BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering with Foundation Year

This programme is expertly designed to build your practical engineering skills and confidence from the ground up, creating a solid pathway into degree-level studies regardless of your previous background. Your foundation year will introduce you to hands-on learning in our supportive Roland Levinsky Building environment, where you'll use modern laboratories and workshops to develop core skills before progressing to more advanced facilities. This 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.

• Materials Testing: You'll work with basic concrete and construction materials testing equipment, learning about material properties through hands-on experimentation.

• 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.

• Academic Support: You'll receive dedicated support from foundation year tutors who specialise in helping students transition successfully into degree-level engineering studies.

• Industry Visits: The programme includes introductory visits to local engineering projects and construction sites, giving you early exposure to real-world civil engineering applications.

• Progression Pathway: Upon successful completion, you'll have full access to all BEng Civil Engineering facilities including advanced structures, hydraulics, and geotechnics laboratories.

Graduates of Plymouth’s BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering with Foundation Year frequently move into roles like Civil Engineer, Water & Flood Risk Engineer, Highway or Bridge Engineer, or Geotechnical Consultant. Because you’ll first build a solid foundation, then progress through hands-on design projects, optional placements, and award-winning facilities, you’ll graduate with both the technical skills and professional confidence to thrive:

• Career Services & Employability Support
  From your Foundation Year onward, you benefit from Plymouth’s employment-focused approach—site visits, industry guest lectures, placement assistance, and tailored career workshops are all part of the journey.
  Employment & Salaries

• • 95% of graduates are in work or further study post-graduation, and most say their degree gave them an advantage or was a job requirement.

  • Median salaries across all Civil Engineering graduates at Plymouth: £28,500 at 15 months, £29,500 at 3 years, and £35,000 at 5 years.

• University–Industry Partnerships
  The programme is shaped by Plymouth’s Industrial Advisory Committee (one of the largest in the UK), ensuring up-to-date industry relevance. You’ll also engage with real-world projects and benefit from placement opportunities to grow your professional network.
   

• Accreditation & Professional Value
  The BEng is accredited by leading professional bodies—ICE, IStructE, CIHT, IHE—through the Joint Board of Moderators, meeting the academic requirement for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and setting the path toward Chartered Engineer (CEng) with further learning.
   

• Facilities & Graduate Outcomes
  You’ll study in exceptional facilities, including the state-of-the-art Marine Building, COAST lab for coastal engineering, heavy structures, and materials testing labs—ensuring a practical, immersive learning experience.
   

Further Academic Progression:
Once you successfully complete the Foundation Year and earn your BEng, you’re well placed to advance:

• Progress into the MEng Civil Engineering, which fully meets the academic threshold for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.

• Pursue postgraduate study via MSc or PhD in areas such as sustainable infrastructure, structural dynamics, or water systems—supported by Plymouth’s specialized facilities.

• Or you can step confidently into engineering roles right away—your degree’s accreditation, practical training, and career readiness make you highly competitive in the job market.