FdSc Civil Engineering Foundation degree at Suffolk New College
FdSc Civil Engineering at Suffolk New College combines core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills development.
About this course
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FdSc Civil Engineering is a Foundation degree (FdSc) at Suffolk New College, based in University of Suffolk at Suffolk New College. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Engineering, see the sections below.
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Civil Engineering Technology A
Module details
This module aims to provide you with an understanding of some of the most commonly used techniques utilised in the construction of civil engineering projects. Although there will be a strong theoretical bias in the approach to this unit, there will also be considerable emphasis on the use of case studies as a means of understanding the application of technical solutions to civil engineering design and construction problems. A site visit will be arranged where practicable and possible to give you
- Supporting Mathematics
Module details
This module supports you with the necessary underpinning mathematical knowledge and analytical techniques, which they will require to successfully complete other modules within their course of study. It will also provide a base for the further study of mathematics needed by those engaged in the practice of Civil Engineering.
- Surveying and Setting Out
Module details
This module is intended to give you the training and skills required to competently measure land (in a variety of ways) and to record, check and use those measurements. It will also give you the training and skills to set out engineering structures. You will work both individually and as part of a small team to carry out practical activities and to produce a portfolio of results
- Materials Technology A
Module details
The purpose of this module is to introduce you to the key Civil Engineering materials of concrete, steel, timber and masonry, and to enable them to understand the extraction and manufacturing process involved in producing them and how this determines their performance characteristics in use. You will also gain an understanding of the role that material selection and specification plays in sustainable development. You will carry out practical, scientific investigations into material properties wh
- Engineering Concepts
Module details
The module aims to introduce you to the fundamental behaviour of structures and structural elements. It will also cover the basic principles of hydraulics and simple dynamic calculations. This knowledge and understanding will prove key in the study of future modules.
- The Professional Engineer
Module details
A key function of the civil engineering industry is the provision of national and international infrastructure: including transportation, power supply, water supply and drainage. Civil Engineers are at the heart of the process of finding design solutions that benefit the health and well-being of the world's population, on a daily basis. Consequently, civil engineering students need to understand the processes involved in meeting these needs in a sustainable, efficient and ethical manner, and thi
Year 2 4 modules
- Highways and Transportation
Module details
The aim of the module is to provide you with knowledge and understanding of the technology used in highway and permanent way construction / maintenance. This will build upon some of the material covered in Civil Engineering Technology. Transport engineering is a major sector within the wider civil engineering industry and most students will be involved in these projects at some point during their careers.
- Mathematics
Module details
This module will build on the mathematics studied in the Essential Mathematics module or A Level Mathematics (or equivalent) and will provide you with the necessary mathematical knowledge and analytical techniques, to solve problems in a variety of civil engineering fields of study.
- Hydraulics
Module details
Civil Engineers need to understand how civil engineering infrastructure interacts with water. Whether that infrastructure is primarily to convey or manage the water itself, or where the water is a part of the natural environment that the infrastructure is subjected to. This is a growing sector of civil engineering, due to the increasingly heavy rainfall experienced as a result of climate change.
- Soil Mechanics
Module details
This module is intended to give you an introduction to the properties and characteristics of soils used in construction and civil engineering schemes. In addition, an understanding of the classification and testing of soils will be developed. The engineering properties of soils will be determined, and analysis undertaken as to how they impact on the design of engineering structures. Geology and ground investigation processes will also be considered, as will the analysis of field data obtained fr
Year 3 3 modules
- Structural Analysis & Design A
Module details
This module has been designed to provide you with an understanding of how to analyse simple structures under various loading conditions. The module also aims to equip you with the knowledge to produce an effective and economic design of simple structural elements in a range of structural materials to the appropriate Eurocodes.
- Sustainable Design and Environmental Engineering
Module details
This module you with an understanding of the concepts, principles and assessment techniques required for sustainable development and an appreciation of what is required to achieve sustainable design solutions. Sustainable development is a fundamental part of a modern engineers' duties and responsibilities.
- Engineering Research & Practice
Module details
As Civil engineering students you are expected to be able to solve problems and carry out investigations both on their own and in teams. In any context, Civil Engineers need to be able to define a problem, look for a solution, carry out the required research and provide a reasoned justification for your conclusions. The aim of this module is to provide further opportunities for developing these skills in the final year of your Foundation Degree studies. Additionally, you may progress onto the BS
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study core engineering foundations in mathematics, mechanics and materials, alongside practical skills in CAD and workshop practice. A course like this typically progresses from first-year essentials, calculus, dynamics and the engineering design process, through to second-year discipline-specific study in thermodynamics, fluids or circuits and systems, paired with simulation and computing. You'll undertake a group design project against a real specification. In the final stage, you'll choose specialisations such as mechanical, electrical and electronic, civil and structural, robotics and mechatronics, or energy and sustainability, and complete an individual project while studying professional engineering practice covering safety, ethics and sustainability.
Who it's for
You're interested in civil engineering and how infrastructure is designed, built, and maintained. You might be working already and looking to formalise your knowledge or step into the field more formally. You're comfortable with analytical thinking and problem-solving, and you're ready to commit to part-time study alongside your other responsibilities. You want a practical, structured qualification that connects theory to real engineering work.
Careers & job market
Across engineering courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after finishing. Of those working, 80% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. Earnings across the engineering sector vary: national data shows starting salaries of £29,000–£35,000, rising to £26,775–£37,800 after three years and £33,150–£46,800 after five years. A Foundation degree often acts as a stepping stone to a full Bachelor's degree, and many graduates in engineering continue to further qualifications.
University & format
This FdSc Foundation degree is delivered part-time by Suffolk New College, a higher education college at the University of Suffolk in Suffolk. The course is taught in English and is recognised by a UK degree-awarding body, so your qualification is nationally recognised.
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. The cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at Suffolk New College →Check the finance route that applies to you
Support depends on ordinary residence, assessed fee status, course and provider nation. The provider nation is unresolved here, so no national cap or loan amount is being guessed.
Find your official student-finance route →Paying for it
- Tuition fee loan: applied for through the student-finance body for the UK nation you live in.
- Living-cost support: means-tested on household income, from your nation's student-finance body.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold set by your nation's student-finance system.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Each UK nation runs its own student-finance system; check gov.uk for the rates that apply to you.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Engineering graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in engineering · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Engineering nationally
National figures for Engineering graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
Job market & outlook
How Engineering graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Engineering graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Engineering & manufacturing firms
- Automotive & aerospace
- Energy & utilities
- Defence & consultancies
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Engineering graduates.
Engineering Surveyor (Machine Control)BAM UK & IrelandEngineering Operations Project ManagerFdo Consulting LimitedEngineering ManagerVerto PeopleEngineering ManagerRobert WaltersEngineering ManagerPremier Technical RecruitmentEngineering ManagerRedline Group LtdWho studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Engineering and technology across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Suffolk at Suffolk New College
1,585 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Engineering right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Suffolk New College from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £27,295 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Suffolk New College’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Suffolk New College and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Suffolk New College
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates earn?
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