Want to become a Civil Engineer? Study our Civil Engineering BEng (Hons) degree course at Birmingham City University. This course is designed to meet the requirements of relevant professional bodies to give your career in civil engineering a head start.
Much of your learning activity will be hands-on, with access to our strong industry links. You’ll also be provided with the latest CAD software, meaning you’ll be well equipped to make an impact in an important industry.
You will study in a unique simulated workplace environment. This experience, and our outstanding industry links, will give you a competitive edge, enabling you to progress to a successful career when you graduate.
You’ll be provided with knowledge of the scientific, technical, environmental, economic, and managerial aspects of civil engineering, so that you will be able to apply yourself to both the design and management of civil engineering projects.
You will also develop the key transferable skills that modern employers require, such as problem solving, project planning, presentation and communication. Our strong links to industry enable you to apply your learning to problem-based scenarios, ensuring your intellectual and practical competencies are fully developed.
Civil Engineers design and construct anything from buildings and bridges, to dams, power stations, and motorways. This course will prepare you to work on these projects. You will focus on structures, materials, geotechnics, and hydraulics, and your studies will be enhanced with site visits, field trips, and guest lectures.
The team was impressed with BSc vocational education available … and it was noted that these programmes are well respected and serving industry needs. Joint Board of Moderators
Meet or beat our entry requirements and you could be eligible for an achievement scholarship worth £1,000.
*Terms and Conditions apply - some undergraduate courses are not eligible for this scheme. The £1,000 scholarship is made up of an £850 scholarship and £150 free credit to spend in an online shop.
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
As part of the application process you will be invited to attend an applicant visit day where you will undertake a short one-to-one interview with an academic member of staff. This is your chance to show us how passionate you are about the subject and it will help us make a decision on your application.
This will provide you with more information about the School and your course. In addition, it will give you a chance to meet and our staff and students to gain a better understanding of what it is like to be a student here.
You could apply for a foundation course or a course at our International College. These routes have lower entry requirements and act as the bridge to a full degree. To find out more, please select your status:
Award: BEng (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2020
Award: BEng (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2020
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
UK and EU students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
There are three ways to apply:
You will need to complete our International Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and submit them together with scan copies of your original academic transcripts and certificates.
Our in-country representatives can help you make your application and apply for a visa. They can also offer advice on travel, living in the UK and studying abroad.
If you are applying for an undergraduate degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can apply through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
You can request a printed form from your school or nearest British Council office. You will be charged for applying through UCAS. Birmingham City University’s UCAS code is B25 BCITY.
UK / EU students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.*
The personal statement gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.
You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
*Non-EU students are not required to submit a personal statement when applying for this course.
There are no compulsory additional costs or charges associated with studying on this course. While you may choose to purchase personal copies of text books, all our key text books are available from our library or online (subject to normal library loan and online access arrangements). If your course includes a residential study session, the accommodation costs for this are already included in your course fee.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
If you've got no idea where to start or just want to check you're on the right track, we’ve got expert advice and real examples from our students to help you nail your personal statement. You can even download our ultimate personal statement guide for free.
We offer further information on possible undergraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits). |
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits). |
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits). |
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits). |
The course combines innovative teaching with a stimulating workplace environment. You’ll be assessed through a mix of coursework, examinations, portfolio and presentations.
The way you are assessed is split into 50 per cent exams and 50 per cent coursework.
We will enhance your knowledge and understanding through formal lectures, presentations, seminars, tutorials, hands-on experience and problem-based scenarios. Guest speakers, as well as visits to construction sites, manufacturers and exhibitions, will give you valuable insight and experience of the industry.
You will be assessed through work-related learning and problem solving, in-class tasks, seminar work, peer assessment and learning sets, while summative assessment is provided in projects, presentations, time-controlled assignments and end examinations.
In your final year, you will conduct an individual project, where you will hone and enhance your organisational, research and time management skills.
There are 30 attendance weeks in each academic year.
A typical week on this course will include 12-15 hours per week of contact time over four days, plus additional time for self study.
If you are interested in undertaking part of your studies abroad, the Erasmus scheme may be of interest to you. It allows higher education students to study for part of their degree in another European country.
It is open to undergraduates in their second year (or above) and offers a unique opportunity to enhance your CV and experience new cultures. If you study with us you will have access to an Erasmus co-ordinator, who can provide information about which institutions we have links with.
The course enables you to progress onto Master's-level awards, paving the way towards Chartered Engineer status.The University has a range of either taught (MSc) or research (MPhil and PhD) postgraduate programmes. Details can be found on the postgraduate section of the website.
WISE members inspire girls to choose maths, physics and computing.
We will develop the skills, understandings and personal attributes that will help you stand out from the crowd when it comes to securing employment.
We will ensure you are professional, work-ready and enterprising, with a global outlook and the ability to solve problems creatively.
We will ensure you are professional, work-ready and enterprising, with a global outlook and the ability to solve problems creatively.
This course has been mapped against the UKSpec subject benchmarks for engineering, and we will support you to work towards a range of competencies linked to these benchmarks. We will also support your readiness for work by offering placements, where you can gain vital work experience in a real-life business.
Birmingham City University also has the Graduate+ scheme, an extracurricular programme which has been designed to hone the subject-based skills you develop throughout the programme alongside broader employability skills. You’ll develop skills in CV writing, presentations, a portfolio and more.
You could also gain work with OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus, which ensures our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
With the advantage of a construction site right on our doorstep as the University grows, students and graduates have benefited from placements and hands-on experience.
You will also benefit from the innovative Building Birmingham Scholarship programme. Launched by Birmingham City Council, it supports young people wishing to pursue a career in construction.
The Faculty has committed to ensuring that all students who would like to take out a third year in industry will be provided with that opportunity. This is not compulsory, but certainly is recommended since this can have positive implications for your future employability and sometimes even provides sponsorship.
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Through our courses we give you the skills and experience needed to get a head start when applying for jobs. But we offer something extra too – Graduate+.
Our unique programme gives you the chance to develop valuable skills outside of the more formal classroom learning. We award points for Graduate+ activities (including firewalking!) and these can be put towards a final Graduate+ award.
Nearly all our Built Environment graduates go straight into well paid jobs, taking on challenging roles. Latest statistics (DLHE 2012/13) showed 88.9 per cent of 2012/13 graduates were in full-time work, or primarily in work but also studying, within six months of graduation.
They have taken positions with small and large construction organisations with local, regional or national coverage.
Projects that graduate civil engineers work on can include hospitals, highways, airports, railways, tunnels and bridges.
Our graduates work for companies such as Balfour Beatty, Cancer Care, and in management services in roles such as construction managers or design engineers.
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
The UK remains one of the world's leading study destinations for international students.
The first-class experience offered by universities are reflected in the world’s largest survey of international students. International students are more likely to recommend the UK than any other leading English-language study destination.
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
The School of the Built Environment provides the best possible equipment and facilities for all students. Our gallery below showcases the Built Environment’s learning spaces, civil engineering lab and state of the art computer aided design labs.
The facilities on offer to our students reflect the work environment you will enter as you start your career. We ensure that you are equipped to participate fully and possessed with the equipment needed to support your studies.
In offices today, much of the pen and paper approach to quantity surveying has been replaced by the use of specialised software systems. Here at Birmingham City University you will make use of commercial software as part of your assessment. Work is carried out in well-equipped and air-conditioned laboratories.
You will be provided with the latest CAD software – free of charge – to enable you to acquire the skills you need in a modern design office.
Part of your learning activity will be hands-on, including carrying out survey work using a range of equipment, such as: Levels, Theodolites and Measuring tapes
The use of a virtual building site will help you to appreciate the surroundings of a typical construction site and experience some of the challenges you will face in practice.
Birmingham is undergoing huge regeneration. One of the city's two new HS2 stations will be built right outside our City Centre campus and there will be many opportunities, now and in the future, for those with built environment qualifications.
Discover more about the industry experts you can meet on our Engineering degree courses.
Laura Leyland is one of our lecturers, watch this video to find out more.
Antony is a Senior Lecturer in the Birmingham School of the Built Environment and Course Director for HNC Construction.
During over 33 years in the construction industry Antony has worked for Local Authorities, Developers, Civil Engineering Consultants ultimately as the Associate Director of a multi-national consultants and finally in the education sector. A period was spent in Nigeria working on social development projects.