Undergraduate study
     

Engineering

MEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

  • UCAS code: H201 MEng/CEn
  • Length: 4 years full-time study or 5 years with work placement

2012 entry

 

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 (Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) salary survey 2009).

This course incorporates key aspects of civil engineering such as structural design, geotechnical design, fluid mechanics and major project management. Our MEng gives you advanced knowledge and understanding in specialist technical subjects. You gain valuable leadership and organisational skills which can enhance your career prospects in a management role. And there are many opportunities for you to have individual support from an industrial mentor. 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 civil engineering and given the fundamentals of the subject. You are introduced to group working and encouraged to develop your career plan and aspirations. In Year 2 you progress to more advanced analysis through tuition by experts in relevant fields. Year 3 allows you to develop your skills set at a higher and more specialist level. You spend a significant amount of this Year working on an individual research project allowing you to deepen your understanding of a specialist subject of your interest. The Final Year includes modules which you study at master’s level and is highly specialist. You have a choice of options in Year 3 and the Final Year.

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 (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratory work, projects, examinations), 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 five-year sandwich course with your third year spent on placement in the civil engineering 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 MEng (Hons) Civil Engineering programme was launched in 2011 and to date this programme builds upon the existing BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering.

The MEng programme is being revised for an application to the Joint Board of Moderators (representing the four bodies: Institution of Civil Engineering, Institution of Structural Engineering, Institute of Highway Engineers and the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation) for CEng accreditation. See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

Career opportunities

Typical roles include careers with consulting engineers, civil engineering research, construction project management, local authorities or government agencies.

Entry requirements

To enter Year 1, you're expected to have GCSE English (grade C or above) and good grades in maths at Level 3 (for example A level, BTEC ND, ACCESS, IB). We consider advanced entry directly into Year 2 if you have good grades in a Level 4 or 5 qualification (for example HNC, HND) in a related subject.

You're normally invited for an interview, when you can also see our excellent facilities and meet staff and students. You then receive an individual offer. If you can't come for an interview, a typical offer might be 300 tariff points including at least grade C or Merit in Level 3 mathematics.

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Modules

Civil Engineering

Year 1 core modules

Year 2 core modules

Year 3 core modules

and one optional module

Final-year core modules

and three optional modules

Non-credit bearing optional modules

  • A foreign language: German, French, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin)
  • In-sessional Academic English (for international students)
  • Professional Mentoring

You may select one or more of these modules.

Modules offered may vary.