Civil &

Structural
Engineering.
Undergraduate
courses

www.sheffield.ac.uk/civil
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

If you want a career

that could take you
all over the world,
solving problems and
thinking creatively, civil
engineering at Sheffield
is a great first choice.
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

We’re one of the UK’s

top civil and structural
engineering departments.
You’ll be taught by the best.
Our academics will give you
the extra push you need to
achieve your full potential.

Contents
1. What makes Sheffield special 02
2. What civil engineers do 04
3. International students 08
4. What will my course be like? 10
Built in 1886, the Sir 5. Choosing the right course 11
Frederick Mappin 6. Study abroad 15
Building is the home 7. Professional accreditation 18
of civil engineering. 8. Links with industry 19
9. Your career 20

01
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

1.

What makes
Sheffield special
Civil engineering at Sheffield goes way
beyond the traditional areas of the
profession. Our teaching is based on
the very latest world-leading research.
You’ll be taught by experts in structural,
water and geotechnical engineering. As you
progress through your course you’ll develop
the team working, project management and
communication skills that all professional
engineers need.

How you benefit from our

research strength

We’re in the
Our staff are internationally respected.
Their research feeds directly into our
courses, so you’ll be familiar with the latest
advances in areas such as structural, water,

UK’s top
geotechnical, vibration and fire engineering.

So, when we say 100 per cent of our

research is internationally recognised, that

5 for civil
means you’ll be taught by the best. You’ll
also have the opportunity for hands-on
experience, working alongside researchers
as part of your course.

engineering.
The Times Good
University Guide 2013

02
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

Employers value our graduates

“We look for graduates who have a broad
understanding of engineering in a technical, social
and environmental context. Graduates who can
help shape solutions to future challenges and help
influence the world we want to live in. We value the
University of Sheffield as they consistently develop
graduates with excellent understanding of building
design and place-making, recognising structural
engineering integrated with architecture, building
physics and infrastructure.’’

Mark Phillip, Director, Buro Happold Ltd.

95% 100%
of our graduates of our research
are in professional is internationally
employment recognised

Source: unistats.com Source: Research Assessment Exercise 2008

03
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

2.

What civil
engineers do
Civil engineers help to create
and protect the world we live
in. Your career is going to be
about improving people’s lives.
You could be responsible for developing
bridges, tunnels and structures,
controlling pollution or responding to
natural disasters. Geotechnical Engineers
Civil engineering is at the forefront of design wind turbine
improving the way we live. Whether it’s
providing the facilities that keep our
foundations for renewable
day-to-day lives running smoothly – energy generation.
from roads and railways to clean water
supplies – or working to meet the ever
changing needs of our society relating
to sustainability, renewable energy and
climate change.

There are many opportunities for working

abroad and engineering projects often
make a major contribution to a country’s
economic and social wellbeing.
Image: iStock

04
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

What we
do for you
We give you a solid grounding in the
fundamentals of civil engineering.
We also cover lots of specialist subjects,
so you can choose the direction you take.

You may want to be a designer, involved with

construction, or a project leader. Whatever
your interests are, we’ll teach you to think Water laboratory
about problems from a sustainable point of Testing buoyancy
view, so you’ll be the kind of civil engineer the forces on a
world needs. submerged object.
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

Water wastage
20-40% of water is lost
through damaged pipes.

Our academics are

helping to reduce the UK’s
environmental impact. In
2012 we invented a device that
detects leaks in water pipes.

06
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

Sheffield structural academics

were in the team that solved
the problem of the wobbling
Millennium Bridge.

The solution
91 dampers were
used to control the
bridge’s vibrations.

07
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

3.

International
students
Our international reputation
attracts students from all over
the world. Right now there are
students from over 40 different
countries in our department.

08
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

“We learn from brilliant “Being a civil engineer

academics. They try their gives you the power to
best to help us develop affect the world around
our employability skills you, both for today and
and get work experience for future generations.”
during vacations.”
Ramon Husein, Barbados
Zhanna Meritee, Estonia

Meet our students:

http://youtu.be/9eGbrBJVWyg
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

4.
What we teach

What will my We give you a solid grounding in the

fundamentals of civil engineering

course be like?
mathematics, structural analysis,
structural design, water and
geotechnical engineering. You’ll
also learn about engineering
materials, sustainability, design
and computational skills.
You can expect to be
challenged – we encourage How we teach it

you to make the most of For the first two to three years, we
gradually build up your knowledge
your talents. And you can of the fundamentals, introducing
expect to have fun. specialist topics as we go.

We’ll keep you busy five days a week with Later on, as you decide which
a lively mix of lectures, tutorials, laboratory areas you’re interested in, we offer
and design classes. You’ll have at least one specialist teaching to help you apply
free afternoon a week. You can use it to your knowledge and give you the
study, play sport, join a society or spend opportunity to work on projects
time with friends – it’s up to you. as you would in industry. In the fourth
year you’ll get to showcase what
you’ve learned in a research-focused
individual dissertation project.

We ask you to come up with creative

solutions to the kind of problems faced
by professionals. You’ll learn what your
strengths are and how to fit into a
team. We’ll also teach you how to use
industry-standard software and other
essential engineering tools.

But that’s not enough on its own

We show you how to apply good

engineering judgement, how to lead
a team, and how to master the
technical and managerial demands
of the job – all the things you’ll need
for a successful and rewarding career.

10
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

5.

Choosing the
right course

Civil Engineering
Civil and Structural Engineering
Civil Engineering with a Modern Language
Structural Engineering and Architecture
Architectural Engineering Design
Civil Engineering with a Foundation Year

For all our courses* you need AAA at A Level

or equivalent, including maths and one other
science subject.

*except Civil Engineering with a Foundation Year

11
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

MEng/BEng Civil MEng Civil and

Engineering Structural Engineering
All our courses are designed to get you excited about Structural engineering, both design and analysis,
civil engineering. We want you to think differently, be is a specialism of ours. Our team of structural
creative and come up with new ideas. engineering staff is one of the best in the UK.

This is our core course, the one that underpins For the first two years you follow the same
all the others. It includes structural, water modules as the Civil Engineering course, so you
and geotechnical engineering, materials and get a comprehensive grounding in all the main areas
management, all with a strong emphasis on of the profession.
sustainability.
Later in your course, you will study specialist
You’ll learn the skills every civil engineer needs, and modules in multi-storey building design and a variety
you’ll graduate with hands-on experience of problem of structural design and analysis modules, to prepare
solving across the full range of civil engineering you for professional life.
applications.
The course is designed to prepare you for a
MEng or BEng? career in design and construction, including major
structural projects.
Both courses lead to a high quality degree. The four-
year MEng meets all the academic requirements to UCAS code H210
become a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

The three-year BEng meets all the academic

requirements to become an Incorporated Engineer MEng Civil Engineering
(IEng). For Chartered Engineer status, you’ll need to with a Modern Language
complete a period of further learning, which could
be a full-time postgraduate course or part-time In a global careers market, the ability to work in
study while you’re working. more than one language is a valuable asset. If you can
adapt to new situations and mix easily with people
Whether you choose MEng or BEng, you have the from different cultures, you can build your future
option to switch until the end of the second year. anywhere in the world.

UCAS codes H200 (MEng), H202 (BEng) On this course, you choose one of four major
European languages to study alongside the main
disciplines of civil engineering. Throughout the four
years you’ll take modules in the language and culture
of your chosen country.

You spend your third year at a top university in

Germany, France, Spain or Italy, studying civil
engineering in your chosen language. It’s a great
opportunity to develop your confidence and
independence.

UCAS code H2T9

12
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

MEng Structural MEng Architectural

Engineering Engineering Design
and Architecture
This course focuses on sustainable building design.
This is the only MEng course in the UK to be dual It is the only course in the UK accredited by both
accredited by both the Royal Institute of British the Joint Board of Moderators and the Institution of
Architects and the Joint Board of Moderators (see Mechanical Engineers.
page 18). That means you could pursue a career in
structural engineering or architecture, or both! UK buildings account for about 40 per cent of
carbon emissions. New regulations are aimed at
The course combines the essentials of architecture driving this figure down. Industry needs designers
and structural engineering in relation to buildings who can adopt a holistic approach to the problem
and structures. Each year, you take a mixture of and combine skills from various disciplines.
modules from both subjects, so you’ll know what it
feels like to be an architect or an engineer, and how Our course blends structural engineering,
the two work together. mechanical engineering and technical aspects of
architecture. You’ll develop the knowledge and the
Through project work and a dissertation, you’ll skills to design buildings that make less of an impact
demonstrate your understanding of both disciplines on the environment.
and your ability to integrate them.
UCAS code HK2D
When you apply, the School of Architecture will ask
to see a portfolio of your artwork. Please contact the
civil engineering department for more information.
Civil Engineering with
UCAS code HK21 a Foundation Year
If you don’t have the right subjects at A Level you
might be able to take a Foundation Year course.

Spend a year working in industry The Foundation Year is an intensive course to bring
you up to the required level. You’ll study physics,
Relevant work experience can help chemistry and maths, which will allow progression
to any of our degree courses except Structural
you stand out in the graduate jobs Engineering and Architecture.
market. You can take one of our Contact the department for further information
MEng or BEng courses with a year and to find out about entry requirements.
in industry and this will give you UCAS code H201
valuable experience in the workplace.
You’ll spend a year on placement with
a company of your choice. You will
be responsible for finding your own
placement but we will support you in
finding the right position, as well as
helping you get the most out of your
placement. Email or call us if you’d
like to find out more.

13
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

The Global
Engineering
Challenge
What challenges will you face
as a professional engineer?
How will your decisions impact
on the people around you and
Integrated
throughout the world?
In this week-long project, all first year engineering
Design
students in the faculty work in teams to find solutions
to a real-life engineering problem faced by developing
communities.
Project
You could find yourself researching alternative fuel
sources for a small community in India, or designing
new water and sanitation systems.
A distinctive opportunity to
work as part of a team on a
At the end of the challenge you’ll present your ideas,
showing you’ve considered the social, environmental realistic design project.
and economic impacts.
The Integrated Design Project is a feature of most
of our undergraduate programmes. You’ll spend
Global skills half of your third year working on it, giving you the
It’s the kind of thinking that will equip you for a career opportunity to fully experience the breadth and
with impact – shaping and improving the world we live depth of civil and structural engineering design.
in. And in an increasingly international industry, you’ll
be the kind of engineer that employers value highly. So what does the project involve?

Devising plans for an entire urban regeneration

project. Investigating new methods and materials.
Developing detailed designs: elegant bridges,
Find out more about the sustainable, efficient, environmentally sensitive
Global Engineering Challenge: multi-storey buildings, state-of-the-art sports
http://youtu.be/s1ij8AcsMCU venues. Not forgetting the drainage and foundations
that are essential to make everything else work.

You’ll get to unleash your creativity on a grand scale.

And you’ll gain invaluable practical experience for
your career in civil and structural engineering.

14
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

6.

Study abroad
You could spend part “Civil engineering is
of your course at a top
university in Europe, exciting and my study
North America, Australia, abroad year in Australia
Singapore or Hong Kong. helped me to stand out
If you take the Civil Engineering with a
Modern Language course (page 12) you from the crowd.”
will spend your entire third year studying
civil engineering at a European university. Amy Ellis, MEng Civil Engineering
If you take the MEng Civil Engineering or
the MEng Civil and Structural Engineering
you could spend three months at a
European university, working on a design
or research project. We have Erasmus
exchange agreements with universities
in France, Italy, Spain, Germany and
other countries.

Or you could spend your third year at

a leading university in Australia, Canada,
Hong Kong, Singapore or the USA,
through the Study Abroad programme.

14
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

Field trip
Investigating geological
rock formations for a
first year design project.

Geotechnical laboratory
Classifying soil types
and strengths.

16
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

In our heavy structures laboratory

we test concrete beams to failure,
to understand their behaviour and
improve design.

Large actuator
This simulates
real-life load
conditions.

17
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

7.

Professional
accreditation
All our courses are accredited by
the Joint Board of Moderators.

The Joint Board of Moderators is: the Becoming a professional engineer

Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution
of Structural Engineers, the Chartered After graduation, you’ll need to undertake a
Institution of Highways and Transportation, period of Initial Professional Development
and the Institute of Highway Engineers. followed by a Professional Review.

Our Structural Engineering and Architecture Initial Professional Development bridges

course is also accredited by the Royal the gap between your education and your
Institute of British Architects (part 1). The professional qualification.
Architectural Engineering Design course
The Professional Review is the final stage
is also accredited by the Institution of
– your chance to show that you have
Mechanical Engineers.
all the attributes required to become
The MEng meets all the academic a professional engineer.
requirements you need to become a
Chartered Engineer (CEng), while the Links to professional bodies
BEng satisfies the requirements for
Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status. We have strong links with the Institution of
Civil Engineers, the Institution of Structural
It is possible to gain chartered status by Engineers and the Chartered Institution
doing a BEng degree (three years) but you of Water and Environmental Management.
will have to obtain additional qualifications As a student, you’re encouraged to join at
prior to taking your Professional Review least one of the institutions and to attend
(a one year postgraduate MSc, for example). evening meetings held in the department.

18
 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

8.

Links with
industry
We have strong links with industry.
Our Industrial Advisory Board
keeps our teaching relevant to
meet industry needs.

We also have a number of industrial

partners, whose staff are involved in
teaching, design classes and undergraduate
projects. They may offer to arrange work
experience during the summer vacation.

As well as your own personal tutor, you’ll

be assigned an industrial tutor, a working
professional who meets with you to discuss
their work, on site or in a design office.

SILTS
Soil Interaction
Learning and
Teaching Suite
– understanding
foundation design

19
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

9.

Your career in
civil engineering
Careers in civil engineering
come in different shapes
and sizes, and can take you
anywhere in the world.
You might choose a career with a Nicholas Aitken graduated
consultancy, designing and planning in 2010 and is employed by
projects. You may go to work for a Thornton Tomasetti in the USA
contractor, planning and managing as a Structural Engineer. He has
the construction work itself. Or been involved in the design of
you may go to work for a public a multi-storey office building. 
service organisation, working with
contractors and consultants for
local authorities or the government.

Civil engineers often work in teams

on projects that take years to
complete, from design through to
construction, such as facilities for
major sporting events or the UK
high speed rail network.

It’s a rewarding profession. Civil

engineering is the opportunity to do
something positive and make a big
difference to the world we live in.

Our graduates work for leading

international firms of consulting
and contracting engineers.

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 sheffield.ac.uk/civil

Geotechnical
centrifuge
You can test your
designs using our
centrifuge, which
simulates full-scale
ground stress
conditions.

What our graduates

have achieved
“Since I graduated, I’ve worked for
Buro Happold Consulting Engineers
as a Structural Engineer. I started off
on a 20-storey concrete frame tower
in Leeds, then worked on stadia in the
UK, USA and Trinidad and Tobago. I’ve
worked in New York and Los Angeles
but I’m currently based in Hong Kong,
working on the West Kowloon XRL
High Speed Rail Terminus.”
Rob May
MEng Civil and Structural Engineering

“I’m a Geotechnical Engineer for a

consultancy called Coffey Geotechnics,
based in Sydney, Australia. I’ve been
involved in a range of projects since
I left Sheffield, including design work
on retaining walls, reinforced earth
structures and highways; research
reports on ground anchorages and
sustainability, site investigations and
construction supervision.”
Dan Gorman
MEng Civil and Structural Engineering
Open days
If we offer you a place on a course, we’ll ask
you to come to a civil engineering open day.
It’s worth coming, even if you’ve already visited
the University. You get to tour the department,
talk to staff and students and visit student
accommodation. We usually hold open days
between November and March.

Contact
+44 (0) 114 222 5713
[email protected]
civilsheffield
Or visit our website
www.sheffield.ac.uk/civil

How to apply
Online at www.ucas.ac.uk

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Copyright © 2013
The University of Sheffield, 0233Mktg