Civil Engineering courses

About Civil, Structural And Environmental Engineering (be (hons)) in University College Cork

Civil, Structural and Environmental engineers design, construct and operate a wide range of environmental infrastructure, vital to the needs of a modern economy. All the infrastructure around us, including roads, bridges, hospitals, universities, airports water, wastewater and energy facilities is the product of civil, structural and environmental engineering. Civil, Structural and Environmental engineering is the application of science to planning, design and construction for the benefit of society while minimising environmental impact. Engineers are curious about how the world works. They enjoy solving problems and are creative and inventive people.

The BE (Hons) and ME Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering degree is particularly rewarding as engineers have excellent job prospects, both within engineering and in other careers such as management consultancy, software development and biomedical technology.

As part of your fundamental engineering training, you will use mathematics and science to solve practical problems, acquire excellent IT skills, develop creativity through design projects and learn to communicate effectively as individuals and in teams.

The courses include lectures on engineering principles, laboratory classes, fieldwork, design projects and opportunities to study abroad. Our graduates have strong transferable skills including communication, teamwork, management, and leadership.

The first year of the BE is a broad education in engineering fundamentals.  At the end of the first year you can choose to enter Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering.  Your chosen area of specialization in second year will also offer routes to further branches of engineering at Masters level.  At the end of a successful 3rd year, students enter 4th year, which is a pathway to either the 5th Year Integrated ME for eligible students or exiting with a BE(Hons). The ME pathway finishes with a Professional Work Placement that takes place during the 2nd semester and the summer break (8 months).

Our BE Civil Engineering degree is internationally recognised. Our graduates have developed successful and satisfying careers within the civil and environmental engineering industry and beyond.

As part of your fundamental engineering education, you will develop your mathematical and problem-solving abilities. On completion of the degree course, you will have acquired excellent IT skills and learned to communicate effectively as an individual and in a team in a working environment where there is a strong emphasis on solving problems.

Placement or Study Abroad Information

The five year integrated ME programme includes an eight-month salaried work placement in industry based in Ireland or abroad (the four year BE programme has a corresponding three-month optional work placement). During this placement, you will gain excellent hands-on experience as a chemical/process engineer, as well as making valuable industry contacts. Opportunities also exist for academically strong students to spend a period in an institution abroad, receiving full credits for the work done there towards your degree

Skills and Careers Information

Many graduates progress directly to the engineering profession, taking up positions with consulting engineers in design offices, or contracting engineers who execute construction. Alternatively, graduates work as engineers in the public sector, e.g. in county or city councils, the EPA, CIE and ESB.

Given that career opportunities for engineers are many and varied, some graduates use the valuable acquired skills to embark on careers outside of engineering, in areas including software design and development, management consulting, accountancy and industrial management. Some migrate to other engineering disciplines such as biomedical engineering or petroleum engineering.

Postgraduate degrees, including MEngSc and PhD, can be pursued. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is associated with several research units, centres and institutes including:

• Environmental Research Institute (ERI)
• Hydraulics & Maritime Research Centre (HMRC)
• Sustainable Energy Research Group (SERG)
• Beaufort Laboratory for Marine Renewable Energy & Offshore Engineering
• Cleaner Production Promotion Unit (CPPU)
• Research Unit for Structures and Optimisation (RUSO)
• Informatics Research Unit for Sustainable Engineering (IRUSE)
• Centre for Hydrology Micrometeorology and Climate Change (HydroMet)

The course is fully accredited by Engineers Ireland.

Academic qualification equivalents

 1.    All India Senior School Certificate 

 2.    Higher Secondary Certificate / Standard 12 

 3.    Indian School Certificate (Year 12) 

Band 1 Programmes

Minimum average of 90% + in any of the recognised secondary school qualifications.

Band 2 Programmes

Minimum average of 80-89% in any of the recognised secondary school qualifications.

Band 3 Programmes

Minimum average of 75-79% in any of the recognised secondary school qualifications.

Additional Requirements

Where Maths is required for a specific degree programme, a minimum score of 85% in Maths is required.

Where a Lab Science subject is required for a specific degree programme, a minimum score of 85% is required in the appropriate Lab Science subject.

English language requirements (one of the below):

• IELTS: 6.5  Minimum individual sections 5.5
• TOEFL: TOEFL 90  Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing 17
• PTE: 63 Minimum individual sections 51

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