As a civil engineer you have a VIP ticket to all of the town’s hot spots. Sky Tower, Harbour Bridge, Britomart… – without civil engineers they wouldn’t exist. In fact, civil engineers are involved in all big infrastructure projects. Such as motorways, airports, harbours, dams, bridges and tunnels. They also help us deal with pollution, traffic congestion and other environmental problems. And with many major new infrastructure projects currently being planned, New Zealand alone will need thousands of new civil engineering and land surveying graduates over the next ten years.

Theory is just the beginning. Study at the Department of Civil Engineering and you’ll spend many hours in fieldwork exercises, and in our mixed-media studios and computer labs with the latest CAD programmes, Global Positioning Surveying equipment, and numerical modelling and project management software. But most of all you’ll spend a lot of time with our civil engineering and land surveying staff. They’re experts in all areas of civil engineering. Many of them are Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng) and members of IPENZ (Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand). And all of them want to share their vast expertise with you.

Strong links with the industry

Our contact list reads like a who’s who in civil engineering. IPENZ, the New Zealand Contractors' Federation, the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors and InfraTrain are all there. As are major companies like Opus, Downer, Watercare, Tonkin & Taylor, Fletcher Construction, McConnell Dowell, Beca and Hick Bros Civil Construction. This means plenty of opportunities for you to meet representatives from top civil engineering companies. Which could mean holiday work, scholarships, internships, cadetships or a job once you graduate. It also means civil engineering courses that reflect the latest industry trends, legislation; and local, global and environmental issues. In other words, courses that will be relevant to your career, wherever it might take you.

Civil engineering programmes

To prepare for further study in civil engineering:

Certificate in Foundation Studies: Whitinga - Construction and Civil Engineering

If you’re interested in civil engineering:

If you’re interested in land surveying:

National Diploma in Surveying

Electrotechnology

Life without electricity? We can’t even imagine it. Today, technology is everywhere. In appliances, telecommunications, security systems, fibre optics and smart buildings. And skilled electrical, electronics and audio-visual engineers and technicians are in demand. They design circuits, install alarms, research laser technology and telecommunications, work on the electrical control of industrial machinery and the design of household appliances, and diagnose problems. They’re even responsible for wiring ships and airplanes. And work on the occasional stage show or movie set too.

Interested in electrical and electronics engineering? Unitec’s Department of Electrotechnology can help you spark a bright future. All our programmes focus on you and your needs. It’s self-paced and interactive learning. A mix of theory and practice. And most importantly, it’s a launching pad into exciting careers or further study.

Practice makes perfect. That’s why you’ll work on practical projects, such as wiring up houses or designing programmable logic controller systems. It’s also why you’ll spend many hours in our workshops and laboratories. It’s a great place to try out the latest electronics software, workbench-simulated circuits, mechatronics/electronic workbenches and lab volt electronic computer hardware – provided by our industry sponsor Schneider Electric. It’s also ideal for sharing ideas with our staff. They’re experts in aviation, electrical, electronics and computer engineering. And bright sparks, the lot of them.

Electrotechnology programmes

To prepare yourself for an apprenticeship or a career as a technician:

If you have a job but need to get qualified: