BEng Civil Engineering / Course details

Lay the right foundation for a career in civil engineering with a three-year course that will not only lead to a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) qualification, but also arm you with the skills, knowledge and confidence to enter an industry that, at its core, makes modern society work.

Civil engineering deals with the design, construction and maintenance of our built environment, from buildings to bridges, roads to railways - and considers what this means for the future of our planet and society.

In the first two years of our BEng in Civil Engineering you will develop a strong understanding of essential topics such as structural analysis, hydraulics, geotechnics, construction materials, engineering design, project management and mathematics. You will then undertake an individual research project in your final year, when you will have the flexibility to study emerging subjects such as renewable energy systems and resource efficiency and management.

Upon completion of the course you will be equipped to enter civil engineering professions - the degree fully satisfies the base for becoming an Incorporated Engineer (IEng), and partially satisfies the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). This can then be completed with a programme of accredited Further Learning. 

• You will gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of engineering science, analysis, and management.

• You will develop an in-depth understanding of design.

• We will help you to learn important transferable skills, such as problem-solving, team working, creativity, IT skills, and oral and written communication.

• You will develop an understanding of the economic, social, ethical and environmental contexts that are relevant to becoming a professional civil engineer.

Superb facilities

The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering has a fantastic array of facilities and equipment , including a hydraulics laboratory for studying waves and other fluid flows, concrete laboratory, heavy structures laboratory, laser scanner, and more.

Welcoming community

You can join some of the Department's various student societies, such as The University of Manchester Civil Engineering Society , to meet like-minded people, make new friends and explore all things civil engineering.

A focus on women in engineering

The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering is part of the School of Engineering, a School with a real focus on promoting women in engineering , helping to improve diversity and representation of students and staff who identify as female.

At Manchester you will be taught by academic staff who are leading experts in Civil Engineering, in a diverse and inclusive learning environment. Teaching and Learning will be delivered using a variety of methods, including:

• Lectures
• Tutorial classes
• Practical laboratory sessions and practical surveying
• Computer-based sessions
• Group work including design projects
• PASS sessions and peer mentoring 

Some activities will be delivered face-to-face and others online, following a blended learning approach. The course contains strong practical elements, including a Design Make Test exercise in Year 1, a surveying field trip in Year 2, and laboratories in a range of civil engineering subjects over Years 1, 2, and 3.

A typical week in your first year of study will comprise 35 hours of activity, of which approximately 14 hours will be timetabled study and 21 hours will be independent or self-directed study. Given the strong practical elements in this course, a typical week will include 1 hour of hands-on practical work.

As you progress through the course an increasing emphasis will be placed on independent study, and this reflects you applying your knowledge and skills in substantial individual and group projects. In your third year of study, between 23 and 26 hours each week will typically be independent study. You will be supported by staff through all of your independent study, and this transition to being able to explore your own ideas through project work is an important attribute of a graduate engineer.

PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) and Peer Mentoring

We're proud of our innovative PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions) and Peer Mentoring scheme. The PASS scheme provides additional support around the current week's tutorial. It's entirely voluntary and consists of second, third and fourth-year current students helping first years to tackle problems defined by the content of the current tutorial. The emphasis is on showing students how to think about the problems, how to develop problem-solving skills and how to get the most from the educational resources available.

More about blended learning

The course is taught via a combination of lectures, tutorial classes, practical laboratory sessions and computer-based sessions. The delivery will follow a blended learning approach combining online and in-person activities which may be adapted in accordance with UK Government guidance. Some of your activity will be synchronous, where you learn live with your lecturer / peers and can interact as appropriate - helping you get support and feel part of a community. At other times it will be asynchronous, where you access materials like presentations, video content, online discussion boards or collaborative documents in your own time (within a framework provided by your programme).

We believe this blended approach will help each individual study in a way that works best for them and will ensure students receive the best student-experience. There is a design project each year, which involves teamwork in small groups, and allows students to apply and develop their problem-solving and project management skills. In the third year, each student undertakes an individual project, allowing them to pursue an emerging subject or application area in greater depth.

The course is assessed by a variety of methods, each appropriate to the topic being assessed. These methods include coursework exercises, written examinations, online examinations, presentations and practical demonstrations. You will also have many opportunities to self-assess your progress using online quizzes and tutorial exercises.

Most course units are assessed through an examination (at the end of the semester) and coursework which is undertaken throughout the year. Parts of the coursework are, in many instances, associated with practical laboratory sessions, whilst others may be based on problem sheets, reports etc. A few subjects, for example Design, are assessed purely on coursework. For detailed information about how different subjects are assessed, please see the course unit specifications below.

Most of the technical course units within our civil engineering programmes involve physical laboratory tests, and the Department has an array of specialist equipment to facilitate this.

This includes dedicated structures, hydraulics and geotechnics laboratories, with facilities including wave flumes, structures and materials testing facilities, and a geotechnics centrifuge.You can make use of a wide range of software in our dedicated computer clusters, including Revit, Abaqus, Oasys, Plaxis, Autocad, and many more, and will get hands-on with industry-standard surveying equipment for your field work in the surveying unit.

We also have a 3D laser scanner that captures detailed 3D geometrics of civil infrastructure and topography to support your surveying activities.