Civil Engineering, MEng (Hons), with industry placement

Course summary

Do you want to design large structures or be involved in projects that have great benefit to societies around the world? This accredited 4 year MEng course provides all the further learning required for you to proceed towards becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer. Our Plymouth Civil Engineers imagine, design and create the structures and technical approaches that provide shelter, clean water, sanitation, transportation, energy security and protection from natural hazards.You will learn how to communicate effectively, manage projects and work in professional teams. You may choose to take a paid year in industry with a civil engineering employer and can further boost your professional development by attending specialist seminars and talks. We can also offer you a mentor drawn from our network of engineering professionals. The final year develops your advanced understanding of core civil engineering disciplines and finishes with an integrating design project.

• Four year integrated masters programme.

• Start your professional career from day one with a course accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) and The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation. As a student member, you’ll join a network of over 80,000 members worldwide, as well as having the opportunity to get involved in our active local branches. Our MEng (Hons) degree is accredited by the professional institutions as fully satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng)..

• Immerse yourself in the real world of civil engineering through site visits, field trips and visiting lectures from leading Chartered Civil Engineers working on major projects.

• Benefit from our £19 million Marine Building, which offers you opportunities to learn water engineering and coastal engineering. We offer major options in structural engineering and flood modelling to equip you to specialise in design and flood risk management.

• Learn from our teaching staff of professionally qualified experts with relevant experience from the civil engineering industry and researchers with national and international reputations.

• Get ahead in your career by spending an optional placement year working as a paid student engineer, a great opportunity to further your knowledge and make important industry contacts.

• Learn a host of design skills from problem solving to sustainable development, as well as developing the critical thinking that plays a key role in the work of a civil engineer, including interpreting and analysing data.

• Develop your professional skills including communication, self-management, team working and leadership, all vital in pursuing a rewarding career.

• Increase your employability by taking an extra-curricular HSE-recognised diving qualification (subject to availability).

• Study core subjects including engineering surveying, geotechnics, hydraulics, management, materials, and structural analysis.

• Join our extensive network of Chartered Civil Engineer graduates from the University of Plymouth and now work at all levels in the industry both nationally and internationally.

In the first year of your civil engineering course you will study alongside other engineering students to learn about the fundamental principles that underpin technical subjects which are studied throughout the course. You will develop your mathematical skills and study engineering materials, structural mechanics and fluid mechanics. You will learn about generic design and computer-aided design, and work in a team to undertake a real-world design challenge. Laboratory sessions will form an important part of your learning. The second year introduces core civil engineering disciplines that comprise structural analysis and design, geotechnics and fluid dynamics. These subjects are explored in lectures, through practical activities, and field trips. You will develop essential and professional transferable skills and tools for the management of projects. At this point of the course, it is still possible to swap between our ‘civil’ and ‘civil and coastal’ engineering degrees. By taking the opportunity to spend an optional year in paid employment whilst still a student civil engineer, you will obtain recordable professional experience, build a network of industry contacts and often obtain offers of summer work, sponsorship or employment on graduation. Our placements team will support you in finding a placement, and we have an extensive network of employers across all sectors. In your fourth year (or third year, if you do not take a placement) you will deepen your understanding of the core technical subjects in civil engineering with a particular focus on designing infrastructure solutions. You will immerse yourself in the execution of your individual project throughout the year. This project will focus on a research question or a practical issue relevant to a civil engineering topic of your choosing under the supervision of an academic member of staff. This might involve the use of laboratory facilities, modelling and analysis software. In this final year of the MEng programme you will build upon and integrate your earlier learning. You will develop advanced understanding of structural engineering, hydraulics and geotechnics and learn about computational approaches for the analysis of structures and foundations. As a masters student you will sharpen your project management skills. The year finishes with the completion of an integrated design project that demonstrates your design, presentation and group working skills. The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.