MEng Civil Engineering

Course content

Year 1

Note that the below course structure is provided to illustrate distribution of teaching and is subject to developmental change.

For more information and image galleries of field trips and workshops visit our 'Further Information' webpage.

Semester 1

• Mechanics A
• Civil Engineering Applications 1
• Construction Technology 1
• Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 1

Semester 2

• Mechanics B
• Introduction to Materials
• Introduction to Engineering Design
• Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 2

Students take part in site visits to a range of construction sites

Year 2

Semester 1

• Analysis of Determinate Structures
• Hydraulics and Hydrology A
• Surveying and Monitoring in the Built and Natural Environment
• Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 3

Semester 2

• Civil Engineering Materials
• Stress Analysis and Element Strength
• Design Studies A - Problem Solving
• Statistics for Science

Students also have the opportunity to participate in the week-long Constructionarium course, where they get hands-on construction experience of the civil engineering industry.

Year 3

Semester 1

• Design of Steel Elements
• Transportation Engineering A
• Indeterminate Structures
• Geology and Soil Properties

Semester 2

• Hydraulics and Hydrology B
• Geotechnics A - Introduction to Soil Mechanics
• Design of Concrete Elements
• Environmental Engineering A

Year 4

Students select half of their courses from a list of eight options, including: Structural Element Design; Water and Wastewater Treatment; Foundation Engineering; and Urban Drainage and Water Supply. Students also undertake a design project that involves collaborative work with students from other disciplines within the built environment professions.

Semester 1

• Dissertation 1 Civil Engineering Discipline
• Geotechnics B - Soil Strength
• Optional course
• Optional course

Semester 2

• Dissertation 1 Civil Engineering Discipline
• Civil Engineering Design Project
• Foundation Engineering
• Optional course

Year 5

Semester 1

• Civil Engineering Professional Project

Optional courses. Students choose from a wide range of courses, including:

• Sustainability and Civil Engineering
• Ground Engineering
• Structural Materials
• Computer Simulation of River Flows
• Project Management: Theory and Practice

Semester 2

Optional courses. Students choose from a wide range of optional courses, including:

• Stability and Dynamics
• Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources
• Human Factor Methods
• Earthquake Engineering
• FEA Stress Analysis

Students also have the opportunity to participate in a field trip to Barcelona, looking at the design of some of the worlds’ most iconic structures.

Employability

Work and study

This is what our MEng Civil Engineering students are doing six months after graduating:

• 75% are working
• 10% are studying
• 5% are working and studying.

Managerial/professional position

• 90% of those working are in a professional/managerial position six months after graduating.

Salary

• The average salary of students six months after graduating: £25000
• The average UK salary of students six months after graduating from a similar course: £25000

Jobs

These are the most common jobs students go into six months after graduating:

• Engineering professionals

Entry requirements

Year 1

• Highers AABB/ABBBB (including Mathematics)
• A-Levels BBC (including Mathematics at B)
• Int. Baccalaureate 31 points (with Mathematics at Higher Level 5)
• BTEC DDM (in relevant engineering course)

Minimum entry requirements*

• Highers BBBC (including Mathematics at B)
• A-Levels BCC (including Mathematics at B)

* Minimum: under our Fair Access Policy, we will relax our standard entry requirements for some Scottish students depending on their circumstances. Our minimum requirements will apply if you:

• live in an area within the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation lowest 20% (SIMD20), or
• are care experienced.

We can also make exceptions for some Scottish students with grades above minimum but below standard. Read more about our Minimum and standard entry requirements

Year 2

• Advanced Highers BB (including Mathematics plus AABB/ABBBB at Higher)
• A-Levels ABB (including Mathematics)
• Int. Baccalaureate 35 points (with Mathematics at Higher Level 6)
• HNC Civil Engineering A in graded unit (with at least SCQF Level 7 or NQF Level 4 in a relevant Mathematics course)
• BTEC DDD (in relevant engineering course)

Year 3

Additional information

• For all years, applications are welcomed from holders of non-school qualifications, mature candidates and overseas students.
• If you do not see your qualifications here please contact us at studywithus@hw.ac.uk
• Please check that you meet our University-wide National 5/GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths requirements.

English language requirements

• If English is not your first language, you have to show that your English is good enough to succeed on your course. Please see our English language requirements.

Fees

* Your residency 'status' is usually defined as the country where you have been ordinarily resident for the three years before the start of your course. Find out more about tuition fees.

** European Union countries (not including England, Northern Ireland or Wales).

*** 'Rest of the UK' (RUK) students entering at Level 1 receive a fee waiver of one year's tuition fee. Normally this will be the final year, or a year during which students study abroad (either at a partnership institution, or at one of Heriot-Watt's overseas campuses).

Additional costs

You may incur additional costs in the course of your studies at Heriot-Watt over and above tuition fees in an academic year. Depending on your programme of study, these may include: protective equipment, field trips, professional memberships, studio fees, required course texts or other study resources.

Scholarships and bursaries

View our full range of undergraduate scholarships.