Play a role to make better places to live and improve our modern living.
Civil engineers plan, design, build and maintain infrastructures including buildings, roads and transportation, water, and environment. This four year embedded honours program focuses on engineering design, project management, sustainability, water supply and construction.
- Only a full-time option is available to international students on a Student visa. Online programs are not available to Student visa holders.
- * Estimated tuition fees are based on 2025 rates. Refer to international fees for more information.
- Not all majors/minors and elective options are available at every campus. You should refer to the What Can I Study tab, and the proposed study sequence for your chosen campus and intake for further information.
- * Campus note: some Minor options contain courses that are supplied by the University of Southern Queensland and are undertaken as cross institutional enrolment.
- +Only first-year courses are offered at Gympie. The remainder of the degree is completed at Sippy Downs
- ** Only a Semester 1 commencement is available at Gympie
- * Campus note: some Minor options contain courses that are supplied by the University of Southern Queensland and are undertaken as cross institutional enrolment.
- +Only first-year courses are offered at Gympie. The remainder of the degree is completed at Sippy Downs
- ** Only a Semester 1 commencement is available at Gympie
Civil engineers plan, design, build and maintain infrastructures including buildings, roads and transportation, water, and environment. This four year embedded honours program focuses on engineering design, project management, sustainability, water supply and construction.
Our program is designed to qualify you as a civil engineer for registration with the accrediting body, Engineers Australia, and is internationally recognised to allow you to work in Australia and overseas. You’ll learn how things operate, and work out better ways to do them to benefit all people.
Choose to specialise in an area that interests you most and major in construction, or environment and water. You’ll get plenty of hands-on experience including 12 weeks work experience with professional engineers and engineering associates.
You’ll also get to recreate real life interactive scenarios in our state-of-the art visualisation lab and dedicated engineering laboratories. Learn from industry professionals with guest lectures that expose you to current engineering professional practice.
Majors
Construction; Environment and water
Special selection criteria
Students who enter the program having achieved a 'Very High Achievement' in a Maths B and Maths C in secondary school will be eligible for an exemption for the course MTH102 on application to the Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering they may substitute another mathematically based and engineering relevant course for MTH102 as a Variation to Program in order to fulfil the requirements of the degree.
Post-admission requirements
Students must complete 60 days of suitable field experience.
Career opportunities
Government agencies, construction companies, engineering consultancies, building industry, water supply authorities, mining industry, research organisations.
Membership
Full accreditation at the level of professional engineer was awarded from Engineers Australia for this program from 2014. Graduate membership of Engineers Australia (Professional Engineer).
Program structure
For students commencing in the current semester.
Introductory courses (7)
COR109 Business Events
ENG101 Communication and Thought
ENG102 Engineering Professional Practice
MTH102 Engineering Statics
SCI107 Mathematics Foundations
SCI110 Physics
SET111 Science Research Methods
Advanced courses (13)
ENG202 Environment, Technology and Sustainability
ENG203 Introduction to Engineering Design
ENG211 Engineering Computer Programming
ENG302 Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics
ENG312 Engineering Project Management
ENG401 Soil Mechanics
ENG402 Engineering Project 1
ENG403 Engineering Project 2
ENG422 Engineering Research Methodology
ENS253 Design of Roads and Drainage
MTH202 An Introduction to Geographic Information Science and Technology
MTH312 Calculus and Algebra
PHY201 Numerical Analysis
Major studies courses
Students must complete one (1) of the available major studies in the Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) (Honours).
Construction major
Required courses (8)
ENG212 Fluids, Waves and Thermodynamics
ENG221 Structural Engineering
ENG225 Mechanics of Materials
ENG340 Engineering Materials
ENG404 Construction Technology
ENG432 Engineering Sustainable Design
ENG451 Advanced Soil Mechanics
ENS281 Concrete Structures and Technology
Environment and Water major
Required courses (8)
ENG330 Introduction to Sustainable Energy Systems
ENG411 Engineering Hydrology
ENG412 Reservoir and Stormwater Engineering
ENG421 Design of Wastewater Treatment Systems
ENS242 Design of Water Supply Systems
ENS353 Introduction to Weather and Climate
MTH381 Applied Spatial Analysis and Geoprocessing
SCI105 Applied Systems Modelling
Minor courses (4)
Students must select one (1) of the following minor study areas:
- Climate Change and Coastal Zone Studies
- Construction Engineering (for Environment and Water major students only)
- Environmental Engineering (for Construction major students only)
- Environmental Studies for Engineers
- Management for Engineers
- Mechanical Engineering (not available to International students on a Student visa)
- Physics for Engineers (not available to International students on a Student visa)
- Planning Studies
- Property
- Public Health for Engineers
- Wider Engineering Studies
Note: Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus.
Total units: 384
Recommended study sequences
Program requirements and notes
Program requirements
In order to graduate you must:
- Select a major in either Construction or Environment and Water.
- Select a minor from one of the minors as listed below. Students must choose the minor to be studied before the completion of Semester 1, Year 3. *
- Register your selected major and minor with your Faculty.
- Complete a minimum of 60 days of suitable work experience. Students must meet all costs associated with the acquisition of practical experience to satisfy this requirement.
- Apply to enrol in USQ courses via Student Administration on the appropriate form and prior to the USQ Cross Institutionally closing date.*
*Note some minor options include courses that are studied Cross Institutionally at USQ and therefore not all Minors are available to international students on a Student visa.
Program notes
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses).
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations. Not all courses will necessarily include all methods.
- As part of your USC program, you may apply to Study Overseas to undertake courses with an overseas higher education provider. It is advisable to contact your Program Advisor to discuss timing and course issues.
- When enrolling please refer to the relevant Study Plan: