MEng/BEng (Hons) Civil and Environmental Engineering

This hands-on Civil and Environmental Engineering degree is top in the UK for teaching satisfaction (Civil Engineering, NSS 2023) and the only Scottish BEng programme to offer a guaranteed 12-week work placement.

Course detail

Start Date

September

Duration

4 years (full-time) BEng (Hons) | 5 years (full-time) MEng

Award Title

MEng/BEng (Hons)

UCAS Code

H3H3 BEng (Hons) | H2H2 MEng

Why study Civil and Environmental Engineering?

Study Civil and Environmental Engineering at Abertay and gain the knowledge and skills you need to become a Chartered Civil Engineer. Our Civil Engineering undergraduate degree is vocational and has industry work placements integrated into the course. There is a big shortage of civil engineers in Britain and Europe, making you hugely employable as soon as you graduate. 

You’ll gain a firm grounding across a wide range of civil and environmental engineering applications, with plenty of practical and hands-on experience through placements with industry partners such as Transport Scotland, Balfour Beatty and BEAR Scotland.  

Practical, hands-on experience 

You’ll also get hands-on experience with a practical construction challenge in year two. This is where you work in teams to plan, project manage and construct a scaled-down version of real-world structures such as bridges, pavilions, wind turbine footings and other civil engineering projects. 

Almost 100% employment after graduation 

You’ll contribute to the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities, and societies by understanding interactions between buildings, infrastructure, and the environment. Due to smaller class sizes our approach is more personal, as it means we have more time to spend with each student. 

There's a global shortage of qualified civil engineers, leading to nearly 100% employment after graduation.

Flexible degree - tailor your studies

If your interests and career plans change, you can switch to another related degree at the end of first year. This is one of a portfolio of three engineering courses. Find out more.

Five professional accreditations 

You can choose either the five-year Integrated Masters (MEng) course, making you a Chartered Engineer (CEng), or the four-year Bachelor's (BEng Hons) degree, leading to an Incorporated Engineer (IEng). Both depend on successful graduation. Find out more.

This course ranked 1st in Scotland for teaching satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2023).

Choose your path

Around 70% of our students get involved with summer work placements in the engineering sector through connections they’ve made from their work placements or by networking. In fact, 25% of students go on to full-time employment with their work placement provider.  

This unique opportunity leads to almost 100% employment after graduation.

Potential Civil/Environmental Engineering careers

Civil and environmental engineering is a versatile career – and this degree gives you all the tools you need.  

The valuable and relevant work experience you gain means you can practice your skills, test career paths and ensure your employability. Potential roles/areas include: 

  • Professional consulting engineers

  • Major civil and environmental engineering contractors

  • Working in specialist project management organisations

  • Working in local authorities (municipalities), public and private utilities

  • Working for Transportation organisations

Strong industry links

We have excellent links with our industry partners, including: 

  • Transport Scotland 

  • Balfour Beatty 

  • Sweco 

  • BAM 

  • BEAR Scotland

About your modules

All modules shown are indicative and reflect course content for the current academic year. Modules are reviewed annually and may be subject to change. If you receive an offer to study with us, we will send you a Programme document that sets out exactly which modules you can expect to take as part of your Abertay University degree programme. Please see Terms and Conditions for more information.

Modules

Year 1 Core Modules

You must study and pass all five core modules

Brief description

The basic mathematical skills for engineering and the fundamentals of structural analysis.

Indicative content:

  • Mathematics: Simultaneous linear equations. Vectors: addition and product. Vector formulation: force and moment. Equivalent systems. Centre of area, mass and gravity. 2nd moment of area. Functions and graphs including exponential and logarithmic functions. Basic Trigonometry: trigonometric functions, ratios, similar triangles. Basic Statistics: statistical functions and their significance.
  • Structures: Quantities and units. Structural Concepts: structural elements, actions (Loads) and their effects, elastic vs plastic behaviour. Forces and Moments: resolution and composition, coplanar concurrent and non-concurrent force systems, resultant and equilibrant, Laws of Triangle and Polygon of forces; Moment of a force, Static Equilibrium. Statically Determinate Trusses, Beams and Frames: supports, loads and reactions, requirements of static equilibrium, shear force and bending moment diagrams.

Brief description

Learn a range of life-long civil engineering professional skills and gain an introduction to the diversity of civil engineer skills in the development, procurement and sustainable management of construction projects. Learn to apply construction industry skills within a civil engineering context during the pre-construction phase of a project.

Indicative content:

  • Drawing and visualisation: Use proprietary software and sketching to produce 2D. Interrogate drawing files to obtain length, area and volume data. Introduction to 3D visualisation and data types.
  • Resource management: Introduction to planning the allocation of resources by construction organisations to projects.
  • Pre-construction phase activities: An introduction to the range of activities in construction projects covering: developing and preparing a client brief; procurement strategies and types of contract; introduction to BIM; tendering procedures for typical civil engineering works, sustainable design/environmental management of construction projects, ethical practice and health and safety.

Brief description

Introduction to the key concepts and themes in biology, ecology, chemistry, and anthropomorphic factors, which are essential for a broad understanding of modern environmental science.

Indicative content:

  • Biological diversity: Biological diversity, understanding how species are identified, niches and ecological roles.
  • The importance of ecosystems: The importance of ecosystems, webs and trophic interactions in an ecological context.
  • Understanding ecosystems: Understanding ecosystems in the context of local geology, topography and hydrology.
  • Role of nutrient cycles: The role of nutrient cycles and impact of pollutants in the environment; analytical technics for quantifying key chemicals.
  • Biogeochemical processes: Biogeochemical processes, nutrient cycles; interconnectedness of spheres (atmosphere, biosphere, ocean sphere, cryosphere, geosphere).

Brief description

Basic mathematical skills for engineering and the fundamentals of structural analysis.

Indicative content:

  • Algebra: Gaussian elimination to solve a 3x3 system of linear equations, investigating features of graphs and sketching graphs of functions, find­ing the asymptotes to the graphs of rational function understanding and using matrix algebra, determinant and inverse of a matrix.
  • Differential Calculus: Derivatives of basic functions including product, quotient, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions, maxima and minima, partial differentiation, first and second order differential equations.
  • Integral Calculus: Integrals of basic functions, integration by substitution and by parts, area bounded by a curve.
  • Axial Force: Direct stress and strain, Modulus of Elasticity, typical behav­iour of ductile materials, thermal loading, composite sections.
  • Stress due to bending: Simple bending theory, second moment of area, theorem of parallel axes, section modulus, composite Sections.
  • Shear and torsion: Horizontal shear stress distribution in beams Torsion of circular shafts: torsion equation, second polar moment of area.
  • Elastic deformation of beams: Calculation from first principles, formulae and computer packages.

Brief description

Introduction to landscape processes and surveying. Understand geology, hydrology and geomorphology, and methods for assessing and understanding landscape forms. Gain surveying practice skills suitable for engineering and environmental application.

Indicative content:

  • Introduction to Earth Surface Processes: The origin and structure of the earth - Including large scale processes (earthquakes, volcanoes) and long-time scales (geological formations).
  • Introduction to Geology: Minerals (properties of common rock forming minerals); Rocks (geological origin and identification of rocks); Structural Geology (principles of stratigraphy and structural geology : dip and strike, folds, faults and unconformities).
  • Introduction to Environmental Systems: Environmental systems and cycles − The Physical Environment (Geomorphological and Hydrological processes).
  • Human forces behind environmental issues: Population, technology, socio−cultural organisation, etc.
  • Environmental problems related to landscape processes: Including air pollution, water pollution, contaminated land, waste disposal, agricultural pollution, noise pollution, deforestation and soil erosion, and urbanisation.
  • Surveying: Apply the principles of good practice in land surveying, with knowledge of the accuracies achievable/required for different industry/ construction-related tasks.
  • Surveying tasks: Demonstrate standard field techniques and methods of calculation and computational data-manipulation used in various surveying tasks applied to industry/construction.
  • Three-dimensional survey: Complete a detailed three-dimensional survey of a small area of land.
  • Surveying theory and practice: Demonstrate an understanding of surveying theory and carry out calculations related to surveying practice.

Years 1 and 2 Elective Modules

You must study and pass one elective module of your choosing

Brief description

Introduction of the concept of smart cities - hard infrastructure, social capital including local skills and community institutions, and digital technologies to fuel sustainable economic development and provide an attractive environment for all.

Module content:

  • Social impacts

There is an overall need for theoretical and methodological plurality in how we assess the impact and value of future cities in terms for individual and societal well−being. Gaps in our understanding relate to the complex ways individuals and groups engage with built and natural settings, the cultural goods and consequent benefits that may arise and the inequalities associated with these cultural benefits.

  • Security

Different types of cyber-attacks that could be launched against a Smart City. Impact of cyber-attacks. Approaches to securing the smart grid and critical infrastructure, i.e. improving cyber resilience.

  • Sustainable urban food production

Includes the long established allotments movement to large-scale projects based on sustainability throughout the food chain. Urban food production includes the long established allotments movement. The demand for urban growing also responds to the densification and intensification of living areas, due to population rise, migration and demographic aging with lower housing and ‘garden’ space standards placing greater importance on collective production.

  • Energy, waste and water

At present, water and wastewater facilities are often the largest and most energy intensive responsibilities owned and operated by local governments, representing up to 35% of municipal energy use. Future cities will need to utilise more sustainable methods of water and wastewater management and renewable energy production.

  • Digital technologies

​Digital technologies will play a major role in creating sustainable and resilient cities offering a vehicle for more inclusive decision−making process and promoting dialog amongst architects, urban planners, the public and technologists.

Brief description

Develop a range of skills, knowledge and techniques within the natural, technological and social sciences relevant to the study of environmental sustainability and life in the twenty-first century. Understand the critical issues that confront humanity and begin to discern appropriate responses.

Module content:

The challenge of sustainable development
Problems associated with life in the 21st Century and the relationship to scientific provisionalism and uncertainty.

The genesis of sustainable development concept
Developments associated with the Club of Rome are outlined while Limits to Growth and the Tragedy of the Commons.

Evolution of sustainable development
The Reo Summit and Suitability, and Policy Developments thereof.

Scientific inquiry and sustainable development
Controversial issues like climate change, oil peak, and food production and the role of science in helping delimit them as problematic.

Mainstreaming sustainability
Sustainability and Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience, as individual and social concerns, and their role in transformation.

Communicating sustainability
Human well-being, Environmental Justice, Environmental Policy and the practicalities of Sustainability in Scotland.

Sustainable development in practice
Community Empowerment associated with Land Reform. Energy Production and Food Production in Tayside.

Ethics and sustainability policy
Active citizenship and globalisation.

Innovating locally, transforming globally
Transformations required to embrace Sustainability.

Active relationship for sustainable futures
Thinking globally, acting locally.

Brief decription

How lifestyle can affect physical and mental well-being. Reflect on your own lifestyle choices and how to incorporate good health behaviours into your life.

Module content:

  • Sleep and stress
    The impact of sleep and stress on health and performance. Completion of sleep diaries and questionnaires related to sleep patterns and stress.
     
  • Physical activity
    Current physical activity recommendations, components of physical fitness.
     
  • Physical inactivity
    Understanding why people are inactive. The link between physical inactivity, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
     
  • Physical activity and mental well-being
    The effects of physical activity on mental well-being.
     
  • The effect of carbohydrate consumption and exercise on blood glucose
    Measurement and recording of blood glucose in response to the carbohydrate ingestion and exercise.
     
  • Simple health and fitness testing
    Measurement and recording of data. Tests will include blood pressure, strength, endurance and flexibility. Data will be compared with normative values for these tests.

Brief decription

Develop critical thinking skills that form the basis for progression across the academic disciplines of the university. Learn how to recognise, construct, evaluate, criticise and defend different forms of argument.

Module content:

•    Potential 'timeless' debates 
Debates delivered by internal and external experts on: e.g. existence of God; privacy and civil society; private property; money as source of 'evil'; nature/nurture; free speech; pornography; capital punishment; prostitution; animal experimentation; meaning of justice; abortion; affirmative action; just war; trade union power; good life/good political community; human nature; monarchy; value of democracy; meaning of equality; citizenship rights.

•    Potential 'timely' debates
Debates delivered by internal and external experts on: eg, Scottish independence, academic freedom; drug legalisation; drug use in sport; immigration; free health care; war on terror; EU membership; euthanasia; progressive taxation; race and gender discrimination; gay marriage; human rights; politics/sport; global warming; internet censorship; nuclear power; education league tables; nuclear weapons; GM agriculture; religion; cloning; fair trade; value of contemporary culture.

•    Critical thinking seminars
Follow-up discursive discipline specific seminar sessions led by teaching staff on topics covered in formal debates. Learn to identify types of argument presented, evaluate perspectives and to reflect upon their own reasoning processes and value assumptions. The debates and seminars facilitate a foundation for the acquisition of graduate attributes.

•    WEB CT Wiki discussion forum
Work in small groups to write a short 800 word indicative "Thinking Summary" online Wiki of the arguments presented in each debate. These summaries will be constructed by each designated Thinking Group of three students using the Wiki facility on Blackboard which will facilitate further discussion on the moderated WEB CT discussion forum.

Brief decription

The social, managerial, economic, political, and technical challenges and opportunities associated with emerging renewable energy innovation, production, supply and consumption.


Module content:

•    Renewable energy non-technical challenges and opportunities
Social and political challenges and opportunities of renewable energy production supply and consumption. Economic and environmental challenges of renewable energy production supply and consumption. Strategic and managerial challenges of renewable energy production supply and consumption.


•    Renewable energy technological challenges and opportunities
Geotechnical, Geophysical and Hydrographic information; Knowledge of sources of hydrographic information and interpretation of published charts. Forces on structures; Appreciation of the various forces acting on marine structures. Technical limitations and challenges of energy distribution systems and energy storage. Current technological development trend, collaborative innovation in renewable energy.

Brief decription

An understanding of the concepts of tolerance, and the importance of making sound ethical decisions. Develop the qualities, characteristics and skills to meet the aspiration for Abertay graduates to become global and active citizens. 

Module content:

•    Introduction to equality and ethics legislation 

•    Diversity competence and moral/ethical reasoning 
Inclusiveness, equal opportunities, positive action, reasonable adjustment.

•    Attributes for the workplace and for global citizenship.

•    Reflective practice 
Application of models of reflective practice.

•    Contemporary issues

Brief decription

Learn how to adjust language to suit context. Analyse a range of linguistic issues, including “proper English”, how language can be used to create moral panics, and the ethics of communication.

Module content:

•    “Good English”
The role of standardisation, dialect and idiolect − how we choose language to reflect our identities and our role in a speech or discourse community.

Language and influence
How the media constructs narratives to persuade or inform the audience (and how to tell the difference).

Creating a narrative across genres
The conventions, freedoms and limitations of different forms; using these forms in new ways.

Narrative changes over time
How authors reinvent old stories to reflect current concerns.

Technical writing
The use and manipulation of data; hearing the author's voice; critiquing "bad science".

The ethics of communication
 (Electronic) media and ownership, attribution and theft.

Brief decription

“Personal” digital safety to make computer security fun, practical and eye-opening.  Learn the base knowledge that will continue to be relevant to future generations of devices.

Module content:

•    Current state of computer security
An overview including legal aspects.

•    Cyber-attacks, vulnerabilities and threats
Malware, Network attacks (denial of service, packet sniffing etc.), bots and rootkits. How the bad guys can obtain your password.

•    Information leakage
Recovery and forensics recovering deleted or corrupted files. What your browser knows about you. Web browser forensics.

•    Securing networks, accounts and devices
Defence against malware, honeypots, Secure protocols, intrusion detection, Password security, Mobile device security.

•    Human aspects of cyber security 
The Psychology of Hackers, Social Engineering, identity theft, Usability vs security.

•    Breaking the code
An introduction to cryptography, Encryption and Decryption, public and private keys, the key exchange problem.

•    History of cryptography 
The Caesar cipher, polyalphabetic ciphers, the Playfair cipher, the role of Enigma and the Bletchley Park cryptographers in WWII.

•    Computers and Crypto Diffie-Hellman and RSA encryption
Phil Zimmerman and “Pretty Good Protection". Quantum Cryptography – Provably unbreakable information hiding. Mathematical Underpinnings – Large prime numbers and why they matter.

•    Steganography
 A picture's worth a thousand words when you're hiding the wood in the trees.

•    The law, society and cryptography 
Why you can be imprisoned for forgetting your password. The Civil Liberties Arguments for and against strong-crypto. International perspectives on information hiding, information freedom, the right to privacy and the conflicts between these. Are unbreakable cyphers an unqualified “good thing”?

Brief decription

Develop perspectives on the key challenges faced by humankind such as environmental change, pollution, food security, energy provision, conflicts, terrorism, emerging diseases, and changing demographics. Understand the overwhelming complexity of the problems and the need for interdisciplinary approaches to create solutions.

Module content:

  • Interdisciplinary research
    Introductory lectures will discuss the definitions, methods, benefits, challenges, and drawbacks of disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches and the role of public policy influencing research
     
  • Global challenges
    Challenges from different disciplines. Examples include: Climate Change: causes and impact; Serious Games: science and application of visualization and games; Global Security: valuing ecosystems: balancing policy, economics and environment; Contemporary Challenges to Healthy Living; Food Security: global threats and local needs; Energy Poverty: space travel.

Brief decription

Design an activity to communicate and present scientific principles to primary school children. Learn about working as a group and how to communicate complex ideas.

Module content:

Developing a science communication activity
Target audience, sources of information to identify suitable activities (CfE documentation etc.), health and safety, issues around working with specific groups, accessibility, ethics, costing and sustainability.

The landscape of engagement and current practice
Types of public engagement activities, target audiences, funding, role of learned societies, universities and other bodies. Public engagement in Dundee and Tayside.

Brief description

Work in a team to develop game design concepts for serious applications. Gain the knowledge, processes and techniques of game design and study examples of serious games developed to benefit society.

Module content:

•    Overview of Games
A brief history of games, game art and gamification.

•    Games for change
Understanding how games can benefit society.

•    Game mechanics
Deconstructing core components of popular game genres.

•    Gameplay constructs
What is gameplay and how is this broken down and communicated within the game design.

•    The game design process
Conceptualisation, iteration, phases of workflow.

•    Game design theory and practice
Identifying the elements within effective design and how they are implemented.

•    Documenting the design interactive
Oriented design, technical design, capturing requirements.

•    Business models
Exploring methods that can be used to generate revenue within the game design.

Brief decription

Develop the knowledge and awareness required to make good career decisions and the skills and confidence to successfully navigate each stage of the recruitment process for graduate jobs.

Module content:

  • Developing self-awareness
    Profiling of personal strengths, values and priorities in relation to career choice.
     
  • Developing opportunity awareness
    Generating career ideas based on your personal profile; Exploring the range of graduate opportunities within job sectors of interest; Reviewing occupations that are directly related to your own subject discipline.
     
  • Developing a career action plan
    Matching your personal profile with best fit opportunities in the job market; Creating a timeline of actions to improve your prospects of meeting your aim.
  • Developing job seeking skills
    Sourcing suitable job opportunities - both advertised and unadvertised; Creating a professional image online; Identifying the skills and qualities employers look for in graduates; Learning how to produce targeted applications for specific job roles; Practising the presentation of your strengths and motivations in face to face selection activities.

Brief decription

Learn about natural disaster such as landslides and flooding, structural disasters such as the Tay Rail Bridge and the system of critical infrastructure (such as road, rail, air and shipping transport networks, power grid, gas and water networks, health system) that constitute the backbone of modern societies.

Module content:

•    Overview of the scope and the content of concept of critical infrastructure failure during natural disasters and resilience against such failures
The consequences of geophysical, hydrological and meteorological disasters on critical infrastructure and critical infrastructure protection capabilities against natural disasters. Interdependencies of critical infrastructures during large disasters, presents a brief review of current research being done in this field, and presents a methodology to address interdependencies.


•    The identification of the vulnerabilities of the critical systems
The critical systems upon which modern society, economy, and polity depend. The identification of the vulnerabilities of these systems threats that might exploit these vulnerabilities. The effort to develop techniques to mitigate these vulnerabilities through improved design.


•     Flooding in Scotland
General overview of fluvial, pluvial and coastal flooding, the structural, economic and societal impact and responses to flooding. Resources will include historical examples, current policies and information (including SEPA flood maps). Case study (with virtual/actual field visit?) the Perth Floods of 1990 and 1993 and the Perth flood defence scheme*


•    Landslide origins, types and mitigations
General overview what landslides are, why they happen and what can be done to prevent them.


•    Structural failure
An example such as why the Tay Bridge failed and what it meant for the Forth Rail Bridge.


•    Reports and investigations
The role of reports in accident and disaster investigations in creating informative reports; case studies of accidents, disasters, learning from history, learning from case studies, learning from common law

Brief decription

Introduction to the skills and knowledge needed to launch a small business successfully. This module will define and help you acquire the personal and professional skills needed to develop a professional career and/or to succeed as entrepreneurs in Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Module content:

  • Understanding entrepreneurship.
     
  • Generating successful business ideas.
     
  • Environmental scanning.
     
  • Developing a credible business plan that includes evaluating business ideas.
     
  • Presenting the business idea.

Brief decription

An understanding of some of the processes involved in food production. Discuss common misconceptions and ideas which present the food and nutritional industries in a bad light.

Module content:

•    Student led investigations
Student led investigations of the different sectors within the food and drink industry including: prebiotics – and the controversy surrounding the term; if barbequing is a healthy cooking method; and exposing the celebrity chef - common Myths about cooking.


•    Consumerism
Does the food industry listen to us? Understanding consumer and sensory science to better understand why you buy the products you buy.  How food/public health is reported by the media? The French paradox / Mediterranean diet.


•    Future of food
Ethical food production and the future of foods, and what’s waste got to do with it?


•    Debunking myths
Debunking food myths, more science than science fiction in our food today, like the science behind getting sauce out of a bottle and what to drink – Whisky or Beer?


•    Facts from fiction
Finding facts from fiction, investigating the three-second rule – should I eat things that have fallen on the floor? What’s so super about super-foods? Fat or sugar: Which is worse?

Brief decription

Learn how we approach and understand mental health, from historic, social, therapeutic, and individual perspectives. Explore questions such as ‘what is madness?’, ‘how does society position people with mental illness?’, and ‘how do we best respond to challenges to our mental health?’

Module content:

  • Historical and cultural perspective on mental illness
    How do we ‘think’ about mental health, and mental ill health?
     
  • Diagnosis and the anti-psychiatry movement
    Who holds the power to decide what is normal in terms of psychological well-being and behaviour?
     
  • Gender, culture and mental health
    How gendered cultural expectations and representations influence how we respond to mental health issues.
     
  • Media representations
    The impact of film and literature on attitudes and understandings of mental health.
     
  • Resilience, treatment and recovery
    Common mental health problems in the UK, treatment and management, and frameworks for enhancing well-being and resilience.

Brief decription

An introduction to the wide range of disciplines in forensic investigation. Learn how crimes are investigated from the moment of reporting through to the presentation of the evidence in court. A hypothetical case study provides an over-arching framework in which to explore the critical aspects of forensic investigations. It involves not only physical and electronic evidence, but also statements from witnesses, suspects and victims which requires cross discipline collaboration of professionals.


Module content:

Crime scene investigation
How a crime scene is examined in the context of incomplete contextual information and to avoid loss or contamination of evidence and the maximising of the value of evidential material.

Media involvement
Positive and negative effects of the media/public interest in the crime.

Forensic biology
Examination and evidential value of body fluids, DNA, hairs and fibres.

Forensic chemistry
Analysis for drugs, toxicological analysis, firearms, explosives, and trace evidence.

Digital sources
Evidence from CCT, mobile phones, computer hardware, on−line behaviour.

Forensic reasoning and practice
An introduction to forensic problem solving, thinking styles, case assessment and interpretation.

Psychology of witnesses and suspects
False confessions, offender profiling, effects and avoidance of cognitive bias in forensic science through process design.

Year 2 Core Modules

You must study and pass all five core modules​

Brief description

Advanced structural analysis and basic structural design procedures.

Indicative content:

  • Structural analysis: Compression members: modes of failure, slenderness and instability, Euler’s buckling load i.e. timber columns. Basic concepts: Statically determinate vs statically indeterminate structures i.e. flexibility and stiffness methods. Influence lines Symmetry.
  • Structural design: Requirements of structural design, design philosophies. Design requirements, loads and material strengths, partial safety factors, design process Introduction to timber column design. Introduction to masonry. Introduction temporary works.
  • Laboratory work: Timber beams tested to destruction and Buckling of (model). Struts.

Brief description

Fundamental principles of hydrology and hydrostatics. Learn to apply these principles to model problems relevant to water resources and civil engineering.

Indicative content:

  • Hydrology: Review of the hydrological cycle. Fundamental principles of hydrology. Precipitation, occurrence and forms, estimation and measurements, rain gauges and methods of data handling. Evaporational influences and estimation methods.
  • Water Use and Quality: Demand, use and re-use of water. Sustainable water use. Human and environmental needs for water and water conservation. Introduction to water quality parameters; quality of various types and sources of water; factors affecting quality.
  • Water related disasters, and Sustainable Water Management: Floods and droughts - nature and causes. Sustainable water management, sustainable catchment management and sustainable drainage systems (SUDS).
  • Fluid Properties: Review of the properties of liquid fluids. Reynolds experiment; Reynolds number, mean velocity, discharge; description of types and patterns of flow; velocity gradients, laminar and turbulent motion, streamlines and flow nets.
  • Fluid Statics: Variation of pressure in a fluid; pressure measurements; pressure forces on surfaces; hydrostatic forces on plane and curved surfaces submerged in fluids; buoyancy forces; stability and metacentric height.
  • Fluid Dynamics: Continuity equations, conservation of mass, steady flow; Bernoulli equations: application to devices; the momentum equation.

Brief description

The properties and application of a range of construction materials as an introduction to highway design and Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Indicative content:

  • Properties and Uses of Materials: Origin, occurrence, appearances, identification, classification, properties, manufacture, conversion, production and uses of various construction materials; material selection and specification, sustainability of materials.
  • Materials Testing: Testing and evaluation applied to common construction materials.
  • Highway Engineering: Road Alignment: Theory and practice in the layout of vertical and horizontal curvature. Road realignment project with a focus on sustainability. Computer based road design packages. Influence of safety on design solutions.
  • Highway Intersections: Layout and analysis of priority junctions, roundabouts, signal control and grade- separated interchanges. Influence of safety on design solutions. Highway Materials, Design and Construction Pavement construction: flexible and rigid pavements, bound and unbound materials, mix design, specification for materials and construction, testing. Pavement loading, design of flexible and rigid pavements. Sustainability and recycling issues.
  • Highway Pavements: Design and Construction Pavement construction: flexible and rigid pavements, bound and unbound materials, mix design, specification for materials and construction, testing. Pavement loading, design of flexible and rigid pavements. Sustainability and recycling issues.
  • BIM: BIM in practice, BIM in cost estimation and control.

Brief description

This module applies the principle of environmental engineering in the analysis and management of environmental pollution.

Indicative content:

  • Water Quality: Overview of the principles of air, water and land interaction and surface water quality management: Introduction of water quality and management; Fate of water pollutants in rivers and lakes; Drinking Water Quality standards, UK and EU Directives; Fundamentals of self-purification; Models used as quality predictive tools: Streeter Phelps equation.
  • Water Treatment: Coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection process.
  • Groundwater quality and management: Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction, Stream- Aquifer Interaction. Aquifer management.
  • Air quality and pollution management: Overview on sources of air pollution and monitoring and control of emissions of air pollutants; Dispersion of air pollutants in atmosphere; Air pollution modelling approaches and Indoor air pollution.
  • Environmental impact assessment (EIA): EIA procedure. Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Case studies and EIA of developments.

Year 2 Microcredentials - Term 2

If you are a Direct Entrant (new student) to this year of study and have not previously taken module ABE101, then you MUST take ABE201 as part of your Microcredential selection. If you have previously taken ABE101 then you are NOT permitted to take ABE201.

Instructions: Please choose a total of TWENTY credits of microcredential (ABE) modules.

Brief description

Throughout the microcredential you will become familiar with university systems (including the virtual learning environment), consider what attributes make a successful student and develop key successful student habits.

Indicative content

  • Navigating Abertay Systems: Be introduced to and understand how to engage with Abertay systems and tools such as MyLearningSpace, MS Teams, OASIS, MyAbertay etc.
  • Expectations of University and You: Explore your own and the universities expectations of you and of the university; Consider the code of conduct; independent learning; blended learning; how university is structured; health and safety; and the Abertay attributes.
  • Understanding and Searching Information: How scholarly information is generated and disseminated, key characteristics of different information types. Planning, using, and refining appropriate search strategies; online search tools; using a range of web and database search functionality. 
  • Successful Student Behaviours: Develop strategies to key successful student behaviours including Defeating Procrastination, Time Management, Notetaking and preparing for classes, Growth Mindset, Accessing student support and opportunities.
  • Referencing: Understand what is meant by academic integrity, plagiarism, and the need for appropriate referencing; creating reference lists and in-text citations; use of referencing tools to manage information.
  • Sounding Academic: Explore what lecturers mean by “academic style” and “the right language”; Understand what is meant by and how to learn the rules of academic writing characteristics. Consider how this differs between college and university; Learn how to paraphrase. Explore how assessments, marking and feedback works at university.
  • Evaluating Information: Using appropriate quality criteria to critically evaluate information from any source to determine authority and bias.

Brief description

This microcredential provides you with the space and time to develop your skills in designing, planning, delivering, and showcasing an artefact responding to the societal issue. The microcredential is flexible and you will have a choice of what and how you create your response.

Indicative content

  • The Big Issue: You will be introduced to the big society issue that will be the focus of your artefact response. Learning materials available will help you consider your response to the challenge.
  • Developing Ideas: You will think creatively as to how you will respond to the big issue. You will consider your intended artefact aims, outcomes and target audience. 
  • Responding to the Challenge: Resources and guidance will be available as you respond to the challenge and create your artefact.
  • Preparing for the Showcase: Guidance will be available on how best to showcase your artefact for the assessment. You will develop your presentation skills to support you in showcasing the artefact. 
  • Showcase Event: You will attend a showcase event and present your artefact.

Brief description

You will discuss a range of anti-racist approaches and how they apply within the context of professional communications. You will examine case studies and scenarios to identify the nature of bias in society explore ways to be anti-racist especially in professional communications.

Indicative content

  • Racial Bias in Society: Using case studies and scenarios to discuss various forms of racism in society, you will explore the need for anti-racist practice in professional communications. 
  • Classification of Anti-Racist Practice: This section compares different anti-racists approaches applied across several contexts. You will discuss the challenges and benefits of each approach. You will identify barriers to implementation of anti-racist practice.
  • Discuss Anti-Racist Approaches for Successful Professional Communications: You will be introduced to various communications frameworks (e.g. the humanity-centric framework) and will explore scenarios for the application of these frameworks in a range of professional contexts.
  • Embedding Anti-Racism in Digital and Social Media Communications: How can you discuss matters of race and anti-racism on digital and social media while maintaining a professional persona. We will examine cases for best practices and explore ways to avoid bigoted language in digital communications. 

Brief description

In this module you will study two ways of analysing language: (i) a basic introduction to conversation analysis and discourse analysis as applied to ordinary talk/texting, and (ii) and introduction text mining, based on identifying patterns and developing insights from text-based data available on the Internet (e.g., social media data, online texts, online reviews etc).

Indicative content

  • Conversation Analysis and Talk and Text as Action: A brief overview of the CA focus on language as action; an examination of how people talk in terms of questions, answers, invitations, excuses, justifications etc.; an examination of texting, emojis, misunderstandings.
  • Text Mining: Introduction to text mining and its uses in a social sciences and business context; Online data sources; The text mining process: data collection, pre-processing and analysis; effectively communicating and visualising insights from textual data.

Brief description

By the end of this microcredential, you will be able to evaluate and select machine learning algorithms and AWS services to be appropriately applied to different business problems.

Indicative content

  • Introduction to Machine Learning: What is ML? ML process, business problem solved with ML, ML tools, Amazon SageMaker, ML challenges, supervised learning (regression, classification), unsupervised learning (clustering, dimensionality reduction), reinforcement learning, etc.
  • Implementing a ML pipeline using Amazon Sage Maker: Formulating ML problems, collecting and securing data, extracting, transferring and loading data, evaluating your data, finding corelation, feature engineering, data cleaning, dealing with outliers, training, deployment, performance evaluation, hyperparameters and model tuning.
  • Forecasting: Time series analysis, Amazon Forecast, Implementing a forecast model, Stock Predictions.
  • Computer Vision: Facial Recognition, Image and Video Analysis, Dataset Preparation.
  • Natural Language Processing: Amazon Comprehend, Polly, Translate, and Lex, Creating a chatbot, Alexa, etc.

Brief description

This online module will support you to get familiar with sustainability and introduce you to tools that can help you to understand and reduce your climate impact. By increasing your sustainability self-awareness, you will be able to make a positive difference in your own life, and in the organisations and communities around you.

Indicative content

  • What is sustainability and how is it linked to Climate Change?: We define sustainability, enhancing understanding of the links between society, economy, and environment. Climate change is explained and linked to sustainability. We provide clear accessible information about the reliable science of climate change. We describe the need efforts towards limiting human-induced global warming (limiting cumulative CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions). 
  • Global Sustainability: We introduce the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. 
  • Personal Sustainability: The WWF environmental footprint tool is a great way to start your personal sustainability journey. The planet is in crisis - from climate change to the pollution in our oceans and devastation of our forests. It's up to all of us to fix it. Take your first step with our environmental footprint calculator. 
  • Community Sustainability and Climate Resilience: Community climate resilience comes in many forms. In this topic we introduce ideas which can provide multiple benefits of people, planet, and prosperity. We showcase inspiring examples whereby working with natural processes (Biophilic design, blue and green infrastructure) we can connect people with nature to improve their well-being and quality of life, whilst simultaneously tackling climate change and storing carbon.
  • Global Solutions: What is the world doing about it? What impact do Global Climate and Biodiversity agreements (COP26 etc) really have? What’s happening here? Where are the challenges and the good news stories? We showcase positive initiatives focussed on progress.

Brief description

By the end of the module, you will know more about key aspects of nutrition and health and be better equipped to identify and tackle the barriers that prevent you from eating well.

Indicative content

  • Healthy eating on a budget: This topic will show you that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive! You will be given basic nutritional knowledge, as well as skills and practical tips to be able to eat a healthy diet on a budget. You will then be able to develop your own menu and share it with your peers, so you learn from us as well as from each other.
  • Prebiotics, probiotics and health: You will learn about the importance of our microbiota on health, and how what we eat can modulate it. You will be provided with cooking tips and will be able to develop your own fermented foods for better gut health.
  • Fat or sugar, which is worse?: You may have heard that fats are bad for our health, or perhaps you have heard it is all about the sugars? You will learn about the role of both sugars and fats in our diet; what makes them good or bad for health and the science behind it. You will be given the tools to assess your own sugar and fat intake as well as tips to implement the changes you need to eat better. 
  • The British diet vs Mediterranean diet: What is a Mediterranean diet and what are its real benefits? Is it just a diet or a pattern? Can we get the same benefits as those living in Mediterranean countries? In this topic, you will explore how feasible it is for us to adopt the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, considering the seasonality of ingredients as well as sustainability. 
  • What drives our food choices?: How healthy do you think your diet is? Do you find it easy to eat well? With this topic you will become more aware of our obesogenic environment, of how the food industry talks to us, and how the media report nutritional claims. You will learn to look more closely and more critically at your environment, so you can make healthier decisions.

Brief description

This microcredential will help you to refine your current writing skills through the analysis and discussion of a range of texts and exercises, enabling you to then apply these techniques to assignments for your other modules.

Indicative content

  • Speaking the language: How to develop your academic and professional vocabulary: understanding the genre; understanding your reader’s expectations.
  • Meeting expectations: Why different assignments have different requirements: decoding instructions; selecting appropriate writing techniques.
  • Tightening up the nuts and bolts: How to improve your writing accuracy: reviewing key grammar and punctuation issues; improving your editing and proofreading.
  • Standing on the shoulders of giants: How to borrow from the greats: reviewing the principles of citing sources; using writing techniques to incorporate research into writing.

Brief description

This module will help you develop a better understanding of the difference between media reporting and scientific evaluation. It will equip you with the skills to look beyond sensational stories related to human behaviour and dig deeper into a topic area to validate the evidence.

Indicative content

  • Paranormal Beliefs and Experiences: Is Extrasensory Perception Real? Is there really evidence that we can predict the future?
  • Myths about the Brain: Can repressed memories be recovered in therapy? How easily are false memories created? What are the implications for the justice system? 
  • Myths about our Mind and Body: Is the key to success in everyday life simply a case of posing like a powerful superhero? 
  • Myths about Language: Does being bilingual make you smarter and keep your brain younger? Are bilingual people less likely to get dementia as a result of this lifelong brain training?

Brief description

Through this microcredential you will gain an insight into what the world of work may look like in the (near) future. This includes developing a knowledge of how the economy and labour market evolves and why individual skills-sets and employability are so important and intrinsically linked to this process.

Indicative content

  • The future of work: What will the future of work look like? What is used to predict how the world or work will change? Can the future of the economy and of work be accurately predicted? 
  • Key factors that influence change: Identifying some of the key factors that influence how the world of work and our economy evolves and changes.
  • The key role of skills and personal employability: The emergence and decline of skills: skills are fundamental to the economy (and graduate employers). What skills will be most in demand and/or be most valuable to our economy in future and why? Understand the importance of skills to the economy (and to graduate employers) at both the macro and micro level. Know what specific new skills are emerging and becoming more valuable and sought after, (as others are in decline) for our modern economy and graduate labour market. 
  • Labour market information - what is it for?: Labour market Information is hugely important to our understanding of our economy at any given time: and also, in looking at the present and past to help predict future growth, opportunities, shortages and skills gaps. Recognise the importance of key Labour Market Information (LMI). Have the ability to source and use key Labour Market Information (LMI). Understand how to use accurate Labour Market Information as a tool to help their own personal development and future career planning. 
  • What now?: Some help and steer – suggestions to you may wish to use your new knowledge and insight to help with your own career aspirations, planning and personal/professional development while at university.

Brief description

Some businesses have the sole focus of making money whereas others exist to also make a difference. Social enterprises are becoming more popular, and recognisable, and are making an impact across the world. From supporting the homeless, to giving waste products a second life, social enterprises are fighting for various causes. 

Indicative content

  • What is a social enterprise and how does it function?: What the definition of a social enterprise is with examples from different sectors.
  • How do social enterprises identify problems to tackle?: How social enterprises decide on what they will tackle and how they will do it. 
  • How do you gather evidence that there is a problem requiring a solution?: Way in which you can gather evidence and data to validate the idea for a social enterprise. Determining needs and wants within a category. 
  • How to identify skills and knowledge gaps: Understanding the skillsets within a founding team to fulfil the tasks required to start a social enterprise. 
  • How to understand the problem you are trying to solve: Knowing the problem, you are trying to solve and how this effects the target customers the social enterprise is aimed at. Looking at the issues in a customer-focussed way. 
  • How to develop a social impact plan: What is involved in a social impact plan and how to put one together. 

Brief description

This module will introduce you to the study of AI and Society. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies and concepts and can be understood as using computers and software to denote problem-solving capacities and knowledge acquisition (intelligence) which otherwise we believe only belongs to natural beings such as humans.

Indicative content

  • Introduction to the core concepts: A brief introduction to the concepts of “artificial”, “intelligence” and “society”. 
  • Introduction to the problem of AI and Society: A discussion of where the problem of the impact of AI on Society comes from, presentation of some of the original debates and examples.
  • Contemporary debates: A discussion of the contemporary debates about the impact of AI on Society, with examples.

Brief description

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how has it shaped our past and present? These are questions we will explore on a guided tour of AI from the past to the present and the future. You will develop a better understanding of what AI is and isn’t.

Indicative content

  • Historical AI: Tracing the historical development of “traditional” AI systems including aircraft autopilots, expert systems, and accounting/financial software.
  • Current AI: Covering the contemporary generation of AI technologies in areas such as speech recognition (e.g., Alexa, Siri) and recommendation systems (e.g., Amazon, YouTube). Examples will be drawn from Health, Sport, Games, Engineering, Business, Law and Computing. 
  • Future AI: Exploring the limitations of today’s AI when it comes to general intelligence and contextual adaptation. Examples will be drawn from Health, Sport, Games, Engineering, Business, Law and Computing.
  • My AI: How AI will impact your future, and how you can use AI to help you achieve your career goals.  Reflection on how AI may inform your subject area going forward.

Brief description

This microcredential is aimed at you, if you have an interest in technology but are not experts. The microcredential will develop your digital safety and how to stay safe online.

Indicative content

  • Threat Landscape: Cyberattacks and online threats. System vulnerabilities. Social Engineering. Rights and computer laws.
  • Authentication: Password security. Biometrics. MFA and Password managers. Good practices for authentication.
  • Secure Communication: Web browser security. Certificates and trust. Effective encryption. Secure communication methods.
  • Personal Information Privacy: Information leakage. Personal information privacy and open-source intelligence. Device encryption and security. Security mindfulness.
  • Malware: Types of malware. Identifying malicious software. Malware propagation techniques. Malware removal and preventative measures.

Brief description

This microcredential will help you to develop and build your own confidence in applying numeracy skills in real world situations.

Indicative content

  • What is my GPA and how likely am I to get a First? (BASIC NUMERACY): Calculation and manipulation of data using Percentages, Indices (Powers), Roots, Probability, and simple equations. 
  • The power of prediction (GRAPHS): Straight line graphs, Gradients, Equations of a straight line, Intercepts. Drawing graphs - Linear equations, Distances between points. Simultaneous linear equations.  
  • Love a good puzzle (ALGEBRA): Changing subject of formulae. Factorisation - common factors, Difference of two squares, Trinomials. Solving simultaneous equations by Substitution and Elimination.
  • Advanced power of prediction (FUNCTIONS): Introduction to functions – Linear and Quadratic and solving quadratic equations. Factorising Quadratic equations.
  • Love a good triangle (TRIGONOMETRY): Trignometric functions - Sine, cosine and tangent. Trignometric formulae.

Brief description

In this microcredential, you will learn more about how digital media production professionals in the UK and China are working together to reduce barriers and identify new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Indicative content

  • History and future of videogames in China: Focussing on the videogame sector as a case study of Chinese digital creative industries, how has the videogames market and industry developed in China, how is the Chinese videogames economy currently constituted, and what does the future hold?
  • Consumer trends and audience preferences: What is popular with audiences in China? What can we note about preferences in terms of narrative content, aesthetics, play styles etc. when compared with other markets?
  • Policy and regulation: What unique regulations or limitations are imposed on digital media within China, and what similarities are there with other national and transnational regulations? How is creative content development and publishing shaped by policy in China? What social and ethical challenges are presented by regulation, in China as well as in the UK?
  • Transnational working and co-production: How is digital creative content conceived, developed, and released by professionals working across borders? What are the challenges for small and independent creative studios, compared with multi-nationals with studios based in and outside China?
  • Publishing in China: How do digital media content like videogames make it to market in China? What processes and requirements must creative businesses be aware of, and how do developers find, connect to, and work with Chinese publishers? How to consumers in China access content, including on grey markets?
  • Challenges and success: Hear from UK and Chinese professionals on the China market, co-operation, the hurdles they cleared, and how they found success.

Brief description

Increasingly, the role of creativity in supporting and maintaining wellbeing is being researched and celebrated. This module will introduce you to the current theory in this area, as well as a range of creative resources shown to be helpful for both self-care and the support of others.

Indicative content

  • Why does creativity matter?: An introduction to why creativity matters when it comes to mental health.
  • Your brain on words: The place of stories in their various forms as a resource for wellbeing.
  • Engaging the senses: The potential of tools such as music and art for self-care.

Year 3 Core Modules

You must study and pass all four core modules

Brief description

Structural design in reinforced concrete and steel. Learn to investigate and solve geotechnical and structural problems related to the built environment.

Indicative content:

  • Design loads: Wind loading and snow loading.
  • Reinforced concrete: Material properties, limit state design requirements, loads and partial safety factors, failure mechanism and criteria Design of structural elements including singly and doubly reinforced beams, one-way and two-way slabs, axially loaded columns, foundations and cantilever retaining walls.
  • Design of steel structures: Material properties and grading, partial safety factors, section properties and classification, Design of beams subject to uniaxial bending, Design of columns and base plates, Design of steel connections.
  • Plastic collapse of steel structures: Plastic hinge formation, plastic moment capacity, plastic section modulus, shape factor, failure criterion, upper and lower bound theorems, plastic analysis of statically indeterminate beams and single storey, single bay portal frames.
  • Use of computer packages and design.
  • Laboratory work: Concrete lab. Safe working practices in a laboratory situation.

Brief description

Initial development of geotechnical analysis and design, and their application in civil engineering. Gain an understanding of soils physical and mechanical properties in theory and practice, and an introduction into geotechnical engineering problems.

Indicative content:

  • Physical properties of soil: Factors controlling the weathering of rock and the formation of soils. Moisture content, density, void ratio, porosity, air content and saturation.
  • Soil compaction and re-use: The compaction of soils − theory and practise. Suitability criteria and the re−use of fill for engineering purposes.
  • Effective stress: The concept of total and effective stress and pore water pressure.
  • Soil shear strength: The theory of soil shear strength, Mohr Coulomb failure criterion. Determine shear strength parameters for design purposes from shear box, undrained triaxial.
  • Consolidation of soils: Measurement of the consolidation of cohesive soils in the laboratory, theoretical consideration of amount and rate of settlement, over-consolidation ratio and the application of the e/log p’ graph.
  • Seepage: Flow net construction, seepage into excavations, seepage forces and piping.
  • Laboratory work: Determine moisture content, Atterberg Limit and shear strength of sand and saturated clay. Safe working practices in a laboratory situation.

Brief description

Prepare for the diverse opportunities provided within the engineering profession. Develop essential knowledge and skills in order to contribute to the organisation and management of engineering projects.

Indicative content:

  • Health and Safety: CDM and other current health and safety regulations, roles obligations and responsibilities under legislation for health and safety.
  • Procurement strategies, tendering and construction contracts: Management of the design process, estimating and tendering, pre-tender planning, construction contracts; contract formation, contractual problems. Topical procurement issues.
  • Project control tools: Planning and programming tools and techniques, strategies for managing uncertainty, PERT and related techniques. Cost control systems, quality management.
  • Economic and sustainability assessment: Economic evaluation: life Cycle costing, CEEQUAL and BREEAM. Cost benefit analysis Sustainability assessment approaches. Sustainability indicators, Multi-criteria analysis.
  • Professional employability skills: Employer/employee relationship. Interview skills and techniques. Presenting a professional CV. Equality and diversity. Professional codes of conduct (such as ICE) and specific issues including resolving ethical dilemmas through case studies.

Brief description

Gain structured and practical experience of working in the world of Civil Engineering through a work placement. As a planned part of your education and training, a placement is a complement to and an extension of the work you undertake while at university. It provides an opportunity for you to accept responsibility for your own personal and professional development, learning and training.

Indicative content:

  • Briefing: Final preparation for placement building on Civil Engineering Practice module.
  • Placement: Individual learning experiences will vary depending on the organisation to which you are attached. The work placement is unpaid and for the whole of the term. You are visited at least once during the placement period by your university supervisor.​
  • Debriefing: Follows immediately upon completion of the period of work placement and is designed to offer guidance to better enable able you to transfer your learning experience back into the university-based setting and for consideration for future learning.

Year 4 Core Modules

You must study and pass all six core modules

Brief description

Understand the interaction between geotechnical and structural analysis in the design of civil engineering structures.

Indicative content:

  • Design of foundations: Design of foundations on cohesive and granular soils and bedrock. Comprehend the value of safe and economic design.
  • Design loads: Design of gravity and cantilever retaining wall.Wind loading and snow loading.
  • Slope stability: Stability of soil and rock slopes.
  • Selected specialist subject within structural engineering. e.g. Pre-stressed concrete, fire safety

Brief description

Regulatory and technical aspects of waste and wastewater treatment and management. Gain the skills required for the selection, design, operation and maintenance of sustainable systems for the treatment and management of wastes, contaminated soil and wastewaters, and associated by-products. 

Indicative content:

  • Waste and Contaminated Land Regulations: European and UK policy on land, waste management and the role of environmental regulatory agencies. The EU/UK Waste Management Hierarchy. Different regulatory framework and approaches to remediation of contaminated groundwater, compared with contaminated land. E.g. the “limit of detection” threshold for pollutants in groundwater.
  • Waste Characterisation, Collection, Transport and Storage: Waste arisings by type, quantity and disposal route. Collection and Transport options.
  • Waste Management and Treatment Technologies: Waste minimisation, re-use and recycling. Treatment technologies: Thermal (Incineration, Pyrolysis and Gasification); Anaerobic digestion and Composting. Landfill Technology.
  • Contaminated Land Management and Remediation: Ground investigation techniques. Assessment of hazards and risks. Treatment/Remediation methodologies and techniques.
  • Wastewater Management and Treatment: Wastewater management regulations. Characterisation of municipal wastewater (sewage). Consideration of unit treatment processes and operations including sedimentation and biological processes. Analysis of various treatment systems for large and small and decentralised populations. Analysis of treatment and management options and objectives for industrial effluents.
  • Sludge Treatment and Management: Analysis of options for treatment, utilisation and disposal of wastewater treatment sludges, with associated environmental standards.

Brief description

The theories, concepts and principles of research methodology and statistical analysis and the range of methods used in conducting research. Gain the skills and knowledge necessary to undertake an original in-depth investigation in those fields. 

Indicative content:

  • Introduction to Research: The nature and purpose of research; different types of research (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, developmental, practice-based) and their mapping within different philosophical paradigms (positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism); strengths and weaknesses.
  • Dealing with practical issues: the research process; identifying a research topic and setting research objectives; developing a research strategy; characteristics of a good research project; ethical issues in conducting research.
  • Searching and reviewing the literature: The purposes and main steps of a literature review; searching, evaluating, organizing and synthesizing the relevant literature; and, writing a literature review and managing bibliographic records. In addition, developing research questions for qualitative and quantitative research; and identifying characteristics/attributes
  • Data collection and analysis: Approaches to data collection and analysis (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, iterative); questionnaire design; populations, samples, and sampling methods; data mining.
  • Writing your research proposal: Identifying a research problem or issue, the purpose of the research and the main research question(s); choosing the research strategy and methods; writing a research proposal. In addition: discussing findings, formulating conclusions, making recommendations, and reporting; planning, executing, writing up, and submitting a dissertation.
  • Descriptive statistics for quantitative and qualitative data: Summarising and visualising data sets; finding trends in data and formulating a research hypothesis.
  • Introduction to Probability and Statistical Inference: Basic concepts of probability and probability distribution; discrete and continuous random variables; basic probability distributions; introduction to the hypothesis testing procedure.
  • The Hypothesis Testing Procedure: Parametric and non-parametric tests; Chi-squared Test for Association; Independent Sample t-Test; One and Two Way Analysis of Variance ANOVA; power calculation and sample size estimation.
  • Correlation and Regression: Relationship between two numeric variables, dependent and independent variable; Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient; Simple Linear Regression.
  • Multiple Regression: Multiple Regression Analysis and introduction to the General Linear Model.

Brief description

The opportunity to work with others as part of a diverse team, integrating skills learned in previous modulesto solve a realistic series of project problems for a construction project..

Indicative content:

  • Review of client brief: Justification of design options and production of outline design solutions.
  • Project analysis and design: including calculations and detailing of the design project.
  • Review of solutions: including sustainability assessment, taking off quantities, producing risk assessments and method statements, pricing bills of quantities and carbon costing.
  • Building information management: Review of building information management in the design and operation of the project.

Brief description

Undertake an individual in-depth study of a relevant specialised aspect of civil and environmental engineering. Provide a report and deliver a presentation.

Indicative content:

  • Supervision: A member of academic staff will assist and guide you in carrying out the project, and monitor progress. It is recommended you meet with them at least once in a fortnight to discuss progress. You must keep a log book whichis part of the assessed materials.
  • Final Report and Presentation: Submit a final written report on your chosen subject, prepared in accordance with the University's regulations for the submission of theses. Present yourself for a final oral assessment.

Brief description

Apply the fundamental principles of fluid dynamics to be able to analyse and design water infrastructure.

Indicative content:

  • Fluid dynamics: Review of basic concepts of fluid motion. Continuity equations, conservation of mass, steady flow; the Bernoulli equations: application to devices; the momentum equation.
  • Pipeline: Pipe flow and Reynolds number. Frictional effects in pipe flow and Darcy head loss equation. Analysis of pipe systems - use design aids: flow charts, computational packages.
  • Drainage systems: Combined and separate sewer systems. Urban storm water pollution control. CSOs. Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems. Estimation of foul and storm flows. Design of simple systems for foul and surface water.
  • Hydraulic machines: Types of hydraulic machines. Selection and installation of pumps, using pump and system performance curves. Cavitation and associated issues.
  • Open channels uniform flow: Frictional resistance formulae for steady uniform flow in open channels. Channel design considerations, including optimum shape of cross-section for uniform flow in open channels.
  • Non-uniform flow in open channels: Specific energy and alternative depths of flow. Occurrence of critical flow conditions. Flow over a broad-crested weir. Classification of water surface profiles. The hydraulic jump and the use of critical depth in flow measurements. Design of spillways.

How the course works 

It's a flexible degree

Tailor your studies to suit your ambitions and interests. After first year you can switch to another related degree if you choose to. 

This approach means you can keep your options open.  So if you haven’t worked out exactly what you want to do yet, this is a great way to start. There’s plenty of academic support to help you decide – it’s an exciting choice to make.  

The first-year curriculum covers an introduction to engineering and all the specialisms. In year two you can stay on your current degree, or switch to one of the others.  There are three related courses: 

Relevant HNC - direct entry into year two 

If you have a relevant HNC, we encourage you to apply for entry into the second year of one of the courses listed here. Please check the entry requirements for grades or contact admissions for more information

Answering important questions

We’ll challenge you to ask important questions, such as: 

  • What does it take to plan and build structures? 

  • Can construction materials be reclaimed to develop new roads? 

  • Are sustainable construction and low energy building challenges being met? 

  • How can we work with nature to deliver more sustainable engineering solutions? 

You’ll find all the answers here.

This highly practical degree combines engineering principles with environmental science and management concepts. It equips you with the skills you need to lead teams who design and develop sustainable solutions to continually evolving engineering problems.  

The course will also develop key employment skills that are transferable amongst engineering disciplines, including: 

  • Analytics and decision-making. 

  • Creative approach to problem-solving. 

  • Critical thinking and the ability to interpret data.

 

Learning and assessment

We’re at the cutting edge of engineering – both theoretical and practical – and we offer a broad range of learning environments. This includes the traditional lecture and tutorial format, student-led learning, interactive class sessions, field trips and site-visits, and a substantial element of lab and design work. Our class sized are smaller than average, meaning we can spend more time with each student. 

We encourage independent study, which means you take responsibility for your own learning. A variety of methods are used to assess your study, enabling you to demonstrate progress in different ways. Coursework typically includes design challenges, laboratory reports, essays and oral presentations. Formal exams include questions that require short answers, problem-solving and design. 

Your placement will be assessed by industrial and academic supervisors, as well as by report and oral presentation. In your final dissertation, you’re individually supported by one of our research-active members of staff. 

Entry requirements

Please note: All applicants must have a pass in Maths - National 5 grade C or GCSE grade C/4 or equivalent.

Please visit our College Qualifications pages for suitable College courses.

Republic of Ireland applicants, please click on the UK tabs and scroll down to find your Entry Requirements.

See information about studying and applying to Abertay for International students.

BEng

Qualification Type Grade Requirements Essential Subjects
Higher (standard entry) BBBC Grade C in one of the following: Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Design and Manufacture, Economics, Engineering Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Human Biology, Mathematics, Physics
Higher (minimum entry) We may make you an offer at the minimum entry grades if you meet the criteria. Find out if you're eligible for minimum entry (see below). BBC Grade C in one of the subjects listed above.
A-Level CCC Grade C in one of the following: Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Design and Manufacture, Economics, Engineering Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Human Biology, Mathematics, Physics
T Level C or higher in Core Component in one of the following:- Design, Surveying & Planning for Construction, Onsite Construction, Building Services Engineering for Construction, Design & Development for Engineering & Manufacturing, Maintenance, Installation & Repair for Engineering & Manufacturing, Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing & Control or Agriculture, Land Management & Production
Irish Highers H3H3H3H3 Numerate subject

International Baccalaureate Diploma Based Programme (IBDP)

27 Points Numerate subject at S5 or H4
International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP)

 

We encourage applications with the IBCP but understand that your combination of qualifications may differ depending on where you are studying.

We accept the International Baccalaureate Careers-related Programme (IBCP). Any subject requirements must be met as per our published IB Diploma requirements.

BTEC Extended Diploma MMM Construction and the Built Environment (all pathways)/ Engineering
AHEAD   Successful completion of the relevant stream of our AHEAD programme

MEng

Qualification Type Grade Requirements Essential Subjects
Higher (standard entry) AABB Maths at Grade B
A-Level BBC Maths
Irish Highers H2H2H3H3 Maths
International Baccalaureate 30 Points Maths at S5 or H4
BTEC Extended Diploma DDM Construction and the Built Environment/Engineering
Qualification Type Grade Requirements Essential Subjects
Advanced Higher BBB 2 numerate subjects
A-Level BBB 2 numerate subjects
BTEC Extended Diploma DDD Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering)
International Baccalaureate 34 Points Mathematics and Physics plus one other HL
SQA HNC C Our College Qualifications pages list approved HNC courses
BTEC HNC M Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering)

International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP)

See next column If you are taking HNC/HND with one or more Higher Levels IB subjects, your offer will be similar to our BTEC + A Level offer (see 'BTEC National Diploma / Diploma') but with an HL requirement of 6 for A, 5 for B, or 4 for C.
Qualification Type Grade Requirements Essential Subjects
SQA HND C Civil Engineering
BTEC HND M Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering)
International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) See next column If you are taking HNC/HND with one or more Higher Levels IB subjects, your offer will be similar to our BTEC + A Level offer (see 'BTEC National Diploma / Diploma') but with an HL requirement of 6 for A, 5 for B, or 4 for C.

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants from across the world. Please select your country from the searchable list below to view different qualification entry requirements. If you have different qualifications to those listed, please contact us using the form below.

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Academic Requirements

Applicants will typically be required to achieve CCC at A-Level, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma with an overall score of 28 points, to include any essential subject(s) at S5 or H4.

English language: English B at S5 or H4 is accepted. For English A, no grade is specified. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically require a High School GPA of 3.0, plus one of the following:

  • SAT (I) score of 1100
  • 3 AP Tests at grades 333
  • 3 SAT Subject Tests at 600
  • ACT Composite score of 25

A combination of AP/SAT II tests may be used, provided they are in different subjects.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) with 6 units as follows: 4 units at III, 2 units at IV, to include any essential subject(s) at III.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the European Baccalaureate with an overall grade of 70%, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 7.

English language: English Language 1 at grade 6 or English Language 2 at grade 7 are accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the NECO in at least five subjects at an average of B/C, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 54%/2.00, to include any essential subject(s) at 60%/2.70.

English language: English at C6 or higher in the NECO is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the WAEC in at least five subjects at an average of B/C, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 54%/2.00, to include any essential subject(s) at 60%/2.70.

English language: English at C6 or higher in the WAEC is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diplomë e Maturës Shtetëore with an overall grade of 7.5, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Baccalauréat Technique / Commercial with an overall grade of 14, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Baccalauréat de l'Enseignement Secondaire with an overall grade of 14, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants with national school qualilfications will typically be required to pass the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 12/20, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Trayecto Técnico Profesional with an overall grade of 6.5, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Título de Técnico Superior/Universitario with an overall grade of 6.5, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Araratian Baccalaureate at Extended Level with grades CCC, to include any essential subjects.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Secondary General Education wih an average of 13 and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 64%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Year 12 Certificate plus ATAR rank of 77 or Overall Position of 11, to include any essential subject(s) at Year 12 with grade B, grade 3 or Sound Achievement.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Reifeprüfung/Maturazeugnis with an overall grade of 2.8, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 2.

English language: English at grade 2 in the Reifeprüfung/Maturazeugnis is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Tam Orta Tahsil Hazzinda Aggestat with an average of 4, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 62%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Shahadat Al-Thanawaya Al-Aama/General Secondary Education Certificate with an average of 60%, and the first year of a university degree or post-secondary diploma in a relevant subject with an average grade of 65% or 2.25 (on the 4 point scale), to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Intermediate/Higher Secondary School Certificate at an average of 2.5, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 50% or C+, to include any essential subject(s) at 60% or grade B.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of General Secondary Education at an average of 6, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 6.0, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate d'Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur with an overall grade of 60%, to include any essential subject(s) at 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diploma van secundair onderwijs with an overall grade of 60%, to include any essential subject(s) at 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Abschlusszeugnis der Oberstufe des Sekundarunterrichts with an overall score of 60%, to include any essential subject(s) at 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diploma de Bachiller at 64%, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 63%, to include any essential subject(s) at 70%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the General Certificate of Secondary Education at an average of 4.5, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 70%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificado de Conculsão de Segundo Grau with an average score of 8.0, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 8.0.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificado de Conclusão de Ensino Médio with an average score of 8.0, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 8.0.

Applicants will typically be required to pass Brunei A Levels in 3 subjects at grades CCC, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diploma za Sredno Obrazonvanie with an average score of 4.5, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 5.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diploma of Upper Secondary Education at average of C, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 65%, to include any essential subject(s) at 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Baccalaureat or Baccalaureat Technique at an overall grade of 12, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 12.

Applicants will typically be required to complete the Secondary School Diploma or Diplôme d'Études Collégiales with five grade 12 subjects at an average of 65%, to include any essential subject(s) at 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Licencia de Education at an average of 4.5, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 4.5, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 5.

Applicants will typically be required to complete Senior Middle/High School Certificate/Diploma at an average of 75%, to include any essential subject(s) at 77%; and pass GAOKAO with 500 points (based on the 750 points scheme).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Bachiller Academico at an average of 3.25, and the first year of a university degree or Tecnico Universitario in a relevant subject with an average grade of 3.3, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 3.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Svjedodžba o Maturi with an overall grade of 3.2, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 3.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Apolytírio Lykeíou with an overall grade of 17.0, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 17.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Vysvědčení o maturitní zkoušce with an overall grade of 2.4, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 3 (Dobrý).

Applicants will typically be required to complete the Studentereksamen (STX), including 3 Level A subjects an overall grade of 7, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 7.

English language: Studentereksamen English Level A or B at grade 7 is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Título de Bachiller at an average of 7.0, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 13 / 60%, to include any essential subject(s) at 60%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Gumaasiumi lõputunnistus with an average score of 3.2, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 4; and pass 3 state examinations at a minimum of 55% (or 2 states examinations plus C1 Advanced English CAE or IELTS).

English language: 75% in the English state examination is accepted, or C1 Advanced English CAE or IELTS (overall score 6.0 with no band lower than 5.5). For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to complete the Studentsprogv at an overall grade of 7, to include any essential subject(s) at Level A grade 7.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Ylioppilastutkinto/Studentexamen at an overall grade 4, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 5.

English language: Advanced English at grade 5 within the Ylioppilastutkinto/Studentexamen is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Baccalauréat Général/Professionnel/Technologique at an overall grade 12, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 13.

English language. English at grade 14 in the Baccalauréat Général/Professionnel/Technologique is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Option Internationale du Baccalauréat at an overall grade 11, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 13.

English language. English at grade 13 in the Option Internationale du Baccalauréat is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Sashualo Skolis Atestati (Secondary School Certificate) at an average grade of 7, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 65%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Shualo Specialuri Sastsavleblis Diplomi (Special School Leaving Diploma) at an average grade of 7, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 65%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Abitur with an overall grade of 2.4, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 11.

English language: Abitur English at grade 10 is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Greek Apolytirion of Geniko Lykeio at grade 17 and 3 Pan-Hellenic exams at an average of 16, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 17.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Hong Kong HKDSE at 3333 in 4 core subjects, with elective subjects at 333 (for 3 electives) or 43 (for 2 electives), to include any essential subject(s) at 3.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Érettségi Bizonyítvány at an overall grade 4.0, with 2 higher subjects at grade 4, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Stúdentspróf at an overall grade 6, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 6.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Indian Senior School (Year 12) exam at an average of 60%, to include any essential subject(s) at 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan/Madrasah Aliyah (SMK / MA) at 71%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Post School Qualification Diploma 1 at 2.2, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants from Ireland should check the UK Year 1 Entry tab for entry requirements with Irish Highers.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Te'udat Bagrut or Bagrut with at least 2 subjects at level 5 and 1 subject at level 4 at an average of 60%, to include any essential subject(s) at Level 5 with 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diploma di Esame di Stato at 70%, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 8 (on the 10 point scale) or grade 16 (on the 20 point scale).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate at grade 3.5, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 4.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Completed Secondary Education at an average of 3, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 70% / 2.33, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at an average of B, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 50%, to include any essential subject(s) at 55%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Complete General Secondary Education at an average of 3, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 3.4, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Atestas par vispārējo vidējo izglītību with an average score of 7, to include 3 state exams at a minimum of 70%, to include any essential subject(s) at 70%.

English language: 80% in the English state exam is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Baccalauréat Libanais or Baccalauréat II with 12, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 12.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Brandos Atestatas with an average score of 7 with a minimum of 70% in 3 state exams, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 8.

English language: 80% in the English state exam is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diplôme de Fin d'Études Secondaires at an overall grade of 42, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 44.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Higher Secondary Education with 70%, to include any essential subject(s) at 73%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Ensino Secundário Complementar with grade 2.6, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 3.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Cambridge Overseas Higher School Certificate (COHSC) with grades CCC, to include any essential subject(s) at grade C.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Malawian School Certificate of Education at grade 5, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average of 60%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) with a minimum of 3 subjects at BCC or 2.30 GPA, to include any essential subject(s) at grade B/3.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) with 4 subjects at 70% / B5 B5 B5 B5, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 75%/B5.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Matriculation Certificate Examination with grades BC at Advanced level and CCCC at Intermediate level, to include any essential subject(s) at Advanced level grade C.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diplomă de Bacalaureat with an overall grade of 6.0, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 7.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Secondary Education at 70%, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average of 70%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Higher Secondary Education Certificate (HSC) with 65%, to include any essential subject(s) at 65%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO) with an overall score of 6.6, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 7.

English language: English at grade 8 in HAVO is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Secondary School Leaving Diploma/Matura with an overall grade of 3.5, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 3.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Vitnemål for Vidergaende Opplaering with an overall average of 3.6, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 4.

English language: English at grade 4 in the Vitnemål for Vidergaende Opplaering is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Higher Secondary School Certificate at an average of 60%, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 60%/2.5, to include any essential subject(s) at 68%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Matura with an average score of 60%, to include 3 Advanced subjects at a minimum of 50%, to include any essential subject(s) at Advanced level with a score of 70%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diploma/Certificado Nível Secundário de Educação with an overall grade of 14, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 16.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Qatar Senior School Certificate (Shahadat Al-Thanawaya Al-Aama) at an average of 60%, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 2.0/70%, to include any essential subject(s) at 2.5/75%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diplomă de Bacalaureat with an overall grade of 7, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 8.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Attestat o Srednem Obrzovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education) at an average of 4, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 3.5, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihiyah) with an average of 60%, and either the post-secondary diploma or first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 3.0/70%, to include any essential subject(s) at 75%.

Applicants will typically be required to pass Singapore GCE A-Levels with grades CCC, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 75%/B5.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške at grade 2.4, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 2.

English language: English at B2 level at grade 2 in the Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Maturitetno spričevalo at grade 3.5, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 4.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the National Senior Certificate (with Matriculation Endorsement) with 4 subjects at 5555, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Título de Bachiller with an average score of 6.8, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 7.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Sudan School Certificate with an average of 60%/C, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 65%/B, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Avgangsbetyg/Slutbetyg fran Gymnasieskola with an average score of 15.5, to include any essential subject(s) at level 5 grade B.

English language: English Level 5 at grade B or English Level 6 at grade C in the Avgangsbetyg/Slutbetyg fran Gymnasieskola is accepted. For alternative English language qualifications, please see below.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificat de Maturité or the Maturitätszeugnis or the Attestato Di Maturità with an overall grade of 4.2, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 4.

Applicants will typically be required to pass Maturitätszeugnis with an overall grade of 4.2, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 4.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Attestato Di Maturità with an overall grade of 4.2, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 4.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Complete General Secondary Education at an average of 3, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 3.4, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to complete the Certificate of Secondary Education/Maw 6 with an average of 70%/3.0, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 3; or complete the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average of 2.0, to include any essential subject(s) at 2.5.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the High School Diploma at an average of 55%, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 2.9 (on the 5 point scale) or 55 (on the 100 point scale), to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Secondary Education at an average of 3, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 3.5, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Certificate of Complete General Secondary Education, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 65% / 2.2 (on the 4 point scale) / 4.0 (on the 5 point scale), to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination at 65%, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 2.0, to include any essential subject(s) at grade 2.3.

Applicants will typically require a High School GPA of 3.0, plus one of the following:

  • SAT (I) score of 1100
  • 3 AP Tests at grades 333
  • 3 SAT Subject Tests at 600
  • ACT Composite score of 25

A combination of AP/SAT II tests may be used, provided they are in different subjects.

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Diploma of Academic Lyceum at an average of 3, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 60%, to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Título de Técnico Superior Universitario, and the first year of a university degree in a relevant subject with an average grade of 50% / 6.1 (on the 10 point scale) / 12 (on the 20 point scale), to include any essential subject(s).

Applicants will typically be required to pass the Zimbabwe General Certificate of Education at Advanced Level with grades CCC, to include any essential subject(s).


English Language Requirements

All courses at Abertay University are taught in English. If your first language is not English, you will need to demonstrate that you meet our English language requirements. Accepted English language qualifications include:

IELTS - overall score of 6.0 with no band lower than 5.5

TOEFL - overall score of 78 (individual elements: L-17, R-18, S-20, W-17)

Cambridge FCE/CAE/CPE - overall score of 169 on Cambridge Grading Scale

International Baccalaureate - English B at S5 or H4, English A no specific grade required

European Baccalaureate - English Language 1 at grade 6 or English Language 2 at grade 7

You do not need to prove your knowledge of English language if you are a national of certain countries. Please see English Language Requirements for the full list of accepted qualifications and further details.

 

If your academic qualifications aren't listed above, or if you have any further questions, please contact our international team using the form below. There is also lots of useful information for international applicants on our international pages.


Contact our International Team

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Not sure if you're eligible for entry?

If you have the potential and motivation to study at university, regardless of your background or personal circumstances, we welcome your application.  

We understand some people have faced extra challenges before applying to university, which is why we consider the background in which your academic grades have been achieved when making an offer.  

If you expect to receive passes in three Scottish Highers (grades A-C) and have...  

  • been in care, or are a young carer yourself

  • attended a school or lived in an area where not many people go to university

  • are eligible for free school meals

  • are a young person estranged from your family

  • are a government-recognised refugee or have asylum seeker status

  • are a registered pupil with sustained engagement in a targeted aspiration-raising programme such as LIFT OFF, LEAPS, FOCUS West or Aspire North  

... we encourage you to submit an application.

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Support for Ukrainian students

We're keen to offer help to Ukrainian students who may wish to transfer from their existing institution in Ukraine or to register with us as new students for intake in September. There will be no tuition fees charged for the duration of the degree programme, as those with refugee status are treated as ‘Home/Scottish’ students and will also have access to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland bursary and student loans. Our Recruitment Team can help guide applicants.

FIND OUT MORE

Fees and funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you depends on factors such as your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. 

More information

Find out about grants, bursaries, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs in our undergraduate fees and funding section.

Scholarships

We offer a range of scholarships to help support your studies with us.

As well as Abertay scholarships for English, Welsh, Northern Irish and international students, there are a range of corporate and philanthropic scholarships available. Some are course specific, many are not. There are some listed below or you can visit the Undergraduate scholarship pages.

Scholarships

Abertay RUK Scholarship: Science and Social Science

A scholarship for prospective undergraduate Science and Social Science students applying from England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Abertay International Scholarship

This is an award of up to £12,000 for prospective international undergraduate students.

The Robert Reid Bursary

Two £1,000 awards for students who have overcome challenges to attend university.

20000

The annual shortfall of engineering graduates in the UK

#1

We're the TOP civil engineering degree in Scotland

£26K

Engineering graduate salaries are well above the all-subject average of £22k

Get inspired

Find out what some of our Civil Engineering graduates are doing now

Graham Lawson

Graham is an Engineering Manager at Avant Homes.

Find out more

Belinda Oldfield

Belinda is a senior figure within the UK's water industry.

Find out more

The Discover Uni dataset

The Discover Uni dataset (formerly Unistats) is an official source of information about higher education. It collates comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study.

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