Undergrad
A degree in Civil Engineering was created in 1948 and since then has undergone major changes due to the advances observed in recent decades, encouraged mainly by the increasing use of computers, the development of new materials and technologies, the adoption of new analysis methods, the concern with environmental issues and the increasing presence of civil engineers in planning, administration and management activities.
The Department of Civil Engineering at PUC-Rio is no stranger to these issues and, in recent years, an effort has been made to update the undergraduate curriculum in Civil Engineering and the teaching methodologies used. This update is accompanied by the creation of an infrastructure suited to the new professional reality, seeking to provide students with increasingly solid and comprehensive training and prepare them to work in their various segments: design, administration and management, construction, planning, research and development of new technologies, methods and processes.
The undergraduate program in Civil Engineering at PUC-Rio has a tradition and quality recognized in academic circles and by the country's main engineering companies. According to the latest research in the area of university education, the undergraduate program in Civil Engineering at PUC-Rio is among the best in Brazil. In the latest evaluations that the MEC Higher Education Secretariat carried out on the conditions of all Civil Engineering courses in the country, the Civil Engineering course at PUC-Rio obtained the highest score in three aspects: Infrastructure, Pedagogical Program and Body Teacher.
The quality of training is reinforced by the availability of modern laboratories for Structures, Geotechnics, Computing, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Topography, Construction Materials, Soil Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics, and Environment. Additionally, technical visits and fieldwork excursions are carried out in various disciplines.
Why Civil and Environmental Engineering at PUC-Rio?
A Brief History
The undergraduate course in Civil Engineering at PUC-Rio was created in 1948, and seventeen years later, in 1965, the first “stricto sensu” postgraduate course in Civil Engineering was created in Brazil, with the creation of the Master's course in 1965. The doctoral course was created in 1984.
In 2015, the Postgraduate Course in Civil Engineering completed 50 years, and to date more than 1000 master's dissertations and doctoral theses have been produced. Throughout its existence, the program has trained teachers who currently work in several Latin American universities and 47 Brazilian universities, including the main federal universities.
The Difference of the Course in relation to other Universities
The undergraduate course in Civil Engineering at PUC-Rio offers the student a solid foundation in mathematics and basic sciences, in addition to enabling the student to use the main techniques and tools of civil engineering in the areas of projects, management, production and application of technologies .
The course offers broad training, with possibilities of emphasis in the areas of Structures, Materials, Geotechnics and Environmental. The teaching staff has a large proportion of full-time PhD professors at the University. Aiming to bring students closer to the job market, the staff is complemented by part-time teachers who have a strong connection with professional activity.
The teaching proposal is to enable students to develop products and services as well as carry out research in their area of expertise, outline strategies, manage uncertainties, solve problems and work with multidisciplinary teams.
The Infrastructure
The infrastructure available to students includes several laboratories, including: the Structures and Materials Laboratory, Geotechnics and Environment Laboratory, Hydraulics Laboratory, Topography Office, Computing Laboratories and other laboratories at the Scientific Technical Center of PUC-Rio .
The PUC-Rio International Exchange Program has agreements with renowned universities abroad, with the possibility of double degrees. In 2015, thirty-two Civil Engineering students participated in exchanges at twenty-one institutions in ten different countries. PUC-Rio maintains hundreds of academic and scientific agreements and cooperation with teaching and research institutions around the world.
Students have the possibility of interning at Empresa Junior PUC-Rio, an interdisciplinary consultancy, guided by professors, which works on management and strategy solutions for various clients, from large companies to small entrepreneurs. The Gênesis Institute offers the necessary infrastructure for undergraduates and recent graduates to develop innovative and self-sustainable enterprises.
How to join PUC-Rio?
To enter the course, the candidate must take the PUC-Rio Entrance Exam with two entry routes: entrance exams or ENEM.
PUC-Rio grants several types of scholarships: academic performance scholarships; community scholarships, which are philanthropic, in addition to scholarships resulting from labor agreements. PUC-Rio also grants scholarships via ProUni (MEC program) and participates in FIES (student financing).
The course requires great dedication to the study of mathematics and physical sciences, which form the basis for engineering. Therefore, it is natural that the course is sought after by students with greater aptitude in these subjects.
As engineering is involved in so many activities essential to society, the candidate must have a strong commitment to ethical values and be prepared for the challenges related to the exercise of the profession.