BEng Hons Civil Engineering with Foundation Year

This programme is built around a practical, industry-focused approach to learning, ensuring you develop the real-world skills and confidence to excel as a civil engineer from the very start of your career. You'll have access to our excellent facilities in the Northern Terrace building at our city campus, which houses modern civil engineering laboratories in the School of the Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, including our structures lab, materials testing equipment, and geotechnics research apparatus. Your learning is enhanced by industry-standard software and features live project briefs from our industry partners, giving you genuine experience of current engineering challenges in a city known for its rich engineering heritage and ongoing development.

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.

• Live Project Work: You'll work on real-world briefs set by our industry partners, tackling current civil engineering challenges and developing solutions that meet professional standards, with many projects focused on Yorkshire's infrastructure needs.

• 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.

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

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

• Hydraulics Equipment: You'll use our flow measurement equipment to model water behaviour and environmental processes relevant to civil engineering projects.

• Yorkshire Site Visits: The curriculum includes valuable visits to major construction projects and infrastructure sites across the Leeds city region and Yorkshire, providing crucial real-world context for your studies.

• Placement Opportunities: You can choose to take an optional salaried industrial placement year, with dedicated support from the University's Careers Team to help you secure a role with one of our industry partners in the Yorkshire construction sector.

Graduates of this five-year pathway often step into roles such as civil engineer, structural designer, construction manager, or environmental consultant. A strong foundation year combined with practical learning supports professional confidence, leading to solid outcomes: after a year and a quarter, graduates typically earn around £25,000, with 90% securing skilled employment or further study.

Progression & Future Opportunities:
Here’s how University of Salford supports you during and after this programme:

• University Services to Boost Employability

  • Dedicated Foundation-to-Degree Support: Your foundational year builds core engineering and study skills—maths, mechanics, energy systems, academic writing, IT—to ensure you’re fully prepared to tackle degree-level civil engineering.

  • Placement Year Opportunity: From the full BEng stage, you can opt for a year in industry between Years 2 and 3. You’ll benefit from tutor support while seeking placement opportunities—making this a valuable boost to your CV, skills, and professional network.

  • Experiential Learning: You’ll participate in Constructionarium—a week-long hands-on field course—and learn via group projects, guest lectures, and visits to iconic local infrastructure (like the historic canal and railway), all reinforcing real-world skills.

• Employment Stats & Salary Figures

  • Competitive Earnings: Median salary 15 months after completion is around £25,000, rising to approximately £27,000 by Year 3 and £29,500 by Year 5.

  • Strong Employment Outcomes: About 90% are not unemployed at 15 months, with a solid proportion in highly skilled roles and working in areas that match their long-term goals.

  • Meaningful Career Alignment: Around 70–75% say their work aligns with their future plans and utilizes their degree skills, and 85% report they’re in skilled professional roles by this stage.

• University–Industry Partnerships

  • Local Industry Engagement: Salford’s location in Greater Manchester gives you direct exposure to landmark infrastructure projects, strengthening links with civil engineering firms and boosting your chances for placements and networking.

  • Alumni in Leading Firms: Graduates go on to roles at respected industry names such as WSP and Roger Bullivant, opening doors to influential networks in civil and infrastructure consultancy.

• Long-Term Accreditation Value

  • Professional Accreditation: The BEng pathway (which the foundation year feeds into) is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM)—including ICE, IStructE, CIHT, IHE—fully satisfying requirements for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status and partially satisfying those for Chartered Engineer (CEng). Further accredited learning will be needed for full CEng.

• Graduation Outcomes

  • You’ll graduate ready to make a real impact—with academic confidence grounded in a supportive foundation year, industry-ready experience, professional accreditation, and real-world exposure. Expect to pursue roles in structural design, site management, infrastructure planning, or environmental consultancy with both technical competence and professional credibility.

Further Academic Progression:
Once you’ve completed your BEng (via the foundation pathway), you’re excellently placed to consider postgraduate study. Options like an MSc in Structural Engineering offer deeper technical skills and contribute directly toward full Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. Plus, Salford grads benefit from generous alumni tuition discounts—making further study both practical and rewarding.