Studies & Degrees in Building Construction Engineering
Building Construction Engineering Study Programs
Building construction engineering (ingeniería de edificación) is the technical side of building: how a design becomes a finished, safe and durable building. In Spain the degree is also called Edificación or Arquitectura Técnica, and it leads to the regulated profession of arquitecto técnico (technical architect, similar to a building engineer). Students learn construction systems, materials and their testing, structures, building services, surveying, measurements and budgets, site organisation, quality control and health and safety.
The official requirements for these degrees list the main skills: directing the material execution of building works and their services, controlling the quality and cost of what is built, and drawing up health and safety studies and plans for construction sites.
Qualifications and levels
In Spain the profession is regulated. Order ECI/3855/2007 sets the requirements for official university degrees that qualify for the profession of arquitecto técnico: they are bachelor's degrees (grados) with 240 European credits. The same order states that no degree may be called Graduado en Ingeniería de Edificación unless it meets these conditions. Universities use different names for the qualifying degree: Grado en Edificación, Grado en Arquitectura Técnica or Grado en Ingeniería de Edificación.
- Bachelor's degree (grado): 240 ECTS credits over four years. At the Universidad de Granada, for example, the plan ends with a 12-credit final project and 6 credits of compulsory external internships.
- Master's degree: official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación in Madrid, for example, lists master's and double master's programmes after the degree.
- Doctorate: for example, the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid has a doctoral programme in technological innovation in building.
Spain's Building Act (Ley 38/1999) explains why the degree matters. The director of the execution of the works is the professional who directs the material execution of the works and controls the construction and the quality of what is built. For buildings whose main use is administrative, health, religious, residential, educational or cultural, the qualifying title for this role is that of arquitecto técnico.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 19 active schools for this subject: 18 in Spain and 1 in Germany. In Spain they include public universities in Madrid, Seville, Granada, Alicante, the Basque Country, A Coruña, Zaragoza, Salamanca, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, and private universities in Madrid, Barcelona and Murcia.
- The Universidad de Sevilla teaches the Grado en Edificación (240 credits, 4 years, in Spanish), which qualifies for the profession of arquitecto técnico.
- At the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación offers the Grado en Edificación and a double degree in Edificación and business administration (ADE). The school states that its degree is accredited by the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) of the United Kingdom.
- The Universidad de Alicante offers the Grado en Arquitectura Técnica with 60 places, taught in Spanish, Valencian and English. Its page lists a public price of €17.34 per credit at first enrolment (checked in October 2026; other prices apply to non-resident students from outside the EU).
- The Universidad del País Vasco teaches the Grado en Arquitectura Técnica on its Gipuzkoa campus in Spanish, Basque and English, at €18.29 per credit at first enrolment, with the option of a double degree with the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour in France.
- In Germany, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar offers a bachelor's programme in civil engineering (Bauingenieurwesen) that covers building construction, surveying, mechanics, structural analysis, building materials, steel, timber and masonry construction and construction management, followed by master's programmes such as structural engineering.
Teaching in Spain is mainly in Spanish. The Universidad de Alicante asks applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries to prove a level equivalent to B2 in Spanish.
Careers
Graduates work for construction and renovation companies, engineering and architecture firms, consultancies, public administrations and as self-employed professionals. The Universidad de Sevilla groups the occupations by area:
- technical direction of building works: director of execution, planning and site technician, quality and cost control
- production management on site: site or production manager, purchasing and resources
- health and safety: coordinator in the design and execution phases, drafting of health and safety plans
- operation and maintenance of buildings, including energy assessment
- consultancy, technical audits, valuations and expert reports
The qualification gives access to a regulated profession in Spain. Graduates who want to work in another country should check the recognition rules there.
Frequently asked questions
Is building construction engineering the same as architecture?
No. In Spain the degree qualifies for the profession of arquitecto técnico, which focuses on directing the execution of works, quality and cost control, and health and safety. The architect's qualification is a separate degree.
How long does the degree take in Spain?
The qualifying bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years of full-time study.
Why do universities use different names for the degree?
The official order regulates the degrees that qualify for the profession of arquitecto técnico, not a single title. Universities call them Grado en Edificación, Grado en Arquitectura Técnica or Grado en Ingeniería de Edificación; check that the degree qualifies for the profession.
Do I need Spanish to study it in Spain?
Usually, yes. Most teaching is in Spanish; the Universidad de Alicante, for example, requires a B2 level of Spanish from applicants from non-Spanish-speaking countries.