Civil Engineering including Foundation Year
Prepare yourself for a career in Civil Engineering. Gain relevant expertise and get hands-on with state-of-the-art facilities at USW.
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Key Course Details
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UCAS Code
H207
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Start Date
September
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Location
Pontypridd
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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.
If you didn’t get the grades you were looking for, USW offers a foundation year in Civil Engineering, paving the way to the BSc (Hons) degree. This comprehensive program equips students with practical skills and academic training for careers in structural design, project management, transport engineering, and sustainable development.
DESIGNED FOR
Civil engineering is all about people. From supplying energy and clean water to our homes, to processing and recycling our waste, civil engineers work on developing services and facilities we use every day.
Accredited By
- Joint Board of Moderators (JBM)
- Institution of Civil Engineers
- Institution of Structural Engineers
- Institute of Highway Engineers
- Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation
- Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council.
Career Paths
- Design Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Project Management
- Research Engineer
Skills Taught
- Problem solving through analysis using scientific and engineering theory
- Developed knowledge of cutting-edge technology
- Teamworking, management and leadership.
- Communication skills
- Understanding professional responsibilities
Course Highlights
Module Overview
You'll study core topics such as mathematics, structures, materials, geotechnics, hydraulics and surveying. Threads of design, sustainability, health and safety, and professionalism are also embedded in the civil engineering course. Your dissertation enables you to tailor your qualification to the area of industry you want to work in.
Your foundation year is all about providing you with a basis to successfully transition onto the full course. Here you will develop understanding of the fundamentals of the subject.
- Foundations of Mathematics - 20 credits
- Application of Mathematical Skills - 20 credits
- Essential Engineering Skills - 20 credits
- Engineering Project - 20 credits
- Foundation Engineering Principles - 20 credits
- English for Engineering (optional) - 20 credits
- An Introduction to the Construction Industry (optional) - 20 credits
In your first year, you will learn fundamental engineering principles. You will explore the relevance of mathematics in engineering and gain an appreciation of issues in construction management, materials and the environment.
- Mathematics for Engineers - 20 credits
- Engineering Mechanics 1 - 20 credits
- Thermo-Fluid Mechanics - 20 credits
- Civil Engineering materials - 20 credits
- Professional Engineering - 20 credits
- Engineering Communication - 20 credits
In year two, you’ll have an opportunity to apply the principles learned in year one 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 Analysis and Design 2 - 20 credits
Geotechnics and Hydrology - 20 credits
Analytical and Hydraulic Methods - 20 credits
Sustainable Design - 20 credits
Practicing Civil Engineering - 20 credits
Highways and Transportation - 20 credits
Supervised Work Experience - 120 credits
In year 3, you will focus on the analysis, design and implementation of engineering systems, and sustainability in civil engineering. You will have the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge of geotechnical concepts to practical design and construction problems. Finally, you will undertake an individual project which gives you the chance to apply your technical knowledge.
Individual Project - 20 credits
Integrated Project - 20 credits
Structural Analysis and Design 3 - 20 credits
Geotechnical Engineering - 20 credits
Environmental Management - 20 credits
Managing Civil Engineering Projects - 20 credits
Course Highlights
How you’ll learn
You will learn through lectures, which are supported by tutorials, practical sessions and seminar groups. Wherever possible, your work will be based on live projects and case studies, with contributions from industry professionals.
The degree is assessed through assignments, coursework, ongoing class tests and exams. Presentations are included as elements of assessments in some modules, in order that key communication and presentation skills can be developed.
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Teaching staff
Our Civil Engineering lecturers are experts in their subject areas, having worked in, or with, industry, conducting research, presenting at conferences, publishing their work, and informing your studies with the latest insights. Not only will you be taught by academics who are specialists in their fields, but you will also benefit from guest speakers from the engineering world.
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Placements
We know the value of placement and work experience and are passionate about seeing our students take up these opportunities. We work with several local and national companies in order to assist students to take up these opportunities.
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Facilities
Our civil engineering labs are equipped with the latest computer-aided and controlled machinery.
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Top in Wales
Civil Engineering courses at USW are top in Wales for student satisfaction.
National Student Survey 2024ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
UCAS points: 48 (or above)
Typical qualification requirements:
- A Level: DD
- Welsh BACC: N/A
- BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Pass Pass Pass or BTEC Diploma Pass Pass
- Access to HE: Pass Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points
- T Level: Pass (D or E)
Additional requirements include:
The University normally requires a minimum 3 GCSEs including Mathematics and English at Grade C/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
£9,535
per year*£16,200
per year*Additional Costs
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 stationery, printing, or equipment during your foundation year. For costs after you progress to year 1 of your degree programme, please see the list below.
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.
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.
Life at USW
Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.
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.