Introduction
Are you interested in contributing to the construction of the largest lock project in the world? In determining how high and how strong dikes should be to ensure flooding does not take place? Or would you like to make sure that people and animals can continue to live safely near coasts and rivers despite climate change? If your answer is ‘yes’ to the questions above, the Civil Engineering program at HZ may be the right choice for you!
It is expected that by 2050 80% of the world's population will live in delta areas. In these areas, where rivers meet the sea, there are increasing challenges due to climate change. With your expertise as a civil engineer, you will tackle problems such as coastal safety and urban flooding and contribute to safety in deltas around the world. During your study, you learn everything about the design and building of large constructions and managing huge international projects. Examples include the Panama locks in the Panama Canal; the Channel tunnel that connects the United Kingdom with France; and the magnificent Palm Islands in Dubai, a design that could have been yours if you were already a civil engineer! Doing Civil Engineering at HZ means you are studying in the middle of a delta area: when walking out of the university of applied sciences, you will encounter your field of work all around you. Did you know that the Dutch Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier is one of the seven modern wonders of the world and that this construction can be found at 30 minutes from HZ?
Employers are lining up for you as a graduate because at HZ you are not only trained theoretically but also practically. Right from the start of your study, you will be applying the theory of your future work field in the actual practice. During the lectures you will work on (international) assignments from the professional field, you do two internships with organizations in the Netherlands or abroad and you choose a minor: a half-year program whereby you further specialize yourself in a company of your choice. In this way, you already gain ample work experience during your studies, and you will be optimally prepared for your career.
Educational structure
Year 1
You acquaint yourself with the different aspects of the civil engineering field. You act both in the role of advisor and of designer and analyze an existing civil engineering infrastructure, such as a bridge or a quay. You learn to understand how these constructions can continue to function in the next thirty years. You advise government bodies and water on how bridges, locks, and ports can be used with as little energy as possible, thus making them less straining on the environment. You learn how civil engineering constructions are built, and how they work. You learn about hydraulics and the impact water has on a construction. Think of water barriers such as the flood barriers in Venice, which are supposed to protect the city against high water levels.
In the second part of the first year, you acquaint yourself with the South-western Delta, the delta region in the Netherlands in which HZ is situated. By means of a project, you discover the influences fluid dynamics and soil subsidence have on an area. How you can continue to live, work, and recreate in delta areas, in spite of rising sea levels? You also analyze water problems abroad. In other countries, you will encounter other cultures and climate conditions, which means that solutions that may be fitting for the Netherlands may not always fit equally well abroad.
Year 2
You will study infrastructures, both above the ground and below. Think of channels and roads, but also of cables and pipes. One of the projects during this study year is your design of a motorway that will reduce traffic jams.
In the second half of the second year, you get to work on constructions that protect the coast from flooding. You learn how to investigate whether a dike will be strong enough to protect the land behind it, and how to design new dikes that are both long-lasting and environmentally friendly. You also work with dredging techniques: constructing islands near a coastline. You discover how to mine and move sand while keeping nature in mind, and how to manage this process from a project manager's perspective.
Year 3
In the third year of the program, you complete a six-month minor. By means of this minor, you enhance the depth or breadth of your knowledge and skills. You can carry out your minor at one of the water-related research groups at HZ, at another HZ study program, or at another university, in the Netherlands or abroad.
You also carry out an internship with a construction project, in the Netherlands or abroad. During your internship, you acquaint yourself with all the aspects of a construction process, such as work preparation, project management, planning and monitoring a construction process, and how to communicate with stakeholders in the vicinity of your construction site.
Year 4
At the start of the study year, you choose your major: hydraulic engineering or construction. In the first three years, you had lectures in both specializations. As a result, you are now able to decide which specialization will fit you best. As a hydraulic engineer, you focus on the design of the port. You consider the consequences of water flows and wave action on shipping, as well as the necessary infrastructure, including quays and moles. You investigate the safety of the area behind the port in case of high water levels. As a constructor, you analyze the construction site, the tunnels, and landing constructions. You are responsible for the calculations to ensure the constructions will be strong enough, now and in the future. You skill yourself in the field of project management so that you are able to properly lead a project as a manager. During the final part of your study, you carry out a graduation assignment with a Dutch or foreign company of your choice. At the end of that period, you submit a graduation research.
What our students say
Students share their experiences of studying Civil Engineering at HZ University of Applied Sciences.
Emy
Civil Engineering
"A lot of people don't really know what a Civil Engineer does. I always say it's very broad, much broader than the work of an architect."
Rahaf
Civil Engineering
"You have to like puzzles, like mathematics and a little bit of physics, and be creative."
Applied research
Applied research is closely combined with education at the HZ. Our lecturers participate in research and researchers give lessons. Often the assignments you face during your classes are part of challenging projects the research groups deal with. Furthermore, you can choose to carry out your internship, minor, or graduation project with a research group. During the summer holidays, our students are offered part-time jobs and after graduation, some students continue their excellent work within the research groups.
Three-year track Civil Engineering
Depending on your preliminary education you might be eligible for a three-year-track.
Structure study program three-year track
During your first year, you follow the lectures together with the students enrolled in the four-year track. You become acquainted with your fellow students and the Civil Engineering program. In the second year, you broaden your professional knowledge and obtain an internship place for the summer period. You may do your internship in the Netherlands, or abroad. Your internship lasts ten weeks and starts in June after your final exams. You finish your internship at the end of August. In the third year, you choose an elective course, with which you further specialize and you do your research minor. Finally, you carry out your graduation assignment at an organization of your choice, at home or abroad.
Requirements
Before you apply to the Civil Engineering program, you have to meet a few admission requirements.
Admission requirements
To quality for admission for the Civil Engineering program, you need:
A diploma equivalent to the Dutch Secondary Education Diploma, which gives you access to higher education.
A good level of Mathematics and Physics.
Good command of written and spoken English. Your level of English should be equivalent to an IELTS score of 6.0.
Alternative entrance exam
If you don’t have the appropriate secondary school diploma, and if you are at least 21 years old, you may be exempted from this requirement. The HZ provides the possibility of taking an alternative entrance exam.
Start program
The civil engineering program starts in September and in February.
Starting in February
If you choose to start in February, you will pay 7/12 part of the tuition fee. Also, the sequence of the program is different. You will start with the second semester of the program, followed by the first-semester program. Non-EER students need to apply before the first of December and EER-students need to apply before January 15th via Studielink.*
*Any application submitted after this deadline will only be considered in exceptional cases, and at the discretion of the Head of the Admissions Office.
Tuition fees
The amount that you will be required to pay depends on your nationality and the program you have applied for.
EU-students:
2020-2021 tuition fees for EU-students are: €2.143*
* 50% reduction tuition fees
EU-students and students with a Norwegian, Swiss, Icelandic, Liechtenstein, or Suriname nationality are entitled to a 50% reduction on Dutch tuition fees for the first study year. The halving applies to all students who for the first time in the academic year start a bachelor's degree (or associate degree) at a funded university of applied sciences or research universities in the Netherlands. Students who pay institutional tuition fees are not entitled to the halving of the tuition fees.
Non-EU students:
2020-2021 Institutional tuition fees for non-EU students are: €7.835
Fees and finances
Next to the tuition fees and costs of living there are extra costs for your study program (study materials and books). You will have excursions on a regular basis.
Scholarships
While common in other countries, scholarships, especially full scholarships, are rare in the Dutch education system. However, there are some scholarship options available at the HZ.
Holland Scholarship for incoming students
The Holland Scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science and Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. The Holland Scholarship is for incoming students not originally from the EEA who have not previously studied in the Netherlands, and who plan to attend the HZ University of Applied Sciences in the framework of diploma mobility. The scholarship awarded is not a full scholarship. It has a value of € 5,000.00 and is allotted for one year only.
Conditions for allotment:
The student is not from the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
The student has not previously studied in the Netherlands.
The student has an IELTS of 6.5 (or higher) or an equivalent.
The student wants to enroll in a fulltime (four-year or three-year) bachelor’s program at HZ.
The student has already been (conditionally) accepted to the HZ Bachelor’s program indicated with his/her scholarship application.
How to apply for the Holland Scholarship
Students can apply for the scholarship by sending an email to study@hz.nl before 1 May of their starting year. In this email, the student should indicate the reasons for choosing the particular HZ Bachelor program of study. The student must also send a copy of his/her CV with the email. The applications will be assessed by a two-member HZ Scholarship Committee, nominated by the academy directors. The HZ Scholarship Committee will award the scholarship based on previous academic results, motivation for choosing a program of study, and C.V. applicants will be notified of the decision within 6 weeks after the application deadline of 1 May.
Mobility scholarships
When you are a student at HZ University of Applied Sciences and you are thinking of studying or doing research or an internship outside of the Netherlands during your studies, then you can apply for a scholarship.
HZ Grant
HZ offers an HZ Grant for students who study or do an unpaid internship outside the EU. As far as we know, HZ is the only university of applied sciences in the Netherlands that subsidizes its students with a grant.
Holland Scholarship
This scholarship is meant for full-time HZ students who want to study, do research, or an internship outside the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The Holland Scholarship is a scholarship made available by the Dutch Ministry of Education Culture and Science together with Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. The scholarship amounts to a one-off payment of € 1,250 and is meant as a contribution towards your study expenses.
Erasmus+ grant
If you do part of your study at an HZ partner institute within the EU or an internship within the EU, you can apply for this grant. The Erasmus+ is a grant that the European Union has made available in order to stimulate students from its member states to gain experience abroad during their education; to enhance their languages, to become acquainted with other cultures, etc. The grant also serves as compensation in the travel and accommodation costs that a study/internship abroad will bring in its wake. Clearly, the Erasmus+ grant will not cover all the costs that you will have abroad.
As soon as you are a student of HZ, we can help you apply for a grant.
After graduation
Bachelor's degree
Congratulations, you're now graduated! From now on you may use the title ‘Bachelor of Science’.
Did you participate in the Honors Program? You will get an extra certificate with your bachelor's degree.
Career prospects
Once graduated, you can construct dikes, build bridges and canals, ports, and large scale infrastructure. The different types of jobs of a civil engineer can globally be divided into the main phases of a civil project: the (initial) feasibility phase, the design phase, the construction phase, and the operational and maintenance phase. Your work covers a very wide range of specialism, ranging from Coastal and Marine, Environmental, Water and Public health to Roads, Rails, Geotechnical and Structural fields.
Further studies
With a bachelor's degree from the HZ, you can continue studying towards your Master’s degree (Msc.) at HZ by choosing for our Master's program River Delta Development. When you choose this program, you are able to get your Bachelor's and Master's degree in 5,5 years.
If you decide to continue your education abroad, you can do so immediately after graduating from the HZ. If you choose to further your studies at a research university in the Netherlands, a pre-master is required for a Master in Civil Engineering.
