Civil Engineering BEng

This program is built on a "do and discover" approach, ensuring you graduate with the hands-on experience and confidence to excel in your career from day one. You'll have access to our fantastic Sir William Henry Bragg Building, which houses state-of-the-art teaching labs and workspaces, including a dedicated structures lab and a hydraulics lab with wave tanks and flumes. Your learning is powered by the same industry-standard software used by top engineering firms, and you'll tackle ambitious, real-world projects that bring your theoretical knowledge to life.

Here’s a closer look at the practical opportunities that set this degree apart:

• Industry-Standard Software: You'll gain proficiency in essential professional tools like Tekla for Building Information Modelling (BIM), Plaxis for geotechnical analysis, and AutoCAD for design and drafting, ensuring you are industry-ready upon graduation.

• The Leeds Design Challenge: A cornerstone of your third year is this intensive group project, where you'll work in a team to design a solution to a complex, real-world civil engineering problem, developing crucial project management and teamwork skills.

• Specialist Laboratories: You will conduct experiments in our Structures Laboratory, equipped with strong floors and modern loading frames, and our Hydraulics Laboratory, which features a tilting flume and wave generator for modelling water flow and environmental processes.

• Field Trips: The curriculum includes valuable field courses and site visits, such as a geotechnical field trip to study slope stability and ground conditions, providing crucial real-world context for your studies.

• Research-Led Facilities: Your practical work is informed by the cutting-edge research conducted within the School of Civil Engineering and its institutes, giving you exposure to the latest challenges in water, public health, and structural materials engineering.

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

• Placement Opportunities: While optional, you can choose to gain invaluable experience on a paid industrial placement, with dedicated support from the University's Careers Centre to help you secure a role with one of our many industry partners.

Graduates from Leeds often step straight into impactful roles such as Civil Engineer, Project Engineer, Contracts Manager, or Structural Engineer, thanks to the course’s practical focus and strong industry alignment. Because this programme blends workplace placements, accredited curriculum, and hands-on projects, you’ll graduate with both confidence and credibility—ready to launch your career or build toward higher responsibility:

• University Career Support: The award-winning Employability Team and Careers Centre offer one-to-one career consultations, CV help, mock interviews, plus access to the MyCareer portal full of job opportunities and events. Regular employability fairs bring top recruiters directly to you. 

• Graduate Employment & Salary Figures:

  • Around 15 months after graduation, Leeds civil engineering graduates earn a median salary of approximately £29,000, rising to £31,000 after three years and £34,500 after five years. 

• University–Industry Partnerships: The programme includes an optional industrial placement year and maintains strong links with leading employers such as BAM Nuttall, JN Bentley, Mott MacDonald, Laing O’Rourke, and others. 

• Accreditation for Long-Term Career Advantage: The degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), meaning it meets UK standards toward Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status and lays the groundwork for Chartered Engineer (CEng) recognition. 

• Graduation Outcomes: Leeds civil engineering students are among the top 5 most targeted by graduate employers nationwide, underscoring how valued University of Leeds graduates are in the job market. 

Further Academic Progression:
Beyond starting your engineering career, you also have rich pathways ahead academically. Many students choose to pursue MSc degrees in specialist fields like structural engineering, environmental engineering, or sustainable infrastructure—either at Leeds or other leading universities. The JBM accreditation ensures that even within postgraduate study, you're building directly on a professionally respected foundation that supports chartered status progression.