The Department of Civil Engineering, which is under the Faculty of Engineering, was established in 1993 as a division of the then Department of Building and Civil Engineering. Currently, the Department has been decoupled from the Department of Building Technology since 2007.

The purpose of the HND Civil Engineering programme is to train middle-level management personnel to provide the needed supervisory role to link theory and practice in the construction industry. The mission of the department is to produce skilled, career-focused, and entrepreneurial tertiary and high-level manpower in the areas of engineering and technology.

It is the department’s vision to be known as a centre of excellence for teaching and research in engineering and technology and to become a distinguished partner in the provision of technical, vocational, and professional skills to augment the manpower needs of Ghana.

The Department aims to train high-level, practically orientated manpower in advanced engineering principles, skills, and professionalism needed to drive the industrialisation agenda and contribute to Ghana’s socio-economic development.

Over the years, the programme has seen growth in student enrolment, as well as the running of part-time and Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering programmes. There have been staff promotions and sponsorships for further studies, among others.

The Department of Civil Engineering runs both a four (4) Bachelor of Technology (BTech) and a two-year top-up Bachelor of Technology and a three (3) year Higher National Diploma programmes respectively.

PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

These programmes are as follows:

• A four (4) year Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programme in Water and Sanitation Engineering.
• A four (4) year Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programme in Civil Engineering.
• A two (2) year top-up Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programme in Civil Engineering.
• A three (3) year Higher National Diploma (HND) in Civil Engineering.

4-YEAR BTECH IN WATER AND SANITATION ENGINEERING

The BTech Water and Sanitation Engineering programme has been running since 2021, when it enrolled its first batch of students. It has since then provided students with the knowledge of the need to deliver adequate modern water supply, sanitation, and other public health interventions in urban and rural areas in low-income and transitional economies. In delivering the programme, students continue to develop their understanding of technical interventions in water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management. Since its inception in 2021, the Department has been equipped with industry-based teaching staff who have brought their rich industry experience into delivering their respective courses. Not long after the programme was enrolled, the teaching staff increased with the addition of five (5) lecturers recruited to teach the programme and one (1) technical staff member recruited. The student population has increased from four (4) students who gained admission in the first year (presently in level 300) to six (6) students who have been admitted in the 2023/204 academic year. 

In light of the importance of research projects and the comprehension abilities of students in the programme, there has been a significant increase in library resources related to the programme. Library resources, including additional electronic books, articles, publications, and information literacy tutorials, have been acquired to enrich the learning experience of students. Office spaces have also been secured for lecturers who teach the programme. In the quest to enhance teaching and learning of the programme, additional tools and equipment have been procured for the water and sanitation laboratory. The BTech Water and Sanitation programme.

• Objectives/Prospects

This programme aims to train industry-ready engineers to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary in the fields of water resources engineering, water supply engineering, and environmental sanitation technologies, addressing the nation’s water and environmental sanitation problems.

In addition to the aim of the Accra Technical University, the BTech in Water and Sanitation Engineering Programme has the following objectives:

1. To produce engineers and technologists with the requisite expertise in the fields of water resources engineering, water supply engineering, and environmental engineering, thereby filling the skills gap in public and private sector organisations.
2. To equip graduates with a strong knowledge in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of water and environmental sanitation and public health facilities within the context of sustainable development;
3. To equip graduates with operational skills, knowledge, and competencies necessary to be successful middle and senior management and leaders capable of applying sound engineering principles and approaches to solve water and sanitation-related problems;
4. To develop skills that will be responsive and relevant to the country’s human resource requirements at the functional and strategic levels in the water and sanitation sector;
5. To empower trainees with Information and Communications Technology, leadership, management, and entrepreneurial skills and competencies to meet the demands of the water and sanitation sector;
6. To train competent graduates for the water and sanitation sector who can uphold best practices, as well as respond to new, current ideas, developing and emerging trends in the water and sanitation industry;
7. To train graduates to provide innovative solutions to water and sanitation problems.
8. To produce qualified engineers capable of writing professional examinations that would lead to certification with recognized professional bodies;
9. To train qualified graduates capable of pursuing relevant postgraduate education and applied research in the fields of water and sanitation engineering and technology, and related fields.

2-Year BTech Civil Engineering 

The 2-year Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programme in Civil Engineering is a two-year programme of four semesters. Due to contemporary changes in technology, there is the need to upgrade the HND graduates and their technical equivalent to face the growing challenges being experienced in the industry. The main objectives of the BTech Civil Engineering programme are to further strengthen and increase the competencies of construction staff, to meet the demands for highly qualified personnel needed for the country’s socio-economic and manpower development. It will also enhance the progression in education of HND graduates in civil engineering and their membership acceptance into professional bodies.

• Objectives/Prospects

• Programme Structure 

HND Civil Engineering 

The Higher National Diploma in Civil Engineering is a three-year hands-on programme offered on full-time and also on a part-time basis. This programme is aimed at providing theoretical education and practical training to prepare middle-level management and supervisory personnel for the civil engineering and construction industry.