Engineering

• Predominantly one day and one evening per week. Two compulsory separate block weeks per stage.
• minimum 4 years part time study when entering at year 2 level
• Enrolment date: September
• Admission enquiries: 01642 738800
• E: sse-admissions@tees.ac.uk

We can attribute the success of our great civilisations to the innovations of great civil engineers who shape society's infrastructure. From Stonehenge to the Severn Bridge, the Panama Canal to the Channel Tunnel, the world simply wouldn’t work without civil engineers.

According to information provided by www.prospects.ac.uk in July 2011 the average civil engineering graduate starting salary is £24,000. Those with five years' experience earn an average of £31,000. The average income of Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) members is £47,000 but members receiving the London weighting receive an average income of £58,000. The average salary of fellowship ICE members is £78,000 (ICE salary survey 2009).

This course incorporates key aspects of civil engineering such as structural design, geotechnical design, fluid mechanics and major project management. You benefit from the invaluable support of an industrial mentor who stays with you throughout your degree. You can also gain the real-life experience all employers are looking for through your optional industry placement.

What you study

In Year 1 you're introduced to building technology, methods and materials. You gain experience in field surveying on a three-day field course and by study throughout the year. In Year 2 you progress to more advanced building technology, structural, geotechnical and hydraulic design, and the concept of failure-by-design. Your final year allows you to develop your skills set at a high and more specialist level.

How you learn

You are expected to attend a range of lectures, tutorials, group work, hands-on practical sessions, field courses and site visits. Part of your course also involves a substantial research-based project.

The course has been designed to provide a number of contact teaching and assessment hours (lectures, tutorials, laboratory work, projects, examinations etc), but you are also expected to spend time on your own, called ‘self-study’ time, to review lecture notes, prepare coursework assignments, work on projects and revise for assessments.

Each year of full-time study consists of modules totalling 120 credits and each unit of credit corresponds to ten hours of learning and assessment (contact hours plus self-study hours). So, during one year of full-time study you can expect to have 1,200 hours of learning and assessment. A residential field course in the first year is focused around a civil engineering project and involves using many of the skills developed in the earlier part of the year. It allows you to work in a group to solve a civil engineering problem in a staged manner. A contribution of £30 towards the cost of the field course is required.

Some of the modules involve compulsory one-week block delivery periods (Mon-Fri: 9-5), two separate weeks in stage 2 and two separate weeks in the final stage. These are designed to be intensive problem solving weeks, to enhance team-working and provide the students with an opportunity to focus their attention on particular problems.

How you are assessed

Your course involves a range of types of assessment including coursework assignments and examinations.

Professional placements

We recommend that you take the four-year sandwich course, with your third year spent on placement in the construction industry. This provides the opportunity to gain relevant professional experience to enhance your technical knowledge and can improve employment prospects. Some find employment with their placement company after graduating.

Professional accreditation

This programme is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (representing the four professional bodies: Institution of Civil Engineering, Institution of Structural Engineering, Institute of Highway Engineers and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation) as fully satisfying the educational base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng). See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

Further learning in addition to this programme with a strong technical focus is required to fully meet the academic requirements for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Career opportunities

Typical roles include construction project management, building/civil engineering for contractors or consultants, architectural practices, local authorities or government agencies.

Entry requirements

If you are considering applying to study this course on a part time basis then please contact the school (email: sse-admissions@tees.ac.uk) to check that the timetable of module delivery suits your personal circumstances. Part time study on this course is best suited to students who are suitably qualified to join this course with advanced standing, entering directly into the second year of the course.

The module delivery structure from year 2 onwards of most Engineering BEng/MEng courses allows students to attend on a day-release basis and should suit most students who are in employment or have other commitments. If however you are seeking to join from the first year of this course then for the first year you may be required to attend at certain times on all days of the week. Hence some students might find joining a HNC course in the first instance better suited to their personal circumstances.

Normally you can join the second year of the course if you have good grades in a Level 4 or 5 qualification such as a HNC, HND of Fd in a closely related subject. Alternative qualifications and relevant experience can also be considered.
If you lack the required qualifications to join the second year of this course then you should consider initially joining a HNC course in this subject. Please refer to our part time course list for available HNC courses.

If you wish to join the first year of this course on a part time study basis then you must meet the minimum year 1 entry requirements of the course. We accept a wide range of qualifications including A Levels, BTEC National Diploma, ACCESS and International Baccalaureate to name just a few. Typically you will be expected to have achieved or expect to achieve at least 280 tariff points including good grades such as a grade C/B or Merit/Distinction in the essential Level 3 subjects for this course. The essential Level 3 subject for this course is mathematics, but other closely related subjects can also be considered.
All students will be expected to have achieved at least a grade C in English at GCSE level, or other equivalent qualification.

For additional information please see the undergraduate and postgraduate entry requirements in our admissions section

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