BEng Hons Civil Engineering with a Foundation year

 Your foundation year will introduce you to hands-on learning in our state-of-the-art Bay Campus facilities, where you'll develop core skills using equipment and software that prepares you for more advanced studies. This supportive approach ensures you gain the practical experience and technical understanding needed to progress confidently into the main degree programme and ultimately excel in your civil engineering career.

Here’s how you’ll develop your practical engineering skills:

• Foundation Year Workshops: You'll begin with practical sessions in our engineering laboratories, developing essential hands-on skills through targeted projects and experiments that build engineering intuition.

• Introductory Software Training: You'll learn fundamental engineering software including AutoCAD for technical drawing and basic modelling tools, building digital skills that prepare you for degree-level studies.

• Laboratory Introduction: You'll gain early access to our civil engineering facilities, with introductory sessions that help you understand testing procedures and equipment operation in a supported environment.

• Bay Campus Facilities: You'll learn in our £450 million waterfront campus that provides dedicated workshop spaces, computing labs, and study areas designed for foundation year students.

• Project-Based Learning: Your foundation year includes practical projects that develop problem-solving skills and engineering thinking, preparing you for more complex design challenges in subsequent years.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates who begin their journey with a Foundation Year on this Civil Engineering programme often move into impactful careers such as Site Engineer, Structural Engineer, Environmental Consultant, or Building Services Engineer. 

Here’s how Swansea empowers your forward path:

• Career Services & Employability Support
  The Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) guides you from foundation to degree level with workshops, employer events, individual career advice, and support securing internships or placements—which are invaluable for an engineering career.
   

• Employment Stats & Salary Figures

  • Median salary across Civil Engineering Foundation Year graduates is approximately £26,300 in your first year, climbing to £31,400 by year three and £36,100 by year five.
    Course-specific data shows around £28,000 as the median salary at 15 months post-graduation, rising to £29,500 at three years and £34,500 at five years.
     

• University–Industry Partnerships
  You’ll benefit from Swansea’s reputation for hands-on learning in high-demand fields—students can even spend a year abroad or on industry placements, strengthening both skills and professional network.

• Accreditation & Long-Term Value
  Rest assured—the Foundation Year path leads into the same professionally accredited BEng degree as direct-entry students. This accreditation (via ICE, IStructE, CIHT, IHE) means you meet the academic requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and start building toward Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
   

• Graduation Outcomes & Recognition
  Swansea is ranked 10th in the UK for Learning Resources and Facilities, and “Civil Engineering with Foundation Year” graduates enjoy outcomes on par with the standard degree—equipping you with technical confidence, hands-on skills, and the backing of university recognition.
   

Further Academic Progression:
Once you complete your BEng via the Foundation Year pathway, you're well-positioned for compelling advancement:

• Progress directly into the MEng Civil Engineering, optimising your route toward full Chartered Engineer (CEng) qualification.

• Broaden your expertise with MSc or PhD studies—potentially in infrastructure sustainability, environmental systems, or advanced structural design, tapping into Swansea’s research strengths.