Civil Engineering (with Foundation Year and Optional Year in Industry)

Optional year in industry: The year in industry option will help you gain valuable work experience which will help you enhance your graduate employability prospects. During your placement you develop transferable skills such as communication, negotiation, teamwork, leadership, organisation, problem-solving, being able to work under pressure, self-reliance and commercial awareness. At the end of your work placement you return to complete your degree and prepare to enter employment with improved confidence.

Our work placement officer and the University’s careers service are available to help you find and apply for your work placement. Advice is also available on job hunting and networking.

Course overview: This course includes a foundation year - ideal if you need additional preparation or if you don't have sufficient grades to join Year 1. From roads and railways to harbours and dams, civil engineers are responsible for planning, designing and supervising the construction and maintenance of building structures and infrastructure.

You develop knowledge and skills in subjects including structures, construction materials, geotechnics, fluid mechanics and construction management. The next few decades promise to be exciting for civil engineers, with progressive urbanisation, increasing populations, ongoing economic development, climate change and the risk of extreme events presenting many threats to infrastructure. You learn the skills to tackle these challenges, making you a highly sought after engineer.

You gain practical industry experience through site visits and fieldwork, preparing you for the world of work. Recent students have visited mines and bridge construction sites.

Top reasons to study this course

1. Financial awards: you may be eligible for a number of scholarships and awards.
2. International visits: you have opportunities to travel internationally through student mobility visits or spending a semester studying abroad with one of our partners in countries such as China, the Czech Republic, Spain and Malaysia.
3. Prepare for your studies: develop your understanding in maths with our free online Mathematics for University course.
4. Professional accreditation: this degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators, representing the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and the Institute of Highway Engineers. It fully satisfies the requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status and partially satisfies the requirements for CEng status.

After the course: Typical roles include construction project management, building/civil engineering for contractors or consultants, architectural practices, local authorities or government agencies. Our graduates have been employed by companies such as Aker Solutions, Amey, Atkins Global, Arup, Bauer, Interserve, Jacobs, WSP Group, Turner & Townsend, and a number of city and borough Councils including York, Bradford and Stockton-on-Tees.