We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified*:
IELTS Academic module overall 6.5 with 5.5 in each component.
TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition) 92 or above with 20 in each section. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency overall 176 with 162 in each component.
Trinity ISE: ISE II with a distinction in all four components.
We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.
English language qualifications must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the degree you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, or Trinity ISE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.
Civil engineers design, build and operate the physical infrastructure that we rely on, and often take for granted – from bridges and buildings, to water treatment and waste management systems. Civil engineering involves applying physics and mathematics, along with engineering and computing tools, in a creative and sustainable way.
Our programme will train the civil engineers of the future with the knowledge and skills needed to help shape our ever-changing world. You will have the opportunity to specialise in a number of technical streams including structural, environmental, construction management, geotechnical and fire safety engineering. There is also a strong emphasis on engineering design throughout the degree programme.
As a member of Edinburgh’s supportive and close-knit civil engineering community, you will benefit from a curriculum, teaching and design projects actively shaped by our industrial partners, alongside opportunities to interact with recent graduates working in industry.
You are encouraged to undertake relevant work experience during your degree. We work closely with the Careers Service to advertise internship opportunities and arrange company presentations.
We support your development of graduate attributes through our Edinburgh Award for Civil and Environmental Engineering Industrial Placements, which is recognised on your academic transcript.
This programme is accredited as fully satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng).
More info: Click here
Year 1
Engineers are creative problem solvers, adept at working in professional, interdisciplinary teams to tackle society’s ever-more complex challenges.
In Engineering Principles you will experience a wide range of such challenges, developing essential engineering skills and gaining an understanding of the subject’s breadth and the role your chosen discipline plays.
In Engineering Design you will work as part of a team on an interdisciplinary engineering task – getting involved in design, and using your engineering judgement to evaluate your solution to a task.
These introductory courses will help you to develop the confidence, advanced thinking, team-working and problem-solving skills that you will later rely on as a professional engineer.
You will also study mathematical topics with particular relevance to engineers. In addition, you will choose courses from across the University to complement your engineering studies, with options available in sciences, arts and humanities*.
*(Revised 3 June 2020 to give more specific Year 1 information.)
Year 2
In Year 2 you specialise in core civil engineering topics, including structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, tools for engineering design and environmental engineering and sustainability.
Those studying Structural Engineering with Architecture will also study architectural history.
These courses prepare you for further specialisation at honours level, covering technical concepts and where possible, giving you the opportunity to apply these in a practical situation.
You will study programming to develop your skills in computer control and simulation – essentials in the engineer’s toolkit. Engineering mathematics is also studied.
You will continue your professional development with a course on essential professional skills for engineers, and select two further electives from options within the School, including fire science and engineering*.
*(Revised 3 June 2020 to update Year 2 information.)
Year 3
You will now focus entirely on the study of core materials in civil engineering, supplemented by a choice of two options in relevant specialisms, to begin to focus on your own interests within the discipline.
At the end of Year 3, you will have the option of completing one more year for a BEng (Hons) or a further two years for a MEng (Hons), subject to students meeting the MEng progression requirements.
Year 4
You will pursue advanced courses which deepen fundamental knowledge, spanning a mixture of compulsory and option courses.
You will undertake substantial design projects encompassing geotechnical engineering and interdisciplinary engineering.
Year 5
You will pursue further advanced courses drawn mainly from an extensive list of options aligned to various technical specialisation streams, such as structural engineering, environmental engineering and management courses.
You will undertake a substantial structural engineering design project supported by experienced industrialists.
Half of the final year credits are allocated to the honours thesis, which is an original study of a challenging engineering problem.
Programme structure
Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.
To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.
Studying engineering at the University of Edinburgh prepares you for a career as a professional engineer in the UK or abroad. All courses meet the requirements of the UK professional engineering bodies.
On graduation from any of our programmes you will leave with a thorough, core knowledge, together with analytical, practical, design and communication skills, enabling you to join a design, production or research team - or move rapidly into management and leadership roles.
Alternatively, many of our graduates have gone on to work in other areas, including the civil service, education, the armed forces and the financial sector.
