Teaching at Structural and Civil Engineering is in English and is research-based and practice-oriented. You will work in a project-oriented way in study groups, solving specific engineering challenges with a focus on construction, materials and load-bearing capacity. Through the teaching and project work, you will acquire knowledge on calculations, analyses and digital tools used in modern building and construction projects. You will gain experience with both theoretical calculations and experimental models that you compare and evaluate in terms of their applicability. During the programme, you will have close contact with your teachers and often collaborate with companies so that you learn to translate theory into solutions that can be used in practice.

With a Master’s (MSc Engineering) in Structural and Civil Engineering you have a strong professional profile and a wide range of skills. You have insight into the workings of structures such as how a foundation for a wind turbine is designed or how a suspension bridge works. You have learned to work in a structured and analytical way, including with advanced tools such as CAD, CFD and FEM, and you can translate theory into solutions that work in practice. You have experience with collaboration across disciplines and cultures, and you know how to manage and distribute the work in a team. Your knowledge is based on theory, practice and the latest international research.

With a Master’s degree from the Structural and Civil Engineering programme, you have many opportunities, both in Denmark and internationally. You can work in consulting engineering firms where you do calculations, choose materials and follow construction projects closely. You can also be part of the wind turbine industry or work in construction companies where you help build large building and construction projects. Other options are manufacturing companies such as concrete element factories or positions in the public sector – in municipalities, regions or the state – where you reviewing construction cases, or work on design or planning in traffic and the environment. Whatever you choose, your profile will enable you to impact the construction of the future.

On the first semester, you will work with load-bearing structures and you will analyse a structural part in order to determine its capacities, strengths and rigidity.

Your analysis will include different methods such as experiments in the laboratories, calculations, computer simulations and modelling. This will make it possible for you to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods.

Description of courses
Read the description for the respective courses for the semester in the most recent version of the curriculum for Structural and Civil Engineering, see under the article Overview of the programme. 

During the second semester, you will work with coastal, offshore and port engineering, and experiments in the laboratories will be a significant part of you and your groups project work.

You will explore the natural loads such as waves, wind, currents and ice and you analyse and consider how the constructions can be modified and improved to strengthen their resistance.

Description of courses
Read the description for the respective courses for the semester in the most recent version of the curriculum for Structural and Civil Engineering, see under the article Overview of the programme. 

During the third semester, you have different options for the structure of the semester:

• You can do an internship in Denmark or abroad, where you take part in the day-to-day operations in the business. During the internship, you will write a project about one or more of your tasks during the process
• You can study a semester at another educational institution abroad or in Denmark
• You can do a regular semester at AAU with courses and project work
• You can begin your Master’s thesis, so your work is spread out over both your 3rd and 4th semester.

On the fourth semester, you write your Master’s thesis, where you draw on all the knowledge, experience and skills you have acquired during your studies.

Depending on your topic choice, the thesis will be in the nature of developmental work, further development, or actual research.

For more detailed description of the courses on each semester, please see the current curriculum for Structural and Civil Engineering (under §18 Overview of the programme). 

You can choose to do an internship in Denmark or abroad during your 3rd semester, where you take part in the day-to-day operations in the business. During the internship, you will write a project about one or more of your tasks during the process. 

Examples of internships abroad

• Densit Engineering Office, Singapore – Strengthening strategies to reinstate offshore platform to serviceable condition

Examples of internships in Denmark

• Rambøll - Determination of buckling length of columns in multi storey plane steel frames
• Cowi A/S - View house, planning larger building projects by computer calculations
• Cowi A/S - Analysis of snow pressure damage on conical steel silo roof

You can choose to study for a semester at another educational institution abroad or in Denmark.

Aalborg University has collaboration agreements with universities around the world, and the programme’s research environment has a wide range of internship contacts.

With a Master's degree (Cand. Polyt.) in Structural and Civil Engineering you can develop and advance new analyses and solutions within civil and structural engineering. 

You are able to find solutions to a given problem within civil engineering and can manage work-related situations that are complex and unpredictable, and which require new solutions.

You will also have competencies within and can participate in the development of digitization of the built environment.

Problem based learning and working in groups during your study programme will give you many useful skills that make you an attractive candidate on the job market. You know how to approach a problem and solve it in collaboration with other people, which is often how things are done in the “real world”.

Field of work
Your work tasks may include:

• Construction of e.g. bridges, roads, houses, ocean windmills etc.
• Planning and administration of construction process
• Project management
• Reducing energy consumption
• Foundations of large constructions
• Design of indoor air-conditioning systems
• Calculations in relation to the construction or the construction process
• Choice of building materials
• Optimising the work environment
• Quality control
• Inspection of the building site for security purposes

Workplaces
As a graduate from Structural and Civil Engineering, many professional fields are open to you. Your future workplace could be at

• a consulting engineering company
• a contracting company
• a manufacturer
• a university as a reseacher and/or teacher 

Aalborg University cooperates with external organisations - both private and public which gives you the opportunity to gain valuable contacts for when you have finished your degree.

AAU Career helps you on your way from student life to job life in Denmark by giving you the tools to examine your options and find out what to do.

While studying at AAU, you can participate in career and job-related events, find help on our website, and book a personal career counselling session to talk about e.g.:

• Finding your way in your career
• Danish working culture
• Application and CV the Danish way
• What you can offer an employer
• How to go about job search in Denmark – both student job, internship and full-time job

Read more about AAU Career here

If you need guidance on the content and workload of the study, admission, study environment or know more about what it is like to study at Aalborg University, you can contact your student counsellor. The student counsellor is a student themselves and under an obligation to maintain confidentiality. 

Student guidance
Department of the Built Environment
Thomas Manns Vej 23
9220 Aalborg Ø

Phone (Wednesdays 15-17): 2075 8277
E-mail: studievejledning@build.aau.dk 
Office hours: Wednesdays 15:00-17:00

See who is in the study guidance team

Do you have questions regarding the composition of your education, admission, study changes, examination rules, credit, exemptions, etc. you can contact the Study Board. 

Study Board of the Built Environment
Thomas Manns Vej 23
9220 Aalborg East
E-mail: inst.build.sdnvn@build.aau.dk 

Read more about the Study Board.

Are you a student at AAU? In AAU Study and Wellbeing Guidance, we can help you with, among other things, choices during your study programme, study doubts, study techniques, motivation, wellbeing, leave and study resignation or perhaps just a conversation about your thoughts regarding your study programme and wellbeing. We are happy to talk to you about anything big or small.

See opening hours and contact information