Civil Engineering BEng (Hons)

Overview

3rd in London for Civil Engineering and 7th in the UK - National Student Survey 2025

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 final 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.

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.

At the end of their final year, engineering and maths students are invited to showcase their project work at Brunel Engineers +, an event that both celebrates their achievements and gives them the chance to network with industry figures and employers. This video shows some of the projects exhibited at the 2024 Brunel Engineers + event, with explanations by the students themselves.

"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 chose to study at Brunel University because of its strong reputation in Civil and Structural Engineering, its focus on practical applications, and its industry connections. Brunel has really good career centre for students which helps them to step into the life of professionals. " - Noyan Ulusarac
"Starting BUSAC - Brunel University Sub Aqua Club I always loved diving, there wasn't a club, I advertised got two other people our strengths and weaknesses meshed and it snowballed fast and lasted decades." - Ian Jones
"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 chose to study at Brunel University because of its strong reputation in Civil and Structural Engineering, its focus on practical applications, and its industry connections. Brunel has really good career centre for students which helps them to step into the life of professionals. " - Noyan Ulusarac

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.

Course content

Year 1
Brunel’s unique Common Year 1 syllabus is taken by all engineering students at the University. Studying alongside mechanical, electrical, aerospace and chemical engineering students, you’ll learn about the fundamental principles that underpin all engineering.

Year 2
The focus moves to 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
Your knowledge of core civil engineering subject areas develops further, encompassing computational analysis techniques, structural analysis and design, geotechnical engineering, project and infrastructure management.

Year 1

Compulsory

Engineering Mathematics and Programming I
Aims: To develop students’ ability to understand and apply fundamental methods of engineering mathematics; to introduce the use of programming in engineering, and develop students’ ability to represent and solve problems algorithmically.
Engineering Mathematics and Programming II
Aims: To develop students’ ability to understand and apply fundamental methods of engineering mathematics; to introduce the use of programming in engineering, and develop students’ ability to represent and solve problems algorithmically.
Engineering Practice
Aims: to develop the skills required by students studying in all engineering disciplines, thereby supporting their journey through higher education and into their professional life with the intention of maximising their employability.

Skills development in the following areas will be addressed: problem solving; personal development; professional development; career planning; basic engineering design; introductory project management; communication; working in inclusive teams; health and safety and security.
Engineering Systems and Energy 1
Aims: to provide a grounding in concepts of measurement and uncertainty; to provide knowledge about applied physics relations that govern engineering systems within their boundaries and via their variables of interaction and to establish the ability to define system boundaries and apply relevant, simple models.
Engineering Systems and Energy 2
Aims: To provide a grounding in concepts of measurement and uncertainty; to provide knowledge about applied physics relations that govern engineering systems within their boundaries and via their variables of interaction; to establish ability to define system boundaries and apply relevant simple models.
Engineering Mechanics - Statics
Aims: To provide a grounding in the fundamental principles of engineering mechanics; to provide knowledge and understanding of Newton’s laws and their application for the solution of static problems; to provide experience and confidence in problem-solving.
Engineering Mechanics and Materials
Aims: To provide a grounding in the fundamental principles of engineering mechanics, including statics and dynamics; to provide knowledge and understanding of the common and important material properties for various engineering applications; to provide experience and confidence in problem-solving.
Civil Engineering Principles and Practice
Aims: To develop understanding of the contemporary civil engineering profession and what being a Chartered Civil Engineer involves (focusing on the pathways and attributes, e.g. project management, health and safety, sustainability, communication, responsibility and independent judgement) and principles of ethics; to develop fundamental skills in conceptual civil engineering design (practical problem solving, technical drawing through sketching, group project work, and communication); to integrate civil engineering design with sustainable development based on circular economy design, environmental management and societal needs, climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy, and Industry 4.0, principally in the context of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Year 2

Compulsory

Civil Engineering Toolbox and Surveying
Aims: To enable students to develop technical skills linked to civil engineering design and construction; to introduce students to the principles and methods of collecting, processing and ethical use of spatial data (including surveying for gathering engineering information and transferring a design to a construction site); to enable students to develop practical skills through conducting surveying activities such as setting out, use of levels and theodolites and calculation procedures and applying GIS tools for modelling and analysis of geospatial data in design, construction, and maintenance of civil engineering infrastructure.
Construction Material and Sustainability
This module aims to give students deeper understanding on construction materials design and applications, including their strength and limitations. It will support students application of sustainability in engineering construction.
Design Project
Aims: To develop conceptual design solutions for an engineering task from professional engineering perspective; to outline stages of project development together with client/stakeholder needs, state of the art, codes of practice, health and safety, sustainability, climate change impact and ethics; to assess sustainability issues from environmental, societal and economic perspectives and evaluate CO2 emissions for the whole-life cycle of the proposed designs, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); to improve team working and communication skills through group work and presentations.
Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics
Aims: To deepen students’ understanding of engineering fluid mechanics, hydraulics and hydrological processes; to enable students to apply these concepts to relevant engineering systems, in particular, flow in pipes; flow in open channels; hydraulic structures; coastal structures, energy dissipation and runoff flow estimation; to increase students’ understanding of flow generation and risks of flooding (land and coastal flooding).
Reinforced Concrete Design
Aims: To develop students’ understanding of the principles of structural design and iterative design process; to enable students to apply the principles of structural design for concrete conforming to the current codes of practice and produce details of structural elements; to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of appreciation of complexity of structural problems, the limitation of analytical techniques for structural problems, and the needs of a holistic approach to consider a range of factors to reach design solutions.
Soil Mechanics
Aims: To cover the fundamental multi-phase nature of soil; the effective stress concept, consolidation problems; to develop students’ understanding of the basic principles of soil mechanics – how soil behaviours when subject to engineering loads and construction processes; to develop students’ basic knowledge in engineering design of geotechnical system.
Structural Analysis
This module aims to enable students develop further their ability to analyse structures including statically indeterminate structures and learn the fundamental principles and the main tools for the analysis of solid body mechanics.
Engineering Mechanics and Materials II
Aims: To provide students with a qualitative understanding of different types of internal actions (stresses and strains), in structural members associated with different external loads; to enable students to determine the profile of elastic stresses and strains in structural members, establish relationships between complex states of stresses and strains, determine critical stresses and strains and check them against failure criteria; to provide students with knowledge of instability in structural elements subject to compressive load and determining the critical load.

Year 3

Compulsory

Resilient Infrastructure and Transport
Aims: To develop understanding of infrastructure systems with a focus on how climate change and other global challenges affect sustainable infrastructure development; to introduce contemporary transport planning with a focus on inclusive urban street design and highway management; to introduce novel concepts on resilience-based design and assessment of critical infrastructure exposed to different stressors; to develop knowledge and understanding of different approaches to improve and adapt infrastructure systems, such as transport networks, recognising contributions to development goals including SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Project Planning, Procurement and Risk
Aims: to provide knowledge and awareness of project feasibility, management theory, construction procurement, risk management and project planning; to provide the know-how and confidence in the application of management procedures for the delivery of civil engineering projects; to develop understanding of how effective project management contributes to sustainable development such as by using SDG indicators measurable at project level- notably SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production).
Computational Structural Analysis
Aims: To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of how structures and structural elements respond to loading actions; to enable students to conduct different methods of structural analysis including elastic and inelastic analysis methods, and to develop the ability to choose the appropriate models and methods for different structural scenarios; to develop the ability of the students to understand and apply concepts and theories of structural analysis to design and to verify the structural response using conceptual design, approximate analysis and numerical methods, especially in the context of SDG9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure); to develop students’ competencies in using computational analysis methods for structural analysis.
Design of Steel and Timber Structures
Aims: To further develop students’ understanding, and application, of the key principles of limit state design; to introduce students to the principles of preliminary design and structural analysis of structural steelwork; to develop students understanding of how forces are transmitted through a structure, and the consequences for analysis and design; to introduce students to the principles of buckling in steel beams and columns; to consider the design implications for rehabilitation and refurbishment of existing steel buildings; to introduce students to the key principles and activities for the design of timber structures to Eurocode 5. This includes understanding the orthotropic nature of timber, the joint behaviour and the design of beams; to develop students' understanding of the consequences of design choices on the associated environmental impact, and introduce methods of accounting for these impacts, with recognition of contributions to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Geotechnical Engineering
This module aims to develop students’ understanding of the basic principles of seepage, consolidation and shear strength of soils. It will introduce students to rock mass strength, slope stability, bearing capacity and foundations.
Integrated design project
Aims: To enable students to apply civil engineering concepts and tools to analyse, model and solve problems; to help students to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of projects, including financial and business management; to foster students to develop creative and innovative civil engineering solutions, recognising contributions to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Final Year Individual Project
Aims: To give experience in the planning and conducting a major civil engineering project; to consider the wider implications of the research, including those related to health and safety, sustainability, equality, diversity and inclusion and also the environment and economy, align with SDG4 (Quality education) and SDG5 (Gender equality); to exercise application of analytical, numerical and/or experimental methods in the analysis of a civil engineering problem; to review the results, develop self-direction in finding solutions and draw conclusions; to prepare a professional-standard technical report, with appropriate references and context provided, as well as critical analysis and conclusions; to apply and improve transferable skills; to give due consideration to research ethics.

This course can be studied undefined undefined, starting in undefined.

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Careers and your future

Graduates of our Civil Engineering BEng degree are able to:

address the needs of society, business and the environment
deploy appropriate engineering methods and technologies
solve complex engineering challenges
work with the environment in a sustainable manner to mitigating climate change impact on infrastructure and human society

This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), comprising the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council as fully meeting the educational base required for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and partially meeting educational base required for a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

UK entry requirements

2026/7 entry

Brunel University London is committed to raising the aspirations of our applicants and students. We will fully review your UCAS application and, where we’re able to offer a place, this will be personalised to you based on your application and education journey.

If you are unable to meet the direct entry criteria above, you are invited to apply for a foundation course in Engineering at Brunel Pathway College. When you successfully pass the foundation year, you can progress on to the Civil Engineering BEng.

GCSEs

A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.

A-level

Standard Offer: GCE A-level ABB including Maths and one of the following subjects; Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Geology, Environmental Science, Environment Studies, Computer Science, Electronics or Design and Technology (Use of Maths, Mathematical Studies, Critical Thinking and General Studies not accepted).

Contextual Offer: GCE A-level BBB including Maths and one of the following subjects; Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Geology, Environmental Science, Environment Studies, Computer Science, Electronics or Design and Technology (Use of Maths, Mathematical Studies, Critical Thinking and General Studies not accepted).