Christina Irvine

3rd year

Christina, from Inverness in Scotland, is studying Civil Engineering with International Studies in the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure & Society.

What appealed to you most about Heriot-Watt University?

Heriot-Watt has an excellent reputation for having links within industry, which in turn improves career prospects. I was impressed with the state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and the welcoming and friendly members of staff. I was also attracted to the opportunity of a year of study abroad and the flexibility of being able to change between the various civil and structural engineering programmes, if you later decided that your interest lay in another area of the sector.

Do you feel your degree has prepared you well for a career?

The programme provides a diverse knowledge of all the subjects that are involved in civil and structural engineering. We are taught to solve challenging concepts, rather than remember answers, which reflects the role of an engineer within the workplace. The vast amount of practical work including field trips, laboratory work, site investigations and workshops help us to understand what we will later be expected to do in our career.

Has your degree programme helped you develop links with industry?

Guest lecturers, Careers Fairs and meet and greet sessions allow students to talk to and build relationships with contacts in their preferred industry. Also, with every student signed up to the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Scotland, we are constantly updated with potential opportunities to get involved in.

Find out more about our Civil and Structural Engineering degrees.