civil engineering schools

Pursue a civil engineering degree and discover the extent to which civil engineers shape, build, maintain and expand societies. Whether it’s a bridge, space satellite, dam, road or tunnel, civil engineers are the people who design, construct and manage the entire process, from development to evaluation.

Civil engineering degree graduates are the brains behind all the largest and most essential structures that surround us – buildings, transport networks, energy and water supplies – and so their value within society is great. In recent years, the profession has seen a shortage of experienced graduates, meaning that now, more than ever, civil engineering graduates are highly sought after.

What is civil engineering?

So what is civil engineering? Civil engineering is the development of infrastructure projects. This can be on a huge scale, such as the development of nationwide transport systems or water supply networks, or on a smaller scale such as the development of individual roads or buildings.

All aspects of building a structure fall under the remit of a civil engineer. This can include planning, design, budgeting, surveying, construction management and analysis, and often civil engineering careers encompass a combination of all these elements.

Civil engineering skills are strongly rooted in mathematics and science, and a high level of proficiency in these subjects is required in order to predict the performance and capability of the structures they create. For this reason, students with strong backgrounds in physics and mathematics who are also interested in designing functional structures, from bridges to hydropower systems, are prime candidates to study civil engineering.

The great thing about civil engineering in the real world is that it’s an industry that perpetually adapts to the demands and desires of society. In recent years civil engineering has adapted to consider many contemporary environmental concerns, helping to address issues of pollution and scarce water supplies, while considering the potential of sustainable energy within the industry.

What to expect when you study civil engineering

If you decide to study civil engineering at undergraduate level, you’ll learn to apply mathematics and scientific knowledge (particularly physics) to real-life situations and problems that arise from creating and maintaining structures, taking into account environmental, financial, legal and ethical considerations.

At its core, civil engineering is a combination of many scientific specialisms, including mechanics, hydraulics, geotechnics (using knowledge of the earth’s crust to solve construction problems), materials science and statistical analysis. As such, study of these foundational elements will feature heavily in the early years of civil engineering degrees.

As well as the more scientific side, those who study civil engineering will get to develop their design skills, particularly computer-aided design. Project work is central to the subject, meaning that in the latter years of your degree you will be able to complete your own design projects individually or within a team.

Undergraduate civil engineering degrees will typically be three or four years in length and will feature a mixture of lectures and lab work. There will also be an emphasis on working within a team, as this is considered an integral skill for anyone pursuing civil engineering careers.

Those who study civil engineering may also have opportunities to participate in field trips and complete industry placements, either as a ‘year in industry’ or for shorter periods.

Entry requirements

Although entry requirements for those wishing to study civil engineering degrees vary between institutions, most universities ask for strong A-levels in both mathematics and science subjects. Due to the specialized nature of civil engineering, many courses are highly selective and competitive, meaning that top grades (in the UK, three As at A-level) are a common requirement among leading schools.