HNC BTEC Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering)
Course Overview
This HNC BTEC Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering) course is taught by Bolton College on behalf of the University of Bolton.The Higher National Certificate in Civil Engineering Studies is a vocational course designed to help prepare you for a rewarding career in the industry. With a strong focus on hands-on practice, reinforced by theory, this course is the product more than 50 years’ experience delivering well-acknowledged civil engineering programmes in the North West.
As a student on the HNC Civil Engineering Studies course, you’ll have hands-on access to our laboratories, developed for practice in the materials, hydraulics, geotechnical and structural disciplines. You’ll also have the opportunity to make use of all the latest surveying equipment, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
Problem solving is a key focus - you’ll be guided in learning and applying UK and EU codes of practice and industry standards, using your critical reasoning and analysis skills. You’ll also cover those elements of maths and science that support engineering principles, along with management techniques and subjects that enhance your awareness of the commercial and economic context of engineering processes.
Highlights
- The course provides opportunities for you to make progress towards achieving internationally recognised professional status with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), the Chartered Institution of Highways or Transportation (CIHT) and the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE).
- On successful completion of this programme you’ll be awarded the Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Construction and The Built Environment (Civil Engineering).
- Bolton College scores highly in student satisfaction surveys for its HE provision, and we take pride in being able to offer you the opportunity to learn from industry-experienced staff.
Key Features
- This course offers essential subject knowledge that you’ll need to progress successfully within or into the world of work or onto further study.
- Our approach to teaching and learning is ‘student-centred’, so we’ll work with you on an individual basis, providing tailored help and support throughout your studies.
- You’ll have the opportunity to develop and enhance crucial skills such as communication, teamwork, organising and planning, numeracy, problem solving, flexibility and adaptability, action planning, self-awareness, initiative, personal impact and confidence, environmental sustainability, and social, public and ethical responsibility.
- You’ll have the chance to take part in field trips to various projects run by industry; and gain first hand industry knowledge and insights from guest speakers during class time.
Entry Requirements
- 32 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- Entry to this course is also available to applicants who have extensive appropriate work experience in the construction/civil engineering sector. If you don't possess the academic qualifications listed above but have extensive appropriate work experience, we'll be delighted to consider your application.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 5.5 with no less than 5.5 in reading and writing (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- If you intend to progress on to a top-up degree course at a university after completing this HNC, you will usually need GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent). If you have not already achieved this, please speak to the course leader about taking GCSE Mathematics and/or English while completing this course.
- If you apply or enrol on this course, Bolton College and the University of Bolton will share the information you provide. You’ll also receive communications from both organisations.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
If you choose to complete a BTEC Level 4 HNC in Construction and the Built Environment it’s expected that you’ll be aiming to progress with your employment or continue your studies at university. Pearson developed these qualifications in close collaboration with experts from professional bodies, vendors, businesses, universities and colleges to ensure you gain the skills and knowledge you’ll need to succeed in the future – whichever route you take.
What can I do with this qualification?
If you successfully complete the Pearson BTEC Level 4 HNC in Construction and The Built Environment (Civil Engineering) you’ll be eligible for advanced entry to Level 2 (HE5) of the University of Bolton’s part-time BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering course.
Alternative career options
Certificate holders can also use the qualification to enter a range of other careers, and for some of these roles, both relevant experience and/or further study may be required. Some of these careers include:
- Building services engineering
- Geology
- Environmental consultancy
- Quantity surveying
- Logistics
- Operation management
- Patent law and intellectual property
- Teaching
- Research and development
- Procurement, purchasing and buying
- Supply chain management
- Technical sales and consultancy
Professional Recognition
We'll encourage you to become a student member of the relevant professional institution(s) and participate in local and regional activities, enabling you to network with potential employers.
Fees & Funding
When completing your student finance application, please list your institution as ‘University of Bolton’, not ‘Bolton College’.
Home/EU Fees
Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £2,996 for the academic year 2024/25.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:
You should have to hand:
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Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
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Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
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Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
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Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
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Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: Bolton College BTEC HNC Construction and Built Environment (Civil Engineering) - 23 September 2024
International Applicants
International applications are not possible for this course
As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.
We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.
Partner Organisation Applicants
University of Bolton Group Partners
Bolton College
University Collegiate School
Alliance Learning
University of Bolton
For valued members of the University of Bolton Group and progressing students, we try to make our application process as simple and as fast as possible.
By selecting the link for your chosen course from the list shown below, you will be taken directly to our online application form. Please read the user guidance before completing this, and ensure you upload all supporting documents such as certificates and your personal statement when you apply.
When you are asked to add a contact email address, please ensure you add your college/university email account address as well as your personal address. If you do not add your college address as your contact address, we will be unable to identify you as a partner and offer you the benefits of being part of our group.
If you are ready to apply directly, please select your chosen start date from the list below.
Before applying, please read the entry requirements section of this page.
If your course runs at multiple locations or has various start dates, please be sure to select the correct application link from the list below.
Before beginning your application, you should have the following information to hand:
Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
Details of any employment history, including name, address, dates and role
Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
Details including email addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already inputted.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: Bolton College BTEC HNC Construction and Built Environment (Civil Engineering) - 23 September 2024
We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!
Teaching & Assessment
The varied nature of this HNC programme means that we use a wide range of teaching and learning methods. In order to ensure you acquire and develop the appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills, we combine timetabled classes with student-centred and independent learning. You can expect to attend lectures, practical sessions, workshops, tutorials and informal group study sessions. There will also be opportunities to go on site visits and learn from guest speakers who work in a range of key industrial sectors and roles.
There are significant opportunities to spend time with the tutors and technicians during timetabled classes, practical work and tutorials. However, we’ll still expect you to devote a significant amount of time to personal study. For example, this time might be spent engaging in general background reading, revisiting practical work, attending technical meetings and lectures provided by the professional bodies or working on assignments.
We use a range of assessment methods, depending upon the learning outcome in question and the type of module content being assessed. You’ll have opportunities to test your understanding of subjects informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark or grade. Each module/unit will normally contain at least one piece of practice or ‘formative’ assessment for which you’ll receive feedback from your tutor. Practice assessments are developmental and any grades/marks you receive for them do not count toward your module/unit mark or grade.
There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module/unit. Methods include a range of coursework assessment such as exams, essays, reports, portfolios, presentations, and final year major project. The grades from the formal assessments count towards your module/unit mark or grade.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Individual Project (Pearson Set)
- Construction Technology
- Science and Materials
- Construction Practice and Management
- Construction Information (Drawing, Detailing Specification)
- Mathematics for Construction
- Principles of Structural Design
- Civil Engineering Technology
- Surveying, Measuring and Setting Out
- Building Information Modelling
Assessment methods
Level | Assessment method |
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Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
Level | Activity |
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Level 1 | Guided independent study 60% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 40% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.