Does a part time structural or civil engineering degree give you a career advantage over full time study? 

Does it pay to get your engineering degree and then seek out your first job or are you better off gaining industry experience as you qualify?   

To help answer this question, we spoke to two senior structural engineers, Olly Morgan from dbstructural and Will Evans from Eurban, who both entered the industry via part time courses. Here’s what they had to say about balancing university life alongside on-the-job training and some of the key advantages it delivered. 

What is the difference between a full time and part time degree? 

A part time degree in structural or civil engineering offers you a chance to gain valuable industry experience alongside attaining your degree. It also means you’ll be earning a wage while studying, helping to offset some of the costs of higher education. You’ll be placed into a job, with a structural engineering or civils firm, and learn the ropes from the bottom up, all before you’ve left university with a formal qualification.  

Full time study, on the other hand, sees you spending 100% of your time in a classroom environment. You’ll learn all of the theory you need to qualify as a structural engineer or civil engineer, but without entering the world of work in the process. Your assignments will be set and graded by a tutor to test your understanding, but you won’t actually gain any professional experience until after you graduate and land your first job.  

Will and Olly’s journey  

Both Will and Olly opted to undertake their degree via the part time learning route.  

“I studied A-levels then completed a HNC at my local college before moving to Coventry to study for a BEng (Hons) in Civil & Structural Engineering.” Olly recalls. “The whole time I was studying I also worked.”  

By contrast, Will first worked as a carpenter and joiner for a specialist timber contractor, before completing his HNC while working for businesses in Birmingham and London. While he admits that this wasn’t easy, he stands by his choice: “If you want to gain practical experience, a qualification, and earn a salary at the same time, a part time degree is definitely the route to take into civil engineering, albeit it isn’t the easy option.” 

Having now risen to senior roles within their respective organisations, what would they say are the main advantages of a part time civils or structural engineering degree? 

Benefits of studying civil and structural engineering part time 

“A part time degree allows you to gain practical on-the-job experience which, in my experience at least, is invaluable in creating well-rounded engineers who excel in the industry.” Says Olly.  

Will agrees: “The bulk of what you learn at university is analysis, which is sometimes perceived as what a structural engineer’s role is. In reality, analysis accounts for a small proportion of the job, so if you’re only learning the theory and not gaining experience, you’ve still got a lot to learn when you enter the workplace.” 

Both agree that having exposure to the industry while studying gave them an edge over their colleagues who had studied a full-time degree.  

“By immediately turning theory into practice, a part time student engineer can theoretically and commercially understand constructions and design methods in a live site environment” says Will. “Additionally, it helps you to develop other essential skills you need to succeed as an engineer or surveyor, such as communication, technical sketching, time management, and getting to grips with industry software.” 

Key advantages of part time, in summary: 

Become a more well-rounded and employable engineer 

Working alongside training gives you the opportunity to gain professional experience and additional mentoring that you don’t get by studying full time. Not only are you exiting university life with a degree, but you already have years of relevant work experience under your belt – making you a much more appealing candidate.  

Gain experience towards professional memberships 

Many professional civil and engineering bodies require you to demonstrate experience in order to be certified. Gaining this experience while achieving your degree can give you an advantage over your peers who chose to study full time.  

Learn while you earn 

Studying part time gives you the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and earn a salary relevant to your career before you’re qualified.   

Employer backing and funding opportunities 

Now we’re not saying this is a definite, but there are employers out there who will cover or at least subsidise your tuition fees if you work for them while earning your degree. This is, of course, up for discussion, but the benefit to the employer is that they’ll also have a graduate in waiting who can move straight into a full-time position.  

An employer’s point of view 

It’s clear that choosing to study for your civil or structural engineering degree part time offers students a wealth of professional advantages, but is it the same for the employer?  

Olly and Will’s student work placement employers certainly seem to think so.  

Darren Ball, Director of dbstructural said: “Part-time study, combined with early career employment opportunities, provides aspiring engineers with the unique advantage of gaining practical experience while learning. This approach not only bridges the gap between theory and practice but also enhances employability and career progression by cultivating a robust professional network and real-world problem-solving skills from the outset. 

“Here at dbstructural we strive to support anyone starting their career in structural engineering. Whether that’s support with study, experience, or wanting to learn more, we’re always open to having a conversation about how we can help.” 

Where are Will and Olly now? 

Since completing their studies, Will and Olly have gone on to have successful careers in the industry. 

Olly is a Senior Structural Engineer at a Buckinghamshire-based engineering practice, dbstructural. He has worked on a variety of projects, including large residential house developments, commercial steel structures, and more obscure buildings – most recently a lighthouse. 

Working alongside dbstructural’s Founder and CEO, Darren Ball, Olly has experienced further personal and professional growth and is now involved with strategic decisions at the business. 

Olly concludes: “My study-route into structural engineering provided me with sound foundations for where I am today. It required a good amount of dedication and some sacrifice of social time, but the hands-on experience while studying was invaluable and gave me a true insight into the workplace.  

“For anyone considering this study route, I highly recommend exploring opportunities for part-time study alongside work before deciding. Being able to work closely with Darren to now offer employment opportunities like this at dbstructural, is a position I never expected when starting my studies but here we are and I’m happy to talk to anyone wanting further advice.”