Civil and Coastal Engineering, BEng (Hons), with industry placement

Our Coastal Engineering programme equips graduates with civil engineering expertise combined with specialised skills for designing resilient infrastructure in coastal environments, addressing challenges like flooding, climate change, and sustainability. Ranked eighth globally in the Academic Ranking of World Universities for Marine/Ocean Engineering, our BEng (Hons) is accredited by leading bodies including the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Engineering Council, fulfilling requirements for Incorporated Engineer registration and partially for Chartered Engineer. Students benefit from state-of-the-art facilities in our £19 million Marine Building, industry placements, and opportunities to develop professional skills such as project management and sustainable design.In the first year, you'll study foundational principles in engineering materials, mechanics, and design alongside peers. The second year delves into structural analysis, geotechnics, fluid dynamics, and coastal engineering, with options to switch programmes. An optional paid placement year builds practical experience, while the final year focuses on advanced topics and an individual project using cutting-edge labs. Assessment comprises 45% exams and 55% coursework, supported by expert faculty and a mentoring network.

In the first year of your civil and coastal 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 be introduced to the special topic of coastal engineering, and 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 final year, you will deepen your understanding of the core technical subjects in civil engineering with a particular focus on designing infrastructure solutions in a coastal context. You will immerse yourself in the execution of your individual project throughout the year. These projects will focus on a research question or a practical issue relevant to your chosen specialism and might involve the use of the COAST laboratory facilities, state of the art modelling software supervised by an academic member of staff. 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 and up to date information can be found on our website.