BEng/BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering

You'll have access to our excellent facilities at our Merchiston campus, which houses modern civil engineering laboratories in the School of Engineering and the Built Environment, including our structures lab, hydraulics equipment, and materials testing facilities where you can test designs and understand material behaviour. 

Here’s how you’ll gain practical, industry-relevant experience:

• Industry-Standard Software: You'll gain proficiency in essential professional tools including AutoCAD for technical drawing, Revit for Building Information Modelling (BIM), and specialist analysis software used in civil engineering design.

• Edinburgh Design Projects: A key feature of your degree is the series of group design projects where you'll work in teams to solve complex civil engineering problems, developing crucial project management and teamwork skills.

• Structures Laboratory: You will conduct hands-on experiments in our dedicated structures lab, equipped with modern testing frames and equipment for analysing structural components and material performance.

• Hydraulics Laboratory: You'll use our hydraulics equipment with flow channels and measurement tools to model water behaviour and environmental processes relevant to civil engineering projects.

• Geotechnical Engineering Equipment: You'll test soil properties and foundation behaviour using our geotechnical testing apparatus, gaining practical insight into ground engineering principles.

Graduates of the BEng/BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering programme emerge with the foundation to launch a rewarding engineering career—as structural designers, infrastructure project engineers, or transportation planners—and many step into roles with strong starting salaries. These outcomes reflect high employability in the civil engineering sector and a trajectory toward professional registration.

Progression & Future Opportunities:
Let’s explore how the programme supports you in achieving these exciting career outcomes:

• University Support Services for Employment

  • Student Futures – Placements & Practice Learning: Offers tailored digital tools (CV building, cover letters, interview prep), plus active placement search support, networking opportunities, and guidance—all delivered by advisors who liaise with employers to match you with valuable work experience.

  • Employability & Careers Service (Career Hub): Through Career Hub and myFuture, you gain access to CV builders, interview simulators, employer events, one-to-one consultations with Career Development Consultants, and listings for part-time or graduate vacancies.

  • Careers & Skills Development Team: School-specific advisors help with career planning, interview workshops, employer presentations, assessment centres, and insights into labour markets.

• Employment Statistics & Salary Figures

  • Median salary for graduates 15 months after graduation: £29,000 (range: £26,000–£30,500)

  • After three years: £28,500–£29,000 median

  • By five years post-graduation: median rises to £31,000–£34,000

  • Employment rate: Up to 100% of UK-resident civil engineering graduates remain employed in Scotland within 15 months

• University–Industry Partnerships

  • The Placements Team collaborates with employers from all sectors and sizes to support recruitment, shortlisting, and ongoing support of placement students

  • The Careers & Skills Development team regularly organizes employer events, assessments, and presentations—bringing you face-to-face with key industry players.

• Long-Term Accreditation Value

  • The degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM)—via institutions including ICE, IStructE, IHE, CIHT, and the Permanent Way Institution—fully satisfying academic requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status and partially for Chartered Engineer (CEng).

• Graduation Outcomes

  • You’re entering a sector with high demand for civil engineers, so you’ll be well placed to begin as a civil engineer, structural designer, or project engineer—and through your placement experiences, you're likely to arrive at graduation with a solid professional network and practical insight.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the BEng/BEng (Hons), many students opt to deepen their expertise and accelerate toward full Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. You could progress into postgraduate study such as the MSc in Advanced Structural Engineering, which is accredited by the JBM and fully meets the academic requirement for Further Learning toward CEng registration.