Civil Engineering
A large proportion of our civil engineering students go on to work as graduate civil or structural engineers, and many work towards chartership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) or other professional bodies as they progress through their careers.
Equally, some students choose to use the skills they have gained throughout their degree to move into graduate roles outside of civil engineering, or to develop new skills and specialisms through further study.
What skills will I develop during my degree?
In addition to your subject knowledge the degree equips you with key employability skills, which are relevant to all sectors:
- problem-solving
- research and analysis
- creative and innovative thinking
- verbal and written professional including presentation skills
- co-ordinating with others and teamwork
- digital capabilities
Becoming a chartered engineer
A degree in civil engineering will provide you with the education base to work towards Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status through the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) or the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), both of whom accredit University of Nottingham civil engineering degrees.
This can be a good way of demonstrating and accrediting your professional competence as an engineer once you start in the workplace. MEng graduates will have the education base required for Chartership, while BEng graduates will have the educational base for Incorporated Engineer status. However it is also possible for a BEng graduate to achieve Chartered status through further learning in the workplace.
Where and who could I work for?
Graduates from Nottingham who have gone on to work as graduate civil or structural engineers over the last few years have worked for a range of employers from large multi-national companies to small local employers.
High quality graduate roles are available in companies of all sizes and types, so it’s important to think about which type of organisation and opportunity you feel you would be best suited to.
Here are some of the types of employers that civil engineering students from Nottingham have gone on to work for over the last few years:
- Global engineering consultants including AECOM, Atkins, Arup, Bechtel, WSP, Mott McDonald, Arcadis
- National / regional consultants including BWB, Fairhurst, Campbell Reith, Idom Merebrook, Bridgeway Consulting
- Local / specialist consultants including Andrew Firebrace Partnership, Ashley Helme, Cass Hayward
- Global construction companies including Kier, Balfour Beatty, Wilmott Dixon, Laing O’Rourke, Vinci
- National / regional construction companies including Graham Construction, Buckingham Group, North Midland Construction, Henry Boot
- Local / specialist contractors including James Engineering, MAL Ltd, Structural Soils Ltd
- National ‘client’ employers including Highways England, Network Rail, National Grid, UK local authorities, Transport for London, E.On, Severn Trent
- Other specialists including TG Tunnelling, URF Ltd, Laser Surveys, IMI, Sellafield, Subsea 7
Looking for graduate vacancies - go to our civil engineering careers page
Other engineering roles
Other engineering roles such as environmental engineering, construction management, surveying engineering can either be progressed into directly with civil engineering degree or following from a more specialised MSc.
Non-engineering roles
Not all engineering graduates become engineers. Many of our graduates find alternative opportunities where they are able to use their transferable skills including:
- problem solving and analysis
- project management
- high degree of numerical and computer literacy
- teamworking
- communication.
Examples of non-engineering roles our engineers have entered:
- Analysis roles – credit analyst, data analyst
- Finance and accounting
- Project management
- Risk management
- Supply chain
- Technical and business consulting
- Technology and software development
Examples of the companies they work for:
- Bank of America
- Barclays
- BT
- Deloitte
- KPMG
- PwC
- Royal Bank of Scotland
- Santander
- Sky
What are my further study options?
Some students will progress into further study at postgraduate level in both engineering and non-engineering related areas. Examples of recent further study destinations of civil engineering students include:
- PhD Civil Engineering
- MSc Tunnelling and Underground Space
- MSc Civil Engineering: Environmental Fluid Mechanics
- MSc Integrated Building Systems
- MSc Marine Environmental Management
- MSc International Business
- MSc Management
Postgraduate study can be a way to develop a further specialism in a particular area of interest, either through carrying out research or undertaking specialist taught modules. It can also be a way to gain skills and qualifications in areas outside engineering in order to progress into alternative careers.
For students doing a BEng qualification, undertaking an accredited MSc will give you the level of qualification necessary to progress on to become a chartered engineer and to meet the entry requirements of some graduate engineering employers who ask for a masters level qualification. For students doing an MEng degree, undertaking an MSc won’t give you a higher level qualification, but it can be a way of specialising in a particular area.
Explore your further study options - finding courses, funding and making applications
How can I develop my skills and gain experience?
Regardless of whether you are a first year or final year, developing skills outside your degree will enhance your CV and allow you to provide evidence of these in applications and at interviews. We have a wide range of opportunities at the University for you to explore:
Faculty of Engineering Placement Scheme
An industrial placement will enable you to gain industry experience, crucial for your career development.
Industrial placements
Work experience and volunteering
Depending on what area of work or role you might be interested in, and where, there will be specific strategies, from speculative applications to formal processes you need to be familiar with.
Work experience - what, how and when
Nottingham Internship Scheme
We work closely with a huge variety of local and national businesses to bring you an exciting range of internship opportunities, for both current students and recent graduates.
Nottingham Internship Scheme
Nottingham Consultancy Challenge
The Nottingham Consultancy Challenge offers the chance for you to gain hands-on experience of managing a short term project for a local business or charity as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Nottingham Consultancy Challenge
Nottingham Advantage Award
The Nottingham Advantage Award offers interesting extracurricular modules to develop and reflect on your employability. With over more than 200 modules across our three campus in the UK, China and Malaysia.
Nottingham Advantage Award
Students' Union
The Students’ Union offers a wide range of volunteering options both locally and internationally which you can fit around your studies.
Alternatively you could get involved in a society or sports club - there's so many, you're bound to find one that interests you!
Students' Union
CivSoc
Careers events
We offer a range of events to develop your skills and meet employers throughout the year. Check out:
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.