Geological Engineering

University of British Columbia

Canada, Vancouver

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University of British Columbia

Canada , Vancouver

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Application Fee

CAD 125

Campuses

Vancouver

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines15-May-2023

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

CAD 57,736 / year

Next Intake 15-May-2023

Geological Engineering

About

You can study intense specialization in a single field.

Geological Engineering is an interdisciplinary program housed in the Faculty of Science, but leading to the Bachelor of Applied Science of the engineering Faculty of Applied Science. Our research and teaching interests span virtually all aspects of understanding the history and dynamics of our planet, as well as management of its resources and the environment we live in. This program focuses on many important aspects of geotechnology, including construction, environmental protection, transportation, energy and water supply, mining, natural hazards management, and governmental oversight.

Campus features

UBC's Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences (which incorporates Geology, Geophysics & Oceanography) is one of the largest and most diverse departments of its kind in the world. The Pacific Museum of the Earth is open to the public.

Pacific Museum of the Earth

Geological engineers assess the physical landscapes where dams, mines, roads, pipelines, railways, forestry, and other extractive operations are planned. Geological Engineering prepares you for an exciting career that often involves travel and on-site investigations in far-flung locales, as well as exposure to state-of-the-art engineering tools.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4

APSC 100 - Introduction to Engineering I
An introduction to the engineering profession including: roles and responsibilities of the engineer, the engineering disciplines, sustainability, an introduction to the engineering design process, introduction and application of the relevant foundational scientific principles, prototyping, engineering graphics, technical communication, and engineering ethics.
CHEM 154 - Chemistry for Engineering
Chemical bonding, properties of matter. Chemical thermodynamics with applications to phase equilibria, aqueous equilibria and electrochemistry. Processes at surfaces.
MATH 100 - Differential Calculus with Applications to Physical Sciences and Engineering
Derivatives of elementary functions. Applications and modeling: graphing, optimization. Consult the Faculty of Science Credit Exclusion List: www.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,414.
PHYS 157 - Introductory Physics for Engineers I
Heat, thermodynamics, oscillations, waves, and sound.
PHYS 170 - Mechanics I
Statics of particles, equilibrium or rigid bodies, rigid body statics and internal forces, trusses; kinematics: rectilinear motion; dynamics: Newton's second law, friction, impulse, momentum, work and energy.

APSC 201 - Technical Communication
Written and oral communication in engineering. Report preparation, business correspondence, and oral presentation of technical material.
CIVL 210 - Soil Mechanics I
Soil classification, principle of effective stress, analysis of seepage, filter criteria, introduction to shear strength and slope stability analysis.
EOSC 213 - Computational Methods in Geological Engineering
Combining basic physical principles with their mathematical description and generating computational models that describe them. Introduction to basic building blocks in modeling, simulation and parameter estimation.
CIVL 231 - Solid Mechanics II
Deflection of beams, combined axial load and bending moment, inelastic bending, plastic analysis of structures, beam-columns, buckling (stability), principal axes and principal moments of inertia, biaxial stress and strain, Mohr's circle.
EOSC 221 - Introductory Petrology
Optical mineralogy and the classification and genesis of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.

MINE 303 - Rock Mechanics Fundamentals
The study of the mechanical and structural properties of rock materials at the laboratory and field level. The relevance of such studies to common mining, geological and civil engineering problems.
EOSC 330 - Principles of Geomorphology
Landform development; morphological and historical analysis of landforms; applications in engineering and resource development.
CIVL 311 - Soil Mechanics II
One-dimensional compression and stress-strain response of soils with application to estimation of the settlements and capacities of foundations and of retaining walls.
CIVL 316 - Hydrology and Open Channel Flow
Introduction to open channel hydraulics, engineering hydrology, and water resource systems; estimation of design discharge; flood statistics; nonuniform steady open channel flow; energy and momentum principles, backwater analysis; culvert and bridge hydraulics.
EOSC 329 - Groundwater Hydrology
Introduction to theory of groundwater flow; flow nets; regional groundwater resource evaluation; well hydraulics; role of groundwater in geologic processes.

EOSC 434 - Geological Engineering Practice II - Soil Engineering
Application of geomorphology, hydrogeology, and soil mechanics to geotechnical design. Influence and treatment of geological uncertainty in geotechnical hazard and risk assessments; multi-disciplinary approaches to geotechnical engineering problems in realistically complex geological environments. Case histories.
CIVL 402 - Professionalism and Law in Civil Engineering
The Engineers and Geoscientists Act; professional ethics, conflicts of interest, confidentiality and accountability; health and safety; sustainable development and environmental stewardship; equity considerations; design and construction contracts, specifications and tendering; labour and employment law; dispute resolution; evidence and expert witnesses; torts and legal liability.
CIVL 411 - Foundation Engineering II
Aspects of Geotechnical Engineering. Design considerations illustrated by case histories pertinent to BC. Topics include: site investigation, terrain analyses, in situ testing, groundwater problems, deep foundations, tie back walls and bracing, tailings impoundments, Northern construction, ground ice, dikes and dams engineering. Many case histories presented in part by prominent consulting engineers in BC.
EOSC 350 - Environmental, Geotechnical, and Exploration Geophysics I
Principles of geophysical survey design, data acquisition, processing and interpretation with emphasis on near-surface problems. Magnetic, seismic reflection/refraction, electromagnetic and ground penetrating radar surveys. Case history analysis of environmental and geotechnical problems.
EOSC 445 - Engineering Design Project
Geological engineering design project from scope definition to final design. Based on a problem from industry.

Disciplines

Faculty of Applied Science (Engineering)

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Graduation from a university-preparatory program at a senior secondary school: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi). Certificates must be official. Photocopies are acceptable if certified by school principal, head, or counsellor. Notarized copies are not acceptable.

Career

Your career opportunities will vary widely across a range of fields including civil design, environmental protection and control, mineral and energy exploration, pipeline development and planning, public utilities, water resource management, natural hazard mitigation, and others.

Careers in Geological Engineering

Related programs

- - Name
  - Campus
  - Length
- - Earth and Environmental Sciences
    - Okanagan
    4 years
  - General Science
    - Okanagan
    4 years
  - Geology
    - Vancouver
    4 years
  - Geophysics
    - Vancouver
    4 years
  - Mining Engineering
    - Vancouver
    4 years

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

CAD 57,736

Application Fee

CAD 125

How to Apply

As you complete the online application, keep the following tips in mind:

Start early and take your time. Once you begin the application, you will be able to save it and return to it later – but only up until the deadline. Once you have submitted your application to UBC, you will not be able to edit it. Since the online application can sometimes time out if left open for too long, we recommend working on your personal profile questions outside of the application (where you can run them through a spell-checker) then copy and paste them into your application.
Let the online application guide you. You’ll be asked to provide only the information we need based on your degree choice(s), your previous education, and other factors.
Tell us your full academic history. It’s important to include all of the high schools, colleges, and/or universities you have attended. Don’t leave anything out!
Be accurate. UBC has a number of methods in place to authenticate information provided in the application. These methods include, but are not limited to, contacting references, verifying academic records, and requesting additional documentation to verify your personal profile. If an application is found to contain untrue or incomplete information, UBC may, at its discretion: withdraw an offer of admission; require you to withdraw from UBC; subject you to academic discipline; or share the information provided with other post-secondary institutions, law enforcement agencies, or other third parties.
Use an email address you check frequently. Once you have submitted your application, UBC will communicate with you primarily by email.
Note your UBC student number. Write down your UBC student number somewhere safe. You’ll need it in future correspondence with UBC.