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Introduction

Civil Engineering

The Civil Engineering Department at Qom University of Technology began its activities in 2009 by admitting students to the full-time and part-time undergraduate programs. Currently, around 200 students are enrolled in this field of study.

·         8-Semester Program

·         Prerequisite Table

·         Undergraduate Course Chart

 

Importance and Necessity of Civil Engineering

Civil engineering is a field that applies science to the development and construction of a country's infrastructure. Anything related to a nation's development, such as dams, airports, roads, towers, tunnels, telecommunication towers, earthquake-resistant buildings, flood and fire-resistant structures, power plants, and lightweight, cost-effective, high-quality construction materials, falls within the scope of civil engineering.

Civil engineering encompasses various activities, aiming to train specialists capable of handling the design, calculation, implementation, and supervision of different construction projects, such as buildings, roads, bridges, water structures, sewage systems, etc.

In Iran, civil engineering is taught at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, allowing students to earn degrees at each level. With higher educational advancement, due to the field's broad subcategories, work becomes more specialized. For instance, undergraduate civil engineering students study an overview of all subfields, gaining limited knowledge in each. However, at advanced levels, only one area is explored in depth.

Key Responsibilities of Civil Engineering Graduates:
Graduates of this field can undertake various responsibilities, including design, calculation, implementation, and supervision of construction projects, such as:

  • Buildings:
    Design, calculate, construct, and, to some extent, design various residential, administrative, and industrial buildings. This includes villas, multi-story buildings, apartments, high-rise towers, and other structures like schools, hospitals, factories, sports facilities, and conference halls.
  • Roads and Railways:
    Designing, calculating, and implementing urban and rural roads, including dirt roads, asphalt roads, highways, and railways (covering route selection, road laying, substructure, and superstructure).
  • Bridges:
    Constructing, implementing, and occasionally designing and calculating different concrete and steel bridges with varying spans, shapes, and dimensions, such as urban overpasses and intercity bridges.
  • Dams and Water Structures:
    Executing various types of earthen and concrete dams, diversion weirs, and related facilities like water diversion tunnels or canals (for on-site operations during dam construction), water intake facilities from dams, and water level control systems behind dams.
  • Rivers and Water Networks:
    River management projects and designing, calculating, and constructing water transmission lines using pressure pipes or open channels to transport water from dams and lakes to agricultural, domestic, or industrial areas. This includes transporting water from treatment plants to storage tanks and consumption areas.
  • Water and Sewage Treatment Plants:
    Constructing water and sewage treatment plants, including buildings, facilities, landscaping, and more.
  • Water Supply Networks:
    Design, calculate, and construct water supply networks for urban and rural areas to provide drinking water. This includes facilities like water storage tanks, pipelines, and connections.
  • Stormwater and Sewage Networks:
    Design, calculate, and construct networks for collecting and disposing of surface water from precipitation in streets and urban areas. This also includes collecting and disposing of domestic and industrial wastewater and transporting it to sewage treatment plants outside the city.
  • Surveying and Mapping:
    Performing various surveying tasks for construction projects such as road construction and dam building, ensuring precise execution of plans. Additionally, this includes basic tasks related to architectural design and mapping.

Civil engineering graduates play a crucial role in developing and maintaining infrastructure, significantly contributing to society's advancement.

Job Opportunities and Workplaces

Various organizations, both directly and indirectly, contribute to construction activities and hire civil engineering graduates based on their specific roles. Key employers include:

  • Government Ministries:
    • Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
    • Ministry of Roads and Transportation
    • Ministry of Energy
      These ministries employ civil engineers extensively for tasks related to designing, calculating, implementing, and supervising construction projects.
  • Other Ministries and Public Organizations:
    • Ministry of Education
    • Ministry of Agriculture
    • Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology
    • Banks and other governmental and private institutions

These entities require civil engineers indirectly for their construction-related needs, including planning, calculations, execution, and supervision of projects.

  • Consulting Engineering Firms:
    Numerous consulting firms nationwide are responsible for designing, calculating, and supervising the execution of building projects.
  • Construction and Road-Building Companies:
    Both government and private construction and road-building companies employ many civil engineering graduates to execute construction projects.
  • Entrepreneurial Opportunities:
    Other major avenues for professionals in this field include establishing consulting engineering and contracting companies, obtaining necessary licenses from relevant authorities, recruiting skilled engineers, and managing projects independently.

Civil engineering graduates have diverse opportunities to work in public and private sectors, contributing significantly to infrastructure development and management.

Further Education

Pursuing education beyond the undergraduate level is referred to as graduate studies, which includes master's and doctoral degrees.

In the non-continuous master’s program, students complete approximately 32 specialized academic credits, including a thesis or dissertation, depending on the field. This program allows students to deepen their knowledge in a specific area of their discipline, expanding upon the foundation built during the undergraduate program.

 

Master’s and Doctoral Specializations in Civil Engineering

Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering can pursue advanced studies in various specializations at the master’s level, including:

  • Structural Engineering
  • Hydraulic Structures
  • Earthquake Engineering
  • Road and Transportation Engineering
  • Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering
  • Water Engineering
  • Marine Structures
  • Construction Management Engineering
  • Transportation Planning Engineering
  • Surveying Engineering (Geodesy)
  • Photogrammetry
  • Environmental Engineering

Each of these fields includes more specialized sub-disciplines, which are explored in greater depth at the doctoral level, particularly during the completion of a doctoral dissertation. Opportunities for further studies in all these specializations are available at the master’s and postgraduate levels within the country.