Civil Engineering must be one of the most challenging and intensive courses at the University, but the rewards of being a part of this brilliant department are immeasurable.
Civil engineers are active, creative professionals who combine technical, practical and managerial skills. They are responsible for the planning, design and construction of roads, dams, waterways, tunnels, buildings, harbours, airports and bridges, to name just a few examples.
On the Civil Engineering degree programme, you will learn how civil engineers provide the physical infrastructure of our society. Whether it is the supply of life-giving clean water in the aftermath of a humanitarian crisis or the design and construction of a multi-million-pound Olympic stadium, the expertise of professional civil engineers is key.
Both the BEng and MEng are accredited routes for chartered status. The MEng degree fully satisfies the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and therefore offers you a fast-track to senior levels of responsibility in industry and chartered status. The BEng partially satisfies the educational base for a Chartered Engineer. A programme of accredited Further Learning will be required to complete the education base for CEng.
On our programmes, you will gain the knowledge and skills required for a rewarding career as a Chartered Civil Engineer. You will develop a sound understanding of the mathematical, analytical and practical engineering techniques needed to ensure that you can develop safe, sustainable and cost-effective design ideas. Alongside this, you will be helped to acquire key personal and professional skills that underpin the management required to bring any project into reality.
The University of Surrey has offered degree programmes in Civil Engineering since its inception, and we are recognised nationally as providing an excellent balance of academic studies, practical skills and professional experience. You can choose to study either an MEng or BEng degree, and a Professional Training placement year is an option for both programmes. In addition there are opportunities to learn a language while studying.
During year 1, our aim is to provide you with experience across a broad base of engineering topics and to introduce the core personal and professional competencies of communication and teamwork. This level includes various intensive modules, such as the week-long geology field course and a week-long intensive module in integrated design. These, along with a number of site visits, offer a refreshing, interactive and student-centred approach to learning.
Modules include:
In year 2, you will cover the major civil engineering subjects in depth, alongside teamwork, leadership and further opportunities to consolidate your communication skills. Learning is undertaken in a variety of ways – small groups and as an individual – and covers the full range of civil engineering design and practical laboratory-based work. There is a week-long intensive study on the surveying field course and on integrated design.
Modules include:
You are encouraged to undertake a Professional Training placement year to gain practical experience of how industry works. You will appreciate things that you cannot learn in a lecture or laboratory.
Some companies that participate in the scheme include: Atkins, Balfour Beatty, Capita Symonds, Costain, Bachy Soletanche, Ringway, WSP, Tony Gee & Partners, Hyder Consulting, BAM Nuttall, Mott MacDonald, Hochtief, Halcrow, Skanska, Jacobs, Kier Group, Keller, Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), Arup, Sisk and Peter Brett Associates.
During year 3, you will have the opportunity to specialise. In addition to core material (structural, geotechnical and hydraulic engineering and management studies), you will be able to choose from a list of optional modules and will undertake an in-depth individual project on a topic of interest to you. This usually involves several components and may include a literature study, experimental work, computer modelling and comparisons with previous research.
Modules include:
During Year 4 (MEng only), group design and project work form a major part of your studies which involves collaboration with both industrial consultants and students from other engineering disciplines, providing you with the opportunity to appreciate other engineers’ perspectives. A wide range of optional modules to broaden and deepen your knowledge are also offered.
Modules include:
These courses have been accredited by The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE); The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE); the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) and The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT)
MEng Accredited CEng (Full)
This degree is accredited as fully satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.
BEng (Hons) Accredited CEng (Partial)
This degree is accredited as:
1. fully satisfying the educational base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
2. partially satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). A programme of accredited Further Learning will be required to complete the educational base for CEng.
See www.jbm.org.uk for further information and details of Further Learning programmes for CEng.
You can try out a specialised engineering sector, earn a salary (typically £16,000–20,000 per year), enhance your CV and build up a network of contacts, all of which put you in an excellent position when starting your future career.
The enhanced interpersonal and management skills you will learn during the year are highly valued by employers and will provide you with an even greater head start in the jobs market. Placements also normally contribute towards the requirements for becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer.
In addition to applying and enhancing skills as you study, students also find the year deepens their understanding of studies in the later stages of their degree programme.
Arrangements for your placement are made through the University. During the placement you are employed by a company but are still a member of the University and you will receive up to three visits from your personal tutor, who will monitor your progress and liaise with your company. Occasionally students secure overseas placements.
All our degrees are organised on a modular basis, with teaching delivered via a mix of formal lectures, seminars, tutorials and laboratory classes. For many subjects you will also be able to take advantage of our online electronic teaching resources which both supplement and extend the material being presented.
The material at all levels seeks to provide a core of knowledge of the various subjects, but you are expected to extend this with personal research and learning guided by tutorials and other material. The balance between lectures and less formal tutorials and laboratory classes varies between levels and semesters.
Year 1 marks do not count towards the classification of any of our degrees but allow us to ensure that you are making good progress with your studies. All subsequent work (including that of any period of Professional Training) is considered for your final award, and assessment takes the form of coursework, projects, laboratory reports and presentations, along with traditional examinations. You should find this mix helps you to plan your time and achieve your best performance.
Generally about 60 per cent of the degree award is based on examinations and 40 per cent on continuous assessment.
Specialised facilities include:
Our employment record is outstanding and graduates from our degrees are in demand by consultants and contractors alike. The work they have undertaken has varied from a small role in a prestigious project to major responsibility for a local scheme. We find that the work record established during professional placements gives our students a decided advantage when employers are making offers.
Recent graduates are working for a wide range of companies, including major consultancies and contractors such as Costain, Atkins, WSP, Skanska, Balfour Beatty and Mott MacDonald.
As our graduates are highly numerate, literate, computer-literate, organised, confident, business-minded and commercially aware, they are also very attractive recruits for companies operating in many other professions, including management, banking, accountancy, software development and so on. A degree in Civil Engineering from Surrey is an excellent foundation for your career in the construction industry, and in professions far removed from engineering.
Graduates over the last few years entered employment in a variety of roles such as:
We run taster courses for Year 12 students each July. Living on-campus, you learn about what engineering is, what it has to offer and what you need to know to be successful in the field. Please contact us for further details.
A scholarship scheme is run by Civil Engineering at Surrey in partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and a broad range of leading companies in the profession. Successful applicants are matched to companies early in their studies and monitored throughout their academic careers. Up to 15 months’ training with the company is possible through the programme, benefiting academic studies and providing earnings of up to £27,000. There is no contracted obligation after graduation, but 95 per cent of students have graduated to their sponsors to benefit from fast-track training and experience leading to Chartered Engineer status.
Come to one of our Open Days, when you can tour the campus, speak to students and academic staff, see our student accommodation and ask as many questions as you like. In the meantime, order a personal prospectus – tailored to only include the subjects that interest you.
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent).
Mathematics A-level and Physics A-level (or equivalent) is required.
Offers are normally made in terms of grades. Suitable candidates will be invited to an Applicant Day. During the visit to the University the candidate can find out more about the programme and meet staff and students.
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each sub-skill (or equivalent).
We offer intensive English language pre-sessional courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
| Award | Course Length | Professional Training | UCAS code | KIS code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEng (Hons) | 3 years | H200 | View KIS data set | |
| BEng (Hons) | 4 years | H201 | View KIS data set | |
| MEng | 4 years | H209 | View KIS data set | |
| MEng | 5 years | H210 | View KIS data set |
We offer a range of bursaries, scholarships and other financial support.
See course information for students applying to start in September 2013.
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
BEng (Hons) / MEng
Phone: +44 (0)1483 681 681
