Course summary

If you are creative, enjoy design and aspire to improve the built environment we live in then civil engineering is for you. This degree will equip you to find solutions to global environmental problems and to design large and unique structures, such as buildings, bridges and other critical infrastructure assets that shape society (for example: water supply and treatment systems, transport networks and renewable electricity generation). At Bristol you will have access to our world-class laboratory facilities, including the most advanced earthquake shaking table in Europe. The first two years provide a strong foundation in engineering, including mathematics, structures, soil and fluid mechanics, computing and surveying, as well as optional units. In your third year you will undertake a major research project and continue to develop key professional skills such as project management, entrepreneurship, economics and risk analysis. In the fourth year we introduce more optional units, which allows you to specialise in your areas of interest. Design is central to the course and this is reflected in the projects and real-world challenges you will face. In the first year you will develop a sustainable solution to an open-ended problem, such as designing and making a model bridge. The second year includes steel work, reinforced concrete, geotechnical design and water engineering. You will take part in an exciting group design project in the fourth year. This project combines all your learning as you tackle a realistic design challenge identified through our industry links. Design projects range from transportation to smart cities and from skyscrapers to sustainable housing. We equip you with the skills needed to become a future leader in civil engineering. Our graduates are highly sought after by top employers, including civil engineering consultancies and construction companies, utility companies, the army, public transport, power generation, supply companies and environmental management.