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BEng (Hons)

Civil Engineering

Your BEng in Civil Engineering is a fast track to your future career, combining classroom learning with practical work to put your skills to the test.

How to apply Apply Through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to Us

Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    H200

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • Campus Code

    A

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,535*

  • International students

    £16,200*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • Campus Code

    A

Fees

  • Home students

    £785*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

  • UCAS Code

    HG00

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Pontypridd

  • Campus Code

    A

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,535*

  • International students

    £16,200*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

We take Civil Engineering seriously. From the earliest civilisations, engineers have designed the built environment and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. With your degree, you’ll become part of one of the world’s oldest professions and enjoy a career that has a lasting impact on humanity.

DESIGNED FOR

From building block towers as a toddler to marvelling at the world’s wonders, you’re someone who’s always been fascinated by buildings and construction. You’ll be a problem solver who craves the sense of achievement of a job well done and you’ll be focused on the future and read to be a part of it.

Accredited By

The Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), comprising:

  • The Institution of Civil Engineers
  • The Institution of Structural Engineers
  • The Institute of Highway Engineers
  • The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation
  • The Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council

Career Paths

  • Civil engineering
  • Flood management
  • Project management
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Civil engineering
  • Accountancy/finance
  • Teaching

Skills Taught

  • Structural mechanics and design
  • Project management
  • Engineering Communication
  • Analytics

A civil engineering student wearing white overalls with a black hoodie underneath looks closely at a piece of measuring equipment in front of a window inside an engineering workshop

Course Highlights

Chartership pathway

The BEng course sets you on track to become a chartered engineer with the skills and training you need to succeed.

Hands-on opportunities

We’ll give you opportunities to apply your classroom learning in work settings and field courses throughout your studies.

Expert teachers

Our faculty is drawn from across academia and industry to give you the widest teaching and broadest knowledge.

Module Overview

We’ve designed this course to prepare you for your future career as a civil engineer. Our close industry partnerships provide you with work opportunities and we encourage you to take a year out of your studies between years two and three to complete an industry placement.

Year One
Engineering Maths 1
Thermo-Fluid Mechanics
Civil Engineering Materials
Professional Engineering
Engineering Communication
Engineering Mechanics 1

Year Two
Structural Mechanics and Design
Geotechnics and Engineering Geology
Analytical and Numerical Methods
Hydraulics and Engineering Hydrology
Practicing Civil Engineering
Highways and Transportation

Year Three
Individual Project
Integrated Project
Structural Engineering
Geotechnics Analysis/Design
Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering
Managing Civil Engineering Projects

In your first year, you will learn fundamental engineering principles – the building blocks for a Civil Engineer. You will explore the relevance of mathematics in engineering and gain an appreciation of issues in construction management, materials and the environment.

Engineering Maths 1
Develop mathematical skills to solve engineering problems and understand the relevance of maths in engineering.

Thermo-Fluid Mechanics
Learn foundational thermodynamics and fluid dynamics concepts, heat transfer and fluid properties. 

Civil Engineering Materials
Learn to appreciate the properties of alternative and sustainable construction materials. 

Professional Engineering
Understand professional engineering and the code, ethics and role of a professional engineer. 

Engineering Communication
Develop graphic communications skills in engineering design and data analysis and report writing.  

Engineering Mechanics 1
Learn engineering principles and solve problems in the areas of static and dynamic.

Year two is when you learn how to apply your knowledge through a series of modules covering materials and structures, hydraulics and surveying. In both your first and second years, you will attend practical field courses covering subject areas such as engineering, surveying and geology/geotechnics.

Structural Mechanics and Design
Understand methods of structural analysis of statically determinate and indeterminate structures.

Geotechnics and Engineering Geology
Understand the principles of soil mechanics and geology and how they apply in practice.

Analytical and Numerical Methods
Understand analytical and numerical techniques to solve advanced civil engineering problems.

Hydraulics and Engineering Hydrology
Understand hydraulics and hydrology to solve, analyse and design engineering systems.

Practicing Civil Engineering
Understand the application of planning to civil engineering and the methods used.

Highways and Transportation
Apply transportation engineering theory to policies, strategies, and models for modern society. 

In your final year, you’ll develop your understanding of the analysis, design and implementation of engineering systems, and sustainability in civil engineering. You’ll be able to apply your skills and knowledge to practical design and construction problems and develop your individual project.

Individual Project
Complete a research project based on a critical appraisal and analysis of current, relevant literature. 

Integrated Project
Examine the impact of construction projects on the environment and understanding sustainability issues.

Structural Engineering
Understand and learn to analyse complex structural behaviour. 

Geotechnics Analysis/Design
Apply principles of geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering to practical design problems.

Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering
Apply hydraulics and hydrology to the analysis and design of sustainable systems.

Managing Civil Engineering Projects
Develop and apply best practice construction management techniques to civil engineering work. 

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

When it comes to civil engineering, you need to test your learning outside the classroom. That’s why we combine the teaching of the theory with practical opportunities to apply your knowledge. Using the University’s dedicated resources, work experience and field trips, you’ll complete practical tasks and projects. You’ll also have access to the latest research undertaken by the University’s Engineering Research Centre. We collaborate locally, nationally and internationally with partners from industry and academia. Assessments include assignments, coursework, class tests, presentations, and exams.

Teaching staff

Our teaching team comes from a mix of industry and academia. No matter where you might dream of working in the future, someone on our faculty will have a connection there.

Our lectures have a range of expertise. Our combined experience includes conducting research, presenting at conferences, publishing their work, and informing your studies with the latest insights. You will also benefit from guest speakers from the engineering world.

Placements

We strongly encourage you to take a work placement year between years two and three of your studies. Having the opportunity to learn on the job, put your learning to the test and develop an understanding of the challenges faced by those working in the field of civil engineering will all stand you in good stead for developing your individual project and finishing your studies while helping you develop your skills for life after university. We have a huge network of industry partners and can help pair you with your ideal placement. You’ll have access to these industry partners throughout your course.

Facilities

Our civil engineering labs are equipped with the latest computer-aided and controlled machinery. Over the next two years, you’ll have the opportunity to be part of a live structural project as we build the new USW Computing, Engineering, and Technology development. Featuring cutting-edge teaching, learning and research spaces, you’ll bring your experience as a student and your newly acquired technical knowledge to bear on this exciting project.

We also take our students far beyond the perimeter of the University of South Wales campus, using field trips, site visits and industry placements to enhance and embed your learning.

Civil engineering academic Joanna Thomas smiles at the camera from an engineering workshop at the Treforest campus

Top in Wales

Civil Engineering courses at USW are top in Wales for student satisfaction.

National Student Survey 2024

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

We have designed our BEng course to put you firmly on the path to becoming a chartered civil engineer, but that doesn’t mean it’s where all our graduates end up. Your knowledge and skills can be applied across any number of engineering professions, including electrical and mechanical engineering. Our graduates also go on to roles as project managers, accountants and teachers.

A big growth area is environmental sustainability. Civil engineers hold the key to solving many of the challenges we will face, from water scarcity to renewable energy and flood management. Our BEng in Civil Engineering gives you the skills to tackle these challenges.

Careers support

After your degree, you can progress to the MEng Civil Engineering course which combines the undergraduate degree (BEng) with a Masters-level qualification. The additional year gives you higher technical knowledge and allows you to apply what you’ve already learned to an individual project.

As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate. This includes one-to-one appointments from faculty-based Career Advisers. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.

Industry Partners

We work as part of an industrial advisory board with industry and local authority partners. Graduates of our Civil Engineering degree secure work with consulting engineers, civil engineering contractors and local authorities, with a range of companies that include Arup, Capita Symonds, BAM Nuttall, Hyder Consulting, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, Morgan Est, Carillion, Mott MacDonald, Atkins, Network Rail, United Utilities, Tata and various international companies.

Learn more about sandwich years

Sandwich years

A sandwich year enables you to apply the knowledge gained during your degree to real-world work situations. You’ll equip yourself with a transferable skillset and gain invaluable work experience that will help you to stand out to potential employers in future job applications. A sandwich year also provides a fantastic opportunity to network and, if you impress your employer, you may even find you have a job waiting for you when you graduate. Many employers like to take on dedicated employees as showcased via a sandwich year placement scheme.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UCAS points: 120 (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: BBB to include Mathematics and one other Science subject
  • Welsh BACC: Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade B and BB at A Level to include Mathematics and one other Science subject
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Distinction Merit  in a relevant Maths, Science or Engineering subject which must include Maths modules 
  • Access to HE: Pass an Access to HE Diploma in Maths/Science and obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points

 

Additional requirements include:

The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances. 

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£9,535

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£16,200

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£16,200

per year*
UK Part-time Fee

£785

per 20 credits*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment

student-25
Read about campus developmentsOur new STEM Hub

Introducing Calon

We are investing in the future of STEM at USW with an exciting new Computing, Engineering and Technology building at our Pontypridd Campus.

STEM Hub Pontypridd Campus

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED MY WORK PLACEMENT WITH KIER SUPPORTING THE DELIVERY OF THE NEW USW CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC.

Jaren Cervantes

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

EVERYONE, FROM THE PROJECT TEAM TO SUBCONTRACTORS, WAS VERY WELCOMING, AND THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL.

Jaren Cervantes

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

I WAS ABLE TO WATCH THE BUILDING’S PROGRESS AND GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS WORKS.

Jaren Cervantes

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

A cutout of BEng civil engineering student Jaren Cervantes smiling at the camera while wearing a red hoodie, a yellow high visibility jacket and a white hard hat.
A cutout of BEng civil engineering student Jaren Cervantes smiling at the camera while wearing a red hoodie, a yellow high visibility jacket and a white hard hat.
A cutout of BEng civil engineering student Jaren Cervantes smiling at the camera while wearing a red hoodie, a yellow high visibility jacket and a white hard hat.

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
 

Work, earn and learn!

This course is also available through Network75, a combined work and study route.

Learn more

Related Courses

Civil Engineering including Foundation Year - BSc (Hons) Learn more
Civil Engineering - BSc (Hons) Learn more
Civil Engineering - HNC Learn more

Next Steps

How to apply
Apply Through UCAS
Book an Open Day
Chat to Us