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.
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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 most sustainable university in the world (UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2024). -
Experience hands-on learning in our specialist facilities and workshops, including dedicated concrete, materials, hydraulics, geotechnical labs and structural testing equipment. -
99% of our Civil Engineering graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of finishing their degrees (latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21).
What you’ll study
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.
Year One
- Further Structural Engineering (20 credits)
- Ground Engineering, Water Resources and the Environment (20 credits)
- Management and Transportation Studies (20 credits)
Year Two
- Dissertation and Work Like Project (40 credits)
- Professional Responsibilities and Development in Civil Engineering (20 credits)
Further Structural Engineering (20 credits)
- The module will broaden your knowledge of the conceptual design of structural elements to the recommendations of published guidance.
- You will also have an introduction into the factors that affect the stability of framed building structures acting as three dimensional entities. It will also introduce common methods of ensuring the stability and robustness of these types of structures.
- You will also have an introduction into the use of the Eurocodes for the design of structural elements in reinforced concrete, timber and structural steelwork.
Ground Engineering, Water Resources and the Environment (20 credits)
- Within the context of sustainable development, this module will introduce you to the engineering implications of ground-based structures and water resources, examining the environmental and legislative context surrounding this type of project.
- You will learn to analyse some typical engineering problems involved in the management of foundations, geotechnical structures, water supplies, and associated fluid principles.
Management and Transportation Studies (20 credits)
- This module focuses on two main themes: management theory and practice within the construction industry, and transport policy. The aim of the module is to broaden your experience within the civil engineering discipline, providing useful context and skills for graduate roles.
- You'll look at areas such as marketing, pitching and tendering for business, business audits, and scenario planning.
- You'll also look at transport policy formulation and implementation from local to international levels, with module content ranging from the development of sustainable mobility to techniques for managing and controlling traffic.
Dissertation and Work Like Project (40 credits)
- The majority of this module will be formed by a self-led research project or dissertation; a significant body of work allowing you to research in depth an agreed topic relating to the construction industry.
- You'll also work on a group project over the course of the year, relating to a real-world engineering scheme. You'll work in a team environment, producing and presenting a design scheme.
Professional Responsibilities and Development in Civil Engineering (20 credits)
- This module is based around four themes: health, safety and welfare; the profession and wider society; clients, stakeholders, communities and government; and sustainability.
- Its aim is to fully prepare you for graduate roles, with the knowledge, skills, awareness and professionalism expected by graduate employers.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
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How you're taught
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
- 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 field work
- 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.
Careers and employability
Our course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the construction industry. As well as providing the necessary vocational and professional skills for a successful career, this course also develops transferable qualities such as communication, time management, analysis, teamwork, and IT skills.
Recent growth in UK industry has revealed a skills shortage in this area. You'll graduate with desirable skills and knowledge, boosting your employment prospects.
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.
Recent BSc Civil Engineering graduate destinations include:
- Balfour Beatty: graduate civil engineer, junior civil engineer, junior site engineer, site engineer, trainee civil engineer
- VolkerFitzpatrick: site engineer, site engineering assistant, assistant engineer
- Clugston: assistant site manager
- Jackson Civil Engineering: site engineer
- Laing O'Rourke: civil engineer
- Martin Redston Associates: structural engineer
- Morgan Sindall: tunnel engineer
- North Midland Construction: project engineer, design coordinator.
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.
What our students are doing now
Civil Engineering Students Visit Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction
On 17th January 2024 a group of first year civil engineering students from Nottingham Trent University visited the Laing O’Rourke Centre of Excellence for Modern Construction (CEMC), just outside of Worksop.
Recognising Excellence: NTU's Civil Engineering Department Honours Students at Annual Prize Evening
NTU apprentice wins the ICE International Emerging Engineers Award
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.
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
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
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.
International students
Unfortunately, this course is not open to international students
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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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.
