BEng (Hons)
Construction Engineering Management
Gain essential engineering skills for roles within the construction industry
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Technological and managerial evolution of the construction industry demands a new generation of construction professionals. Gain the technical knowledge and management skills to be able to successfully compete in both the national and international construction arenas.
If you are looking for a recognised qualification in civil engineering, this course is the first step towards professional qualified status.
What will I experience?
On this course you can:
- Visit sites and study locally based case studies that will introduce you to the professional markets and environments
- 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 will lead you to a recognised professional qualification in civil engineering. It 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). The course fully satisfies the educational base for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) under the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UKSPEC). We maintain excellent links with these professional bodies and regularly update and advise you on matters relating to your progress to professional status.
After graduating you will be able to find employment in the construction industry, though this course is also designed to be equally valuable as a means of securing employment in other sectors such as business, banking, IT and local government.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- civil engineering
- site engineering
- consultancy
- project management
Unlike other universities, the University of Portsmouth gave me the opportunity to carry out a placement year during my course.
Ashlee Saparia, BEng (Hons) Construction Engineering Management student 2013
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- K200
- Duration
- 3 years full time, 4 years sandwich with work placement
- Entry
200-260 points to include a minimum of 2 A Levels, or equivalent.
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
In your first year you will be introduced to the key theories and principles upon which civil engineering practice is based.
Core units in this year include:
- Soils and Materials 1
- Water Engineering
- Construction Management and Practice
- Professional Development 1
- Engineering Analysis
- Introduction to Building Measurement
Year two
In the second year, alongside developing your general construction knowledge, you will be able to study specific engineering topics.
Core units in this year include:
- Soils and Materials 2
- Numerical Methods and Economics
- Professional Development 2
- Understanding Structures
- Water and Infrastructure
- Introduction to Project Management Principles
- Tender Documentation and Measurement
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Diving and Underwater Engineering
- Fieldwork for Civil Engineers
- Heritage Property
- Institution-Wide Language Programme
Year three*
Your final year will build on all the knowledge you have acquired, culminating in your ability 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:
- Professional Development 3
- Research Methods and Individual Project
- Project Evaluation and Development
Options to choose from in this year include:
- Project Management for Civil Engineers
- Energy Resources and Infrastructure
- Transportation Engineering
- Measurement, Tender Documentation and Quantity Surveying Practice
- Contract Administration, Claims Management and Dispute Resolution
*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
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
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.
Field trips have always been very useful. They allow us to get the real feel of a problem when we see it for ourselves.
Deepu Prabhakaran, BEng (Hons) Construction Engineering Management student
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
Example of what one of our graduates has gone on to do:
- Balfour Beatty, Graduate Engineer – site engineering for construction projects
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:
- MGM Surveys
- Balfour Beatty
- Kier Construction
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 or 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.
I get emails from my department advertising different graduate schemes and Purple Door are very good at helping you get jobs.
Richard Cooper, BEng (Hons) Construction Engineering Management student 2013
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