Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering

Civil engineers play a major role in developing infrastructures and supporting human development, while contributing to the sustainable development of society. Contamination of soil and water, lack of access to drinking water, and unsustainable use of land and water resources remain major obstacles to global sustainability, while new challenges include threats from climate change and rapid urbanisation.

Programme description

Infrastructure and environmental engineering is an interdisciplinary field that includes; traffic and road engineering, urban metabolism, water system engineering, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering and sustainability. Investments in infrastructur also form a considerable part of the global economy. Hence safe, economic and sustainable development requires continued progress in civil engineering with a specialisation towards infrastructure and environment.

To meet this societal need for qualified competence in planning, design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure systems in soil and water, this programme promotes the personal development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are needed to start working as a professional engineer in the field of infrastructure and environmental engineering. An important task is to be knowledgeable and responsible for the interface between urban development and the environment.

Sweden is surrounded by one of the planet’s most sensitive ocean environments and a landmass consisting mainly of fractured rock and complex glacial sediments, including soft clays. This has given us some of the strictest environmental and building regulations in the world. This gives Sweden a very good reputation within the field and the programme a nationally and internationally unique profile. We are closely linked to several research projects and the majority of our faculty conduct research.

We can also offer two different double degrees, one through the eNviro5Tech Nordic Master in Environmental Engineering, a collaboration between five Scandinavian Universities with the ambition to create the worlds best infrastructure and environmental master’s programme, and one through a collaboration with the University of Stuttgart within Water Resources Engineering and Management,WAREM.

Career

Civil and environmental engineers with a strong background in both infrastructure and environmental engineering are sought after and will be so also in the future, both nationally and internationally. Our previous student have had a high level of employability within companies like; Sweco, Skanska, NCC, Veolia, Göteborg kretslopp och vatten, and Trafikverket, to name a few.

In Sweden many large infrastructure projects are planned, including roads and railways construction, traffic planning, upgrading of drinking water and wastewater plants, remediation of contaminated sites. Other fields of work are; protection of soil and water resources, foundation of structures and buildings, tunnels, the design of drinking water and wastewater treatment plants and distribution systems.

Adaptation to climate change and urbanisation will increase the need even further. Internationally there is immense continued need for competent engineers in this sector, both within but perhaps even more outside Europe. With a Master’s degree from Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering, you will usually work with design, maintenance, construction and research in the field of civil and environmental engineering. Others may attain supervisory or administrative positions, especially on an international level.

Educational methods

To prepare students for a long lasting professional career, the programme promotes personal development in comprehensive view of planning, construction and operation process; ability to work methodically and by means of modern engineering tools; ability to work in project teams, lead project work and present results; and the ability to critically review and develop technical solutions. To do so you or the group you work with will be given open problems, often real-case scenarios provided by industry and society. Integration of professional experience in education is an important part of the programme and you will become well prepared for entering the market in a professional role.

Research connections

The courses in the programme have strong links to the research at the divisions of Water Environment Technology and Geoengineering at the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Research and teaching in the fields covered by the programme are carried out in close cooperation with industry and authorities. Cooperation is also conducted by several research centres: Infrastructure Competence Centre; FRIST: Forum for Risk Investigation and Soil Treatment; DRICKS: Framework Programme for Drinking Water Research at Chalmers; and FUD Swedish Network of Excellence in Road Planning and Design. We also collaborate with Gryaab AB, the municipality-owned company running Ryaverket, one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in Scandinavia.

Together we are part of a cluster, including Lund University and several wastewater companies in the southern part of Sweden. Chalmers is also a partner in EC/FP7 funded Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways project CREEP (Creep of Geomaterials), with partners in Norway (NTNU, NGI), China (Shanghai Jiao Tong University & Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the Netherlands (Deltares). Together with the department of Architecture we are also part of the large research projects Homes for tomorrow (h42) and Living Lab dealing with our future homes. The department also undertakes research projects aimed at improving infrastructures and basic service provision in developing countries such as Bolivia.

During the Master’s thesis project, students often participate in research projects and the Master’s programme has a natural continuation in the PhD programmes within the specialisations like; Geotechnical Engineering, Engineering Geology, Sustainable Aquatic Systems, Water System Analysis and Water Process Technology, Contamination and Remediation and Urban metabolism.

Bachelor´s degree (or the equivalent) with a Major in: Civil Engineering, Urban Planning, Environmental Engineering or the equivalent.Prerequisites: Mathematics 20 credits (including Mathematical statistics, Mathematical analysis in several variables), Engineering geology, Hydrology and Applied environmental science or the equivalent.Preferable course experience: Apart from the specific requirements, a background in Hydraulic engineering and Geotechnical engineering is a good base for this programme.English Language ProficiencyThe most common and important scores that are accepted are IELTS (academic training), 6.5 (with no part of the test below 5.5)TOEFL (Internet based): 90 (with a minimum of 20 on the written part)TOEFL (paper based): 575 (with a minimum of 4.5 on the written part) English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 CAE score: (read more) Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is part of the Cambridge English suite and is targeted at a high level (IETLS 6.5-8.0). It is an international English language exam set at the right level for academic and professional success. Developed by Cambridge English Language Assessment - part of the University of Cambridge - it helps you stand out from the crowd as a high achiever. 60 (Grade C) TOEFL paper-based test score : 575 TOEFL iBT® test: 90

All Scholarships administered by Chalmers have now been awarded and all applicants have been notified of their selection results.

Important: Applications for scholarships should be made along with the application for Master's studies. Students should not wait until they receive an admission to do so.

• The Avancez Scholarships are 75% tuition fee waivers awarded by Chalmers University of Technology and are funded by the Chalmers Foundation. These scholarships are available to all students who are liable to pay tuition fees i.e., students with non-EU/EEA nationality.

• The IPOET (International Programme Office for Education and Training) Scholarships are 75% tuition fee waivers funded by the Government of Sweden. They are awarded by Chalmers University of Technology and available to nearly all fee-paying students, with the exception of 12 countries.

• The Mölnlycke Health Care Scholarships are 100% fee tuition waivers with possibilities for summer internships and a final master's thesis project.

• The Sievert Larsson Scholarship Fund (within Friends of Chalmers) offers a 100% tuition fee waiver and living expenses to students of Thai nationality who aim to study on a Master’s programme at Chalmers University of Technology.

• The US Friends of Chalmers Scholarship is a scholarship comprising USD 35 000 (i.e. a reduction of the tuition fee by USD 8750 per semester) and is awarded to one student with US citizenship.

• The Volvo Car Corporation Scholarships are 100% tuition fee waivers awarded to 2 Chinese students with the guarantee of participation in the VESC (Volvo Engineering Student Concept) programme which includes a summer job, master thesis project, mentorship and possible employment at Volvo Car Corporation.

• The Volvo Group Scholarship Programme is a 100% fee tuition fee waiver awarded to students of Indian nationality and Chinese nationality. The Scholarship includes possibilities for internships during the summer, a final Master thesis project and mentorship.

Scholarships that will not be offered in 2014

• The Chalmers MasterCard Scholarship (will be offered again in 2015) Available biennialy for a Master's student from Central America, South America or Mexico. The scholarship comprises a 280 000 SEK reduction of the tuition fee (70 000 SEK reduction/ semester).

• The FlexLink Scholarship (not available in 2014) for a Master's Student from China is a 100% tuition fee waiver along with possibilities for internship and a final master thesis project.

Note: Being granted alternative funding from external patrons does not affect the possibility of obtaining scholarships from Chalmers as an applicants financial status is not taken into account during the nomination process.

Scholarships for current students

Adlerbert 60th Anniversary Scholarships - Will be offered for the first time during 2014 to fee paying Master's Programme students who were admitted Autumn 2013, including scholarship holders whose scholarships do not include costs of living coverage. This means that, for instance, holders of Swedish Institute scholarships and Sievert Larsson, version 2 scholarships will not be eligible to apply. In order to be eligible the applicant must have passed at least 60 credits during the first year of studies. The scholarships, which amount to 60 000 SEK each, will be awarded based on the applicants' cumulative grade point average . Around 10 to 20 scholarships will be offered in 2014. More information about how to apply, etc., will be published soon.

Adlerbert Foreign Student Hospitality Fund - Only open for international students who have been admitted to, and enrolled on, a Master's Programme at Chalmers. Thus, prospective students cannot apply. Students can be awarded the scholarship a maximum of two times. The application period opens in late January and closes in late February. Consequently, it is only possible to apply during this period of a student's first and second year.

Scholarships administered by the Swedish Institute

The Swedish Institute, a government agency, administers over 500 scholarships each year for students and researchers coming to Sweden to pursue their objectives at a Swedish university. Use their online guide in order to find out if any of the Swedish Institute scholarships are available for citizens of your country at your intended level of study.