PhD student Anna Klimkowskia and PGT students Adewale Fazaya and Luke Taylor using a Total Station to capture their surroundings on the Geospatial Building roof

Civil Engineering MEng

University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Civil engineering combines your creativity with technological and scientific knowledge that can change the world. You will learn how to design and manage high-profile projects. You will study the key components of civil engineering theory and learn the skills necessary to become a civil engineer. By combining individual study and working together in teams you'll learn about:

  • structures
  • geotechnics
  • materials
  • hydraulics and fluid mechanics
  • highway and transport engineering
  • surveying
  • construction management

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Hydraulics 1

Mandatory

Year 1

Group Project

Mandatory

Year 1

Portfolio of Civil Engineering Studies 1

Mandatory

Year 1

Structural Analysis 1

Mandatory

Year 1

Mathematical Methods for Civil Engineering

Mandatory

Year 1

Geotechnics 1

Mandatory

Year 2

Hydraulics 2

Mandatory

Year 2

Fundamentals of Materials

Mandatory

Year 2

Civil and Structural Steel Design Project

Mandatory

Year 2

Portfolio of Civil Engineering Studies 2

Mandatory

Year 2

Structural Analysis 2

Mandatory

Year 2

Geotechnics 2

Mandatory

Year 2

Advanced Mathematical Methods for Civil Engineering

Mandatory

Year 3

Structural Concrete Design

Mandatory

Year 3

Geotechnics 3

Mandatory

Year 3

Building Information Modelling (BIM) Group Design Project

Mandatory

Year 3

Hydraulic Design

Optional

Year 3

Engineering Risk Assessment

Optional

Year 3

Traffic Engineering

Optional

Year 3

Advanced Mathematical Techniques in Ordinary Differential Equations for Engineers

Optional

Year 3

Advanced Site Surveying

Optional

Year 3

Machine Learning for Engineers

Optional

Year 3

Construction Practice

Mandatory

Year 4

MEng Individual Investigative Project

Mandatory

Year 4

Group Design Project

Optional

Year 4

Sustainable Construction and Life Cycle Assessment

Optional

Year 4

Railway Technology

Optional

Year 4

Highway and Pavement Design

Optional

Year 4

Dynamics and Wind Engineering

Optional

Year 4

Coastal Engineering

Optional

Year 4

Managing Infrastructure and Systems

Optional

Year 4

Advanced Structural Analysis

Optional

Year 4

Geotechnical Modelling

Optional

Year 4

Advanced Structural Design

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Tuesday 13 February 2024.

Teaching methods

  • Group study
  • Independent study
  • Lab sessions
  • Lectures
  • Practical classes
  • Supervision
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops

Teaching is delivered through a mix of in-person and online methods. The majority of your teaching will be in-person.

Assessment methods

  • Coursework
  • Group coursework
  • Dissertation
  • Examinations
  • Presentation
  • Research project

On average, you will have at least 20 contact hours a week in year one and two. Combined with coursework and self-study, you may spend over 40 hours a week on your studies.

Students will be equipped to embark on a career in civil engineering, or other disciplines that require numerate problem-solving graduates.

Key sectors for our graduates are:

  • civil engineering consultancy
  • civil engineering contracting
  • civil engineering management
  • finance
  • surveying

Find out how our links with industry could give you a head start while you study with us

Average starting salary and career progression

90.4% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Engineering secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £28,123.*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017-2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2023, High Fliers Research).

University undergraduate student Cole Pearce studying in Nightingale Hall accommodation's library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

There are so many industries out there who really look for civil engineers because it shows you can do maths skills, you can do physics skills and it shows problem solving and team working skills too. If you study civil engineering at university it opens up so many doors for other jobs, not just civil engineering. 

Eva Hallas

Course data