BS in Civil Engineering

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Ghent University

Program Overview

Ghent University’s three-year Bachelor of Science in Engineering – Civil Engineering gives students the scientific, digital and technical foundation needed to understand how buildings, bridges, roads, foundations and hydraulic infrastructure are designed. It is particularly suitable for students who enjoy mathematics, physics, technology and solving complex real-world problems, although applicants should note that the programme is taught mainly in Dutch.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1

The first year builds a broad engineering foundation through subjects such as Physics I, Mathematical Analysis I and II, and Geometry and Linear Algebra. Students also develop early practical and digital skills through Informatics and Modelling, Making and Measuring, while Materials Technology and Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Ethics introduce the wider responsibilities of professional engineers.

Year 2

In the second year, students begin focusing more directly on civil engineering through Construction of Buildings, Structural Analysis I, and Concrete Technology. Modules such as Topography, Computer Aided Design, and the Engineering Project help them connect structural calculations, surveying, digital design and construction planning within practical assignments.

Year 3

The third year develops advanced knowledge through Concrete Structures: Reinforced Concrete, Soil Mechanics, and Hydraulics, allowing students to understand how structures, foundations and water systems behave. Students also study areas such as Metal Structures, Introduction to Bridge Engineering, and Geometric Aspects of Roads, before bringing different subjects together in the six-credit Cross-Course Project.

Focus areas: Structural engineering, reinforced concrete and steel structures, geotechnical engineering, building construction, bridge engineering, roads and transport infrastructure, hydraulics, building physics, construction materials, digital design and sustainable engineering.

Learning outcomes: Students learn to apply mathematics and engineering science, model and analyse technical systems, use digital technologies to process and visualise information, work effectively in project teams, communicate technical findings and consider sustainability, safety, ethics and business factors when developing engineering solutions.

Professional alignment and accreditation: The programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders, known as NVAO. The Bachelor’s degree provides the academic foundation for the linked Master of Science in Civil Engineering, which carries the international EUR-ACE® Master label awarded through the Commission des titres d’ingénieur under the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education.

Reputation: Ghent University is ranked 91st in the 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities, 115th in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 162nd in the 2026 QS World University Rankings, and 33rd in the QS Sustainability Ranking 2026.

Official programme link:
Ghent University – Bachelor of Science in Engineering: Civil Engineering

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Practical and project-based learning is included throughout the Civil Engineering programme, helping students move from scientific theory to realistic engineering applications. Ghent University states that Civil Engineering students complete at least one project course during every year of the Bachelor’s and Master’s pathway, working in teams on multidisciplinary assignments that develop planning, presentation, reporting and problem-solving skills.

Students are also supported by specialist laboratories, testing facilities, digital tools and research units within the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. These opportunities include:

Engineering group projects: The curriculum includes Modelling, Making and Measuring in Year 1, an Engineering Project in Year 2 and a six-credit Cross-Course Project in Year 3. Students work together on realistic problems and learn to organise tasks, provide feedback, report findings and present technical solutions.
Computer-aided engineering: Students complete Computer Aided Design, Informatics, Statistical Data Processing, and other analytical modules that develop digital modelling and data-handling skills. The current programme does not publish one compulsory commercial software package for every student, as the software used may depend on the individual course and project.
Hydraulics Laboratory: Students benefit from a specialist teaching and research environment for hydraulic structures, rivers, estuaries, hydrodynamics and eco-hydraulics. Facilities include straight and curved test flumes, open-channel models, water-flow instruments, Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters and optical measurement systems.
Hydraulic modelling software: The Hydraulics Laboratory uses numerical tools such as OpenFOAM and Ansys Fluent, alongside one- and two-dimensional channel models, river-routing models and large-eddy simulations. These facilities expose students to the types of computational methods used in advanced hydraulic and civil-engineering research.
Coastal and Ocean Basin: Ghent University operates coastal-engineering facilities that include small and large wave flumes and the 30-by-30-metre Coastal and Ocean Basin in Ostend. The facilities support the study of waves, currents, offshore structures, coastal protection and renewable marine energy.
Specialised coastal software: The Coastal Engineering research group has developed tools such as MILDwave, a C++-based numerical model for simulating wave propagation, refraction, reflection, diffraction and wave breaking. It also uses LabVIEW-based systems for wave generation, absorption and analysis.
University Ghent Geotechnical Institute: The institute supports research and teaching in soil mechanics, shallow and deep foundations, offshore foundations, difficult ground conditions, environmental barriers and soil-remediation technologies. This gives students access to expertise directly related to the Soil Mechanics and geotechnical-structures modules in the curriculum.
Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory: This structural-engineering laboratory contains a large testing hall and strong floor, structural-glass testing equipment, concrete-processing facilities and equipment for automated construction and 3D printing. The laboratory also provides accredited testing and technical services to construction-material manufacturers, contractors, designers and public authorities.
Site and company exposure: The Civil Engineering student organisation, Poutrix, works with teaching staff to arrange building-site visits, company visits, guest lectures, technical courses, job fairs and study trips. These activities help students see how the concepts taught in class are applied within construction and infrastructure projects.
Internship opportunities: A compulsory internship is not listed in the current three-year Bachelor’s curriculum. However, national and international company placements become available within the broader Civil Engineering pathway, particularly as students continue into the linked Master’s programme.
Faculty computer rooms: Students have access to several computer rooms at the Plateau campus and Campus Ardoyen, including a dedicated computer room at the Magnel Laboratory. These facilities support computer-aided design, data processing and engineering assignments.
Engineering and Architecture Library: The faculty library provides books, periodicals, academic databases, online information sources, interlibrary loans and group workspaces. Students can also access research-support resources covering information searching, research data management and academic publications.

Official facilities link:
Ghent University Department of Civil Engineering – Research Units and Facilities

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor’s programme provides a broad scientific foundation, but most students continue into the two-year Master of Science in Civil Engineering before entering professional engineering practice. After completing the full Bachelor’s and Master’s pathway, graduates can pursue roles such as Structural Engineer, Construction Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Bridge Engineer, Hydraulic Engineer or Infrastructure Project Engineer.

Ghent University prepares students for employment in engineering consultancies, construction companies, public authorities, infrastructure organisations and research through:

Student Career Hub: The Ghent University Student Career Hub provides career-planning information, application tools and labour-market guidance. Students can use MyCareerCompass to identify their interests and skills and activate an account on the university’s Career Center platform to view company profiles, job vacancies and career events.
Faculty and employer events: Civil Engineering students can attend company visits, construction-site visits, job fairs and guest lectures organised through Poutrix and the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. These activities allow students to connect with employers and understand different areas of the construction industry.
Industry-facing laboratories: The Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory works directly with construction-material producers, certification bodies, public authorities, designers, contractors and building owners. Its services include structural testing, on-site assessment, engineering calculations and research and development support.
Coastal and infrastructure collaboration: Ghent University’s wave flumes are used for projects commissioned by government and industry, while the Coastal and Ocean Basin is managed with KU Leuven and Flanders Hydraulics Research. The facilities support industry-related testing in coastal defence, offshore structures and marine renewable energy.
Employment areas: Graduates of the full Civil Engineering pathway work for construction contractors, engineering and consulting companies, manufacturers of construction components, dredging organisations, public works departments, municipal technical services, monitoring organisations, banks, insurers and real-estate companies.
Employment outlook: Ghent University states that graduates benefit from a strong national and international reputation and generally have little difficulty finding suitable high-level employment. However, the university does not currently publish a specific employment percentage for this Bachelor’s programme.
Salary information: Ghent University does not publish an official programme-specific starting salary for Civil Engineering graduates. Earnings will depend on whether a graduate works in consultancy, construction, infrastructure, government, research or project management and whether the student has completed the professionally oriented Master’s degree.
Long-term accreditation value: NVAO accreditation confirms that the programme meets recognised Flemish and Dutch higher-education quality standards. Students who continue into Ghent University’s Master of Science in Civil Engineering can additionally graduate from a programme carrying the EUR-ACE® Master label, providing internationally recognised evidence of engineering education quality.
Graduation outcomes: Bachelor’s graduates complete 180 credits and develop a strong foundation in structural systems, materials, geotechnics, hydraulics, roads, digital design and multidisciplinary project work. They are prepared to analyse engineering problems, work with technical data, collaborate in teams and progress to specialised Master’s-level education.

Further Academic Progression: The most direct route is Ghent University’s two-year, English-taught Master of Science in Civil Engineering. Students can specialise in Construction Design or Dredging and Offshore Engineering, with further opportunities to study areas such as structural stability, computer-aided structural design, seismic design, coastal engineering, offshore foundations, dredging technology and marine renewable-energy structures. The Master’s degree can then lead to professional engineering employment, postgraduate specialisation or doctoral research.