The Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering was founded in 1978 and at that time two diploma degrees were offered, one in Civil Engineering and the other in Architectural Engineering. In 1995 the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) (and the Civil and Architectural Engineering Department) at Palestine Polytechnic University (PPU) began accepting students in a bachelor programs in Engineering. Now, the Department offers programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Engineering degrees in Building Engineering, Surveying and Geomatics Engineering, and Architectural Engineering.

 

Building Engineering program concentrates mainly on buildings from the structural, architectural, electrical, and mechanical aspects. The aim of the program is to produce buildings engineers that can serve their local communities in all aspects relating to the design, construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of buildings.

 

Surveying and Geomatics Engineering program concentrates on state of the arts methods and equipment in classic and advanced surveying and geodetic engineering. The objective of the program is to provide the local communities with graduates able to deal with all aspects relating to plane and geodetic surveying, Global Positioning System (GPS), Photogrammetry and Digital Photogrammetry, and remote sensing.

 

The objective of the five year Architectural Engineering program is to prepare the student with fundamental engineering competence in the analysis and design of building and their systems. Additionally, the program provides graduates with a broad education which will help prepare them to meet the challenges and opportunities of life in general.

 

The civil and architectural programs (Building, Surveying and Geomatics, Architectural) at College of Engineering and Technology give students a broad educational background in the undergraduate level including preparation in the basic and applied sciences, engineering analysis, design and practice and a sequence of courses in the humanities and social sciences.

 

The Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering has the following laboratories and workshops:

1. Soil Mechanics Laboratory

2. Asphalt Laboratory

3. Geodetic & Land Surveying Laboratory

4. Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing & GIS Laboratory

5. Construction Material Testing Laboratory

6. Architectural Workshop

All laboratories are will equipped with the necessary equipment and supervised by trained technicians.

 

The number of faculty members has also grown during the period. While there were only four when the Department was founded there are now 15 full time faculty members. Further increase is expected in the near future. The Department is keen on promoting extra-curricular activities involving both the students and faculty. The Department strives towards establishing strong ties with the local community and private institutions.