Programme content
Designing, calculating, building as well as repairing or rebuilding civil engineering works (bridges, tunnels) and buildings: planning, modernising and maintaining communication infrastructures (roads, railways, waterways, etc.); surmounting obstacles, etc. These are among the many areas in which Civil Engineers can practice their art.
A COMPLEX FIELD, IN LINE WITH ITS CONTEXT AND ENVIRONMENT
The economic activity of a society depends in large part on the quality and density of its means of communication and production, that allows women and men to carry out their activities and exchanges while respecting the natural environment. The Civil Engineer must be able to deal with wind, snow, flooding, landslides, earthquakes, etc. and, on the other hand, see to the integration of the work created in the natural environment, whether that be a bridge, a dam or a waste disposal centre. The impact of a building or a road in terms of energy consumption, interaction with the natural environment or economic impact throughout its lifetime are nowadays essential parameters to be taken into account from its very conception.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of the programme is to equip you with the necessary tools to acquire an excellent understanding of the behaviour of structures, a sound knowledge of soils and foundations and an in-depth mastery of the behaviour of materials. These tools will help you observe, understand and master the entire range of civil engineering techniques and to see how they integrate with the natural and human environments.
The first specificity of the programme is that the courses are organised according to an analysis at different scales: from materials to structures, mechanical, physical and chemical behaviours are evaluated in order that the civil engineer may be capable, in due course, of designing any type of structure. A second major advantage has to do with the use of structures themselves: why and for whom? For how long? In what environment? This complementary approach will enable you to reflect on the different stages of the realisation of an individual object: conception, dimensioning, implementation, management or repair.
The structures under consideration include all major types of civil engineer project (tunnels, bridges, dams, roads, etc.) and building (skyscrapers, etc.). The programme has been accredited by the French Engineering Accreditation Council (Commission des titres d'ingénieur - CTI) and has been awarded the EUR-ACE label, which certifies the highest quality in engineering education in Europe.
THE PROGRAMME
2 specialisms
The first block, comprising 60 credits, is based on the one hand on the fundamental axes of the study of materials (water, concrete, steel, wood, plastics, etc.) and their practical use, and on the other hand the analysis and design of buildings, bridges, road and river infrastructures and dams as well as foundations and retaining structures. Analysis of the effects of exceptional stress (fire, earthquake, flooding, storms, explosions, etc.) are also part of the programme.
In addition to an internship and Final Dissertation, two specialisms (30 credits) are offered.
- Civil engineering, which allows for a specialism focused on dimensioning works projects (bridges, hydraulic systems, roads) and offers a choice of electives (3 of 10) on specific topics: work site planning, repair engineering, fire safety and seismic engineering, experimental modelling, transportation, risk management...
- Urban and Environmental Engineering, which is focused on urban management: water and energy networks, risks (fire, earthquake, settlement...), waste and landfill, urban planning, transportation networks, sociology and co-design... in collaboration with engineering architects and geologists.
SPECIALISED MASTER'S IN URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
In 2050, 75% of the world's population will be living in cities. "Building the city of tomorrow" remains a challenge for engineers in areas as diverse as supply (water, natural and secondary resources, energy, land use), resilience, risk management, exceptional stress (wind, earthquakes, flooding, etc.) mobility and so on. The work of engineers consists in anticipating the type of building construction and infrastructures that will be needed for the urban dwellers of the future and that will improve their functional, visual, auditory and olfactory surroundings. This conception requires a fundamental evolution of the profession towards an integration of technical skills based on monitoring and modelling as well as on more in-depth knowledge of the specific human environment of a city. The 'construction, architecture and geology' sections offer a joint specialism in the field of Urban and Environmental Engineering, more specifically focused on two axes: resource efficiency and risk management, in collaboration with specialists in urban studies (Faculty of Architecture) and economics (HEC - School of Management at ULiège).
Urban engineers work across the entire range of fields relating to the planning, realisation, management and operation of cities, with a constant eye on sustainable development. The planning of public spaces, the quality of the environment (waste, noise pollution, air quality), mobility and transportation, infrastructures and networks (transport of clean and waste water, sanitation, treatment and reuse of waste), civil engineering and construction, are all areas where urban engineers can exercise their versatility.
The specificity of an education in urban engineering lies in enabling graduates to appraise each project in its entirety, while using their engineering skills to tackle its scientific aspects.
This specialism is taught in English during the 1st quarter. The programme offers classes in the following:
- Technical courses: 15 credits
- Water management (clean and waste, including treatment)
- ?Natural and secondary resources (reduce, reuse and recycle)
- ?Resilience of structures and buildings (fire, earthquake, etc.)
- Management of industrial wastelands (monitoring, remediation)
- ?Resources and energy management (alternative energy, energy networks, etc.)?
- Courses in economics/humanities 6 credits
- Sociology of the city
- Transport and mobility
- Projet intégrateur : 9 crédits
Each course consists of at least one seminar in which one or more external speakers participate This specialism is part of the Master's in Civil Engineering in Construction and Architectural Civil Engineering?The courses are also open to students registered in the Master's in Civil Engineering in Mining and Geology.
Learning outcomes
Profile
At the end of the Master's Programme, Construction Engineers with a degree from the University of Liège are able to apply their foundational knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of materials, structures and fluids in materials science, in geology and geotechnology to design, dimension, implement, maintain, repair or adapt civil engineering works, buildings or transport infrastructures, taking account of the natural, human and built environments while also taking economic constraints into consideration.
Learning outcomes
Graduates of the advanced stream are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to join a research and development unit or to go on to do doctoral studies. At the end of the Master's Programme, Construction Engineers with a degree from the University of Liège are able to apply their foundational knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of materials, structures and fluids, in materials science, in geology and geotechnology, to design, dimension, implement, maintain, repair or adapt civil engineering works, buildings or transport infrastructures, taking account of the natural, human and built environments while also taking economic constraints into consideration. They are able to evaluate the limits of a theory, estimates or working hypotheses. They know how to conduct experiments and interpret the results in a critical manner. They are able to handle unfamiliar or unusual problems or issues in new or emerging domains, show creativity and adopt an innovative approach.
More particularly, they are able:
- to conceive and dimension structures in different materials;
- understand, evaluate, dimension and maintain natural or built drainage or water storage works;
- analyse the geological and geotechnical conditions and constraints, and build with natural materials;
- take account of a wide range of different natural demands, both deterministic or probabilistic, of natural or human origin;
- choose, design or repair materials and structures in line with the mechanical, physical, hydraulic or thermic requirements and take into account their sustainability and life cycle.
In the 2nd Master's, students pursue advanced studies (advanced stream) through a consistent set of 30 credits in the area of civil engineering works, construction and transport engineering or the interaction between the environment and civil engineering. They can also choose a specialism (specialised programme) in management offered in collaboration with the HEC - School of Management of the ULiège.
Through the various projects they complete and their Final Dissertation, they have learned how to organise their work, work autonomously and develop the relational and communicative qualities that enable them to manage team work effectively. They are able to find, evaluate critically and use appropriately information in the technical and scientific literature. They can present the results of their work clearly, both orally and in writing, in French and English.
Their basic training and the optional courses taken in the final year of the Master's introduced them to very highly specialised technical and scientific areas ranging from civil and construction engineering to environmental engineering works, as well as to interact with specialists in various disciplines, such as in geology, architecture or the environment. Thanks to their internship with a company, they are aware of the realities, needs and constraints of the industrial world.