The UP Civil Engineering Department has produced about 40% of all civil engineers in South Africa over the past 50 years. Many of these engineers have made major contributions to the development and wealth creation in South Africa over these years. We are proud of this history and are building on these achievements of the past with a new vision and strategic direction for the future.

Currently (in 2015) the Department has 965 registered undergraduates, with a first-year complement of 353 students.  Over 40% of the undergraduate students categorize as previously disadvantaged individuals (PDI), attesting to the Department's hard-earned reputation for excellence.

The BEng degree course is structured to fully meet and even exceed the requirements of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) which is the stepping stone for registration as a professional engineer. Consequently, a BEng (Civil) degree from the University of Pretoria is a recognized qualification for working as an engineer well beyond the borders of South Africa.

The departmental staff are research active in all disciplines of civil engineering and hence, the Department offers postgraduate courses in the fields of Geotechnical Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Railway Engineering and Civil Engineering Materials.  Currently (in 2015) the Department has 200 students enrolled in BEng(Hons), MEng and PhD courses, many of whom are nationals from neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries and further afield. 

Whilst in the past the language of tuition was Afrikaans, demands of industry, coupled with the demographics of the country, resulted in the official endorsement of tuition in the English language for undergraduate (BEng) courses in 2001.  However, core subjects in the first and second years of study are presented in separate Afrikaans and English lectures.  Teaching at the postgraduate level (BEng(Hons), MEng, PhD) takes place in the English language.