University Of Canterbury Engineering

Engineers are designing the future. If you are interested in developing technology to improve the quality of our lives and provide solutions to meet the needs of our modern world, then Engineering is for you.



Studying Engineering will lead you into a challenging, flexible, and rewarding future with international opportunities. Engineers are responsible for the design and operation of the infrastructure which underpins our society including:

  • Telecommunications
  • Transport
  • Water and electricity supply
  • Large structures such as buildings and airports
  • Processing plants for food and forest products
  • Consumer items like iPads and cars
  • Manufacturing systems

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Is Engineering for me?

If you enjoy mathematics and science, figuring out how things work, and working with other people to solve complex problems then you should consider becoming a professional engineer. UC offers a full range of engineering disciplines with courses ranging from nanotechnology to managing the forest landscape. 

With a balance of first-class theoretical education and challenging practical work in industry, a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours degree will prepare you for a rewarding and diverse career.

Keep your options open

We give you the flexibility to study courses in your First Year (previously known as Engineering Intermediate Year) which allow you to keep a variety of options open about your discipline in Second, Third, and Fourth Years (the professional years). The nine disciplines you can choose from are:

Why choose UC?

International reputation

QS World university rankings rate UC in the top 1 per cent of universities worldwide for engineering and technology. Our Civil and Natural Resources Engineering Department is ranked in the top 100 worldwide. Chemical and Electrical and Electronic Engineering are both ranked in the top 250.

UC is also the first university in New Zealand to receive a five-star rating from QS Stars. A typical five-star university is generally world class in a broad range of areas, enjoys a high reputation and has cutting-edge facilities and a renowned research and teaching faculty. UC has received a five-star rating for Engineering and Technology, Research, Teaching, Infrastructure and Internationalisation.

All of our degrees are accredited by Engineering New Zealand, formerly known as the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand and therefore recognised as meeting the academic requirements for professional engineers. Engineering New Zealand is a signatory to the Washington Accord, making an Engineering degree from UC an internationally recognised qualification.

UC is the only university in New Zealand to offer Natural Resources Engineering, Forest Engineering and Forestry Science. Our Diploma in Global and Humanitarian Engineering is also unique within Australasia. 

Support for students

Eng ME!
Our new student-led, College enabled, peer mentoring programme. All First Year students (previously known as Engineering Intermediate Year) will be assigned to a peer mentoring group led by a current Second, Third or Fourth Year engineering student who has successfully “been there and done that”.

What you will get?



  • A weekly mentoring session for the first 10 weeks of Semester One
  • Expert tips and tricks to help you thrive in your Intermediate Year including:
    – How to start assignments
    – Ways to juggle the workload
    – Who to see for advice including all UC’s different support services
    – Great places to study on campus
    – The best food spots
  • Somewhere you can ask questions about Engineering Intermediate Year
  • A fun way to make connections with other students 
  • Free food

We also offer additional mentoring groups to support:

  • Māori students
  • Pasifika students
  • International students
  • Women students

Facilities
Engineering students have access to specially designed computer laboratories and software. There are dedicated Engineering teaching and research laboratories in every discipline, with first-rate equipment, testing facilities and expert technicians available to provide you with the skills and support required for hands-on learning. There is also a specialist EPS (Engineering and Physical Sciences) library.

Clubs
Student-run clubs like ENSOC (Engineering Students’ Society), WIE (Women in Engineering), EWBNZ (Engineers Without Borders NZ), and IEEE Student Branch support learning and provide links to industry.

Add a Diploma in Global Humanitarian Engineering

UC offers the only Humanitarian Engineering qualification in Australasia.

If you’d like to

  • Add a humanitarian focus to your degree
  • Gain an employment advantage
  • Help solve the world’s biggest problems

Add a Diploma in Global Humanitarian Engineering to your Bachelor of Engineering and get an extra qualification without adding any extra time to your degree. 

International Links

International experience as part of your degree is a benefit when you are looking for employment. As an engineering student at UC you have the opportunity to study for part of your degree at a university overseas through our Outgoing Exchange (current UC students) scheme. 

The University of Canterbury is the only New Zealand university that is a member of the Global E3 consortium. This engineering exchange scheme allows students to apply to study at a number of international universities for a part of their degree, usually one semester.

Lifestyle

The University of Canterbury campus is located in a suburb of Christchurch and acts as its own small community. You will find numerous cafes, restaurants, a bookshop and an events centre. Cultural diversity is excellent and the College of Engineering has strong links with China and Malaysia as well as students from around the world.

Innovation Champions



Innovation Champions foster and encourage ideas and inventions from College of Engineering to enable them to reach their commercial potential and make a positive contribution to New Zealand and the world. The college has 13 Innovation Champions: