Civil Engineering BEH Graduate Apprenticeship

Civil engineering is one of the oldest and most consequential of the engineering disciplines, concerned with the design, construction, and maintenance of the built and natural environment. Roads, bridges, tunnels, dams, water treatment systems, coastal defences, and the structural frameworks of buildings all fall within its scope. As infrastructure faces mounting pressure from population growth, climate change, and aging stock, civil engineers are increasingly central to how societies adapt and remain functional.

This four-year Graduate Apprenticeship in Civil Engineering at the University of the Highlands and Islands is structured around a combination of on-campus study and employer-based learning. You will study most days of the week and complete all course units in standard time, with periods where you are released from work to attend classes at the campus or a learning centre. This model means you develop technical knowledge and engineering principles in parallel with genuine professional experience, each reinforcing the other.

You will cover areas such as structural analysis, geotechnics, hydraulics, materials, and project management, building towards the level of competence required of a graduate engineer. The entry tariff for this programme is 120 points.

The BEH Graduate Apprenticeship route is particularly well suited to those who are already working in a relevant sector or who have secured employer sponsorship, since the model integrates study and employment throughout. Graduates are equipped to work across the full civil engineering project lifecycle, from feasibility and design through to construction management and maintenance. Career destinations span consultancy firms, local authorities, infrastructure contractors, utilities, transport agencies, and the public sector more broadly.

Progression to chartered engineer status with a professional body such as the Institution of Civil Engineers is a natural next step, and postgraduate study in structural engineering, environmental engineering, or project management is also a well-established route for those seeking further specialisation.