Civil Engineering
Civil engineering designs, builds and maintains the infrastructure on which all human society depends: roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, dams, water systems, flood defences, ports and foundations. It is a discipline that combines rigorous engineering science with creative design and practical problem-solving, asking how structures can be built to carry loads safely, how water can be managed and distributed, how ground conditions can be understood and managed, and how projects of enormous scale and complexity can be delivered within time and budget. Civil engineers work on some of the most significant projects in any society, with direct consequences for the quality of life of the communities they serve.
At Birmingham City University this three-year, full-time BEng (Hons) programme is designed to meet the requirements of relevant professional engineering bodies, giving your career a solid foundation from the outset. You will engage in substantial hands-on learning, working with industry-standard tools and materials across the core engineering disciplines, including structural analysis, geotechnics, hydraulics, transportation engineering, construction materials and project management. The programme benefits from strong industry connections in the West Midlands, a region with significant ongoing infrastructure investment, providing rich professional context and placement and work opportunities.
The course includes a sandwich year and a work placement, giving you direct experience in civil engineering practice before graduation.
Civil engineering graduates work across the construction and infrastructure sector in roles including structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, transportation engineer, water resources engineer, environmental engineer, project manager and site engineer. Professional development toward Incorporated or Chartered Engineer status, typically with the Institution of Civil Engineers, is the standard long-term pathway. The range of sectors employing civil engineers, from highways and rail to flood defence and international infrastructure development, means that graduates have broad career choices.