University of Zimbabwe: Department of Construction and Civil Engineering

The Department of Construction and Civil Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe is one of the 8 departments in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment.The department is already a major center for water and sanitation engineering through its MSc programmes which have produced graduates from eastern and southern Africa. The department also boasts of soil and material and timber research facilities which can be used to benefit the country at large. The department is seeking to break bottlenecks in engineering education by expanding to two (2) undergraduate programmes and seven (7) postgraduate programmes which are designed to cover specific knowledge gaps. In line with international best practice and bench marking with renowned universities the department is streamlining undergraduate and postgraduate delivery into eight (8) specialised modules per annum inclusive of university wide modules.

The reprogramming is justified by the need to fill the critical skills shortage in the country and the lack of homegrown solutions to problems bedeviling the country. To meet these needs the modules will be more hands on rather than theoretical with more emphasis on creation of solutions to challenges in industry through the innovation hub and laboratory research to nurture a sense of research and innovation in the undergraduate degree students. The university wide modules include aspects of Academic staff and student research projects will be assessed for feasibility and viability and expanded through the facilities at the Industrial Park. The department runs 3 postgraduate programmes in water engineering. These are the regional Masters in Integrated water resources management, Masters in water resources engineering and infrastructure management as well as Masters in sanitation and wastewater management.