Civil Engineering, BSc (Hons)

This accredited course will develop your understanding of the theory and practice of civil engineering, with a strong emphasis on practical and project work. You will have the opportunity of a work placement year. The course leads to Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status.

The course provides a broad civil engineering education, exposing you to the exciting world of construction. Project-based modules cover:

• design and engineering theory and practices
• construction management skills.

It will develop your intellectual, practical and personal skills together with the theory and practice of Civil Engineering.

Why choose this course?

• It leads to Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status.
• The course is accredited by the Engineering Council and Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) which includes the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).
• You will have the opportunity to apply for a one-year work placement.
• There is an option to fast-track to the BEng course after year one.
• You will be involved in practical, project work and site visits.
• You will gain great experience from a residential surveying field trip (included in your fees).
• You can switch between full-time, part-time and sandwich options.

Did you know?

90% of Civil Engineering students at NTU are satisfied with their course (2012 National Student Survey).

What do our students say?

"I really enjoy the practical elements of the course, such as laboratory tests for soil mechanics. I also really benefited from the residential field trip in year one for the Engineering Surveying module."

Jamie Hurst, BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering

Read and watch more profiles from current students and graduates.

Nottingham Trent University Civils' Society

"The Society speaks for itself. CivSoc maintains good relations with the local branch of the institution of civil engineers. CivSoc organises its own trips throughout the year, most commonly to construction sites around the country. It is a valuable experience."

To find out more please visit the Facebook page.

Part-time option

The course can also be studied part-time in up to four years. Please see the part-time entry for further details.

Open days

You can find out more about this course and the University at an open day. Find out the dates of our next open day and book your place.

Download the Open Day Presentations

Attending an open day is really the best way to find out about our courses. But if you can't make it to an open day you can download a copy of the Open Day presentation.

Can't visit us? Talk to us online...

We know it's not always possible to come along to one of our open events, particularly if you don't live in the UK. Throughout the year we will be running a series of live chat sessions, where you can log on and talk to us remotely.
Find out more about live chats for this course on our live chat webpage.

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Find out what's going on in the School on our news pages and our Facebook page.

Any questions?

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Accredited by:

How many places are available on this course?

There are 35 places available in total across the sandwich and full-time routes.

When does the course start?

This course starts in September. For more information, take a look at our academic calendar for details of term start and end dates.

What will I study?

The course is designed around the core themes of the professional accrediting bodies. You will develop your general understanding of civil engineering in its broadest context, whilst focusing on the application and management of current technologies.

You will develop knowledge and skills in:

• architectural/building technology
• CAD
• health and safety
• the environment
• ground engineering
• structural engineering
• construction technology and practice
• people management
• finance and transportation issues
• sustainability.

Below is a list of the modules you'll study and the attached document explains each module in more detail.

Year One

• Civil Engineering Design Projects (40 credits)
• Engineering Materials (20 credits)
• Engineering Surveying (20 credits)
• Introduction to Structural Engineering (20 credits)
• Mathematics (20 credits)

In your first year you'll have the opportunity to attend a week-long residential field trip.

The trip allows you to put theory in practice, working in small project groups on exercises to develop their professional skills and to broaden their related experiences. The cost of this field trip is included in your fees. Take a look at photos of students on a recent field trip.

Year Two

• Building Technology Applied to Civil Engineering (20 credits)
• Construction Practice and the Environment (20 credits)
• Engineering Skills (20 credits)
• Further Engineering Mathematics (20 credits)
• Ground Engineering (20 credits)
• Structural Engineering (20 credits)

Year Three
This is the optional work placement year. You will gain real experience in industry through a work placement year.

Final year

• Individual with Group Project (40 credits)
• Management and Transportation Studies (20 credits)
• Further Structural Engineering (20 credits)
• Ground Engineering, Water Resources and the Environment (20 credits)
• Professional Responsibilities in Civil Engineering (20 credits)

Course content and module descriptions

For a full description of each module and further detail about what is covered in each year , take a look at the attached document.

How will I learn?

You will have approximately 14 hours per week of scheduled learning sessions. This includes:

• lectures
• seminars and tutorials
• laboratory practical exercises – such as making and testing concrete, assessing structural forms and testing beams
• field work – site visits, field trips, practical exercises
• IT sessions – including CAD.

You will also be involved in self-directed project work with the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment.

Outside of the timetabled sessions you will need to undertake self-directed independent study. This will include preparing for:

• lectures
• research
• completing coursework
• developing a portfolio and directed reading to expand your knowledge.

In your final year the scheduled learning sessions reduce to approximately 30% of your time, as more time is focused on your group and individual projects.

Trips and study visits

Site visits and field trips form an integral part of your learning process, allowing you to put theory into practice. Recent trips have included Nottinghamshire Cricket Club, a major road development on the A46 and a week surveying camp in Cumbria. Read more about the residential surveying camp below.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a mix of coursework, practical exercises and exams. The coursework will make up the majority of your assessment and will consist of group and individual projects, reports, presentations and essays.

You will receive feedback throughout each module.

To progress through the course you will need to achieve 120 credits each year. The amount of credits for each module are listed above.

Fast-track to BEng course

You have the chance to progress to the BEng course after Year One.
If you successfully complete your first year with a high grade you will have the opportunity to transfer onto the second year of the BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering course. You would also need to complete, and pass, a bridging studies module in Structural Design and Mechanics over the summer vacation in order to be eligible for this fast-track route.

Is the course professionally accredited?

Yes, the course is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) which includes the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) as:

• fully satisfying the education base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).

If you're an aspiring engineer looking to progress to professional status, completing a JBM accredited course provides an automatic, fast-track route and ensures the quality of the education provided.

Please see the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) website for further information.

It is also accredited by the Engineering Council. This accreditation is a mark of assurance that the course meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).

You can also progress onto one of our MSc Structural Engineering courses to work towards Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

Learn from expert staff

Our Civil Engineering subject team is made up of experienced academics and staff who have recently joined from industry. These, together with regular visiting experts, provide an up-to-date education, informed by current practice and industry developments.

Find out more about the BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering .

Our links with industry

You will benefit from our great links with industry which help ensure that everything you learn can be applied to the real world. This will be through real-life briefs set by real companies, guest lecturers from industry, visits to working sites, industry sponsored awards and work placements.

You will also have opportunities to work with companies to gain new skills. For example, this year several students took part in a workshop programme with Jackson Civil Engineering. And each year Interserve join first year students on a bridge building exercise.

What do the course fees cover?

Find out what's included in your course fees.

Where will I study?

You will study on the City site. Most of your lectures will be taught in the recently renovated Newton building, and the Chaucer and Maudslay buildings.

You will also work in the Maudslay building for many of the practical sessions, such as concrete testing and soil labs.

And you will use the fantastic studio spaces in the Arkwright building.

What's the difference between BSc Civil Engineering and BEng Civil Engineering at NTU?

The main difference between these two courses at NTU is the level at which you graduate.

• BSc course - This course is recognised by the Engineering Council as fully meeting the academic requirement for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status. An IEng level engineer is someone who promotes today's technology and applies and manages its use within the broad field of civil engineering.
• BEng course - This course is recognised by the Engineering Council as fully meeting the academic requirement for IEng, but also in part for Chartered Engineer (CEng) Status, which is a higher professional level. A CEng level engineer is considered an innovator who can lead teams of engineers and technicians developing solutions to civil engineering problems. This course has a more design focus and the level of maths required is more advanced.

View the full course specification
Please note that course specifications may be subject to change Laboratory spaces

The School has excellent lab and workshop resources for structural testing, materials science, and soils and building services. See a comprehensive list of facilities used by our civil engineering students.

Dedicated resource centre

Students in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment have access to a dedicated resource centre. This centre, based in the Maudslay building, enables students to undertake private study in a facility equipped with:

• computers
• large format plotters
• desk space together with the latest, and archived, journals and publications.

This resource centre is open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City site, with PCs providing access to:

• Microsoft Office
• email
• web browsing
• networked file storage
• high-speed online printing services (with a free printing allowance for each student). Resource rooms are available 24 hours a day.

Books and library resources

In the library you will have access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within the Built Environment. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.

Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist Civil Engineering subject knowledge. They can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources and also support on things such as Harvard referencing and research skills.