BEng (Hons)
Civil Engineering
Develop creative, practical and theoretical skills for the construction industry
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Civil engineering is key to economic and social stability throughout the world. From roads and bridges to skyscrapers and airports, modern civil engineers plan, design, construct and manage the large-scale public works and amenities that underpin our society.
This course is a dynamic mix of specialist civil engineering knowledge and essential learning of current technical and practical methods.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Transfer from the BEng to the MEng course at the end of either the first or second year
- Apply your skills to real-life practical problems as part of our partnership schemes with local and global organisations
- Venture overseas on a European exchange programme or do a paid work placement in industry
What opportunities might it lead to?
This course is accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) and the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE).
If you continue with your studies and complete an accredited Masters course in the subject, then you will gain professional status of Chartered Engineer (CEng). However, successfully completing our MEng course will allow you to achieve CEng status upon graduation.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- civil engineering
- site engineering
- project management
The placement furthered my skills in problem-solving, communication, time management, teamwork and individual initiatives.
Thomas Glenn, BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering student
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- H200
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
270-300 points to include 160 points from a minimum of 2 A Levels, or equivalent, including mathematics plus science or technology subjects.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a* International full-time students: £11,900 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- technology.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 2555 - Department
- School of Civil Engineering and Surveying
Subject:
Architecture, Property and Surveying
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- Vocationally-focused courses which concentrate on both the practical and theoretical
- An exciting environment to work in, with excellent facilities including technical labs and studio space
- Enthusiastic, friendly tutors who bring the subject to life
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
During your first year you will study fundamental engineering principles and be introduced to the key theories upon which civil engineering practice is based.
Core units in this year include:
- Construction Management and Practice
- Engineering Analysis
- Personal Tutorials (BCE Level 4)
- Professional Development 1
- Soils and Materials 1
- Understanding Structures- Analysis and Design
- Water and Environmental Engineering
Year two
In year two you will extend your understanding and ability to analyse complex civil engineering systems, learning how to:
- Model the behaviour of complex structural elements.
- Design structural elements in reinforced concrete and steel.
- Analyse the performance of soils and major construction materials and their subsequent impact on civil engineering structures.
- Apply mathematical, probabilistic and numerical techniques to civil engineering problems.
- Analyse and manage closed conduit and open channel flow of fluids.
- Apply the knowledge and techniques to the design and management of water and wastewater treatment systems.
Core units in this year include:
- Behaviour of Structures
- Design of Structural Elements
- Numerical Skills and Economics
- Professional Development 2
- Soils and Materials 2
- Water Infrastructure
Optional units in this year include:
- Diving and Underwater Engineering A
- Heritage Property
- Introduction to Project Management Principles
Year three*
Your final year will build on all the knowledge you have acquired enabling you to analyse, design and manage civil engineering systems in an integrated manner. You will also complete your dissertation on a topic of your choice.
Core units in this year include:
- Environmental Hydraulics
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Structures 3
- Structural Frames
- Sustainable Design
- Construction Materials Engineering
- Corporate Management
- Research Methods and Individual Project
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Contract Management
- Highway Engineering
- Professional Diving Skills
- Harbour and Coastal Engineering
*This course is also available as a 4-year sandwich (work placement)
Teaching and Assessment
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and group work, and be fully supported throughout your degree. We promote many practical teaching methods by way of lab and field work supplying you with proactive, hands-on learning opportunities.
How are you assessed?
We guarantee sustained feedback to make sure your studies are on track. You will be assessed in a variety of ways, providing you with valuable skills and experience, including:
- written exams
- web assessments
- essays and reports
- project presentations
- a 10,000-word dissertation
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
Laboratories
A range of well equipped labs available in the department
Field Trips
This course makes extensive use of the ‘real-world laboratory’
Maths Café
One-to-one help with maths or stats problems
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment
Laboratories
We offer you a range of labs where you can carry out materials and structures testing, fluid flow modelling and chemical investigation. We also have an onsite environmental laboratory located at a real sewage treatment works. All are well equipped with industry-standard experimental and computational facilities.
Field Trips
Go on site visits and carry out fieldwork that will introduce you to the markets and environments in which you will eventually work. Undertake field studies in surveying, soil mechanics, environmental hydraulics and construction. We also have a network of civil engineering consulting and contracting organisations that provide real-life case studies. This course makes extensive use of the ‘real-world laboratory’.
Maths Café
Drop in any time and get one-to-one help with that tricky maths or stats problem. With handouts on key topics to take away and computer-aided learning packages, we can get the problem solved and help you improve your numeracy skills.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
Working in the construction and engineering sector will make an interesting, challenging and rewarding career. There will be a wide range of roles within the construction industry open to you once you have completed your studies.
This course is an appropriate first degree leading to a recognised professional qualification in civil engineering should you wish to continue your studies. What’s more, it also meets the entry requirements for many of the major graduate engineering programmes.
Overall, you will be a versatile graduate who will have the employable skills to secure work in many areas of the job market.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- civil and structural consultancy engineer
- civil engineering contractor
- graduate structural engineer
- construction engineer
Work experience
Taking a placement year in industry could be one of the best decisions you make and, more often than not, it leads to further opportunities after graduation. Our Student Placement and Employability Centre (SPEC) not only helps you to arrange your placement, but also acts as a source of information and guidance throughout the recruitment process and beyond. We help on anything and everything related to your employability, as well as assisting you in securing other types of work experience.
Examples of companies our students have taken up placements with include:
- Blair Rains M&E Design
- Portsmouth Water
- Bardon Contracting
- Cemex Rail Productions Ltd
- LeadBitter
Types of placement roles that could be relevant to this course include:
- trainee site engineer
- trainee highway engineer
- assistant project manager
We also offer you the chance to do part of your studies abroad. Our educational links branch out to institutions in France, Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Having recruited three Industrial Placement students from the University of Portsmouth who performed exceptionally whilst with us, BAM Nuttall are keen to continue working closely with the University. The students demonstrated excellent safety awareness, were extremely conscientious, motivated, and all got on well with their peers on site. As a result of their performance on site, they have now been sponsored by us for the remainder of their degree courses and will join us once they graduate. Since their return to university, I have heard from the sites that they are very much missed!
Nicola Young, Student Liaison Officer at BAM Nuttall Ltd
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more