Course summary
This course is aimed specifically at those students who are working as technicians and managers in roles involving the design, production and maintenance of the national infrastructure and in structural design. As such, the programme aims to provide a general understanding of the function and operation construction industry together with opportunities for modules covering the more specialist areas of each student’s chosen area of study. Typically, students will come from a variety of employment backgrounds including general civil engineering, local government highways management, and specialist sub-contracting companies.
As well as being in response to a long-standing need from the local and regional construction industry, students are also able to gain Associate level membership of the following professional body:
-
Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
Entry requirements
A student can enter onto the course when they have satisfactorily achieved at least one of the following:-
-
BTEC National Certificate or Diploma course in a related area of study
-
BTEC National Award in a related area of study, together with appropriate work experience
-
UCAS points in line with UCS entry policy for Foundation degrees
Those without traditional qualifications and those with work experience will also be given consideration. In addition candidates that are over twenty-one but without any of the above qualifications would be admitted onto the programme by demonstrating the capacity and attainments needed to complete the course successfully.
Mature candidates with experience of the Construction industry are encouraged to apply for discretionary entry through the process of Accreditation at Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).
Course aims
This course aims to provide a programme of study that will meet students’ vocational and academic requirements. In order to advance their professional and academic needs and career pathways, the course will aim to:
a. Enable students to achieve a nationally recognised qualification appropriate to the requirements of employers and to widen participation in Foundation Degree level study
b. Enable students to gain subject skills and knowledge appropriate to their chosen profession
c. Provide students with a range of key transferable skills appropriate to the workplace and for further study
Core skills
At level four, the emphasis is on the application of knowledge, skills and understanding; the use of conventions in the field of study; the use of analytical skills; and the selection and organisation of information. A supportive learning environment will be provided to encourage the learner to explore and develop their own learning style and develop skills relating to research and methods of presenting work.
At level five, the emphasis is on application and evaluation of contrasting ideas, principles, theories and practices; greater specialism in the field by study; and an increasing independence in systematic enquiry and analysis. You will develop your study skills by taking more responsibility for your own learning through personal reading and research.
Upon successful completion of level four it is intended that students will have achieved the following:
Knowledge and understanding: They will have gained a solid grounding in the well-established principles and practices of civil engineering methods and in the processes used in the implementation projects.
Cognitive skills: They will have developed their cognitive skills to enable them to process technical information, to be able to relate this to a broader context and will have begun to understand the relationships between the individual modules.
Subject specific skills: They will have developed skills in civil engineering technology, land surveying, sustainable construction, ICT & CAD, materials testing, and be able to apply these in a work context.
Transferable skills: Including the Graduate Head Start Skills, they will have developed the ability to assess their own personal and professional learning needs, be able to exploit a wide range of information sources, have improved their communication skills and have a level of IT ability sufficient to carry out and present their work. The students will have begun to more effectively and habitually recognise and utilise opportunities for lifelong learning.
Upon successful completion of level five, the students will have achieved the following:
Knowledge and understanding: They will have developed the subject matter in level one and deepened their knowledge and understanding of civil engineering and control methods in the context of specific, specialist construction situations.
Cognitive skills: They will have developed their ability to evaluate alternative theories and techniques both in the broad context of civil engineering issues and in relation to specific, specialist construction situations.
Subject specific skills: They will have developed their skills in support of the level two subject content and built on those developed at level one. These will focus on the established knowledge, skills and techniques needed to successfully manage the construction process.
Transferable skills: Including the Graduate Head Start Skills, they will have developed their ability to identify, analyse and solve a wide variety of theoretical and practical problems, to plan and execute a research programme, critically use a wide variety of paper-based and electronic information sources, evaluate alternative routes to the solution of their needs and to be able to communicate their understanding clearly in a variety of ways in both academic and work contexts.
Module framework and module description
|
Module
|
Level
|
Year
|
Credits
|
|
Civil Engineering Technology A
|
4
|
1
|
20
|
|
Materials & Structures
|
4
|
1
|
20
|
|
Professional Practices A (Civil Engineering)
|
4
|
1
|
20
|
|
Information Technology
|
4
|
1
|
20
|
|
Engineering Surveying
|
4
|
2
|
20
|
|
Sustainable Practices
|
4
|
2
|
20
|
|
Civil Engineering Technology B
|
5
|
2
|
20
|
|
Engineering Mathematics
|
5
|
2
|
20
|
|
Geology & Soil Mechanics
|
5
|
3
|
20
|
|
Structural Analysis & Design
|
5
|
3
|
20
|
|
Contractual and Procurement Procedures
|
5
|
3
|
20
|
|
Professional Practices B
|
5
|
3
|
20
|
Teaching, learning and assessment
The course team will employ a balanced range of teaching strategies in delivering the programme. This will include practical assignments, tutorials, student presentations, discussion groups and lectures.
Modules are assessed in a number of ways including, coursework assignments, time controlled assignments, group projects, simulations, practical tests and exams. The method of assessment will depend on the module and should follow the assessment schedule in the Course Handbook.
The assessments are graded against a set of general grading criterion. These are general statements and will be applied in context to fit each assessment. These statements are clear descriptions of what needs to be demonstrated in the submission of an assessment in order to attain the grades.
Timetabling
The Foundation degree lasts for three years and is attended on a day-release basis. Each academic year is split into two semesters, with semester one running from September to January and semester two running from January to May. As a general rule, the specialist modules run for one semester each, whilst the work-based modules tend to cover two semesters and run throughout a full academic year.
A typical timetable will generally consist of a mixture of specialist and work-based modules and will usually contain four different modules plus tutorials at any one time. On attendance days, the timetable usually runs from 8:45am to 5:00pm including an hour for lunch. Students should expect to spend, on average, between ten and fifteen hours a week studying in addition to the timetabled hours. Some modules delivered by industry specialists may be delivered in the evening.
Work experience
Most students will already be in employment within an area of the construction industry. All students must complete at least 80 hours of work placements each year in order to satisfy the requirements of the course.
Tutorial and study support
Tutorial Sessions will form part of the course programme. The tutorial sessions will give the student an opportunity to discuss any issues regarding the course and the student’s performance. Each student will get the opportunity to have a personal tutorial session with the tutor at least once every semester. Graduate Head Start Skills will also be monitored during this time.
Tutorials will be important in ensuring that all students attain their full potential. The strengths and weaknesses of individuals will be discussed and the student and tutor will agree on the action needed to overcome particular problems.
Opportunities on completion of the course
The Higher Education provision in Civil Engineering is broad-based and targeted to meet the needs of the employers and their employees. These qualifications will allow you to undertake work at the level of an associate professional and work in support of professionally qualified persons.
The structure of the Foundation degree is designed to enable access to an Honours degree programme by providing a route into the second or third year of a related degree course such as, Construction Management.
Students may progress on to related Honours degree level programme at University Campus Suffolk such as the BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering (Progression Route).