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Civil and Environmental Engineering (BEng)

  • Subject area: Engineering
  • UCAS code: H221
  • Next intake: September 2025
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Mode: Full time
Civil & Environmental engineering students

Why study this course

people

Professional skills

Group projects with engineering students from other disciplines mirror the dynamic of a professional engineering team and will help you to develop vital skills.

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Flexible course

You can make your degree your own with the flexibility to choose where you want to focus your studies later in the course. If you change your mind about your programme, in most cases you may request a switch at the end of the first year.

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Industry-led content

Our course content is informed by industrial collaboration and delivered by leading academic staff, many of whom are Chartered Engineers or have worked in industry.

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Strong design element

Our courses have a strong design element with plenty of opportunities for hands-on practical work in our design studios, specialist laboratories, workshops, and computer suites. Those studying in the civil engineering discipline will have the chance to go on industrial field trips.

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Professionally accredited course

Accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and the Institute of Highway Engineers on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer.

Civil and environmental engineers design, build and maintain the spaces and places that shape our day-to-day existence with a focus on environmental issues, such as waste management, contaminated land, and water treatment.

This accredited course provides the knowledge, skills and hands-on experience you need to become a work-ready civil and environmental engineer. Through laboratory sessions, field trips, individual projects and design classes, you will embed the knowledge from your lectures and tutorials and develop your practical abilities in surveying and design.

You will choose from a range of authentic, real-world engineering problems and industry-focused scenarios, to work on both individually and with student engineers from other disciplines. Group work mirrors the relationships of an engineering team and will help you to build professional skills, such as teamwork and communication. Our open access makerspace provides a place for you to design, create and collaborate.

Accreditations

Subject area: Engineering

  • academic-schoolSchool of Engineering
  • icon-chatGet in touch
  • Telephone+44 (0)29 2087 4656
  • Marker5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA

Entry requirements

We accept a combination of A-levels and other qualifications, as well as equivalent international qualifications subject to entry requirements. Typical offers are as follows:

A level

ABB-BBC. Must include grade B in Maths.

Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

Our grade range covers our standard offer and contextual offer. We carefully consider the circumstances in which you've been studying (your contextual data) upon application.

  • Eligible students will be given an offer at the lower end of the advertised grade range.
  • Where there is no grade range advertised and/or where there are selection processes in place (like an interview) you may receive additional points in the selection process or be guaranteed interview/consideration.

Learn about eligible courses and how contextual data is applied.

International Baccalaureate

32-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects. Must include grade 6 in HL Maths.

Baccalaureate Wales

From September 2023, there will be a new qualification called the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level 3). This qualification will replace the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (Welsh Baccalaureate). The qualification will continue to be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above), excluding any specified subjects.

You must have or be working towards: 
- English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements. 

We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects.
We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements.

 

GCSE

Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.

IELTS (academic)

At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.

TOEFL iBT

At least 90 overall with a minimum of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading, and 20 for speaking.

PTE Academic

At least 69 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.

Trinity ISE II/III

II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits.
III: at least a Pass in all components.

Other accepted qualifications

Please visit our English Language requirements page for more information on our other accepted language qualifications.

You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.

If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:

  • access to computers or devices that can store images
  • use of internet and communication tools/devices
  • curfews
  • freedom of movement, including the ability to travel to outside of the UK or to undertake a placement/studies outside of Cardiff University
  • contact with people related to Cardiff University.

Other qualifications from inside the UK

BTEC

DD-DM in a BTEC Diploma in any subject and grade B in A-Level Maths.

T level

We do not accept T Levels for this programme.

Qualifications from outside the UK

See our qualification equivalences guide

Please see our admissions policies for more information about the application process.

Tuition fees for 2025 entry

Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.

Learn how we decide your fee status

Fees for home status

Year Tuition fee Deposit
Year one £9,250 None
Year two £9,250 None

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.

Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national, your tuition fees for 2025/26 be in line with the overseas fees for international students, unless you qualify for home fee status. UKCISA have provided information about Brexit and tuition fees.

Fees for island status

Learn more about the undergraduate fees for students from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Fees for overseas status

Year Tuition fee Deposit
Year one £29,450 None
Year two £29,450 None

Learn more about our tuition fees

Financial support

Financial support may be available to individuals who meet certain criteria. For more information visit our funding section. Please note that these sources of financial support are limited and therefore not everyone who meets the criteria are guaranteed to receive the support.

Additional costs

Fieldwork costs for your core modules are included but you may need to contribute towards food if it is provided during the trip.

Course specific equipment

No specific equipment is needed. The University will provide resources such as computers and associated software, laboratory equipment (including any safety equipment) and any required learning resources (both electronic and in hard copies).

Accommodation

We have a range of residences to suit your needs and budget. Find out more on our accommodation pages.

Living costs

We're based in one of the UK's most affordable cities. Find out more about living costs in Cardiff.

Course structure

This is a three-year full-time degree, with largely core modules in Years One and Two. Year Three has a carefully chosen balance of core and optional modules, allowing you to choose subjects to tailor to your personal interests or chosen career path. You need to earn 120 credits a year.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2025/2026 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2025.

Year one

Year one consists of a series of lectures and practical laboratory sessions, providing you with a solid base for the next two years of your degree programme.

Year two

Year two again consists of a series of lectures underpinned by practical laboratory sessions.

There is an off-site residential field-course for five days in the spring semester, as part of the Field Studies of the Natural and Built Environment module.

Year three

Year three includes a major project, with a value of a quarter of the overall year.  For this you will work individually, alongside a supervising staff member.

There are other core modules but also a choice of optional modules, building upon the foundations established in the earlier years.

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.

Civil engineering field trip
Students learn innovative construction practices within the context of sustainability and environmental and societal impact on a field trip to a major UK construction site.

Learning and assessment

Teaching is through lectures and tutorials, supplemented by practical laboratory and project-based work. There is a rich library of online learning material, tailored for each lesson in each module, including instructional/informational videos, study notes, guided exercise questions and some online quizzes. 

All students must complete a 30-credit individual project in Year Three, for which they are allocated a supervisor from among the teaching staff. 

There are opportunities for interactions with potential employers through careers fairs and guest lectures. Speakers from industry give regular lectures on their areas of expertise. These offer you the opportunity to hear experts speak on topics that are relevant to your degree and give you an insight into working in industry.

How will I be supported?

In Year One, you will be allocated a personal tutor who is a member of the academic staff associated with your degree course. Your tutor will be there to advise you on academic, non-academic and personal matters in a confidential and informal manner. We aim to help you overcome any problem, however big or small, as smoothly and quickly as possible.

For the 30-credit project in Year Three, you will be allocated a supervisor in the relevant area of research specialism who will meet with you regularly to provide guidance and advice on progress in the work.

You will have access through the Learning Central website to relevant multimedia material, presentations, lecture handouts, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion boards. 

An extensive programme of careers lectures and workshops is delivered within the School of Engineering, and a Careers Consultant is also available.  

Cardiff University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and excellent libraries and resource centres.

Feedback

We’ll provide you with frequent feedback on your work. This comes in a variety of formats including oral feedback in classes like design and project work and via return of marked coursework/tests.

The opportunity to test your knowledge and understanding will be provided throughout the semester via class tests in Years One and Two, plus feedback on written assessments throughout.  Occasionally, peer assessment of an individual’s contribution to a group may be used, and you may also receive oral feedback on presentations and contributions to group activities.

How will I be assessed?

Your assessments will be varied to evaluate knowledge, understanding, professional skills, and key skills.  Assessment in Year One is mostly through tests during the year, short reports, a professional development portfolio, presentations, and two written examinations. This range of assessments is carried into the higher years with a gradual change from tests to exams. The major individual project in Year Three is assessed by a dissertation report.

What skills will I practise and develop?

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme describe what you will be able to do as a result of your study at Cardiff University. They will help you to understand what is expected of you. 

The Learning Outcomes for this Programme can be found below:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding:

KU1 Apply a comprehensive knowledge of mathematics, statistics, natural science and engineering principles to the solution of complex problems in civil and environmental engineering. Much of the knowledge will be at the forefront of the particular subject of study and informed by a critical awareness of new developments and the wider context of civil and environmental engineering.

KU2 Formulate and analyse complex problems to reach substantiated conclusions. This will involve evaluating available data using first principles of mathematics, statistics, natural science and engineering principles, and using engineering judgment to work with information that may be uncertain or incomplete, discussing the limitations of the techniques employed.

KU3 Evaluate the environmental and societal impact of solutions to complex civil and environmental engineering problems (to include the entire life-cycle of a product or process) and minimise adverse impacts.

KU4 Discuss the role of quality management systems and continuous improvement in the context of complex civil and environmental engineering problems.

KU5 Apply knowledge of engineering management principles, commercial contexts, project and change management, and relevant legal matters including intellectual property rights.

Intellectual Skills:

IS1 Select and apply appropriate computational and analytical techniques, recognising/discussing the limitations of the techniques employed, for the synthesis of civil and environmental engineering problems, and to make judgements on appropriate action.

IS2 Select and evaluate technical literature and other sources of information to address complex problems.

IS3 Design solutions for complex civil and environmental engineering problems that meet a combination of societal, user, business and customer needs as appropriate, with consideration of applicable health & safety, diversity, inclusion, cultural, societal, environmental and commercial matters, codes of practice and industry standards

IS4 Apply an integrated or systems approach to the solution of complex problems.

Professional Practical Skills:

PS1 Select and apply appropriate practical laboratory and workshop skills in civil and environmental engineering, particularly in devising analytical or experimental approaches, to investigate complex problems.

PS2 Select, apply and evaluate appropriate materials, equipment, engineering technologies and processes, recognising their limitations.

PS3 Use a risk management process to identify, evaluate and mitigate risks (the effects of uncertainty) associated with a particular civil and environmental engineering project or activity.

PS4 Adopt a holistic and proportionate approach to the mitigation of security risks in civil and environmental engineering.

Transferable/Key Skills:

TS1 Communicate effectively on complex engineering matters with technical and non-technical audiences, evaluating the effectiveness of the methods used.

TS2 Identify and analyse ethical concerns and make reasoned ethical choices informed by professional codes of conduct.

TS3 Adopt an inclusive approach to engineering practice and recognise/articulate the responsibilities, benefits and importance of supporting equality, diversity and inclusion.

TS4 Function effectively as an individual, and as a member or leader of a team.

TS5 Plan and record the reflective evaluation of self-learning and development as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD.

Careers

Career prospects

Our graduates are mainly employed in the civil engineering industry with major consultancy and contracting firms, such as Sir Robert McAlpine, Ramboll, Arup and Mott McDonald. Typical roles include graduate civil engineer, site engineer or design engineer, and they are based throughout the UK as well as further afield.

A number of graduates have opted for further study, either at MSc or PhD level, at Cardiff as well as institutions across the UK and beyond.

Others have chosen to work for national and multinational companies. Recent examples include companies in the financial, media and petrochemical sectors with destinations including Deloitte, PwC, Virgin and Shell.

Graduate careers

  • Civil Engineer
  • Design Engineer
  • Project Manager

Fieldwork

There is an off-site residential field-course for five days in year two, as part of the Field Studies of the Natural and Built Environment core module.

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How to apply

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HESA Data: Copyright Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited 2021. The Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data. Data is from the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2019/20, published by HESA in June 2022.