BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering (Civil Engineer Degree Apprenticeship)

Program Overview

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Civil Engineering (Civil Engineer Degree Apprenticeship)

Overview

The Civil Engineering (Civil Engineer Degree Apprenticeship) program is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to succeed in the field of civil engineering. The program is a five-year, part-time degree apprenticeship that combines academic study with work-based learning.

Course Details

Course Delivery

The course is delivered on a part-time, day-release basis over a five-year period. The program comprises six modules per level of study, which are designed to meet the accreditation requirements of the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM). Alongside five of these modules, students will complete an integrated design exercise that blends the learning and skills from each module to the application of a client brief.

Course Structure

The program is structured into five years, with each year building on the previous one. The course covers a range of topics, including:

• Civil Engineering Mathematics
• Civil Engineering Materials and Geology
• Structures
• Civil Engineering Construction
• Civil Engineering Surveying
• Civil Engineering Communication
• Soil Mechanics
• Fluid Mechanics
• Highway Design and Analysis
• Design and Construction Management
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Water Resources
• Individual Project
• Case Studies in Environmental Engineering
• Professional Applications of Civil Engineering

Teaching and Learning

Students are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, and tutorials. Seminars enable students to discuss and develop their understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. In addition, students will have timetabled meetings with their personal tutor.

Assessment

Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments, such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, and the final year major project. The grades from formal assessments count towards the module mark.

Feedback

To support student development, feedback is provided on all practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback on examination performance is also available upon request from the module leader.

Requirements

Applicant Profile

In addition to academic entry requirements, the program looks for certain characteristics in each student, including a strong work ethic, good communication skills, and the ability to work well in a team.

English Language Requirements

All courses are taught and assessed in English. If English is not the student's first language, they must meet the minimum English language entry requirements. An IELTS score of 6.0 (no element below 5.5) is proof of this, and the program also accepts a range of equivalent qualifications.

Employment Requirements

To apply for a degree apprenticeship, students must be currently in full-time employment (minimum 30 hours a week), spending at least 50% of their time in England. If students are not in employment, they can search for employers participating in the degree apprenticeship scheme using the UK Government's national apprenticeship website.

Degree Apprenticeship Standard

The degree apprenticeship is the only non-full-time mode undergraduate civil engineering degree at Salford. It is in alignment with apprenticeship standard ST0417, which includes on-the-job and off-the-job training. By the end of the apprenticeship, students will have achieved both an academic (BEng (Hons)) and professional (IEng) qualification.

Course Accreditation

The program is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM) comprising the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council as:

1. Fully satisfying the educational base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
2. Partially satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). A program of accredited Further Learning will be required to complete the educational base for CEng.

Facilities

As a civil engineering student, students will learn in a range of specialist teaching and research facilities, including:

• The Heavy Structures Laboratory
• The Hydraulics Laboratory
• The Water Quality Laboratory
• The Geotechnics Laboratory

Tuition Fees

The cost of the full degree apprenticeship program is £27,000. The cost of the apprenticeship will be covered by the employer and/or the government. Students will need to cover the cost of any study materials plus travel to and from campus if required.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for the September 2025 intake is July 2025.

Enrolment Dates

• September 2025
• September 2026

Student Information

• Terms and conditions
• More information

Related Courses

• BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering with Foundation Year
• MEng (Hons) Civil Engineering
• BSc (Hons) Architectural Engineering

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

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Title:

BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering (Civil Engineer Degree Apprenticeship)

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Institution:

University of Salford

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Mode of Delivery:

Part-time, Day-release basis over five years (subject to employer and university agreement)

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Overview:

This degree apprenticeship offers an opportunity to pursue a civil engineering degree while concurrently gaining practical experience within a relevant organization. The program aims to create pathways to exciting career opportunities and provide real-world problem-solving skills.

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Objectives:

• Equip graduates with the skills to design, create, improve, and protect infrastructure for society.
• Develop a workforce of qualified engineers to meet the growing demand.
• Foster a career-focused curriculum that supports working professionals, enhancing their existing skills with transferable skills and decision-making methods used in the industry.
• Provide an accredited and engaging learning experience focused on advanced knowledge building and real-world problem-solving through the BEng pathway.
Complying with the approved apprenticeship standard, it integrates on-the-job and off-the-job training. Graduates will acquire engineering skills to design simple structural steel, analyze statically indeterminate structures, design complex structures using reinforced concrete, identify and manage environmental issues related to civil engineering, build knowledge on materials and their properties (including geology, soil mechanics, and laboratory testing), gain practical experience using industry-standard software, and complete a final year individual project in collaboration with their employers.

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Outline:

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Year One:

• Civil Engineering Mathematics 1: Mathematical review and expansion of subjects like algebra, trigonometry, functions, geometry, vectors, complex numbers, and calculus, with emphasis on engineering applications.
• Structures E1: Analyses statically determinate structures and designs simple structural steel work elements, covering subjects like rigid body statics, material properties, Euler theory, design of structural steelwork elements in simple construction, fire and corrosion protection systems for structural steelwork.
Subjects include site safety, sustainability, resource efficiency, consulting engineers and contractors, client's requirement, and financial planning and control. Subjects covered include land surveying techniques, setting out techniques, modern surveying techniques and quantity surveying, and using instruments like levels, theodolites, total stations, construction lasers, GPS, EDM, co-ordinates, bearings, and contract pricing.
• Civil Engineering Communication: Develops well-rounded communication skills allowing effective communication with engineers, clients, contractors, and laborers.
Focuses on drawing, written reports, and presentation skills.

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Year Two:

• Soil Mechanics E2: Introduces principles of soil mechanics, including behavior of different soil types under loading and unloading conditions, and predicting soil behavior.
Subjects include geotechnical investigation, soil strength, and transient groundwater flow.
• Fluid Mechanics E2: Develops understanding of civil engineering hydraulics, focusing on flow in pipelines.
Subjects covered include fluid properties, hydrostatics, fluid dynamics, flow in pipes, Reynolds experiments, pipe systems and networks, and water distribution systems.
• Civil Engineering Mathematics 2: Builds on Year One, developing advanced knowledge and skills in mathematical analysis for tackling more advanced engineering problems.
Subjects covered include partial differentiation, determinants and matrices, vector analysis, Laplace transforms, and functions of a complex variable.

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Year Three:

• Structures E2: Develops ability to analyze statically indeterminate structures and design simple statically determinate structures.
Focuses on reinforced concrete structures, designing slabs, beams, columns, and foundations, and overall stability of RC structures.
• Highway design and analysis: Learn principles of current UK practice in highway design and construction and analysis, including application of statistical techniques to transport engineering problems.
• Design and Construction Management: Practice project planning and execution skills, culminating in a residential field course involving team-based construction of structures like bridges and oil rigs.

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Year Four:

• Geotechnical Engineering E3: Develop approaches to design and analysis of soil slopes and foundations.
Subjects include stability of embankments, stability of earth dams, stability of shallow foundations, design based on in situ tests, and stability of deep foundations.
• Structures E3: Further develop ability to analyze statically indeterminate structures and design complex structures.
Subjects include moment distribution with sway, plastic section properties, Hillerborg strip methods, and design of timber structures including glulam timber members.
• Water Resources E3: Develop understanding of sediment transport, wave theory, pressure transients in closed systems, and hydrological science.
Subjects covered include surface water hydrology, open channel flow, steady non-uniform flow, hydraulic structures, water waves, and hydraulic models.

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Year Five:

• Individual Project: Undertake a significant individual project on an industry-relevant civil engineering theme.
• Finite Element Analysis with Seismic Engineering: Introduction to stiffness and finite element analysis applied to civil engineering structures, fundamentals of seismic analysis, and effects of earthquake activity on design of ground slopes, earth dams, foundations, and structures.
• Case Studies in Environmental Engineering: Develop ability to identify and deal with environmental issues related to civil engineering through case studies.
Subjects include environmental risks associated with ground engineering and water resources, transport and the environment, landscape, heritage, and biodiversity impacts, and engineering solutions.

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Assessment:

• Written Examinations: 40% of overall grade
• Coursework: 50% of overall grade
• Coursework assessments include essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations, and the final year major project.
• Practical Exams: 10% of overall grade
• Grades from formal assessments contribute to module marks.
• Feedback is provided on all practice and formal coursework assessments, and on examination performance upon request.
• Progress meetings occur every three months with the employer link tutor and employer supervisor to review progress.

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Teaching:

• Instruction is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, and tutorials.
• Seminars allow discussions and development of understanding in smaller groups.
• Regular meetings with a personal tutor are scheduled.
• Students use industry-standard software, including CoStar, EGI, Argus Enterprise and Developer, BCIS, and ISurv.
They have access to computer laboratory facilities throughout their studies.
• Independent learning is expected, involving around 30 hours per week, including reading academic articles and books, working on individual and group projects, researching in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations.

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Careers:

• Graduates can pursue careers in a diverse range of civil engineering areas, including structural engineering, environmental engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, construction management, project management, and water resources engineering.

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Other:

• The program has been designed to meet the requirements of the Degree Apprenticeship Standard ST0417, which includes on-the-job and off-the-job training.
The apprenticeship is the only non-full-time undergraduate civil engineering degree at Salford. By the end of the apprenticeship, you will have achieved both an academic (BEng (Hons)) and professional (IEng) qualification.
• This degree is accredited by the Joint Board of Moderators (JBM), including the Institution of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council as: