Civil and Structural Engineering BEng

This programme is designed to transform your theoretical knowledge into practical expertise from the very start, giving you the hands-on skills that define a successful structural engineer. You'll learn in our state-of-the-art Sir William Henry Bragg Building, home to specialist structures laboratories and a hydraulics lab with wave tanks and flumes, where you can test designs and understand how materials and structures behave under real-world conditions. Your education is powered by the same industry-standard software used by leading consultancies, and you'll work on ambitious design projects that mirror the challenges you'll tackle in your professional career.

Here’s how you’ll learn by doing:

• Industry-Standard Software: You'll develop expert proficiency in critical professional tools, including Tekla for Building Information Modelling (BIM), ANSYS for finite element analysis, and Plaxis for geotechnical design, ensuring you are immediately effective in a professional setting.

• The Leeds Design Challenge: A major highlight of your final year is this intensive group project, where you'll collaborate to design and model a complex civil or structural engineering solution, developing vital project management and teamwork skills highly valued by employers.

• Specialist Structures Laboratory: You will conduct hands-on experiments in our dedicated structures lab, which is equipped with strong floors, modern loading frames, and reaction walls for testing large-scale structural components to destruction.

• Hydraulics Laboratory: You'll use our hydraulics lab, featuring a tilting flume and wave generator, to model water flow, sediment transport, and environmental processes central to civil engineering projects.

• Field Trips: The curriculum includes essential field courses, such as a geotechnical field trip to study slope stability and ground conditions, providing invaluable real-world context for your design work.

• Research-Led Learning: Your practical work is directly informed by the cutting-edge research conducted within the School of Civil Engineering, particularly in areas like advanced structural materials and earthquake engineering.

• Dedicated Resources: You will have access to the University of Leeds Library, one of the UK's largest academic research libraries, offering an extensive collection of specialist engineering texts, journals, and online databases.

Graduates from Leeds’ Civil and Structural Engineering BEng often go on to roles like Assistant Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Bridge Engineer, or Graduate Civil Engineer in consultancy or contractor firms. That means when you graduate, you’re equipped not just with the technical know-how but with confidence, reputation, and real-world readiness—so you're in a great position to start, or even lead, impactful engineering projects:

• Career and Employability Support: Leeds for Life initiative, plus support from a dedicated Employability Team, offers one-to-one advice, workshops, and help securing work experience, internships, or graduate roles. You also gain full access to the University’s large Careers Centre.

• Graduate Employment & Salary Details: Leeds civil engineering graduates typically earn a median salary of £29,000 around 15 months after graduation, rising to about £31,000 at three years and £35,000 by year five—well aligned with or slightly above national averages for the field.

• Industry Partnerships & Placements: The programme offers an optional industrial placement year, connecting you with top employers such as AMEC Environment & Infrastructure UK, Balfour Beatty, Mott MacDonald, Jacobs, Arup, Network Rail, and more—boosting your employability and professional network.

• Accreditation Advantage: Fully accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), the course satisfies the academic requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status and lays strong groundwork toward Chartered Engineer (CEng) qualification.

• Graduate Outcomes & Recognition: Leeds is ranked among the top 5 UK universities most targeted by graduate employers, underlining how highly your qualification is valued by top firms. Roles taken on by recent graduates span across design consultancies, contractors, utility companies, local authorities, and large infrastructure projects.

Further Academic Progression:
Should you wish to deepen your expertise, Leeds offers a clear path forward. Many graduates continue to MSc or MEng-level study in areas such as structural engineering, transportation, or sustainable infrastructure—either at Leeds or other leading universities. With JBM accreditation, you’ll be more than ready to take the next academic step or continue toward full Chartered Engineer status.