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Brunel University or University of Greenwich for Civil Engineering?

I did my A levels last year but I took year out and decided to apply again this year so I've got unconditional offer to both Brunel and Greenwich. I've been given the impression that Brunel is the better university but if I pick Brunel I will have to a foundation year. Greenwich accepted me straight onto the BEng course. Does anyone have any advice on if it's a good idea to do a foundation year or opinions on the universities? (I also have offers from Brighton and Leeds Beckett but I've been told they're not as good..)
Reply 1
Hi ma6tt, I have some experience in this area as I am involved in the recruitment of experienced and graduate civil engineers for the Tier 1 company I work for in London and hold a BEng in Civil myself.

Firstly both bachelors are accredited to Incorporated level, this means which ever degree you choose to do, if you aspire to become a chartered engineer in the future you will need to do an accredited MSc in civil, construction management or similar. This will put you on par with graduates who have obtained a MEng degree. Its actually a bit cheaper to do the BEng+MSc route circa £4K.

As a employer I would have no preference over either university's and you would be considered for employment if you gained a 2:1 or first.
Personally I would go to either Greenwich or Brighton and do 4 years study to get both the undergraduate and postgraduate rather than doing 4 years in Brunel for just the undergraduate degree, you will have less debt, more qualified to chartered level and therefore more employable.

Ray
Reply 2
Great advice, thank you! Brighton would require me to do a foundation too so i guess you think its best to go to Greenwich.
Dear ma6tt I hope you can see my massage, at the moment Im at the same position as you 4 years ago :smile: ,I just wanted to know if the choice you made by going to Greenwich University was a Good decision and if you can tell me anything about your experience I will be really thankful.Regard Mohammed
Reply 4
Hi Mohammed,It was a great surprise to receive this email notification about a reply to a thread I didn't remember starting! I remember feeling the importance of this choice in front of me at the age of 18 and I can understand the desire to get as much advice as possible before making the call.Firstly I have to say that my ultimate decision was to go against RayrayH's advice and accept my offer to study at Brunel University London. After attending the open day at Greenwich I decided it wasn't for me and that Brunel was a better fit.Secondly, I should say that after nearly 4 years at Brunel working towards a Mechanical Engineering BEng (with a 1 year break along the way) I decided not to finish my degree. As it turns out, I never really enjoyed Engineering enough to make a career out of it.All that said, I can offer the following advice:s-smilie:tudent experience outside of your course is just as important, if not, more important than the quality of the course itself. Whatever you do for fun and whatever makes you happy, make sure you can find that at whatever university you choose. I understand that the university experience may be very different in 2021 than it has been in the past but it's so important that you are able to find people who expand your world view (they might not be on your course!).If, like I was, you're still a little unsure of your chosen degree then read around your subject and really try to understand what it is that someone in your chosen profession does. This may not apply to you but I wish I'd spent more time really trying to understand what Engineering is.The most important thing is your happiness. Whether you choose Greenwich or another university, if you're hard working and really enjoy your subject, you will do well. As RayrayH said, I think your employer most likely won't care too much which university you attended if you finish with a 2:1 or better. So if your happiness means being closer to your family or hundreds of miles away from them - that's a perfectly valid way to choose a uni. Likewise with your hobbies or sports you play. It's been a long day and I'm tired so I'll leave at that and hopefully I've made some sort of sense. I can appreciate that beginning higher education in such uncertain times must be all the more daunting. I wish you the best of luck in making this decision and with these next steps in life.All the best,Matthew

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