Bachelor of Engineering(honours)(Civil engineering) and Arts

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Monash University

Program Overview

This double degree gives you the best of both worlds: the technical skills of a civil engineer and the broad, creative thinking of an arts graduate. It’s ideal for students who want to design, build, and improve infrastructure while also exploring human culture, society, languages, or creative disciplines, giving you a unique combination of professional and intellectual skills.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1 – Foundations in Engineering and Arts
In your first year, you’ll build a strong foundation in both disciplines. Engineering units introduce you to problem-solving, maths, physics, and the basics of civil systems, while arts units let you explore topics in humanities, social sciences, or languages, helping you develop research, communication, and critical thinking skills. This combination sets you up with both technical knowledge and creative insight from the very beginning.

Year 2 – Deepening Knowledge and Skills
In your second year, civil engineering units focus on essential topics such as mechanics, structural principles, and materials behaviour, giving you the technical skills to tackle real-world infrastructure challenges. Meanwhile, your arts major allows you to dive deeper into a subject you’re passionate about, helping you refine your analytical and communication skills alongside your engineering expertise.

Year 3 – Applied Engineering and Arts Perspectives
By the third year, your civil engineering studies become more applied, with coursework on design, professional practice, transport systems, and water management, preparing you for complex real-world projects. In the arts, you’ll engage with higher-level units that emphasise research, critical analysis, and communication, giving you a well-rounded perspective that complements your engineering knowledge.

Years 4–5 – Integration and Professional Practice
In the final years, you’ll focus on advanced civil engineering units that involve complex design, system integration, and professional practice, including opportunities for industry engagement. Simultaneously, your arts studies allow you to complete your major and, if you wish, a minor, giving you depth in a chosen field. By graduation, you’ll have both the technical expertise of an engineer and the broad intellectual skills of an arts graduate, ready for diverse career paths.

Focus areas

Civil infrastructure design, structural systems, mechanics, transport and water systems, arts majors in humanities and social sciences, communication, and cultural analysis.

Learning outcomes

Develop strong analytical, design, and problem-solving skills in civil engineering, alongside research, communication, and critical thinking abilities from your arts studies, equipping you to solve complex technical and societal challenges.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The civil engineering component is accredited by Engineers Australia, giving your qualification national and international professional recognition.

Reputation (employability rankings)

Monash engineering programs are highly regarded globally, with around 93% of graduates securing full-time work within four months, showing strong industry demand for these skills.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

In this double degree, learning goes far beyond lectures and textbooks. You’ll get hands-on experience using the same tools, studios, and labs that professional engineers and creative practitioners rely on, helping you develop the skills employers value. From testing designs in engineering labs to collaborating on arts projects, Monash makes sure you’re ready to take on real-world challenges before you graduate:

Hands-on engineering facilities: Work in state-of-the-art spaces like the Woodside Building for Technology and Design, the Monash Makerspace, the Visualisation Lab, and the Living Laboratory, where you can build prototypes, test structures, and explore real engineering problems.
Collaborative design environments: Architecture- and arts-focused studios let you work closely with peers on creative projects, simulating professional environments and helping you develop teamwork and communication skills.
Professional experience hours: Your civil engineering units include around 420 hours of professional development, which can include internships, placements, or industry-based projects, giving you valuable workplace exposure.
Industry engagement and student teams: Join student teams and clubs to work on practical engineering or arts projects, collaborate with others, and develop leadership and problem-solving skills.
Internships and placement opportunities: Through Monash’s industry experience units, you can undertake internships or placement programs that relate to both your arts and engineering studies, building networks and gaining real-world experience while earning course credit.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduating from this double degree at Monash sets you up for careers that combine technical expertise with broad thinking and communication skills. Many graduates go on to roles such as civil engineer, project manager, policy advisor, or urban planner, where they can influence infrastructure, communities, and public systems:

Career support services: Monash’s Career Connect offers personalised support to help you prepare for work — from refining your resume and interview skills to connecting you with industry events, employer panels, internships, and job opportunities tailored to engineering and arts graduates.
Strong employment outlook: The civil engineering part of your degree is part of a globally recognised program where around 93% of graduates secure full‑time work within four months of graduating, showing that employers highly value the skills you build.
Industry partnerships and experience: Monash has strong ties with industry through professional placements, internships, and workplace experience opportunities that help you build networks and practical experience before you finish your studies.
Accreditation and long‑term value: Your engineering qualification is accredited by Engineers Australia, giving your degree professional credibility nationally and internationally — a strong foundation if you want to practise around the world.
Graduate outcomes: With this double degree, you’re ready to work across sectors including government planning, construction, consulting, community development, media and communications, public policy, education, and beyond, combining analytical, technical, and creative strengths.

Further Academic Progression:
If you want to keep learning after you graduate, you have great options. Many students go on to postgraduate study such as a Master of Architecture (if you choose to specialise in design and built environments), Master of Engineering to deepen technical expertise, or arts‑related honours or master’s degrees that focus on research, languages, creative arts, or social sciences. These paths can open doors to leadership, specialist research, academic careers, or advanced professional roles.