Get inspired - study BEng Civil Engineering

For an accredited Civil Engineering course packed with hands on experience and taught by qualified engineers, look no further than the University of Bolton. Ranked in the Top 5 for Teaching Quality in the UK by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, we work hard to create a positive learning environment for our students.

Of all the kinds of engineering out there, civil engineering might be simplified as the engineering of really big things. The largest bridges, the longest tunnels cutting through mountains, the most massive hydroelectric dams, and many more large structures, are the products of civil engineers.

The key is in the word “civil”, which refers to the fact that these huge projects are built for the benefit of everyone, the “civilians” of society, as opposed to the military or, more traditionally, the church. That’s one of the amazing things about being a civil engineer. You get to work on creating some of the most impressive constructions, and you do it to make society better.

That’s pretty inspiring. And clearly the idea was inspiring to one particular man, who not that long ago was voted the second greatest Briton who ever lived, after only Winston Churchill.

You’ve almost definitely been on if not at least seen some of his work, which still survives over 150 years after the man died. Isambard Kingdom Brunel built a legacy to last, and he did so through his incredible talents in civil engineering.

One of the really interesting things about Brunel is that unlike a lot of the famous names from British history, he didn’t come from much. His dad had to work his socks off and accrue large debts to ensure Isambard got a proper education, but it definitely paid off. Graduating university at a young age with an astonishing talent for maths, Isambard was soon engineering his first project, the still surviving Thames Tunnel.

It was just the start of an incredible career, which included the building of many bridge and rail projects, notably the beautiful Clifton Suspension Bridge near Bristol. Later in his life, this versatile genius even turned his hand to transatlantic shipping, and designed some iconic and long lived ships. At the time of building, the Great Western, the first steamship engineered specifically to cross the Atlantic, was the longest ship ever constructed.

In the modern world, we still have living versions of Brunel. These are the people working on HS2, on Crossrail and on all the other major infrastructure projects happening in Britain today. Could you make your mark on the very landscape of the country and be one of them?

You could be. By studying a degree in Civil Engineering, you’ll be starting down the same path as the young Brunel and opening the door into an incredible career full of opportunities.

The University of Bolton Civil Engineering degrees are accredited by established engineering bodies like the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Institute of Highway Engineers, and The Institution of Structural Engineers.

Learn more about BEng Civil Engineering at the University of Bolton and find out how you can apply now.