Back to topOverview
Ranked top five in London for Civil Engineering by the Guardian University Guide 2023 and the Complete University Guide 2024.
Are you looking for a rewarding and challenging career? Civil engineering can offer you a career that can literally change the world. Civil engineers design, construct, and maintain features of the natural and the built environment, skills that help solve the problems communities face today, and prepare for those that will confront us in the future.
Inspired by these challenges, Brunel has designed its Civil Engineering BEng programme. It will engage your creative spirit and support your development as an effective learner, while equipping you with the skills needed to thrive in multidisciplinary engineering team environments. Throughout your degree you will study in a range of sector-leading labs and be taught by a unique team of highly experienced civil engineering academics from across the globe.
After a broad-based first year studying a range of engineering disciplines, in Year 2 we focus on core knowledge of civil engineering, such as material science, structural analysis, hydraulics and surveying. In your third year you can either stay on the main civil engineering programme, or choose one of our two specialist pathways in environmental engineering or flood and coastal engineering. Then the fourth, year - your master's year - deepens your knowledge and skills in areas such as the use of AI in designing coastal engineering projects and how engineering can make flood infrastructure more resilient.
Between your second and third years you can undertake a placement year – a great opportunity to prepare yourself for the world of work. You could find yourself working in an office, design projects, or working outdoors, on construction sites. We highly recommend taking a placement as it can improve your prospects of getting the job you most desire after graduating.
"I am so grateful to the university for submitting me as their candidate and the support they have given me throughout my five years of study" – Kirsty Greener
"I am so grateful to the university for submitting me as their candidate and the support they have given me throughout my five years of study" – Kirsty Greener
You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.
Back to topCourse content
In your Year 1, you will study Brunel’s unique engineering syllabus, which is taken by all engineering students at the University. You will study alongside mechanical, electrical, aerospace and chemical engineering students as you learn about the fundamental principles that underpin all disciplines of engineering.
Year 2 will focus on the core civil engineering subjects of surveying, material science and analysis, structural mechanics, fluid and soil mechanics.
After Year 2 you can opt to undertake a year-long placement. Year 3 of the programme will develop your knowledge of flood and coastal engineering subject areas, with modules focusing on: environmental management and pollution control, flood and coastal infrastructure design, flood modelling and analysis, geotechnical engineering, project management.
In Year 4, you will study advanced flood and coastal engineering design, learn more about climate change and the environment, study how artificial intelligence is used in civil engineering projects and how engineers are working to make flood and coastal infrastructure smarter and more resilient.
This course can be studied 4 years full-time or 5 years full-time with placement, starting in September.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Back to topEU and International entry requirements
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.
Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.
Back to topTeaching and Learning
Our course delivery includes a combination of theory, practical sessions and project work. Early in the programme, you will be introduced to industry-relevant software tools and start using the software to solve engineering problems. Field trips throughout the course will allow you to observe how engineering projects are designed and implemented.
Assessments will include individual and group assignments as well as exams. Group projects will provide you with opportunities to learn how complex engineering problems are solved through the combined application of specialist knowledge drawn from a range of different subject areas.
Later years of the programme will continue the use of mixed teaching and learning techniques. An integrated design project will give you an opportunity to develop skills in the design of solutions to more complex civil engineering problems. Research, independent learning and critical analysis skills will be further developed when you complete an individual dissertation project
Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.