International Opportunities for BCIT Civil Engineering Students

There are two international opportunities open to BCIT Civil Engineering students:

• Exchanges with Biberach University of Applied Sciences in Germany
• Volunteer summer work in Nepal

Exchange Opportunities with Biberach University of Applied Sciences (HBC)

BCIT Civil Engineering has a formal exchange agreement in place with HBC, under which a limited number of students may attend the partner institution each term. Due to the differing structures of the programs, visiting students from HBC generally register in a selection of courses from all four years of the BCIT Civil Engineering program, while BCIT students attending HBC are limited to courses taught in English unless they have demonstrated proficiency in German. Information on HBC summer school programs is also presented below.

The Civil Engineering contact for the HBC exchanges is Jan Bielenberg. Application forms and other information are available at https://www.bcit.ca/construction/exchange/.

A. Spend a Term in Germany

If you are interested in this opportunity, you should attend the presentation by returned students in January. The deadline for applications is February 15 for the following academic year.

A few pertinent facts:

• The program structure at HBC is different than at BCIT but so are the terms. The terms are so different that participating in the exchange requires you to take a year away from BCIT. This works well following second year because you can use the remaining months to obtain the work experience required to continue into third year.
• The terms at HBC run from October to February (the Winter Semester) and from March to July (the Summer semester).
• You are expected to take at least 12 credits at HBC including the mandatory course German Language and Culture (3 credits).
• Transfer credits are available for equivalent BCIT courses in most cases.
• Further information will be available after the presentation in January.
• Applications will be accepted from students in Level 4 (preferred) or Level 6. Considerations for nomination to the exchange will include GPA and involvement in extra-curricular activities at BCIT.
• Scholarships are available. See https://www.bcit.ca/construction/exchange/scholarships.shtml for more information.

B. Summer School Exchanges

In addition to the formal agreement, HBC offers two different Summer Schools in English which BCIT students are invited to attend. Note that these programs vary from year to year and specific information is not usually available before April. Please contact Jan for further information.

• Six-Week Summer School at HBC and/or CalPoly. This program was developed by HBC and California Polytechnic State University and first ran in 2017. The first year it took place entirely in Germany but in 2018 it included 3 weeks in Germany and 3 weeks in California. It runs from mid-July through mid-August and the students are a mix from HBC and CalPoly (plus BCIT if any of you decide to go). The program includes two 3-credit CalPoly courses and BCIT transfer credit may be possible. BCIT students will not be charged tuition (other than a small amount due to BCIT) so the cost to you would include flights, room & board, and fees for activities and tours. This program is open to all students who have completed second year.
• Two-week Summer School at HBC offered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May (so only possible for third-students). The courses vary from year to year so transfer credit would be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Volunteer Summer Work in Nepal

Following the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, two BCIT Civil Engineering instructors participated in the reconnaissance team sent by The Canadian Association for Earthquake Engineering. Dr. Svetlana Brzev has since retired from BCIT but Dr. Bishnu Pandey is still here and involved in assisting in Nepal’s recovery. With support from BCIT’s School of Construction and the Environment, Dr. Pandey took a leave through 2017 and spent it in Nepal, working with the Government of Nepal and other agencies.

In 2017, two BCIT Civil Engineering students spent their summer between third and fourth year working with Earthquake Safety Solutions in Kathmandu. Two more students followed in the summer of 2018.

This program is still in development and future opportunities will be announced to third- and fourth-year students during the winter term.

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We're a faculty who are passionate about education, and we strive to create graduates who are equally passionate about their career as a member of the civil engineering team. We come from the civil engineering industry, and bring much of that experience into the classroom. While it may appear at times that we expect too much of you, we're preparing you to succesfully take on the challenges you'll face in industry. Talk to our graduates, and ask them how well-prepared they were...