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Civil Engineering Higher National Certificate

Take the first step towards your exciting career in Civil Engineering!

 

Equivalent to the first year of a university degree, our Civil Engineering Higher National Certificate will develop the practical and personal skills that are needed for a role in this sector. We will help you to understand the key Civil Engineering principles, including materials, numeracy, construction technology, mechanics and health and safety. 

 

The programme is delivered flexibly, so it will fit easily around your current employment and other commitments.

 

For an informal discussion about the course, please contact: 

Lawrence Atherton, 
Programme Leader, Bolton College
Email: lawrence.atherton@boltoncc.ac.uk 
Telephone: +44 (0)1204 482556

 

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The Higher Education courses shown on Bolton College’s website are taught by Bolton College on behalf of the University of Bolton. Therefore, all the information applicants and learners provide will be shared between these two organisations. Applicants and learners will receive communication from both the University of Bolton and Bolton College. Student Finance Loan applications should be made using the institution ‘University of Bolton’ not Bolton College.

Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Construction and the Built Environment (Civil Engineering)

  • Key Information

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    AwardHigher National Certificate

    Mode of study: Part-time

    UCAS points: 32

    Location: Bolton College

    Duration2 Years 

    Start Date: 23/09/2024

  • Course Details

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    This Higher National Certificate 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 Higher National Certificate 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.

  • Course Highlights, Key Features & Professional Rec

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    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.

     

    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.

     

     

  • Entry Requirements

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    • 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

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    If you choose to complete a BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate 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?

    This Higher National Certificate is designed to advance your career in structural, public health, highways and transport, hydraulic/water, geotechnical or site engineering. You may already be employed in the civil engineering and construction sector; for instance, by a contractors, consultant, utility company, local authority or other public or private body. After successful completion of this course, you should be prepared to take on additional responsibilities at work.

    If you successfully complete the Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate 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
  • Fees & Financial Support

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    Course 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.

     

    Useful information

     

    When completing your student finance application, please list your institution as ‘University of Bolton’, not ‘Bolton College’.

    Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 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.

    For 2023-2024 entry, the maximum government approved undergraduate tuition fee for UK students is £9,250 per year. The University is able to charge this fee subject to an approved Access and Participation Plan for 2023-2024 and its current rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

     

    Bursaries

     

    Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

  • Teaching, Learning & Assessment

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    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

     

    LevelAssessment method
    Level One Coursework (100%)

     

    Learning Activities

    Level

    Learning activity

    Level One

    Guided independent study (60%), Scheduled learning and teaching activities (40%)

     

    Disclaimer

     

    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.

  • How To Apply

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    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 UGadmissions@bolton.ac.uk

    We look forward to receiving your application and you continuing your academic journey with us!

  • Contact Us

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    Lawrence Atherton
    Programme Leader, Bolton College
    Email: Lawrence.Atherton@boltoncc.ac.uk
    Telephone: +44 (0)1204 482556

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