Civil with Structural Engineering MEng

The MEng (Hons) Civil with Structural Engineering at the University of Brighton is a five-year, professionally accredited programme that blends advanced structural engineering with civil engineering foundations, enabling students to design, analyse, and rehabilitate structures under real-world conditions. It suits those who want to specialise in structural design—bridges, buildings, and load-bearing systems—while also gaining environmental and sustainability insight, digital modelling skills, and industry experience.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: In your first year, you’ll explore the fundamentals of civil engineering with respect to business, society, and sustainable built and natural environments. Modules such as Land and Construction Surveying, Structural and Stress Analysis, Construction Materials, Engineering Geology and Soil Mechanics, Mathematics for Civil Engineering, and Civil Engineering Practice give you grounding in how materials behave, how load is carried through structures, basic surveying and geological principles, as well as mathematical and practical skills required for civil design.

Year 2: In the second year, you move into more specialist structural topics and digital tools: you’ll study Building Information Modelling, Structural Analysis, Concrete Technology and Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Geotechnical Engineering 1, Highway Engineering for Road Transportation Infrastructure, and Computational Mechanics. You’ll also engage in group project work, designing, building, and testing small-scale structural elements, which helps you develop modelling and design judgment early.

Year 3: In the third year, you’ll deepen your structural engineering knowledge with modules like Pre-stressed Concrete, Dynamics of Structures, Design of Steel Structures, Design of Structures, Geotechnical Engineering 2, and Construction Methods and Technology. You’ll also take part in a multidisciplinary group design project, working from a complex client brief under professional-style constraints, which helps build your ability to integrate structural, geotechnical and construction knowledge.

Year 4:  In your final year, you’ll focus on advanced structural challenges including understanding types and causes of damage to existing structures, and techniques for strengthening them. You will undertake a major Individual Project and choose from options such as Dynamics of Structures with Earthquake Engineering Applications, Repair and Strengthening of Existing Reinforced Concrete Structures, Random Vibration of Structures, Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, or Wave Mechanics and Structural Loading. This helps you specialise, innovate, and demonstrate readiness for leadership or chartered engineer roles.

Focus areas

Structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, transport infrastructure, project management, environmental sustainability.

Learning outcomes

Develop advanced capabilities to design, analyse, and manage civil engineering projects; apply sustainable engineering principles; use digital tools and modelling software; communicate professionally; and uphold ethical standards.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The program is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators, including the ICE, IStructE, CIHT, IHE, and PWI, meeting educational requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status and partially for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

Reputation (employability rankings)

Brighton is recognized for hands-on learning, strong industry links, and graduate career support. Many students secure placements and employment in engineering roles soon after graduation.