Last year, LUT University received the right to offer bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral degrees in civil engineering. New professors are now building their research groups. Bachelor’s-level education will begin in Lahti in autumn 2027.
LUT's initiative may have come as a surprise to construction industry and to other universities. International university partners may also find it surprising that civil engineering, a traditional discipline and the cornerstone of many universities, can be introduced as a new field of study in the 2020s. However, the need for new research and education is clear.
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Systems experts, project leaders, and industrial professionals
LUT's civil engineering programme aims for a world where the built environment thrives and people flourish. Achieving this goal requires technology-driven growth, business transformation, and infrastructure resilience.
We want the world's most skilled civil engineers have obtained their expertise here in Finland.
LUT is seeking international impact by addressing sustainability and climate challenges in the built environment. That relies on strong partnerships and strengthening Finnish competitiveness. We want the world's most skilled civil engineers, prepared for any challenge ahead, to have obtained the basis of their expertise here in Finland.
Society needs systems experts who understand the big picture, professionals in energy and industrial construction, and project leaders in international business. In addition, construction industry experts must increasingly be able to understand decision-making processes and people’s everyday lives.
A direct route for the construction industry to tap into LUT expertise
The profile and content of the new master’s degrees are currently being fine-tuned to take into account the needs and perspectives of different networks and stakeholders. A comprehensive view of what other universities offer helps promote mutual cooperation.
LUT already has a great deal to contribute to research on the built environment.
LUT has a great deal to contribute to research on the built environment. Energy systems and the built environment are becoming increasingly interconnected. Building materials research is already being conducted on everything from biocomposites to steel.
The new civil engineering research provides the construction industry a direct access to LUT's established strengths and international expertise. Doctoral-level experts are needed in both research and companies’ product and process development in Finland and internationally.
The author is leading the establishment of LUT University’s new civil engineering research and education in Lahti.
