Civil and Environmental Engineering with foundation year

The foundation year of this Coventry University degree will be delivered from our CU Coventry campus. Course delivery from year 1 of the degree onwards will be from our Coventry University campus.

This course aims to provide you with a solid grounding for a professional career in civil and environmental engineering with an emphasis on sustainable engineering practice and its role within construction, in the UK and abroad.

The foundation year seeks to provide you with a solid grounding in mathematical principles and an understanding of the core and fundamental principles of civil and construction engineering. Professional and academic skills are integrated across all modules, including information finding and handling, problem solving, and the communication of outcomes. Students who successfully complete their foundation year will then progress onto the Civil and Environmental Engineering BEng (Hons) degree within Coventry University’s School of School of Energy, Construction and Environment.

The degree part of the course aims to develop the combination of technical, practical and managerial skills necessary to analyse, design and manage solutions for innovative and complex engineering problems as a basis for future leadership in the civil engineering profession.

You will be taught by current staff with academic and professional experience in the civil engineering and construction industries, having worked for companies such as Carillion, Arcadis and Laing O’Rourke as principal, senior and management engineers (subject to change).

Teaching is highly practical; you will have the chance to draw on real-life case studies, provided by companies such as Arcadis, CGL, Crossrail and Galliford Try where possible.

You will have opportunities to use industry-standard software as is widely used by design and consulting engineers.

You will be given opportunities to apply for industrial placements at companies that have previously included Atkins, Balfour Beatty, Interserve, Morgan Sindall, Mott MacDonald, Severn Trent Water and Warwickshire County Council.

Key benefits of the degree

• Practical activities and application of knowledge through project-led learning in design project modules

• Exercises in the Simulation Centre* (a full-scale simulated construction environment) to experience real challenges of construction management in a controlled environment and to develop professional and leadership skills

• Several optional modules are available to allow you to tailor your course to your specific interests. You can select from Biodiversity and Conservation, CCUS and Negative Emission Technologies, Environmental Hazards, Nature-Based Climate Solutions and Savage Earth

• Group project work with students from other Construction and Environment related courses such as Quantity Surveying, Architectural Technology and Geography to develop attributes and skills required in a multi-disciplinary team

See our website for further details.

Course Modules

Foundation Year Modules:

• Fundamental Pure Mathematics
• Fundamental Applied Mathematics
• Civil Engineering Fundamentals
• Construction Engineering Management

Successful completion of the foundation year progresses you to year one of the degree course. This course has a common first year which enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

The first year consists of a series of foundational topics in the civil engineering profession and practical laboratory sessions, which aims to provide a solid knowledge base for subsequent years of the BEng programme. There are also individual project modules which promote independent working among students and builds confidence in decision making which will be needed in future practice.

Year One
The first year consists of a series of foundational topics in the civil engineering profession and practical laboratory sessions, which aims to provide a solid knowledge base for subsequent years of the BEng programme. There are also individual project modules which promote independent working among students and builds confidence in decision making which will be needed in future practice.

Modules

• Principles of Structures and Mathematics - 30 credits
• Soil Mechanics and Materials - 30 credits
• Civil Engineering Practice and Technology - 30 credits
• Land Surveying and Digital Engineering Applications - 30 credits

Year Two
In year two, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum and developing your:

Modules

• Structural Analysis and Design - 30 credits
• Hydraulics and Geotechnics - 30 credits
• Sustainable Environmental Project Management - 30 credits
• Advanced Materials and Transportation Engineering - 30 credits

Placement Year
There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement* can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee* of £1250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time, you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Final Year
The third year aims to bring students to the level necessary to enter professional practice as an Incorporated Civil and Environmental Engineer; reflecting both the latest advances and research work in the subject together with the contemporary job market. At this stage, each student will also undertake a body of independent research during Year 3 of their course within their ‘Research Dissertation’ module.

Modules:

• Climate Resilience and Sustainable Infrastructure - 30 credits
• Water and Hydrology Engineering - 30 credits
• Integrated Civil Engineering Project - 30 credits
• Undergraduate Research Dissertation - 30 credits

For further information and to read details for each module please visit the course page on the Coventry University website.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

*see website for details

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Civil Engineers, Institution of
• The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation
• Structural Engineers, Institution of