An engineering student pressing a lever on a machine
BEng (Hons) Placement year available

Civil Engineering

Specialise in the design and analysis of built environment projects, focusing on infrastructure.

With challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity, engineers have an important part to play in designing, planning and future-proofing our built environment.

By studying BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering at ARU, you’ll focus on the design and analysis of infrastructure.

From day one of this civil engineering degree, you will be working on real built environment projects. Our course is project-based, meaning you’ll be getting hands-on experience – and learning to think and work like an engineer.

Logo: THE Awards 2023
 

Study at an award-winning university

We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.

  • A tube of slurry with lots of pipes coming into and out of it with a student adjusting them to measure hydraulic pressure

    Find out more about studying Civil Engineering at ARU in this short video

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Accredited by the JBM This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators, comprising the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council, for the purposes of partially meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
Logos for: CIHT, ICE, Institute of Highway Engineers, The Institution of Structural Engineers, and Permanent Way Institution
Why ARU?

  • You'll be immersed in an integrated learning environment designed to foster environmentally sustainable approaches

  • We intertwine in-class engineering theory, in-lab hands-on experience, and on-site practical construction activities throughout our course

  • Bring the world of work to life through Live Briefs, developed with regional employers to give you exposure to ‘real world’ problem-solving

  • Our course is developed by a dynamic collaboration of staff, students, and leading regional companies, meaning students on this course have maximum opportunity to gain critical skills for employment

Course options

Key facts

Looking for different course options?

Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.

Year 1
  • Feasibility and Flood Hydrology Project (30 credits)
  • Introduction to Engineering (15 credits)
  • Applied Engineering Mathematics (15 credits)
  • Structural Mechanics (15 credits)
  • Building Information Modelling for Civil Engineering (15 credits)
  • Materials, Design and Construction Project (30 credits)
  • Into ARU
Year 2
  • Structure and Construction Project (30 credits)
  • Sustainable Conceptual Design for Civil Engineering (30 credits)
  • Ruskin Module (15 credits)
  • Hydraulics (15 credits)
  • Advanced Engineering Mathematics (15 credits)
  • Structural Analysis (15 credits)
Year 3
  • Civil Engineering Design Project (30 credits)
  • Geotechnics and Nature-based Solutions Project (30 credits)
  • Research Methods and Individual Project (30 credits)
  • Structural Dynamics (15 credits)
  • Civil Engineering Materials and Manufacture (15 credits)
Module details

To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.

Year 1
  • Foundation in Engineering, Computing and Technology
Module details

You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.

Placement year
  • Work placement
Module details

It's possible to study this course part-time. You'll take the same modules as BSc/BA (Hons) students, but sometimes in a different order or in different years.

As a part-time student you'll typically study for twice as long as full-time students; for example if the BSc/BA (Hons) course takes three years, you can expect to study over six years, though for some courses the part-time length may differ.

Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.

Student experience

See how our Civil Engineering students put their ideas into practice.

Get hands-on experience - explore how our students discover the link between their design and the construction process within civil engineering.

Facilities

You’ll use our specialist engineering facilities in Chelmsford, which include labs for geotechnics, hydraulics, structures, engineering materials and concrete testing.

As well as getting hands-on experience in our labs, there’s the chance to join two week-long construction projects, carry out land surveys, use computer-aided design and specialist software, and make site visits.

You could also join our student-led Engineering Society.

Take a guided tour and meet our students.

  • Beam testing apparatus

    Beam testing apparatus

  • A concrete compression machine

    Concrete compression machine

  • Flow channel and flume apparatus

    Flow channel and flume apparatus

  • A person conducting an oedometer test

    Oedometers experiment and data logging

  • Shearbox testing equipment

    Shearbox test

  • Triaxial apparatus

    Triaxial apparatus

  • A person using a universal testing machine

    Universal testing machine

  • A wind tunnel

    Wind tunnel

    • ;
  • Beam testing apparatus
  • A concrete compression machine
  • Flow channel and flume apparatus
  • A person conducting an oedometer test
  • Shearbox testing equipment
  • Triaxial apparatus
  • A person using a universal testing machine
  • A wind tunnel
  • Beam testing apparatus
  • A concrete compression machine
  • Flow channel and flume apparatus
  • A person conducting an oedometer test
  • Shearbox testing equipment
  • Triaxial apparatus
  • A person using a universal testing machine
  • A wind tunnel

Careers

Civil engineers tend to specialise in two areas – design and production. The chances are that as a BEng (Hons) student your interests will lie in design, but our course will prepare you for both.

Design civil engineers work mainly in offices, looking at the need for projects and how a particular project can be achieved.

Production civil engineers work and plan on-site, check the quality of work, and oversee schedules and budgets.

Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us. If you’d like to continue your studies, we offer a range of postgraduate degrees including our MSc Construction and Civil Engineering Management, which will prepare you for CEng (Chartered Engineer) status. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Employability and personal career development

Informed by employers, our courses support an integrated approach to employability. You’ll have opportunities to develop the skills and abilities they are looking for and gain a deeper understanding of how your academic learning relates to the world of work through Live Briefs and Ruskin Modules.

To amplify your career ambition, you will need to actively dedicate time outside of your studies, whether you choose to explore placements, internships or volunteering. Or you could make a social impact by collaborating with our partner organisations through our volunteer scheme Students at the Heart of Knowledge Exchange (SHoKE). These all give you an edge, providing you with experience that you will be able to evidence on your CV and talk about in interviews.

Our Employability and Careers Service offers a range of expert advice and support to build your unique professional profile, including tailored career appointments, advice on writing your CV, and help to complete job applications. You’ll have 24/7 access to the Careers Centre, our comprehensive online digital resource, which empowers you to start building a Personal Career Development Plan from the very start. Design your future at ARU.

A student working in the Engineering workshop

"Gain knowledge that you can deliver in your practical job."

Ujjwal

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

Engineering at ARU (360 video)

Entry requirements

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