Civil Engineering

Civil engineering is the discipline that builds and sustains the physical infrastructure on which society depends: the roads, bridges, tunnels, flood defences, water supply systems, waste treatment works and foundations of the built environment. It is a field that requires engineers to combine scientific and mathematical rigour with practical judgement and project management skill, working across structural analysis, geotechnics, hydraulics, materials and environmental engineering to deliver solutions that are safe, durable, economical and sustainable.

Newcastle University's three-year full-time civil engineering programme includes a sandwich year with embedded work placement opportunities, providing you with sustained professional experience in the civil engineering industry alongside your academic studies. Newcastle has a strong engineering tradition and close links with major contractors, consultants and public sector infrastructure clients in the North East and beyond. The typical entry tariff for this programme is around 120 UCAS points.

You will study the core engineering sciences, including structural mechanics, soil mechanics and fluid mechanics, alongside more applied modules in transportation engineering, water engineering and construction technology. Project management, sustainable design, health and safety, and engineering economics are also likely to feature as the programme progresses. Software skills in structural analysis, hydraulic modelling and CAD are developed alongside the theoretical work.

The sandwich placement year typically takes place in a professional civil engineering environment, giving you exposure to real projects and client relationships that reinforce and extend your academic learning.

Graduates of civil engineering programmes are in sustained demand across infrastructure, construction and the built environment sectors. Career paths include structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, highway and transportation engineering, water and environmental engineering, project and construction management, and infrastructure development within local authorities and government agencies. Many graduates work towards Chartered Engineer status with the Institution of Civil Engineers.

The sandwich experience at Newcastle typically helps graduates move quickly into professional roles after graduation. Postgraduate study in specialist areas is a further option for those seeking advanced technical expertise.