At Waikato, we guide our students to become innovative professional engineers, who blend maths, science, design and business thinking, to solve the challenges that matter to people.
Choose from eight programmes
At Waikato, we offer eight engineering programmes including civil, mechanical and chemical engineering. These qualifications are internationally accredited and recognised around the world. The first trimester of the BE(Hons) is common to most programmes, so you have time to get a little taste of each discipline before locking in your programme choice.
What is professional engineering
Why study engineering at Waikato
BE(Hons) and postgraduate programmes
Innovation is in our DNA
The annual Waikato Engineering Design Show celebrates the fine achievements of our undergraduate professional engineering students. The event is open to the public and a great opportunity to see some cutting-edge tech in action and meet some of our up and coming engineering talent doing what they do best - innovating to solve real-life problems.
Join us at WaikatoEDS, 17-18 October
Jump start your engineering journey
If you're passionate about becoming a professional engineer but do not quite meet the BE(Hons) entry requirements or want a refresh of NCEA Level 3 maths and physics, join us for the Engineering Jump Start programme from late January through February each year, at the Hamilton Campus to give yourself the best chance to succeed in first year engineering.
Engineering Jump Start
General information about Jump Start
Registration information
Add a business edge
Industry needs leaders with more than just superb engineering skills to disrupt the status quo. Unique to Waikato, students can concurrently study the Diploma in Engineering Management along side the BE(Hons) to gain the engineering nous and business acumen needed to accelerate their careers and open doors to top-management positions in industry.
Engineering in action
Robotising the kiwifruit harvesting industry
Canaan, a Masters of Engineering student in robotics, is putting the final touches on his robotic kiwifruit harvesting gripper. Robots have to be careful not to damage the kiwifruit and using an ingenious use of 3D printing, Canaan has developed a gripper with spring like pockets that has solved the problem. He is now a Robotics Engineer at Robotics Plus Ltd.
Unidirectional wave energy converters for renewable electricity
Jon, Jahna and Jake, final year Mechanical Engineering students, are designing devices to harness renewable energy in waves to continue NZ's transition away from fossil fuels. Wave energy is not subject to the seasonal or daily cyclic challenges of solar and wind. Their design challenge is to create a new unidirectional rotating device using mechanical techniques.
Renewable composite materials for 3D and 4D printing
Prof. Kim Pickering and Dr John McDonald-Wharry, Materials Engineers, are developing composite materials for 3D and 4D printing with responsive/smart behaviour, made from renewable and biological sources such as cellulose from trees. Collaborating with materials experts at Scion and Victoria University under a National Science Challenge, they have developed bio-based 3D printing materials with shape memory behaviour.
Smart green energy for industry
Sara Bahr, a computer scientist, and Ben Lincoln, a chemical engineer, teamed up over the summer to develop self-evolution digital twin technology, aiming to minimise industrial energy use through plant retrofit.
The research is part of Project Ahuora that seeks to transform the way NZ uses, converts, provisions and stores energy for industry.
Photo credit: Stuff
Restoring the historic Tokomaru Bay wharf
James Brott, a civil engineering student, piloted the restoration project over the summer with the support of the Tokomaru Bay Heritage Trust and Gisborne District Council.
Under the supervision of Professor Mark Dyer and Dr Ray Hudd, James has trialled the application of new self-compacting concrete technology with fibreglass reinforcing as a possible replacement for the existing piles that hold up the wharf.
Accreditation
@WUEngineering