University subject profile: civil engineering
What you’ll learn
Civil engineering involves the creation and maintenance of infrastructure: designing, building and maintaining roads, bridges, railway lines, energy systems, flood defences, water supply and sewage systems. Students will touch on geology and areas of construction, such as surveying. There’s a heavy emphasis on maths in a civil engineering degree, so if you don’t love the subject already, you’ll need to learn to. The more selective universities will require maths and often physics. Taking into consideration environmental impact also forms an important part of today’s training.
It is a vital area of engineering. Without civil engineers it would be much harder to get to work in the morning, travel to see friends, heat our homes or get clean water from the tap. The provision and maintenance of sustainable and efficient infrastructure is directly linked to economic growth – society, and indeed business, cannot operate without it.
How you’ll learn
Students learn in various ways, including lectures, tutorials and workshops, lab work, computer workshops and hands-on projects. You’ll develop problem-solving skills and consider social and ethical difficulties within the field of civil engineering. Courses involve teamwork, and you’ll learn to argue your ideas and analyse those of others, and work towards a common goal. Most courses have strong industry links, so you may work on real-world problems – sometimes paid – as part of your course.
What are the entry requirements?
Entry requirements vary. The more selective universities will require maths and often physics. Further maths, chemistry, biology, computing or computer science, design technology or geography could prove useful.
What job can I get?
There’s a high employment rate for civil engineers, and lots of graduate schemes open to civil engineering grads. You may find a job in a consulting or contracting engineering firm, or a construction company. Some graduates work in local authority or in central government.
Because of the practical nature of the degree, you’ll have the tools to get on with the job straight away. Civil engineering skills are highly transferable and some graduates move into other fields that require project-management skills.