Civil Engineering 2012
"I was initially attracted to Surrey for its high standards of teaching and international reputation."
Jasdeep Singh Bhachu
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.
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.
Factfile
| Minimum Entry Requirements | MEng: A level grades AAB BEng: A level grades ABB If you are an international student and you don’t meet the entry requirements to this degree, we offer the International Foundation Year. All applicants should also adhere to the University's General Entrance Requirements. |
|---|---|
| Required Subjects | Mathematics required. Physics preferred. |
| English Language Requirements | An IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent for non-native-English-speaking applicants. If you are an international student and you are concerned that your English is not to the required standard, you may benefit from our International Foundation Year. Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre. |
| Other Suitable Qualifications | Higher grades refer to MEng programmes. BTEC National Diploma - DDD-DDM (in an appropriate subject) A wide range of other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis. |
| Selection Process | Offers are normally made in terms of grades. We do not include General Studies in our offers. During the visit to the University the candidate can find out more about the programme and meet staff and students. Candidates unable to visit the University will be considered based on their UCAS application. |
| Professional Recognition | 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) BEng (Hons) Accredited CEng (Partial) |
Degrees
Degree Programmes
BEng (Hons) Degrees
| Degree | UCAS code | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| * Programme includes a professional training year | ||
| BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering | H200 | 3 years |
| BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering | H201 | 4* years |
MEng Degrees
| Degree | UCAS code | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| * Programme includes a professional training year | ||
| MEng Civil Engineering | H209 | 4 years |
| MEng Civil Engineering | H210 | 5* years |
Degrees
Degree Programmes
BEng (Hons) Degrees
| Degree | UCAS code | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| * Programme includes a professional training year | ||
| BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering | H200 | 3 years |
| BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering | H201 | 4* years |
MEng Degrees
| Degree | UCAS code | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| * Programme includes a professional training year | ||
| MEng Civil Engineering | H209 | 4 years |
| MEng Civil Engineering | H210 | 5* years |
Our Degrees
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.
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 year is an option for both programmes. In addition there are opportunities to learn a language while studying.
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 (CEng). A programme of accredited Further Learning will be required to complete the education base for CEng.
We also offer you the opportunity to apply for the University of Surrey/Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) scholarship scheme. The 25 plus scholars each year are matched with a suitable company which becomes responsible for their practical training throughout the programme. The company funds the scholarship and in return the student spends a period training with them during each summer vacation and professional placement year. Graduates usually go on to work for their sponsoring company.
MEng and BEng Transfer
Direct entry to the MEng programme normally requires higher qualifications, but transfer from the BEng to the MEng is possible during the degree programme, depending on academic performance. This would normally happen after Level 1 or Level 2.
Other degrees you may be interested in:
Aerospace Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Engineering
Programme
Programme Overview
During Level 1 our aim is to provide you with experience across a broad base of engineering topics and 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 the two-week-long intensive modules in surveying and integrated design. These, along with a number of site visits, offer a refreshing, interactive and student-centred approach to learning.
At Level 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.
During Level 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.
At Level M (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.
Programme Structure
Level 1
Modules include:
- Introduction to Engineering Materials
- Mathematics (also at Level 2)
- Fluid Mechanics
- Statics and Dynamics
- Integrated Design A
- Civil Engineering Practice and Sustainability
- Geology
- Introduction to Structural Design
- Professional Skills
- Transferable Skills
Level 2
Modules include:
- Soil Mechanics and Concrete Technology
- Structural Design
- Structural Analysis
- Construction Health and Safety
- Engineering Laboratories
- Integrated Design B
- Surveying
Level P
- Optional professional training year
Level 3
Modules include:
- Construction and Business Management
- Foundation Engineering and Soil Slopes
- Hydrology and Water Supply
- Integrated Design C
- Individual Research Project
- Structural Analysis
- Optional modules covering structures, geotechnics, bridge engineering, water and environment, and transportation
Level M
Modules include:
- Multidisciplinary Design Project
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Wind Engineering
- Construction Management and Law
- Choice of optional MSc modules covering advanced topics in structural, bridge, traffic and transportation, and water engineering
Professional Training
You are encouraged to undertake a professional training year, thereby gaining practical experience of how industry works that you cannot learn in a lecture or laboratory.
You can try out a specialised engineering sector, earn a salary (typically £14,000–16,000 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 they study, our 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.
Some companies that participate in the scheme include Atkins, Balfour Beatty, Costain, Bachy Soletanche, Ringway, WSP, Tony Gee & Partners, Hyder Consulting, Nuttals, Mott MacDonald, Hochtief, Halcrow, Skanska, Jacobs, Kier Group, Keller, KBR (Kellogg, Brown and Root), Arups, Sisk, Scott Wilson and Peter Brett Associates.
Why Surrey?
Key reasons to study Civil Engineering 2012 at Surrey
- University of Surrey/ICE scholarship scheme offering an academic bursary
- Accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers (IHIE) and Institution of Highways and Transportation (IHT)
- Strong links and excellent employment opportunities with civil engineering companies
- Opportunities to apply knowledge to group and individual project work
- Field course and site visits built into the degrees
- Further opportunities for specialised study at MSc and PhD level
- A flexible degree structure with both MEng and BEng degrees with a wide range of specialist options
Careers
Top for Jobs
Graduates over the last few years entered employment in roles such as:
- Costain – Site Engineer (x3)
- Balfour Beatty – Highways and Transport Engineer
- Capita Symonds – Design Engineer
- Hyder Consulting UK - Design Engineer, Highway Design Engineer
- WSP - Telford Apprentice
- Tony Gee & Partners – Design Engineer
- Ringway - Highway Maintenance Specialist
- Kier Group - Site Engineer
Career Opportunities
Our employment record is outstanding and graduates from our degrees have found themselves 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.
More
Teaching
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 the levels and semesters.
Facilities
Specialised facilities include:
- Structures (Instron) laboratory
- Purpose-built soil mechanics and geology laboratories
- Composites technology laboratory
- Centre for Environmental Health Engineering (CEHE)
- Six wind tunnels including an environmental wind tunnel
Assessment
Level 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.
Taster Courses
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.
Scholarships in Civil Engineering
The scheme is run by Civil Engineering at Surrey in partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers, Inspire (part of the Construction Industry’s Training Board) 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.