Study Guide

Descriptions

Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Civil Engineering
Overview
A Bachelor's degree in youth education
Name of the degree programme:
Degree Programme in Civil Engineering (Infrastuctures)
Bachelor of Engineering, 240 ECTS, 4.0 years.
Mode of studying: Present and online part time studies
Location: Myllypurontie

This curriculum gives the necessary skills for working as a civil engineer. Usually civil engineers, often nowadays called infraengineers, begin their career in planning tasks and working as a site engineer and advance into corresponding expert or management tasks. In the coming years civil engineers will have a lot of work opportunities in both constructing new buildings and renovation work. In addition, the retirement of current engineers increases the demand for new professionals. Sustainable development, climate change, circular economy, lowing CO2-emissions, and knowledge based data management and data models provide many practical challenges for civil engineers in the near future.

The purpose of the Degree Programme in Civil Engineering is to train construction professionals with the ability to work in a variety of building industry jobs. The graduates have wide expertise and a general understanding of the theory, practice and methods in their field, as well as a deep understanding of their area of specialisation.

Civil engineers need strong professional expertise but also problem-solving skills, mathematical and financial judgement, teamworking and supervisor skills, good IT skills, an ability to communicate clearly, and language skills. In addition to the traditional theoretical skills required of civil engineers the curriculum also provides skills based on a skill requirement description prepared together with businesses and organisations working in the field of construction. The curriculum emphasises practical learning, learning by doing, problem solving skills, co-operative skills, multiculturality, thorough understanding of the major subject and specialisation. In addition sustainable development and digital skills are involved in suitable courses.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS
Civil engineers typically design structures or supervise work on a construction site, or are employed in maintenance or engage in the building of infrastructures. Typical employers are, for example, design consultants, contractors, construction product industry, the public sector and research institutes.

SKILL DESCRIPTION FOR THE DEGREE PROGRAMME
The general part of the degree programme emphasise basic knowledge of construction engineering and the theoretical skills required in the studies. In the beginning of the studies the students get an overview of the construction industry and infrasturctures and the opportunities it offers. Then studies concentrate on increasing expertise in typical civil engineering (called also infrastuctures)

In civil engineering (Infrastructures), the student
- knows the main agents in the field of infrastructure construction
- knows central sources in the field such as InfraRYL
- knows the procurement process and has an overall understanding of relevant legislation
- understands the importance of city planning for infrastructure construction, knows the different levels of city plans, and understands the environmental impact assessment procedure
- can design basic plans and interpret complex plans
- can put together information from various design documents
- can read, for example, a longitudinal section and a design map together and get the information required in construction work from them
- can take basic measurements and mass calculations
- can determine the correct dimensions of road structures
- knows the basics of special structures (bridges, sustaining walls)
- knows how to position elements in the same plan (e.g. piping and cables)
- can implement street and road structures according to the construction plan
- knows materials used in road construction and their properties
- knows how crushed gravel roads are maintained in the summer and in the winter
- knows technological solutions for paving streets and roads
- understands how winter maintenance requirements influence the design and building of roads
- understands soil and rock mechanics and knows different blasting methods
- understands how weather conditions influence construction
- knows most common repair construction methods for bridges and roads
- knows the occupational safety regulations related to tasks common in infrastructure construction (such as road safety and blasting)
- can schedule a construction project
- knows the basics of construction economics (measurements, units, costs and can form a budget estimate based on these)
- can monitor costs and take corrective action
- can use indexes developed for the field and understands their impact.

STUDY PATH
The studies include the following modules
95 ECTS Degree programme studies
60 ECTS Major (Infrastuctures) studies
10 ECTS Innovation project
30 ECTS Minor subject and freely chosen studies, either one minor subject of 30 ECTS or 15 ECTS of alternative studies and 15 ECTS of freely chosen studies
30 ECTS Practical work training
15 ECTS Bachelor's thesis
240 ECTS Total
Schedule and themes by terms:
1st term Orientation to study program, including 30 ECTS of Degree programme studies
2nd term Orientation to study program, including 30 ECTS of Degree programme studies related to professional expertise
3rd term Orientation to major subject, including 30 ECTS of Degree programme studies related to professional expertise
4th term Towards professional expertise, includes 30 ECTS of studies in major subject
5th term Deepening professional expertise, includes 30 ECTS of studies in major subject
6th term Innovation project, includes the innovation project (20 ECTS) and 10 ECTS of professional studies
7th term minor subject or alternative studies/freely chosen studies, total 30 ECTS
8th term Bachelor's thesis 15 ECTS and 15 ECTS of professional studies

OPTIONAL STUDIES AND INTERNSHIP

As an optional minor subject, the students can specialise in subjects offered by
1) Construction field and degree programmmes
2) Studies offered by other degree programmmes

Internship training can be undertaken during terms or partly during the summer period.