civil engineering. It is also currently in Australia’s top 10 universities for the QS World University Subjects ranking for Engineering and Technology.

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering (Civil & Infrastructure) (Honours)
Intakes	February & July
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $39, 360

University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

Picture Credit: University of Technolgy Sydney.

The University of Technology Sydney ranks at the 7th and 106th for the QS World University Subjects ranking for Engineering and Technology. UTS also ranks among the top 100 for QS World University Subject ranking for Civil and Structural Engineering.

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Civil Engineering
Intakes	February & July
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $46, 690

Western Sydney University (WSU)

Picture Credits: Western University Australia

Western Sydney University is a world-class university with a growing reputation for academic excellence and impact-driven research. Ranked among the Top 2 per cent of universities globally, WSU is research-led and is committed to making a positive impact. WSU is also listed as among the top 10 universities in Australia for the QS World University Subjects ranking for Engineering and Technology.

Programme	Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Civil Engineering
Intakes	March & July
Duration	4 Years
Indicative Annual Fees 2021	AUD $33, 000

Griffith University

Picture Credits: Griffith University

Griffith University provides students with an all-round education by providing challenging conventions and providing solutions through innovative teaching and research. Their high-quality degrees are specifically designed to prepare students for the future.