What is the Civil Engineering programme?
Civil Engineering is a self-contained, publicly accredited short-cycle study programme (the Engineering – Civil Engineering programme; not an elective module) at Academia, Slovenia: 2 years, 120 ECTS, 40 % practical training (800 hours) and the qualification Engineer of Civil Engineering (inž. grad.); in parallel the British BTEC HND Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering), Level 5. Taught in Slovenian (B1 required); study alongside work in Maribor or study from home.
Three routes into the Civil Engineering programme. Which is yours?
Designed for study alongside work and for first-time students: lectures in the afternoon, all recorded, and 800 hours of practical training in a company – possibly at your current job. Instruction is in Slovenian.
First-time students – construction technicians who want to be on site as managers, not labourers
Civil engineer in two years, with the FGPA laboratory and construction sites from the first semester.
Enquire →25–40Employed in a construction company (foreman, technician, estimator)
A diploma for site manager and the IZS professional examination; placement at your current job.
Enquire →28–45Change or upgrade – from surveying, architecture, real estate or after a family break
Like Alenka Rojnik: a practically oriented course alongside family, everything passed at the first attempt.
Enquire →Students of the Civil Engineering programme
Curriculum: 120 ECTS, the Civil Engineering programme, British BTEC HND Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering) in parallel
Lectures run one subject at a time, twice a week between 16.30 and 20.30, and are all recorded on the Orbita platform. Every subject has at least three examination dates. (OC) marks the open curriculum that Academia fills with industry content. All subjects are taught in Slovenian.
First year: common professional and business subjects. One subject at a time, with the examination straight after the lectures; the placement starts in the second semester.
| Subject | ECTS | Short description |
|---|---|---|
| Business Economics | 6 | Costs, revenue and investment in a construction company, business model, costing, financing and liquidity of a build. |
| Business Communication and Leadership | 6 | Communicating with investors, supervisors and subcontractors, running site meetings and teams, site diary, conflict resolution. |
| Computing and Informatics in Civil Engineering | 6 | CAD drawing, BIM basics, spreadsheets for quantities, document systems and site digitalisation. |
| Professional Terminology in a Foreign Language (Civil Engineering) | 6 | Professional English for construction: drawings, technical documentation, standards, foreign suppliers and partners, preparation for BTEC. |
| Structures 1 | 7 | Basics of statics and strength: forces, loads, internal forces, stresses, beams and frames, design basics to Eurocodes. |
| Building Materials | 7 | Concrete, steel, timber, masonry, insulation and modern materials: properties, testing, standards, durability and recycling. |
| Occupational Safety and Legislation | 5 | Construction legislation, permits and participants, safety plan, site health and safety, responsibilities of the site manager. |
| Environmental Protection and Spatial Planning | 5 | Spatial planning, environmental impacts of construction, construction waste, sustainable building and energy efficiency. |
| Work placement: Business Communication in Civil Engineering | 5 | Placement in a company – at your current job or with a partner; tasks in the field of the programme, mentor from the company. |
| Work placement: Civil Engineering I | 8 | Placement in a company – at your current job or with a partner; tasks in the field of the programme, mentor from the company. |
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Second year: professional subjects, practical training and the diploma thesis.
| Subject | ECTS | Short description |
|---|---|---|
| Structures 2 | 7 | Design of reinforced concrete, steel and masonry structures to Eurocodes, foundations, seismic resistance, reinforcement drawings. |
| Geotechnology | 6 | Soils and rocks, geotechnical investigation, bearing capacity, foundations, retaining structures, excavation and earthworks. |
| Buildings | 6 | A building from foundations to roof: structural assemblies, building envelope, thermal and acoustic protection, services, details, renovation. |
| Construction Production Technology | 7 | Site organisation, construction plant, execution technologies (earthworks, concrete, masonry, prefabrication), schedules, quality control. |
| Cost Estimating and Business Operations | 5 | Bills of quantities, measurement, pricing, tender and contract, valuation of works (construction book), cost monitoring. |
| Engineering Surveying | 5 | Surveying instruments and measurements, setting out, levelling and positioning, GNSS, survey plans and as-built surveys. |
| Free Elective Subject (Timber and Steel Structures) | 5 | Timber and steel structures: materials and connections, design of beams, columns and roofs to Eurocodes, erection and protection. |
| Work placement: Civil Engineering II | 6 | Placement in a company – at your current job or with a partner; tasks in the field of the programme, mentor from the company. |
| Work placement: Operational Module | 7 | Placement in a company – at your current job or with a partner; tasks in the field of the programme, mentor from the company. |
| Subject | ECTS | Short description |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma Thesis | 5 | A real challenge from a construction company: design, analysis and documentation; industry mentor, defence before a board; published on academia.si. |
40 % of the course takes place in a company. If you are employed, the placement is recognised at your current job when your tasks are in the field of the module; we arrange the mentor and the agreement.
| Placement by subject | ECTS | When |
|---|---|---|
| Work placement: Business Communication in Civil Engineering | 5 | Year 1 |
| Work placement: Civil Engineering I | 8 | Year 1 |
| Work placement: Civil Engineering II | 6 | Year 2 · at your job or with a partner company |
| Work placement: Operational Module | 7 | Year 2 · at your job or with a partner company |
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Engineer of Civil Engineering + BTEC Higher National Diploma Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering)
A parallel programme to the British specification – no additional years of study; BTEC assignments are written in English. The HND opens entry to the 3rd year at partner universities abroad.
Short cycle degree, 120 ECTS, SQF 6
BTEC HND Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering), Level 5
Tools, equipment and certificates
Assessment is based on products, presentations and written and oral examinations, with written feedback after each assessment. The tools and equipment you work with:
Programme subject · taught in Slovenian · Design of reinforced concrete, steel and masonry structures to Eurocodes, foundations, seismic resistance, reinforcement drawings.
Programme subject · taught in Slovenian · Soils and rocks, geotechnical investigation, bearing capacity, foundations, retaining structures, excavation and earthworks.
Programme subject · taught in Slovenian · A building from foundations to roof: structural assemblies, building envelope, thermal and acoustic protection, services, details, renovation.
Programme subject · taught in Slovenian · Site organisation, construction plant, execution technologies (earthworks, concrete, masonry, prefabrication), schedules, quality control.
18 lecturers, 14 instructors, 1 laboratory assistant teach on this programme – practitioners from companies, not full-time academics. Teaching is in Slovenian; the virtual laboratories in Orbita are available at any time, also from home.
Where it leads: roles, the job market, the next step
What it costs and how it is paid
QuestionDo I need a secondary school in construction?
No. The requirement is a matura (general or vocational) or a master craftsman/foreman examination with 3 years of experience and an aptitude test; structures, materials and technology are taught from the beginning.
QuestionWhen can I become a site manager?
After qualifying as a civil engineer and 3 years of work experience in construction you can sit the IZS professional examination for site manager.
QuestionIs the placement recognised at my current job?
Yes, if your tasks are in the field of civil engineering; Academia arranges the mentor and the tripartite agreement.
LanguageCan I study in English?
No. All programmes and modules are delivered in Slovenian. You need Slovenian at CEFR level B1; if you are below B1, you take the free Slovenian course for foreign students alongside your studies. Lecturers and the International Office communicate with you in English before and during enrolment.
More questions (1)Fewer questions
LanguageHow is my Slovenian checked?
During admission Academia checks your level of Slovenian. Students below B1 are placed on the compulsory free Slovenian language course.
Foreign secondary school, Slovenian B1, residence permit – we guide you through it
Electronic application, any time, free of charge
Academia decides whether your foreign secondary-school certificate meets the entry requirements – no ministry procedure. Submit the electronic application for recognition at any time; we tell you whether a translation is needed.
Slovenian at B1 + free course
Studies are in Slovenian. If your Slovenian is below B1, you join the compulsory free Slovenian course for foreign students alongside the first year.
eVŠ portal · residence permit
Apply through the national eVŠ portal within the deadlines announced with the call for enrolment 2027/28, with Academia as your first choice. Academia issues a certificate of enrolment for the temporary residence permit.
1 October 2027
Lectures start on 1 October 2027. If you are employed or registered with the Employment Service of Slovenia (ZRSZ), you can start immediately after enrolment. Price list 2026/27; enrolment fee €298 (€0 at enrolment).
Interested in the Civil Engineering programme? What next?
Leave your e-mail. Within one working day the International Office replies in English: whether the programme is right for you, how your foreign certificate is recognised, how the Slovenian language requirement works and what it costs – plus the curriculum and timetable.