Joseph Hughes

Joseph Hughes is a fourth-year integrated Masters student at the University of Leeds who studies Civil and Structural Engineering MEng, BEng at the School of Civil Engineering.

Choosing to study at Leeds

Choosing Leeds was an easy choice for Joseph who wanted to study at a university with a global reputation for excellence and in a vibrant student city. He explained: “I initially had Leeds as one of my top choices due to its high ranking in the league tables as well as its course structure.” 

“The engineers and architects share similar modules throughout the first few years which means there is more of a design focus than at other universities which is something that drew me to the course and is something I have thoroughly enjoyed throughout my time at Leeds so far. However, my final decision to choose Leeds was predominantly decided after I visited the city and campus for the first time.

“The combination of it being a campus university but next to a city centre gave the best of both worlds as the city was easily accessible but it also made the campus easily accessible. Furthermore, all the facilities seemed very impressive such as the engineering buildings, the union and the sports grounds at Weetwood.”

Picking the right degree

Discussing his experience on the programme, Joseph said: “I am studying an Integrated Masters in civil and structural engineering and have just completed my third year. My favourite aspect of my course is the amount of industry relevant work that we get to do as all the projects I have completed have been based on real-world issues. 

“The civil engineering facilities at Leeds such as the concrete lab and George Earl lab are very good, and the staff are very helpful, especially with helping with dissertation projects. The computer labs are also well equipped and useful for projects.”

My favourite aspect of my course is the amount of industry relevant work that we get to do as all the projects I have completed have been based on real-world issues. 

Scholarship support

Scholarships provide help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and the government. There are several scholarships available to our civil engineering students to help them fund their studies. Joseph was one such student, he said: “I am an ICE quest scholar with Ferrovial Construction which has meant I have undertaken three 8-week summer placements with them. The first two I spent working on-site at Heathrow on their KAD and MSCP4 project where I acted as a site engineer and oversaw construction works such as concrete pours and rebar placement. In my final summer, I am working on the business development team at head office where I am helping the team identify and apply for new projects.”

The course is extremely varied and there are multiple optional modules that allow you to tailor the course to your exact interests. Overall I have extremely enjoyed my time at Leeds and am excited to start my final year.

Hands-on experience

Our courses offer students opportunities to get hands-on experience in the field. Joseph explained: “I designed a new bridge to replace the existing Kirkstall viaduct which is only a couple of miles from the university. This meant I could visit it to determine the challenges that the surrounding area could have on the design which was extremely helpful. Furthermore, in these projects, we are given a lot of freedom to choose how and what we design which has made it more interesting and helped improve my skills.”

“I was able to take part in the module Constructionairm where we went for a week to the CITB training centre and constructed a scale model of the Millau viaduct. This was hugely enjoyable as we completed all the work ourselves such as pouring concrete and building formwork. Although completing all the construction ourselves was very tiring the satisfaction of standing on our project at the end was extremely rewarding and an experience I will cherish. The module also taught me a lot of skills I wouldn’t have learnt in lectures and I think will benefit me in my final year and jobs in the future.”

Life in Leeds

From music to sports, Leeds University Union has hundreds of societies to suit everyone’s interests and hobbies. Discussing his time outside of studies, Joseph said: “Over my time at Leeds, I have been a member of the men’s hockey club where I have played for the 2s team in BUCS. In my second year, I captained the team to win the men’s BUCS northern conference final which is one of my proudest achievements to date.”

“Leeds has been a great city to live in as a student as it has many pubs and restaurants around Hyde Park and Headingley as well as many in the city centre. The campus is also great as everything is nearby and it’s a great place to spend time in. Also, as it’s so close to the city you get the best of both types of universities in terms of campus and city.”

Looking to the future

To prepare for life after Leeds, Joseph is looking to explore as many opportunities as possible, he explained: “After university, I intend to take some time to relax and travel before hopefully starting a graduate job.”

Offering a word of advice to future students, Joseph said: “I would highly recommend my course to anyone who is interested in civil engineering and the design aspect of it as I believe that is what sets Leeds apart from other universities. The course is extremely varied and there are multiple optional modules that allow you to tailor the course to your exact interests. Overall I have extremely enjoyed my time at Leeds and am excited to start my final year.”

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