BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering at USW rated top in Wales for teaching, assessment, academic support, organisation, and overall satisfaction _{National Student Survey 2023}

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.

On this Civil Engineering degree, you’ll study fundamental engineering principles, underpinned by mathematics, health and safety, and sustainability. You’ll learn how to use industry-standard software for the design and construction of civil engineering projects. There are also opportunities for field trips and work placements.

Each Civil Engineering course is designed with senior industry professionals to ensure you are highly employable and a valuable addition to any area of the industry. This course is also available through Network75, a combined work and study route.

This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Candidates must hold a masters or doctorate accredited as further learning for CEng to hold accredited qualifications for CEng registration.

See www.jbm.org.uk for further information and details of Further Learning programmes for CEng.

Accredited by

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2024
2025

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2024	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
H200	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A
N/A	Part-time	6 Years	September	Treforest	A
HG00	Sandwich	4 Years	September	Treforest	A

UCAS Code	Study Mode 2025	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
H200	Full-time	3 Years	September	Treforest	A
N/A	Part-time	6 Years	September	Treforest	A
HG00	Sandwich	4 Years	September	Treforest	A

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.

Year One: Civil Engineering degree

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

Year Two: Civil Engineering degree

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 Mechanics and Design - 20 credits
Geotechnics and Engineering Geology - 20 credits
Analytical and Numerical Methods - 20 credits
Hydraulics and Engineering Hydrology - 20 credits
Practicing Civil Engineering - 20 credits
Highways and Transportation - 20 credits
Supervised Work Experience - 120 credits

Year Three: Civil Engineering degree

In your final year, 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 Engineering - 20 credits
Geotechnics – Analysis and Design - 20 credits
Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering - 20 credits
Managing Civil Engineering Projects - 20 credits

Teaching

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.

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.

Most project modules are based on ‘live’ schemes, supported by guest lectures from professional engineers. This ensures you receive an in-depth briefing on many aspects of real-life construction.

Part-time students are able to follow an embedded route, which gives them the opportunity to achieve a professional qualification while studying and working.

Research-informed teaching

Your studies will be underpinned by the latest research undertaken by the University’s Engineering Research Centre which collaborates locally, nationally and internationally with partners from industry and academia to provide world-leading knowledge and impact. For you, this means you will be taught by academics who are at the forefront of their specialist field.

Assessment

The Civil Engineering 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.

Accreditations

See www.jbm.org.uk for further information and details of Further Learning programmes for CEng.

Placements

Our strong links mean you’ll have opportunities for site visits, industrial placements and, for students on sandwich courses, practitioner mentoring.

Find out more about Engineering Placements at USW

Field Trips

You will have the opportunity to go on exciting field trips to build on your knowledge (additional costs apply). In recent years, students have travelled to Beijing to visit the Olympic structures, the Great Wall of China, and the China International Exhibition of Building Materials and Green Construction.

There may be additional costs associated with this course

Facilities

Our civil engineering labs are equipped with the latest computer-aided and controlled machinery.

Lecturers

Shane Galvin, Head of Subject – Built Environment and Civil Engineering
David Baxter, Course Leader (Applied Mathematics and Fluid Dynamics)
Jerome Daly, (Geotechnical Engineering)
Jiping Bai, Associate Professor (Sustainable Materials and Structural Systems)
Joanne Thomas, Lecturer (Structural Engineering)
Luan Al-Haddad, (Applied Mathematics and Hydraulics)
Phil Young, (Architectural Design, Engineering Drawing, Sustainability)
John Kinuthia, Professor (Materials Engineering and Highways)
Jonathan Oti, Associate Professor (Materials Engineering)

See our Engineering Research

We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement

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.

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. Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy.

Other qualifications and experience

We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.

To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.

If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us here

Typical A-Level Offer

BBB to include Mathematics and one other Science subject (this is equivalent to 120 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade B in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BB at A Level to include Mathematics and one other Science subject (this is equivalent to 120 UCAS tariff points).

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Distinction Merit in a relevant Maths, Science or Engineering subject which must include Maths modules (this is equivalent to 120 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Access to HE Offer

Pass an Access to HE Diploma in Maths/Science and obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points

Additional Requirements

GCSEs: 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 Entry Requirements

We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.

English Requirements

In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.

Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course

August 2024 - July 2025 Fees

Full-time UK: £9000
Full-time International: £15260
Part-time UK: £740 per 20 credits

August 2025 - July 2026 Fees

Full-time UK: TBC
Full-time International: TBC
Part-time UK: TBC

Student Perks

At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.

Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.

Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.

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.

Funding

Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs

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).

To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science Travel Bursary

The Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science offers a travel bursary of £500 which is available to all students undertaking an undergraduate sandwich degree. Find out more.

How to write a personal statement for Civil Engineering

BEng or MEng?

UK students

Apply via UCAS if you are a UK residing applicant, applying for year one of a full-time undergraduate degree, Foundation Year, Foundation Degree or HND and you have not applied through UCAS before. If you are applying to study part-time, to top up your Foundation Degree or HND, or to transfer to USW from another institution, please apply directly.

International and EU students

Apply directly to the University if you live outside the UK.

Admissions statement

Employment opportunities are excellent. Graduates of our Civil Engineering degree secure work with consulting engineers, civil engineering contractors and local authorities, with a range of companies that include Capita Symonds, BAM Nuttall, Hyder Consulting, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, Morgan Est, Carillion, Mott MacDonald, Atkins, Network Rail, United Utilities, and various international companies.

You may also have the opportunity to 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. You enrol on the undergraduate degree, and have the opportunity to progress to an MEng if you achieve satisfactory grades in your assessments during your first two years of study.

Graduates can also progress to a PhD or research degree.

Our Careers and Employability Service

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.

Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.