Structural engineers are concerned with the planning, design, manufacture and operation of buildings and other structures in civil, structural, traffic and hydraulic engineering projects. The Structural Engineering B.Sc. provides a general education in engineering, mathematics and natural sciences.

The core area covers classic construction disciplines such as statics and concrete and steel construction, allowing students to address basic construction-related problems. Other areas of construction such as substructure and soil mechanics are covered by the geo-engineering component of the course. Students will also learn about international construction regulations as well as national regulatory frameworks and statutory norms.

Another part of the course, construction management, covers the implementation of major building projects, including quality assurance and financial aspects such as cost control.

Environmental considerations and the natural sciences are covered in the urban water management and hydraulic engineering modules. Hydraulics is a specialist area for the University of Duisburg-Essen and is the subject of many of our lectures at both Bachelor's and Master's level. The interdisciplinary, ecologically-oriented approach of our lectures has its roots in Germany's industrial Ruhr region, where the university is based. However, our outlook is also international, thereby equipping students to address environmental issues in their own countries.

Engineering in general is becoming increasingly international in character, and many German firms are today involved in international construction projects. For students from outside Germany, the international outlook of the course will make studying considerably easier, and graduates of the course typically find employment at both national and international levels. The flourishing structural engineering sector, which is particularly active in large international cities, offers long-term international employment opportunities, as does the growing area of environmental technology.

Graduates will:

• master basic engineering and natural science principles and methods and the thinking behind them;
• master basic specialist principles from the core construction disciplines of statics, solid construction and steel and wood construction;
• master basic specialist principles of substructure;
• master basic specialist principles for assessing the physical and chemical properties of building materials;
• master basic specialist principles for managing major construction projects;
• master basic specialist principles of environmental technology, especially hydraulics;
• be able to pursue their preference for a commercial or academic career via their choice of electives;
• have an enhanced general education with advanced language skills in German or English as well as increased employability from learning teamworking, presentation and communication skills;
• gain initial construction industry experience and will be in a position to apply technical knowledge, norms and regulations to the planning, design and operation of facilities;
• gain experience of applying scientific methods to deal independently with problems from the areas of construction and environmental technology within a specific timeframe, and be able to present the issue clearly.

Study plan

Study plan

You can find the examination regulations for your study program here: Examination regulations according to study programs

Study plans as well as information about the modules in the study program can be found in the module database:

Information material

Prospective students will find an overview of the study program, as well as current information on exams, practical and research project selection and other relevant topics here.

Study plan as well as information about the modules in the study program can be found in the module database: Structural Engineering 

Admission

Admission requirements

• general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur)
• a relevant subject-linked university entrance qualification
• a certificate recognized as equivalent by law or by the competent state authority
• those qualified in vocational training (an entrance examination is required in this case)

For foreign applicants who are not treated as equivalent to Germans by or on the basis of international treaties:

• if no university entrance qualification can be proven, proof of the ability to study by means of a special examination
• after successful attendance of an educational institution abroad with a degree that entitles the holder to study there: passed entrance examination of the University of Duisburg-Essen

Admission

Unrestricted admission (study places are not limited)

Enrollment takes place during the enrollment period at the student registrar's office on Campus Essen.

Prospective students from non-EU countries submit their application to uni-assist by 15.07. This applies to all German-language Bachelor's degree programs and includes applications for direct admission to the study program, for DSH direct admission, and for the preparatory German course. For more information please check the homepage of the International Office.

Special enrollment requirements

Sufficient knowledge of English and German language is required for enrollment (for more details, see "Language skills").

Foreign applicants who do not have the same status as Germans by or on the basis of international treaties and who do not have a university entrance qualification obtained in Germany must additionally prove their eligibility to study in a special examination. The special eligibility to study in the sense of sentence 1 is considered to be proven, if the applicant has taken mathematics in the last 3 years of the previous education, entitling him/her to direct university admission and has achieved a grade of 2.0 or better. When converting the grades, country-specific distinctions are taken into account as specified by the examination board.

Pre-courses

You can find a selection of for non-mandatory, but recommended preliminary courses at Mintroduce.

ISE Examination Board

University of Duisburg-Essen
Faculty of Engineering 
SG 182
Geibelstr. 41
47057 Duisburg
pa-ise@uni-due.de

Language Skills

Applicants who have not acquired their study qualification at a German-speaking institution must provide evidence of German language skills corresponding to the completed level B1 of the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of English corresponding to the completed level B1 of the European Framework of Reference for Languages at the time of enrollment.

Study in a bachelor's degree program in ISE requires proof of level B2 in both languages as a condition of graduation. The language courses required for this in individual cases are components of the degree program. Students must take placement tests immediately at the beginning of their studies to determine their proficiency in German and English and to be placed in courses according to sentence 1. German language skills corresponding to level B2 are a prerequisite for admission to the German-language modules, as well as for admission to the German-language examinations from the 3rd semester onwards. 

Internships during studies

During the Bachelor's program, students must complete a 12-week internship. It is part of the study program and must be proven at the latest when registering the bachelor thesis.

In the course of studies, the internship should complement the studies and deepen acquired theoretical knowledge in its practical relevance. During the internship, the intern has the opportunity to get to know individual areas of an industrial company and to apply the knowledge acquired during the course of study. Another important aspect is the understanding of the sociological side of entrepreneurial activities. The intern must also understand the company as a social structure and get to know the relationship between managers and employees in order to correctly classify his or her future position and potential impact.

Study-related stays abroad

For students who have acquired their university entrance qualification at a German institution, a stay abroad of three to six months is obligatory. The stay abroad can be completed to acquire credit points, to complete the bachelor's thesis or to complete practical working experience.