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What subject do Civil Engineering students study at the top 20 Universities in the UK in 2022



What is Civil Engineering?


Civil Engineering deals with the design and construction of our physical and built environments.




"At the Complete University Guide, we help students around the world to make the right choice. Our university league tables and rankings serve as a guide to which university is best for you. On this website, you'll find guidance and support for every stage of your journey to university, from choosing a course and university to researching funding and accommodation "


Civil Engineering - Top 20 University 2021 List


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1. The University of Cambridge - Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

  • Structures and Materials

  • Mechanical Engineering

  • Electrical and Information Engineering

  • Mathematical Methods


Year 2

  • Thermofluid Mechanics - Core

  • Materials - Core

  • Structures - Core

  • Mechanics - Core

  • Mathematical Methods - Core

  • Business Economics - Core

  • Information Engineering - Core

  • Electrical Engineering - Core


Year 3

  • Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering

  • Bioengineering

  • Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

  • Electrical and Information Sciences

  • Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

  • Information and Computer Engineering

  • Instrumentation and Control

  • Mechanical Engineering


Year 4

  • Major Individual Project


Find out More at the University website: here


2. Imperial College London - Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

  • Geotechnics - Core

  • Civil Engineering Design I - Core

  • Fluid Mechanics I - Core

  • Energy and Environmental Engineering - Core

  • Computational Methods I - Core

  • Structural Mechanics I - Core

  • Professional Engineering Practice (including Construction Week) - Core

  • Mechanics - Core

  • Mathematics I - Core

  • Materials - Core

Year 2

  • Soil Mechanics and Engineering Geology - Core

  • Statistics - Core

  • Structural Design - Core

  • Structural Mechanics II - Core

  • Environmental Engineering: Water Resource and Supply Engineering - Core

  • Business and Project Management - Core

  • Computational Methods II - Core

  • Mathematics II - Core

  • Fluid Mechanics II - Core

  • Civil Engineering Design II - Core


Year 3

  • Transport Systems - Core

  • Environmental Engineering: Water and Wastewater Treatment, Waste and Resource Management - Core

  • Geotechnical Engineering - Core

  • Fluid Mechanics III - Core

  • Computational Engineering Analysis - Core

  • Structural Mechanics III - Core

  • Dynamics of Structures - Core

  • I-Explore - Core

  • Civil Engineering Design III - Core

Year 4

  • Individual Research Project (includes a Student Conference) - Core


Find out More at the University website: here




3. University of Oxford - Civil Engineering MEng (Hon



Year 1

  • Electrical and information engineering

  • Structures and mechanics

  • Mathematics

  • Engineering practical work

  • Energy


Year 2

  • Electrical and information engineering

  • Structures, materials, and dynamics

  • Energy systems

  • Engineering practical work

  • Mathematics


Year 3

  • Engineering computation

  • Engineering practical work

  • Engineering in society

  • Group design project


Year 4

  • Major Project


Find out More at the University website: here



4. University of Bristol - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)

Year 1

  • Engineering Mathematics 1 (20 credits) - Core

  • Engineering by Investigation (20 credits) - Core

  • Engineering Science (40 credits) - Core

  • Engineering by Design (20 credits) - Core

  • Field Methods (20 credits) - Core


Year 2

  • Structural Materials and Design (20 credits) - Core

  • Methods of Structural Analysis (20 credits) - Core

  • Geomechanics (20 credits) - Core

  • Field Methods (20 credits) - Core

  • Engineering Mathematics 2 (20 credits) - Core


Year 3


Year 4


Students have the option to select 80 credits from the list below:


Find out More at the University website: here

5. University of Glasgow - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

  • ANALOGUE ELECTRONICS 1

  • ENGINEERING SKILLS 1

  • ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 1

  • MATERIALS 1

  • CIVIL ENGINEERING 1

  • DYNAMICS 1

  • ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 1

  • STATICS 1

  • THERMODYNAMICS 1


Year 2

  • SOIL MECHANICS 2

  • STRUCTURAL DESIGN 2

  • STRUCTURAL DESIGN PROJECT 2

  • ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES 2

  • CIVIL ENGINEERING SKILLS 2

  • GEOLOGY AND SURVEYING FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS 2

  • MECHANICS OF STRUCTURES 2A

  • MECHANICS OF STRUCTURES 2B

  • FLUID MECHANICS 2

  • ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS 2

Year 3

  • STRUCTURAL DESIGN 3

  • STRUCTURAL MECHANICS 3

  • GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING 3

  • MECHANICS OF SOLIDS 3

  • STRUCTURAL DESIGN PROJECT 3

  • CIVIL DESIGN PROJECTS 3

  • ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS ENGINEERING 3

  • CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT 3

  • ENGINEERING HYDRAULICS 3

  • TRANSPORT ENGINEERING 3: URBAN STREETS AND HIGHWAYS

Year 4

  • CIVIL DESIGN PROJECT 4

  • INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 4


Find out More at the University website: here



6. University of Bath - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)



Year 1

  • Architectural engineering 1

  • Design skills

  • Engineering mathematics and computation 1

  • Geology, hydrology and surveying

  • History, theory and engineering practice

  • Structural mechanics and materials

Year 2

  • Architectural engineering 2

  • Civil infrastructure 1A: hydraulics

  • Civil infrastructure 1B: Transportation

  • Construction processes and management

  • Engineering mathematics and computation 2

  • Soil mechanics and foundation design

  • Structural design and construction

Year 3

  • Civil engineering infrastructure 2

  • Infrastructure engineering design project

  • Joint design project

  • Structural and geotechnical design and analysis


Year 4

  • Advanced infrastructure engineering

  • Individual research dissertation: civil engineering

  • Joint design project: civil engineering


Find out More at the University website: here


7. University of Southampton - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1


Year 2


Year 3

Choose one of three modules:


Year 4

You must also choose from the following modules in year 4:


Find out More at the University website: here



8. University of Sheffield - Civil and Structural Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1


Year 2


Year 3

Year 4


Find out More at the University website: here


9. University of Leeds - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

  • Engineering Surveying and Construction Technology

  • Architecture and Environment

  • Integrated Design Project 1 (inc Design Studio 1)

  • Engineering Mathematics and Modelling 1

  • Properties of Materials: Water, Soil, Steel and Timber

  • Structural Design and Analysis


Year 2

  • Water Engineering and Geotechnics

  • Civil Engineering Materials II

  • Structural Analysis 1

  • Integrated Design Project 2

  • Structural Design 1

  • Sustainable Engineering Solutions

  • Engineering Mathematics and Modelling 2


Year 3

  • Environmental Health Engineering in Developing Countries

  • Integrated Design Project 3

  • Wastewater Engineering

  • Foundation Engineering Fundamentals

  • Structural Design 2

  • Water Engineering

  • Individual Research Project 1


Year 4

  • Integrated Design Project 4

  • Individual Research Project 2


Find out More at the University website: here



10. Loughborough University - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1


Year 2


Year 3

  • Further Structural Analysis and Geotechnical Design

  • Construction Contracts, Law and Finance

  • Research Dissertation


You must also choose from the following modules:

  • Ground Engineering and Monitoring

  • Computational Structural Engineering

  • Water Resources, Sustainability, and Climate Change

  • Transport Infrastructure Engineering


Year 4

  • Research Dissertation

  • Teamwork Design Project

  • Smart Cities and Mobility

  • Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering

  • Advanced Geotechnical and Environmental Modelling


You must also choose from the following modules:


  • Innovation and Technology

  • Construction Law and Contracts

  • Principles and Application of BIM

  • Smart Cities and Mobility

  • Quantitative and Numerical Methods in Engineering


Find out More at the University website: here


11. UCL (University College London) - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

Year 2

Year 3


Year 4

Integrated Design Project - Core


Optional modules:


Find out More at the University website: here


12. University of Strathclyde - Civil and Environmental Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

  • Structural Mechanics & Materials 1

  • Civil Engineering Design Projects

  • Basic Mechanics & Fluid Statics

  • Engineering Geology & Soil Mechanics

  • Civil Engineering & the Environment


Year 2

  • Structural Mechanics & Materials 2

  • Land Surveying & Mapping

  • Hydraulics & Hydrology

  • Soil Mechanics

  • Chemistry & Materials Science


Year 3

  • Structural Engineering 1

  • Geotechnical Engineering 1

  • Water Engineering 1

  • Construction Project Management

  • Environmental Engineering

  • Engineering Mathematics

  • Transport Engineering


Year 4

  • Geotechnical Engineering 2

  • Water Engineering 2

  • Solid Waste Management and Contaminated Land

  • Individual Project

  • Project Planning


Year 5

  • Civil Engineering Design Projects 5


Find out More at the University website: here


13. University of Nottingham - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

  • Hydraulics 1

  • Group Project

  • Portfolio of Civil Engineering Studies 1

  • Structural Analysis

  • Mathematical Methods for Civil Engineering

  • Geotechnics 1


Year 2

  • Hydraulics 2

  • Fundamentals of Materials

  • Civil and Structural Steel Design Project

  • Portfolio of Civil Engineering Studies 2

  • Structural Analysis 2

  • Geotechnics 2

  • Advanced Mathematical Methods


Year 3

  • Structural Concrete Design

  • Geotechnics 3

  • Building Information Modelling (BIM) Project

  • Hydraulic Design and Experiments


Optional Modules:

  • Mapping for Engineering Surveying and GIS (autumn)

  • Engineering Risk Assessment

  • Traffic Engineering

  • Advanced Mathematical Techniques in Ordinary Differential Equations for Engineers


Year 4

  • Individual Investigative Project

  • Group Design Project


Optional Modules:

  • Sustainable Construction and Life Cycle Assessment

  • Railway Technology

  • Highway and Pavement Design

  • Dynamics and Wind Engineering

  • Coastal Engineering

  • Managing Infrastructure and Systems

  • Advanced Structural Analysis

  • Geotechnical Modelling

  • Advanced Structural Design


Find out More at the University website: here



14. University of Liverpool - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1


  • Civil and architectural engineering project

  • Digitalization of the built environment

  • Geomechanics 1

  • Introduction to statistics and programming for engineers

  • Introduction to the digital built environment

  • Engineering mathematics

  • Solids and structures 1

  • Introduction to structural materials


Year 2

  • Engineering Mathematics II

  • Geomechanics 2

  • Group design project

  • Hydraulics

  • Reinforced concrete and steelwork

  • Structural engineering in the built environment 2

  • Environmental planning and infrastructure project

  • Experimental methods

  • Programming for civil engineers

  • Fluid mechanics

  • Field theory, partial differential equations & methods of solution


Year 3 (The year three modules are currently being reviewed)

  • Geotechnical engineering

  • Individual project

  • Sustainable water engineering


Year 4

  • Advanced Geomechanics

  • Capstone: Multidisciplinary project

  • Structural systems

  • Materials for durable and sustainable construction

  • Risk and uncertainty: Probability theory

  • Advanced construction management

  • Uncertainty, reliability and risk 1


Find out More at the University website: here


15. University of Birmingham Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)



Year 1

  • Electrical engineering

  • Engineering materials

  • Engineering mathematics 1

  • Fluid mechanics and energy transfer

  • Integrated design project 1A

  • Integrated design project 1B

  • Introduction to computing for engineers

  • Mechanics 1


Year 2

  • Construction practice and management

  • Engineering mathematics 2

  • Geotechnical engineering 1

  • Integrated design project 2

  • Materials engineering 1

  • Open channel flow hydraulics

  • Structural engineering 1


Year 3

  • Structural engineering 2

  • Materials engineering 2

  • Geotechnical engineering 2

  • Applied fluid mechanics

  • Water transmission and treatment

  • Integrated design project 3


Optional Modules:

  • Industrial project 1

  • Capability systems engineering

  • Civil engineering group management project A

  • Civil engineering group management project B

  • Surface and groundwater hydrology


Year 4

  • Geotechnical engineering 3

  • Individual engineering project

  • Materials engineering 3

  • Structural engineering 3

Optional Modules:


Management theme

  • Financial decision making in the business environment

  • Synoptic engineering

  • Engineering production and risk management in construction

  • Civil engineering group management project B

  • Sustainable construction

Roads/Transportation theme

Water theme

Structural theme

Geotechnics theme

  • Financial decision-making in the business environment

  • Synoptic engineering

  • Engineering production and risk management in construction

  • Civil engineering group management project B

  • Sustainable construction


Management theme

  • Financial decision-making in the business environment

  • Synoptic engineering

  • Engineering production and risk management in construction

  • Civil engineering group management project B

  • Sustainable construction


Find out More at the University website: here


16. University of Manchester


Year 1

  • Structures 1 (Civil)

  • Mathematics 1M1

  • Mathematics 1M2

  • Exploring Enterprise

  • Entrepreneurial Skills

  • Materials 1 (Civil)

  • Geotechnics 1

  • Design 1 (Civil)

  • Hydraulics 1

  • Mechanics (Civil)

  • Civil Engineering Practice

  • Tools for Civil Engineers

Year 2

  • Structures 2 (Civil)

  • Geotechnics 2

  • Steel & Concrete Structures

  • Hydraulics 2

  • Design 2 (Civil)

  • Materials 2 (Civil)

  • Project Management (Civil)

  • Computing & Numerical Methods (Civil)

  • Modelling & Simulation (Civil)

  • Surveying

  • Tools & Techniques for Enterprise

  • Mathematics 2M1


Year 3

Mandatory Modules

  • Geotechnics 4

  • Operations Management

  • Structural Design & Materials

  • Geotechnics 3

  • Hydraulics 3

  • Structures 3 (Civil)

  • Individual Project

  • Design 3 (Civil)

Optional Modules:

  • Resource Efficiency & Sustainable Waste Management

  • Tools & Techniques for Enterprise

  • Nuclear Systems

  • Renewable Energy Systems

  • Interdisciplinary Sustainable Development


Year 4

Mandatory Modules:

  • Civil Group Design Project

  • Water Resource Planning & Management

  • Civil Engineering Design

  • Environmental Assessment

Optional Modules:

  • Earthquake Engineering

  • Computational Hydraulics

  • Fire Engineering

  • Legal Issues

  • Engineering Foresight


Find out More at the University website: here




17. Northumbria University, Newcastle


Year 1

  • Design and Materials

  • Land Surveying

  • Introduction to Mechanics & Structures

  • Introduction to Fluid Mechanics and Soil Mechanics

  • Introduction to Structural Design

  • Academic Language Skills for Mechanical and Construction Engineering (Core – for International and EU students only)

  • Engineering Analytics


Year 2

  • Construction Project Management & Digital Engineering 1 [BIM]

  • Engineering Geology & Geotechnics

  • Structural Analysis

  • Structural Design

  • Hydraulics and Hydrology

  • Preparing for Placement

  • Academic Language Skills for Mechanical and Construction Engineering (Core – for International and EU students)

  • Further Mathematics


Year 3

Core Modules:

  • Academic Language Skills for Mechanical and Construction Engineering (Core – for International and EU students only)

Optional Modules:

  • Year in International Business (This is made up of modules studied in Newcastle (Semester 1) & Amsterdam (Semester 2)

  • Work Placement Year

  • Study abroad year


Year 4

  • Academic Language Skills for Mechanical and Construction Engineering (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

  • Environmental Engineering

  • Geotechnical Engineering

  • Integrated Group Design Project

  • Civil Engineering Research Project

  • Structural Analysis and Modelling


Year 5

  • Academic Language Skills for Mechanical and Construction Engineering (Core – for International and EU students only)

  • Infrastructure Engineering Design

  • Highway and Railway Engineering

  • Structural Integrity and Historical Engineering

  • Geotechnical Instabilities

  • Interdisciplinary Group Project

  • Building Information Modelling Management, Theory and Practice

Find out More at the University website: here




18. Heriot-Watt University - Civil Engineering MEng (Hons)


Year 1

  • Mechanics A

  • Construction Technology 1

  • Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 1

  • Shaping Tomorrow Together A

  • Mechanics B

  • Introduction to Materials

  • Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 2

  • Shaping Tomorrow Together B


Year 2

  • Analysis of Determinate Structures

  • Hydraulics and Hydrology A

  • Surveying and GIS

  • Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 3

  • Civil Engineering Materials

  • Stress Analysis and Element Strength

  • Design Studies A - Problem Solving

  • Statistics for Science

Year 3

  • Design of Steel Elements

  • Transportation Design, Infrastructure and Society

  • Indeterminate Structures

  • Geology and Soil Properties

  • Hydraulics and Hydrology B

  • Geotechnics A - Introduction to Soil Mechanics

  • Design of Concrete Elements

  • Environmental Technology and Management


Year 4

  • Dissertation 1

  • Geotechnics B - Soil Strength

  • Optional course

Optional courses include:

  • Sustainability for Construction Professionals

  • Plastic Analysis of Structures

  • Structural Element Design

  • Highway Engineering

  • Environmental Geotechnics

  • Finite Element Method Linear Analysis

  • Urban Drainage and Water Supply

  • Water and Wastewater Treatment.


Year 5

Semester 1

  • Civil Engineering Professional Design Project

  • Optional course

  • Optional course

Semester 2

  • Students take four 15-credit courses from a range of options.

Optional courses include:

  • Water and Wastewater Treatment.

  • Design of Low-Carbon Buildings

  • Advanced Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures

  • Advanced Design of Steel and Steel-Concrete Composite Structures

  • Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources

  • Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering

  • Finite Element Method Nonlinear Analysis

  • Ground Engineering, Human Factor Methods

  • Statistical Modelling of the Environment

  • River Flow and Flood Modelling, Stability and Dynamics

  • Structural Materials

  • Safety, Risk and Reliability

  • Urban Drainage and Water Supply,

  • Water and Wastewater Treatment

  • Construction Financial Management

  • Project Management: Strategic Issues

  • Project Management: Theory and Practice, Value and Risk Management

  • Environmental Planning


Find out More at the University website: here




19. Ulster University



Year 1

  • Materials

  • Mathematics - BEng

  • Sustainable Construction and Traffic Engineering

  • Engineering Mechanics

  • Digital Construction and Communication

  • Surveying

Year 2

  • Mathematics for Engineers

  • Safety in Design

  • Geotechnics 2

  • Water Resources 2

  • Structures 2

  • Structural Engineering Design 2


Year 3

  • Professional Practice - Civil Engineering


Year 4

  • Construction Management

  • Soil Mechanics 4

  • Structural analysis and design 4

Optional Modules:

  • Civil Engineering Design

  • Environmental Engineering 4

  • Project Empirical Data collection and Analysis

  • Project Literature Review and Methodology

  • Dissertation Literature Review and Methodology

  • Dissertation Empirical Data collection and Analysis

  • Highways and Transportation Engineering


Year 5

  • Project Management

  • Integrated Design studies A

  • Structural Design for Infrastructure

  • Infrastructure Design Studies

  • Sustainable Development

Optional Modules:

  • Advanced Materials, Structures and Geotechnics

  • Numerical Modelling

  • Waste Systems

  • Utilities and Water Engineering

  • Structural Fire Engineering

  • Highway Asset Management

Find out More at the University website: here



20. University of Dundee


Year 1

  • Personal Development Planning

  • Communication in Professional Practice

  • Civil Engineering Project

  • Engineering Materials

  • Mechanics

  • Science and Engineering Mathematics 1A

  • Engineering Project 1

  • Science and Engineering Mathematics 1B

  • Introduction to Structural Analysis

Year 2

  • Personal Development Planning

  • Solid Mechanics

  • Geomechanics

  • Fluid Mechanics

  • Mathematics for Engineers

  • Civil Engineering Project II

  • Surveying

  • Structures

  • Engineering Design Software

  • Civil Engineering Project I

Year 3

  • Fluid Mechanics

  • Mathematics for Engineers II

  • Steel and Concrete Structures

  • Soil Mechanics

  • Structural Analysis

  • Civil Engineering Materials and the Environment

  • Digital Structural Analysis and Design

Year 4

  • Water Resources and Treatment

  • Structural Design

  • Construction Management I

  • Conceptual Design Project

  • Geotechnical Design

  • Individual Research Project

Year 5

  • Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering

  • Project Management

  • Advanced Structural Analysis

  • Multi-Disciplinary Project

  • Sustainable Construction

Find out More at the University website: here



Coming soon:


20. University of Dundee

21. The University of Edinburgh

22. Newcastle University

23. University of Surrey

24. Cardiff University

25. Queen's University Belfast

26. Swansea University

27. University of Plymouth

28. University of Reading

29. Teesside University, Middlesbrough

30. Nottingham Trent University


Get notified: here




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