Program Overview

Our BEng or MEng Civil Engineering degrees focus on the principles, design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects, including buildings, bridges, roads, and water supply systems which are of fundamental importance to our society.

• Surrey is recognised as one of the best universities for civil engineering in the UK. Our civil engineering courses give you industry-focused, practical training, which prepares you for work as a professional civil engineer.
• There’s a strong focus on structural engineering, and you’ll work on integrated design projects centred on industry-relevant case studies.
• Our close links with leading contractors and consultancies enable you to take up a salaried position on our award-winning Professional Training placements scheme. This valuable experience prepares students for roles in the sector and contributes towards chartership.
• Around 35 per cent of our undergraduates are on our unique Surrey/ICE (Institution of Civil Engineering) scholarship scheme, which pairs students with a relevant industrial company early on in their course. Students benefit from paid summer work and a generous scholarship bursary.

On our fully accredited civil engineering courses, you'll study modules drawing on Surrey’s outstanding expertise in areas such as water and environmental engineering, and advanced geotechnical engineering. You’ll learn through lectures, tutorials, practical challenges, industry speakers, site visits and field trips.

Whether you choose a BEng or MEng, you’ll study the same content for the first three years, before conducting a major third-year project on a topic of your choice. MEng students then do a masters year, which covers the full academic requirements for becoming a chartered engineer.

Our award-winning Professional Training placement scheme gives you the chance to spend a year in industry, either in the UK or abroad.

We have thousands of placement providers to choose from, most of which offer pay. So, become one of our many students who have had their lives and career choices transformed.

Civil Engineering placements

Around 50 per cent of our students opt to do a Professional Training placement. They enable you to gain experience in a specialised engineering sector, earn a good salary, enhance your CV and start to build up a network of contacts.

Going on placement allows you to apply and deepen the knowledge you’ve gained at Surrey and appreciate things that can’t be learned in a lecture theatre or laboratory.

The practical experience you build in areas such as health and safety will count towards becoming a chartered civil engineer. You'll also gain enhanced interpersonal and management skills, which are highly valued by employers, giving you a real head start as you enter the job market.

During your placement, you’ll remain a member of the University. A Professional Training placement tutor who'll monitor your progress will visit you and liaise with your company to ensure you get the most out of the experience.