Civil Engineering Top-up (Part-time) BSc (Hons)

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Level of study:
Undergraduate
Entry Requirements:
More information
Start date:
September 2026
Duration:
Two years part-time day release
Attendance:
Part-time
Course delivery:
On-campus (City Campus)

Accredited

Civil engineering students from Nottingham Trent University on a bridge building exercise with construction company NMCN.

About this course

Civil engineers find creative ways to solve real-world problems by developing the physical infrastructure society needs to exist – from bridges and houses, through to roads, hospitals and train stations.

Taught for one day a week, this part-time BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering Top-up course enables those who have already completed their HND and are working in the industry, or who have relevant work experience, to acquire further professional qualifications.

It is accredited by professional industry bodies and designed to provide you with both a practical and broad civil engineering education – focusing on both the theory and practice of civil engineering, with a strong emphasis on practical and project work.

Take a look at our course comparison page to see the differences between our BSc, BEng and MEng Civil Engineering degrees.

Become an expert

Take the first step in gaining Incorporated Engineer status – this course is accredited as fully satisfying the educational base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
2nd for sustainability

2nd most sustainable university in the world (UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2024).
Industry standard facilities

Experience hands-on learning in our specialist facilities and workshops, including dedicated concrete, materials, hydraulics, geotechnical labs and structural testing equipment.
5th

for the number of UG students studying Civil engineering (HESA 2023/24).

This part-time degree develops together the theory and practice of civil engineering, with a strong emphasis on practical and project work.

Our part-time route is designed for those already working in the industry, or who have experience, to acquire further professional qualifications and apply their learning to their live working experience. NTU provides support and resources to make studying as easy and flexible as possible, including a virtual learning environment, enabling you to study from home or work.

Module information

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying throughout the course:

Core modules

We regularly review our course content based on student and employer feedback to ensure they remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or availability in future years. Optional modules will only run where there is sufficient demand. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to protect the academic and student experience.

The part-time study route is taught one day a week and, where possible, part-time students are taught alongside full-time students on the BSc Civil Engineering full-time course.

Your typical day will run from 9 am through to 7.30 pm, and normally three different subject areas are taught on each day. In Final Year, the formal contact hours are reduced to allow time to focus on the individual project.

You’ll learn through a mix of:

lectures - covering the key theories
scale-up and collaborative sessions
seminars - smaller-group sessions perfect for learning key skills and collaborative working
practical exercises - including IT sessions and computer-aided design (CAD), concrete testing and fieldwork
project work - self-directed study with the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment.

NTU provides support and resources to make studying as easy and flexible as possible, including a virtual learning environment that enables you to study from home or work.

The course aims to develop your intellectual, practical and personal skills, together with the theory and practice of civil engineering.

Study trips

Field trips and study visits are an important part of your learning. Trips may include site visits to live projects and residential study trips. Where a trip is mandatory it will be aligned to your modules and inform project work, and substantive costs – including travel and accommodation – will be paid for by the school.

Optional trips may also be organised which can provide additional opportunities to enhance your knowledge and experience. These optional trips may incur a cost to the student.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a mix of coursework, practical exercises and exams. The coursework will make up the majority of your assessment and will consist of group and individual projects, reports, presentations and essays. You will receive feedback throughout each module.

How you're assessed

People excel in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success. You will be assessed through:

coursework, this will make up the majority of your assessments and will consist of group and individual projects, formal reports, presentations, and essays.
practical exercises, such as individual and group presentations, and laboratory assessments
exams, including formal exams and written tests.

Contact hours

For each 20-credit module, you’ll spend about 200 hours learning overall. Around 40 of those hours will be taught in lectures, seminars, workshops or laboratory and practical sessions. The rest of the time is for independent study, reading, research, or working on assignments.

Zakwan Arab

Senior Lecturer

Zakwan Arab is a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader in Civil Engineering within the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment at Nottingham Trent University (NTU).
Visit Zakwan Arab's staff profile
Bahareh Kaveh (Dr)

Principal Lecturer

Dr Kaveh is a Civil Engineer with a PhD in numerical modelling. She is teaching Advanced Structural Design to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Civil Engineering students at NTU.
Visit Bahareh Kaveh (Dr)'s staff profile
Agnes Boscoe-Wallace

Senior Lecturer

Agnes Boscoe-Wallace
Visit Agnes Boscoe-Wallace's staff profile
Paul Beetham

Associate Professor

Paul Beetham
Visit Paul Beetham's staff profile

Entry requirements

UK students

For advanced entry to Year One of the course:

a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Civil Engineering or equivalent qualification.

To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.

Additional requirements for UK students

There are no additional requirements for this course.

Contextual offers

We consider every application in the context of your individual circumstances and educational background. This may include information about where you live, the school or college you attended, or experiences that may have shaped your educational journey. This is known as a contextual offer, and we use information provided through UCAS to help inform our decisions. By considering achievement in context, we can better recognise academic potential and ensure applicants are assessed as fairly and fully as possible. Please note we do not make contextual offers during Clearing.

Meeting our entry requirements

Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.

Other qualifications and experience

NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.

We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.

Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.

Additional requirements for international students

There are no additional requirements for this course.

English language requirements

View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.

If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.

Other qualifications and experience

If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.

You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.

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Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.

Getting in touch

If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

£4,895 per year

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including NTU bursaries and scholarships.

Our Building Blocks financial package: supporting you throughout your studies

As a student at the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment, you’ll also benefit from our Building Blocks financial package, which aims to help minimise the additional costs of study, while you’re here at NTU.

What you’ll receive:

All of the materials needed for induction workshops and activities, working within our workshops and laboratories.
Free personal protective equipment (PPE), which usually includes hard-wearing boots, goggles and high-vis vests, to keep you safe on site visits and while working in our workshops.
Access to the free professional body accreditation, as appropriate for your course.
£20 pre-paid printing allowance for use at the NTU Print Shops, and library photocopiers. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.

ICE Scholarship

The Institution of Civil Engineers have a yearly opportunity to apply for the ICE QUEST undergraduate scholarships. These scholarships provide:

£8,000 over the course of your study
paid work placements every summer
the potential of a full-time job with a leading civil engineering or construction company when you graduate
experience and knowledge that are good for your CV and your career – especially if you want to become an incorporated or chartered civil engineer

For more information, please visit the Institution of Civil Engineers website.

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees, including the placement year and study abroad options are subject to government policy and may change in future years of study.

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but we don’t want you to feel anxious or confused about it. Visit our fees and funding pages if you have any concerns.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

This course is not suitable for applicants who require a student visa.

However, we do accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our Bachelors and Masters degrees. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please see our information about international qualifications.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Textbooks and library books

Your modules will point you to key textbooks and recommended reading. Many are available online, and in our libraries, but some students choose to buy their own copies. You’ll receive resource lists showing where to access eBooks, digital resources and physical copies. Our friendly Library team is always on hand to help you find what you need.

Printing and photocopying costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the printing and photocopying information on the Library website.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.

Building Blocks financial package

What you’ll receive

All of the materials needed for induction workshops and activities, working within our workshops and laboratories.
Free personal protective equipment (PPE), which usually includes hard-wearing boots, goggles and high-vis vests, to keep you safe on site visits and while working in our workshops.
Access to the free professional body accreditation, as appropriate for your course.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, phone the Student Money Team on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

Cost of living in Nottingham

Our student benefits and free services

Money advice for international students

Careers and employability

The course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the construction industry - an area defined by strong recent growth in the past couple of years within the UK.

It provides the necessary vocational and professional skills for a successful career - you'll develop valuable and transferable skills in communication, time management, analysis, teamwork, and IT.

Where do Civil Engineering graduates from NTU work?

NTU has a strong civil engineering alumni community, with many graduates working in senior positions in leading national and international companies.

Employability team

Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course.

Find out more about career options in civil engineering on the Institution of Civil Engineers website.

Employability Promise

Personalised support, one-on-one coaching and industry-specific advice – it’s all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn’t end when you leave NTU – you’ll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).
Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have successful careers in organisations such as:
- VolkerFitzpatrick
- Winvic
- Amey plc
- Jackson Civil Engineering
- Milestone Infrastructure
Our graduates are…

Graduates from this course now work in a wide range of roles such as:
- Graduate Engineer
- Assistant Construction Manager
- Assistant Surveyor
- Graduate Development Manager
Assessed work-like experience

We’ve embedded at least eight weeks of assessed work-like experience into all of our courses. This gives you the opportunity to apply your learning in real-world scenarios, build your confidence, and develop the experience employers are looking for.
NTU Enterprise

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, NTU Student Enterprise can help you to develop your ideas and innovations and turn them into a reality. We also offer training, mentoring, workshops, financial advice and more to develop your business skills.

Campus and facilities

Facilities for Civil Engineering students

The School has a range of specialist industry-standard facilities to enable you to maximise your development and apply your project work to practice. These include dedicated concrete, materials, hydraulics, geotechnical and technology labs, surveying equipment, and structural testing machinery.

IT resources

Our IT resource rooms and PC clusters are distributed across the City Campus.

Books and library resources

In our modern Boots library, you'll have access to an extensive and diverse range of books and periodicals that focus on specialist areas within the Built Environment. The library's OneSearch system provides access to all our electronic resources, journals and books.

Within the library there is a liaison librarian who has specialist Civil Engineering subject knowledge. They can offer detailed help in finding and using print and electronic resources and also support on things such as Harvard referencing and research skills.

Applying

UK students

Applications to this course can be made through our NTU Applicant Portal - click on the Apply button at the top of the page.

Candidates are not required to attend an interview for this course.

Application deadline

Applications can be submitted up until the start of the course in September, but places are subject to availability so we advise applying early.

Non-standard applicants

We welcome applications from students who may not meet the entry criteria but hold relevant work experience. We will assess applicants of this nature on an individual basis. Non-standard applicants can submit their applications through the NTU Application Portal too.

Keeping up to date

After you've applied, we'll send you important emails throughout the application process – so please check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder. You can find more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page.

Apply now