Requirements

Civil engineer - requirements

As a civil engineer, you’ll research, design and manage construction projects such as structures like buildings, railways, roads and bridges. You may work as a consulting engineer or contracting engineer. Learn more about a career as a civil engineer and what you should study at uni to qualify.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a civil engineer?

Subject areas to consider include:

You’ll need an undergraduate degree, ideally in civil or structural engineering. To become chartered, you’ll need a BEng or MEng degree that is accredited by the ICE or a similar body.

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Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a civil engineer?

You’ll often need a master’s degree to become a chartered civil engineer. If you don’t get a BEng undergraduate degree, you’ll need to do a MEng master’s course.

Examples of taught MAs and research degrees at postgraduate level include MAs in:

Civil engineering
Structural engineering
Water engineering
Coastal engineering
Engineering management

What skills do you need to be a civil engineer?

You’ll need to show creativity and a passion for construction and design as well as using your problem-solving and mathematical skills.

Hard skills usually include:

IT
Computer-aided design software
Leadership
Problem-solving
Civil engineering
Project management

Soft skills include:

Communication
Eye for detail
Presentation
Time management
Analytical thinking
Maths

Do you need work experience to be a civil engineer?

Work experience is highly recommended. If you do an engineering degree at undergraduate level it’ll likely include a placement that will count as valuable experience. Some employers even offer full-time employment to impressive placement students. You could also contact organisations like ICE to ask about work experience opportunities.