To become a civil engineer you need a Bachelor of Engineering. A Diploma in Engineering (which replaced the New Zealand Certificate in Engineering) or an equivalent diploma may also be acceptable.

To enter tertiary training, Bursary or NCEA equivalent English, maths with calculus, physics and chemistry is preferred.

Skills are gained on the job. Civil engineers may also attend courses, seminars, workshops and conferences to keep their skills up to date. 

Civil engineers may apply to the the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) to become a chartered professional engineer (CPEng) after:

• completing relevant qualifications
• gaining appropriate work experience (usually four to five years)
• completing a practical competency assessment.

To maintain registration, chartered engineers need to demonstrate their ability to practice and display evidence of undertaking professional development at least every five years.

Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)

Civil engineers should be registered with the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ).

Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand

Useful experience includes work in the building construction or roading industries, environmental, draughting or surveying work, and any practical work such as site investigations or geotechnical testing.